Philadelphia Flyers Daily Clips – October 16, 2011 FLYERS Headlines 1. Philadelphia Inquirer – Kings hand Flyers overtime defeat 2. Philadelphia Inquirer – Flyers Notes: Andreas Lilja getting ice time 3. Philadelphia Inquirer – Flyers West keys win 4. Philadelphia Inquirer – Inside the Flyers: Flyers' Briere opens his home to rookie Couturier 5. CSNPhilly.com – Flyers fall to Kings in OT, take first loss of season 6. CSNPhilly.com – Cheered, then booed, Richards shines in return 7. CSNPhilly.com – Rinaldo explains ‘trolley tracks’ hit on Doughty 8. CSNPhilly.com – It's not only Richards who returned as a King 9. Delaware County Times – Richards has the last laugh in Kings' win over Flyers 10. Delaware County Times – Flyers Notebook: Richards takes homecoming in stride 11. Delaware County Times –Deitch: Craven attempt to fluff Richards’ career 12. Bucks County Courier-Times – Richards helps send Flyers to first loss 13. Bucks County Courier-Times – Richards gets a mixed reception 14. Camden Courier-Post – Richards helps Kings crown Flyers 15. Camden Courier-Post – Gutsy trades have improved Flyers 16. Camden Courier-Post – Flyers made right move with passionless Richards 17. NHL.com – Kings top Flyers 3-2 in OT 18. Philly Sports Daily – Flyers Lose To Mike Richards And The Kings 19. Philly Sports Daily – Production Will Come Soon For Sean Couturier 20. Edmonton Journal – Is Jagr still an asset? Los Angeles Kings Headlines (FLYERS last opponent) 1. Los Angeles Times – Kings defeat the Flyers in overtime, 3-2 2. NHL.com – Doughty leaves with injury, will miss 7-10 days 3. LA Kings Insider – Kings 3, Flyers 2, OT Adirondack Phantoms Headlines 1. Glens Falls Post-Star – Phantoms winning start ends with Crunch NHL Headlines 1. New York Post – Hockey world unites behind plane crash victims 2. Minneapolis Star-Tribune – Michael Russo's Sunday Insider: It's all about location FLYERS Articles 1. Philadelphia Inquirer – Kings hand Flyers overtime defeat Sam Carchidi Mike Richards' return was overshadowed by another ex-Flyer, Justin Williams, on Saturday night.

And by the Los Angeles Kings' herculean defensive effort. Defenseman Jack Johnson redirected Richards' pass into the net with 3 minutes, 21 seconds left in overtime as the Los Angeles Kings used the power-play goal to defeat the Flyers, 3-2, at the percolating Wells Fargo Center. Williams scored a pair of goals, and Los Angeles' defense and goalie Jonathan Quick (32 saves) were superb as they withstood an early injury to star defenseman Drew Doughty. The Flyers (3-0-1) were trying to start a season 4-0 for the first time since 1995. The road-weary Kings (2-1-1) began the season in Europe and still haven't played at home. In addition, many of their defensemen - including Johnson (30:57) and Willie Mitchell (27:15) - logged extra minutes because of Doughty's early upper-body injury. "There were a lot of excuses we could have used tonight, but you see the type of character we have in here," said Richards, who played 20:58 and won 13 of 20 (65 percent) faceoffs. "We dug down and found a way to win." Richards said the game-winner was set up by "a broken play." He skated from the point toward the high slot to set up the goal. "I was just looking for a lane to shoot, and the D was stepping up, and I wanted to try to shoot through him," Richards said. "I saw J.J. at the last minute, and I just threw it to him." Johnson, at the left of the net, tapped it past Ilya Bryzgalov. Johnson also had a four-on-three overtime winner against the Rangers in Stockholm. Trailing, 2-1, Flyers defenseman Matt Carle knotted the score on a power-play goal with 6:31 left. It was Carle's first goal since Dec. 5, 2010. Carle took a crafty pass from James van Riemsdyk and beat an out-of-position Quick from deep inside the left circle. Just 54 seconds earlier, Los Angeles had taken a 2-1 lead on Williams' second goal of the night. Williams scored on his own rebound. With 19.9 seconds left in regulation, van Riemsdyk was called for tripping, and the penalty carried into overtime. It proved costly. Penalties "away from the goal are usually the ones that come back to bite you - and it did," said defenseman Chris Pronger, whose team outshot the Kings, 34-23, in regulation.

The teams traded power-play goals in an interesting first period, one in which Danny Briere scored after a slick goalmouth feed from Jaromir Jagr, and Williams countered for the Kings. Just 24 seconds into the game, the Flyers' Zac Rinaldo leveled Doughty with an open-ice hit. Doughty, who signed an eight-year, $56 million contract late last month, returned for one shift and then went to the locker room; the L.A. Times reported that it was not a head injury, but that Doughty would miss seven to 10 days. About 11 minutes after Rinaldo's hit, perhaps as retribution, Pronger was slashed by the Kings' Dustin Brown on his right hand - the one that he had surgically repaired in March. Pronger continued taking a regular shift. Richards, booed loudly every time he carried the puck, sent Jakub Voracek to the ice with an open-ice check with 12:40 left in the second period. Wayne Simmonds, one of the `players acquired in the blockbuster deal that sent Richards to the Kings, skated to Voracek's aid. He and Richards shouted at each other, but no gloves were dropped. Richards was jawing with the Flyers bench during the game; afterward, he said his ire was directed at Rinaldo. Pronger said he wasn't surprised there was a Richards-created buzz in the crowd all night. "He spent six years here and was the face of the franchise," Pronger said. "I think the fans showed their appreciation - and then they got over it quickly." Pronger was referring to a standing ovation Richards received early in the game, followed by loud boos whenever he touched the puck. 2. Philadelphia Inquirer – Flyers Notes: Andreas Lilja getting ice time Sam Carchidi Flyers Notes Andreas Lilja, the least-heralded of the Flyers' highly regarded defensemen, had just finished doing a pregame interview Saturday night when teammate Max Talbot walked past him. "Great job," Talbot kidded. "I learned everything from watching you on 24/7," Lilja cracked, referring to the HBO series in which Talbot, a former Penguin, was one of the main "characters" leading to last January's Winter Classic.

It's easy for Lilja to be upbeat. After a strong preseason, he has been taking a regular shift on one of the NHL's best defensive units. Lilja, signed as a free agent in the offseason, started his fourth straight game Saturday and again was paired with Andrej Meszaros. "He's been really strong, especially the first couple games," Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said before Saturday's game against Los Angeles. "He's aggressive within our system, which I like to see. . . . He stands up in the neutral zone, and he's made good plays out of our end." Laviolette said "in a quick snapshot" the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Lilja reminds him of Sean O'Donnell, the Flyers' sixth defenseman last season who is now with Chicago. "They're both stay-at-home defenseman, and they can play physical and defend the net," Laviolette said. Richards' return Former Flyers captain Mike Richards received mostly cheers, mixed with some boos, when he was introduced as part of the Kings' starting lineup. In the first period, his photo was shown on the scoreboard, and public-address announcer Lou Nolan thanked him for his six years with the Flyers. Richards received a standing ovation, with a smattering of boos. He was booed loudly almost every time he carried the puck. Earlier in the day, Richards said he just wanted to play the game and move on. Asked if he was curious about how the fans would treat him, Richards said: "No. I've been booed and cheered in every barn, so it won't be anything new. I'm not concerned about that." Did he have a message for the fans? "I don't have a message," he said. "I'm coming here to play hockey. . . . I'm just treating it like any other hockey game." 3. Philadelphia Inquirer – Flyers West keys win Sam Carchidi Flyers West outlasted the Flyers on Saturday night.

The Los Angeles Kings got huge contributions from ex-Flyers Justin Williams, Mike Richards and Simon Gagne as they scored a 3-2 overtime win at the Wells Fargo Center. Williams scored a pair of goals, Gagne had an assist, and Richards set up Jack Johnson’s game-winner 1:38 into overtime. It was Richards’ first game at the Wells Fargo Center since he was dealt to the Kings last June. “We have a lot of ex- Flyers; we have a lot of familiarity here,” said Williams, selected by the Flyers in the first round of 2000 draft. “I know this is especially sweet for Mike. We did everything we could to get a win for him” The Flyers were 2 for 7 on the power play; Los Angeles was 2 for 8. All told, there were 22 penalties for 76 minutes “It’s just a lot of stop and start from the game standpoint, whether you’re going in the penalty box, going on the power play, timeouts, all that stuff,” defenseman Chris Pronger said. “There was no real flow to the game. No way to roll our lines, and get everyone into the game and into a sort of flow or rhythm, which makes it tough to get some consistency going. “It really limits the bench and you don’t get everybody involved.” L.A. overcame the loss of standout defenseman Drew Doughty, who suffered an upper-body injury when hit by Zac Rinaldo early in the game. Rinaldo was asked about the hit. “From my vantage point? He came across the trolley tracks, head down,” he said. “It was a clean hit, shoulder to shoulder. That’s about it.” But will NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan agree? * * * Breakaways. The Flyers play in Ottawa Tuesday….Coach Peter Laviolette would not commit to when he will give Sergei Bobrovsky a start…..The Flyers (3-0-1) missed a chance to go to 4-0 for the first time since 1995. Their best start was in 1986, when they began the season 6-0….The Flyers outshot the Kings, 34-26.

4. Philadelphia Inquirer – Inside the Flyers: Flyers' Briere opens his home to rookie Couturier Sam Carchidi Danny Briere is more than one of the Flyers' premier forwards. More than an integral part of their power play. More than someone who seems to play his best in big games. He is also the unofficial Team Big Brother. A year ago, Briere had been recently divorced when he asked teammate and fellow French Canadian Claude Giroux to move in with him and his three boys in their Haddonfield home. Giroux has since opted for a place of his own in Cherry Hill, and Briere's newest housemate will soon be 18-year-old rookie Sean Couturier, another French Canadian. Couturier plans to move in with Briere in the coming days. "It's not easy having an 18-year-old live by himself right away, so I just offered it to him," Briere said. That means the Flyers' top three centers, at one time or another, will have had the same South Jersey address. "The adaptation will probably be easier being with him," Couturier said. "He's a great pro to learn from, so it should be fun. It's a nice setup for me." Briere, 34, said having a teammate live with him and his boys adds energy to his home. "It was fun having Claude around; we had a good time, and it brought even more life than we already had with the boys and the dogs," Briere said. "I have an extra room, so it works out, and obviously it makes it easier that he's French Canadian as well, just like Claude. So he can speak French to the kids as much as possible." The Flyers can only hope the arrangement works as well on the ice for Couturier as it did for Giroux and Briere, each of whom played in last season's All-Star Game. Giroux, now 23, had a breakout season last year (25 goals, 76 points), while Briere had a career-best 34 goals. Living with Briere helped his development, Giroux said. "Any time you see a veteran doing what he does off the ice, you learn from it," Giroux said. "Last year was a big year, learning-wise, for me. Not just on the ice, but off the ice, too. I had Danny to follow. I think he's pretty smart about getting your rest and making sure you're focused for the game and kind of thinking more hockey."

The move will help Couturier, but he may have some problems gaining weight, Giroux said. "Obviously Danny's a terrible cook," Giroux said with a smile, "but other than that . . ." (Full disclosure: Briere, his boys, and Giroux ate take-out almost every night.) Couturier has gotten better with each game and has been one of the Flyers' top penalty killers. In Thursday's 5-4 win over Vancouver, he notched his first career point - setting up Jakub Voracek's goal - and came within inches of his initial goal, firing a shot off the post. Briere doesn't like to compare the 6-foot-3, 197-pound Couturier to any current players; some scouts say he reminds them of a young Jordan Staal, Pittsburgh's gifted 6-4, 220-pound center. "Comparisons are always tough. You want players to be their own," Briere said. "But what's impressive with him is his defensive play already; he's strong on the puck, always on the good side of the puck. And when you're that player early on, you're no risk to put on the ice. The coach won't be afraid to play you." When the Flyers dealt minor-leaguer Stefan Legein last week, they opened a contract spot that will be needed if Couturier plays his 11th game with them. Based on his early play, all signs point to Couturier's staying with the Flyers and not being sent back to juniors, where he has had consecutive 96-point seasons. Besides being one of the Flyers' top penalty killers, Couturier has centered the third line, which has Matt Read, another rookie, and veteran Scott Hartnell. "I think it's the perfect place for him to grow up as a player because there's no expectation for him to score 30, 40 goals right away," Briere said. "He can get into his own [rhythm]. We all know the offense is going to come after a while because he has so much skill and talent, but right now, there's no risk because he's so good defensively. He gets more experience at an early age, and that's very impressive." Meanwhile, Briere said his boys - Caelan, 13; Carson, 12; and Cameron, 10 - "keep asking when he's going to move in. I know they're excited." They want another victim for their video-game challenges. "Exactly," Briere said. 5. CSNPhilly.com – Flyers fall to Kings in OT, take first loss of season

Tim Panaccio The Flyers knew this might happen. Just a matter of time. When your hockey team takes 20 penalties in the first three games and still compiles three wins, you’re rolling the dice and tempting fate. “We got lots of penalties, lots of power plays, it has to be stopped,” said goalie Ilya Bryzgalov after the Los Angeles Kings ended the Flyers modest win streak with a 3-2 overtime victory Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center. “It might cost us in the future.” It just did. Granted, the officials ruined the game by refusing to swallow their whistles, but the fact remains, the Flyers took 10 penalties, four of which were deserved stick infractions. James van Riemsdyk’s tripping call carried over into a 4-on-3 Kings overtime power play that saw Jack Johnson win it with a redirect of Mike Richards’ shot in the high slot. “A lot of the penalties we took were penalties,” coach Peter Laviolette conceded. “That’s two games in a row so now it’s a bit of a concern for me. We’re going to the box too much. When that happens, you’re going to get yourself into trouble. That costs you points.” That said, the officials wouldn’t let them skate. “A lot of start and stops,” Chris Pronger said. “Whether you are killing penalties, going on the power play, timeouts, all that stuff, there was no real flow to the game … no way to get any consistency going.” No rhythm. No nothing. “When that many penalties happen throughout the course of the game, it really takes the flow out of the bench and lines and it seems like one group gets exhausted and then the other group gets exhausted,” Laviolette said. “The time we did have five-on-five, I thought it was the best we’ve played all year. It was just so hard in between … to roll the bench over.”

Give credit to the Kings. A large amount of credit. They played nearly the entire game with just five defensemen, while netminder Jonathan Quick stole them two points with 32 saves. “He was really good,” Laviolette said. “He was sharp. He’s one of those athletic goalies who gets around his crease pretty good.” Three former Flyers – Richards, in his first game back in Philly (see story) as a King, Justin Williams (two goals) and Simon Gagne all earned points. Williams, who scored the Kings’ first goal, got the go-ahead goal in the final period, digging his own rebound from Bryzgalov’s body and popping into the net at 12:35. Bryzgalov was upset with himself because he stopped Williams’ initial backhander, then lost the rebound outside the crease. Matt Carle quickly re-tied it at 2-2 with a power play goal at 13:29. Carle’s last goal was Dec. 5, 2010 – 57 games ago. “I knew it had been a while,” Carle said. “I didn’t know it had been that many. It was certainly nice to contribute like that.” Carle said there were “so many” penalties, it was hard to look back and figure out where the game fell apart. “Some of them are penalties, some aren’t or questionable, I should say,” he added. “The refs control the game, but they also dictate what’s happening. I’ve never seen a ref change his mind. So you have to react to the way they are officiating.” Much like the Vancouver affair earlier this week, the visitors got into trouble quickly as the Flyers had a 5-on-3 power play when the game began. It centered around a jarring, yet clean, hit by Zac Rinaldo on an unsuspecting Drew Doughty as he came into the Flyers zone. Doughty was rocked. Dustin Penner came to his teammate’s aid. Then he and Rinaldo fought to a draw. Though no one said Doughty had a concussion, he was very slow getting off the ice. He played just one more shift after that hit and then did not return to the game, leaving the Kings with just five D-men. “It was a clean hit, that’s hockey,” Rinaldo said. “I don’t mind fighting after a nice hit like that.” Penner, however, drew an instigator penalty, giving the Flyers a power play. Then Matt Greene was whistled for slashing, setting up a two-man advantage for 44 seconds, which the Flyers more or less wasted.

At 5-on-4, though, Jaromir Jagr, standing on the goal line below the right circle, lined a pass across the line to Danny Briere below the opposite circle. Briere buried it past Quick for his first goal this season at 2:30. That’s when the game shifted as the Flyers started picking up penalties, giving the Kings a two-man advantage for 46 seconds. Los Angeles converted the second penalty on a nifty pass from Gagne to Williams in the slot. “Willie” lifted the puck off the underside of the crossbar to make it 1-1 at 11:29. At period’s end, Dustin Brown, obviously trying to enact retribution for Doughty, slashed Pronger on his right hand – yeah, the hand that was surgically repaired at the wrist last season. “I think I got him back a couple of times,” Pronger said. In the second period, Richards (three hits) leveled Jakub Voracek with a hard, clean hit. Wayne Simmonds immediately went after Richards but both were pulled apart by the officials. The Flyers had oodles of chances that period but Quick was outstanding in net, much to the relief of the Kings’ tired defense. Braydon Coburn and Simmonds each had point-blank shots in the slot that Quick stopped. Additionally, Quick denied Simmonds on a double-deflection during a Flyer power play. “He played very well in net and made some great stops,” Pronger said of Quick. “We got two power play goals but we should have gotten a couple more. Obviously, we needed some kills at the end.” 6. CSNPhilly.com – Cheered, then booed, Richards shines in return Sarah Baicker A day ago, on this site, a debate emerged in the comments section of the story we ran about Mike Richards’ return to Philadelphia: When Richards was introduced to the crowd at the Wells Fargo Center Saturday night, would he be cheered or booed? Richards, after all, left behind a complicated legacy in Philadelphia. He was the face of the Flyers organization for much of his six seasons in orange and black. His jersey, No. 18, was a perennial best-seller. He led the team to within two wins of the Stanley Cup.

But Richards was also known for his contentious relationship with the media. Criticisms about his captaincy were about as frequent as rumors on the Internet about his nightlife. Plenty of fans honestly believed he just didn’t give the 110 percent effort on the ice that was expected of him. Los Angeles, however, got such an effort out of their new center in Saturday’s 3-2 overtime win (See story). Richards, who wears No. 10 as a King, had an assist on Jack Johnson’s game-winning goal. He was physical, won 68 percent of the faceoffs he took and contributed on the backcheck, too. “He was hitting guys and making plays,” Matt Carle said, “and that’s what he brings to the table.” But, as many have been speculating, Richards admitted feeling a bit of anxiety ahead of the game. He tried hard to play it off Thursday in Newark and Friday at practice – even insisting again after Saturday’s win that he just considered it another game against a tough opponent. “It was easy once we touched the ice, I think,” Richards said. “During warm-ups and before the game, maybe I was a little nervous or something. But it is what it is. I got on the ice, and you feel comfortable after that. You just play hockey. It’s nice to see us get the win.” Hockey tends to not get much attention through the fall, considering the length of the NHL’s season and the dominance of the Eagles (and, until recently, the Phillies). But it’s been impossible to ignore the attention given to Saturday’s game, a date circled on the Kings’ calendar and, no doubt, circled on the Flyers’. “It wasn’t a big deal to me,” Richards said. “I think from a media standpoint, you try to blow things up a little more than it is. And for me, it was just another game in a road arena. I’ve been booed everywhere, I’ve been cheered in a couple places. You just go out there and play once the puck is stopped. I think it’s the easiest thing to do, just go out there and play hockey.” Whether he knows it deep down or not, Richards’ return to Philadelphia was a big deal – at least to the fans who supported him during his time here. Walking around the concourse before the game, No. 18 jerseys were everywhere. Two fans – both young women – behind the Kings’ bench taped signs up against the glass. “Richie you will always be a Flyer in our hearts,” read one. “Mike Richards always my captain, now my King,” read the other. Richards centered the Kings’ first line, playing alongside Dustin Brown and Dustin Penner. Selected to start the game, Richards’ name was announced last over the P.A. before the puck drop. Fans responded when they heard his familiar name – and mostly with cheers.

About five minutes into the game, fans were directed to look to the Jumbotron where a thank-you message to Richards – thanking him for his contributions and service to the Flyers – was broadcast for about a minute. This time, fans stood up to cheer, and only a handful of boos could be heard. Richards, taking a faceoff in the Kings' zone, was aware of the message, but tried not to think about it. “Once the puck’s dropped, you’re focused so much on the game and what you’re doing out there, you can’t be distracted for a second,” Richards said. “That’s when bad things happen on the ice. I was just trying to stay in the moment. I did notice it a little bit. It was nice. But at the same time, I was just worried about winning the faceoff and not getting killed out there.” In the action that followed the thank-you message, however, the crowd booed every time Richards touched the puck. Perhaps “complicated” doesn’t even begin to describe how Flyers fans truly feel about Richards. Flyers captain Chris Pronger put it best. “He spent six years here and was the face of the franchise and any time guys like that come back, there’s always going to be a buzz in the air,” Pronger said. “Fans get a chance to see him again. It’s with the other team, but still a chance to see him. I think the fans showed their appreciation, and then they got over it quickly.” 7. CSNPhilly.com – Rinaldo explains ‘trolley tracks’ hit on Doughty Tim Panaccio Kings’ defenseman Drew Doughty was coming into the Flyers zone with his head down. Doughty goes 5-feet-11 and 211 pounds. Zac Rinaldo, the Flyers' Italian sparkplug, goes 169 pounds. “From my vantage point? He came across the trolley tracks head down,” Rinaldo said. “Clean hit, shoulder-to-shoulder. That’s about it.” Rinaldo leveled Doughty with a full contact hit on the opening shift of Saturday’s 3-2 Flyers loss to Los Angeles. Doughty got up wobbly, played another shift later that period, then left the game and did not return. A concussion is suspected through the Kings called it an “upper body” injury.

Rinaldo’s hit sparked a fight between himself and Dustin Penner, who came to Doughty’s aid. It also set up the game’s first power play goal by the Flyers. Afterward, ex-Flyer Mike Richards, who played with Rinaldo in the playoffs last season against Boston, couldn’t remember his name, but likely took down his No. 36 for future reference. “The guy that didn’t play much, that hit Doughy,” Richards said. “It’s tough. You don’t realize that there’s a puck on the ice, and just go out there and try to run around. It’s tough to play against those players. “At the same time, we did a good job as a defensive chord to play well in spite of missing him ...” Later in the game, Kings winger Kevin Westgarth tried to get Rinaldo to throw down during a pushing/shoving match at the Kings bench. He didn’t fight Westgarth, who is 234 pounds. “Nah, he’s a little too big for me, but I’ll stir some stuff up,” Rinaldo said. 8. CSNPhilly.com – It's not only Richards who returned as a King Sarah Baicker Mike Richards’ return to Philadelphia has dominated headlines for the past few days, but he’s not the only member of the L.A. Kings who returned to familiar territory tonight. In fact, two of Richards’ teammates – Justin Williams and Simon Gagne – each spent time wearing Flyers orange. Gagne, in particular, had a lengthy career in Philadelphia, which spanned 10 seasons. Almost exactly a year ago today, Gagne returned to the Wells Fargo Center for the first time since leaving the Flyers, then as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning. It was an extremely emotional experience for Gagne, who was honored with a tribute video played on the jumbotron, as well as a standing ovation from the crowd. Like Richards like has, Gagne struggled to adjust to his new life away from the Flyers. “It’s tough,” Gagne said. “Like I said, my season last year was really hard at the start of the season. When you play for a team that gives you everything and gives you a chance to win every season, and being here for more than 10 years and Mike six, seven years, it’s not easy going somewhere else. It takes some time to adjust.”

Gagne said he sympathizes with what Richards is going through. Richards, of course, told the media he felt fully a member of the Kings organization ... but as Gagne pointed out, the reality is, that'll take some time. “Right now Mike’s doing really good, but at the same time, it’s going to take some time,” Gagne said. “That’s totally normal. It happened to me last year. It took me almost 60 games to realize that I wasn’t playing for the Flyers or feel like I was part of another team. It takes some time and that’s normal.” 9. Delaware County Times – Richards has the last laugh in Kings' win over Flyers Rob Parent PHILADELPHIA — Rookie center Zac Rinaldo set the tone of a Saturday night reunion party at Wells Fargo Center with a fine rendition of the Mike Richards Borderline Hit, an act of ambition in open ice that left crafty Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty spinning in his thoughts. From that opening hit to a final Richards-enabled salvo, however, one penalty after another allowed yet another NHL game to devolve into a boring affair of stoppages and whistle shrieks. In between, what should have been an entertaining game between two well-matched teams ended suddenly with a Jack Johnson power play goal off a Richards assist at 1:39 of overtime, giving the Kings a 3-2 victory over the Flyers. And giving Richards a memorable return to the place where he built a career. “It was easy once we touched the ice, I think,” Richards said. “Before the game maybe I was a little nervous, but once on the ice I felt comfortable after that. Nice to see us get the win.” That victory came because Richards still has the on-ice vision that the Flyers tried to build their franchise around. Well, that and because the officials couldn’t help but see a trip made by James van Riemsdyk 20 seconds before the end of regulation, giving the Kings their eighth power play chance of the game. And giving Richards a chance to cash in at the most opportune of times. “It took me a second to realize it was in,” said Richards, whose surprise parting by trade after six years was anything but amicable. “It was kind of a broken play. I was looking for a lane to shoot … not sure which (defenseman) it was but he stepped up there and I saw JJ at the last minute and I just threw it to him.” Thus ended a game that was not permitted to offer any offensive flow, thanks to the incessant whistle blowing. It opened with an act of aggression from a guy that Richards

noted “didn’t play very much,” and ended with Richards sneaking a pass through a crowd toward a winning goal, which essentially capped off a perfect Richards reunion … except for all those annoying whistles. “With this many penalties, throughout the course of the game it really drags the flow coming off the bench and in the lines,” Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. “When we got 5-on-5, I think we played maybe the best we have this year.” Noting that, Richards got into the spirit of things, putting one of his best checks on the Flyers’ Jakub Voracek early on, trying to match witty hits with Rinaldo, who caught Doughty with a rising, blind check while the Kings defenseman came cruising into the Flyers zone with his eyes glued to the puck he was carrying. Or, to put it another way… “He came across the trolly tracks,” Rinaldo said in his best Canadian-speak. “Clean hit,” added Rinaldo, who doesn’t play on special teams, so not surprisingly totaled 1:51 of ice time for the game. “That’s hockey. I don’t mind fighting after a hit like that. It was fun.” Doughty didn’t return, and “upper body” code aside, probably has a concussion. That’s why Rinaldo instantly became targeted, with Dustin Penner taking an immediate first shot at him … then later slashing Chris Pronger just for the heck of it. The whistle war had started. The Flyers first took advantage on the power play with a beautifully crafted pass from Jaromir Jagr to a net-camping Danny Briere, who slammed the puck home 2:30 into the game. That was negated at 11:29, when on the power play two more familiar faces got in on the revenge act, Simon Gagne assisting on a goal by Justin Williams. The game of give (a penalty) and take (a penalty) finally came down to a Flyers defensive breakdown. Williams took control of the puck to the left of goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, deked right around defenseman Matt Carle and flipped a backhander into traffic … which would create a 2-1 Kings lead with 7:25 left in regulation. No problem — the refs had a whistle blow to rectify that advantage … Richards called for hooking. Gifted with that power play, the Flyers re-tied the game. It was none other than Carle who converted on a pass from van Riemsdyk with 6:31 left. But the Kings and the refs weren’t done.

Neither was Mike Richards. 10. Delaware County Times – Flyers Notebook: Richards takes homecoming in stride Rob Parent PHILADELPHIA — Having trained as a captain during his time in Philadelphia — how successful that effort was still is debatable — Mike Richards showed Saturday night that he at least has the hockey player humility thing down. After setting up a Jack Johnson game-winning goal in overtime and earning a small measure of revenge for a surprise summer trade that shook him to the core, Richards held court after his Kings’ 3-2 victory over his old Flyers and tried to shrug it all off as just another road victory. Everyone knew better. “It wasn’t a big deal to me,” Richards said. “I think from a media standpoint you try to blow things up a little more than it is, but for me it was another game in a road arena. I’ve been booed everywhere. I’ve been cheered in a couple of places. Once the puck is dropped, the easiest thing to do is just to go out there and play hockey.” So simple a solution, yet Richards, the Flyers’ first-round draft pick in 2003, was supported by a Kings cast that included a pair of fellow former first-round Flyers picks, Simon Gagne (1998) and Justin Williams (2000). Williams was another player whose Philly career ended in a surprise trade. He has bounced around a bit since that day he was shipped to Carolina, but the two goals he scored Saturday showed that his heart still aches for Philadelphia. Nevertheless, Williams knew to whom this victory would be dedicated. “I know this is especially sweet for Mike,” Williams said. “We did everything we could to get a win for him. … We wanted to win this for a lot of reasons. Obviously, Mike being the top of the list. I thought he got a warm reception early, then got booed the rest of the game. That’s Philly. If you’re not on their team they are going to boo you. I know he appreciated the response initially and I know he’s happy to get that first assist on the game-winning goal.” The return likely was still a bit intimidating for a guy like Richards, who always thought he’d be a Flyer for life. The Flyers acknowledged Richards’ return with a few words up on the Wells Fargo widescreens during the first TV timeout, with announcer Lou Nolan reading along.

But there was no retrospective video on Richards’ time as a Flyer, as there had been with Gagne, who described his first game back in Philly last year with Tampa Bay as “emotional … I didn’t remember a thing. It was like a flash.” Flyers coach Peter Laviolette, speculated to have had a rough relationship with then-captain Richards through the second half of the 2009-10 season and last season, said before the game that he didn’t have a feel for how Richards might react to this return to the place he’d called home since 2005. “There are probably cases for that both ways, but how long that lasts I’m not really sure,” Laviolette said of a player returning to an old haunt. “There’s probably been times that people knocked it out of the park and other times when guys came in and looked like a deer in the headlights.” Richards homered on this trip to his old hockey home — primarily because he didn’t allow it to get to him. “Once the puck is dropped you focus so much on the game and what you’re doing out there,” Richards said. “You can’t be distracted. I just tried to stay in the moment.” l l l NOTES: Chris Pronger on Richards’ reception: “He spent six years here and was the face of the franchise. So whenever you have a guy like that and get rid of him and he comes back to the team there’s bound to be some sort of extra buzz in the air. The crowd is happy to get another chance to see him, even if it’s with another team, and I think the fans showed their appreciation … and then got over it quickly.” … Next up for the Flyers is a trip to Ottawa for a Tuesday night Senatorial date. Talking about goalies is a no-no to Laviolette, but he didn’t say that backup Sergei Bobrovsky wouldn’t start against the Sens. 11. Delaware County Times –Deitch: Craven attempt to fluff Richards’ career Dennis Deitch As I watched a certain Philadelphia sports station follow and timestamp Mike Richards’ every move as soon as the former Flyer returned to town Friday, I thought to myself, “Self, was Mike Richards any more decorated an NHL player than...” After about 30 seconds of rummaging through the muddled remains of my concussed and Jameson-pickled brain, the name came to me. ...Murray Craven?

Off to hockey-reference.com my fingers ran to compare the numbers of both players during their years with the Flyers. Here they are: Craven: 513 games, 149 G, 269 A, plus-99. Richards: 453 games, 133 G, 216 A, plus-39. Not bad, eh? Craven actually was a slightly more prolific assist guy than Richards, and he had one plus-minus season (plus-45 in 1984-85) that was better than Richards’ career total. Give Richards the nod on All-Star appearances — a whole one, versus Craven’s zero. But Richards’ appearances in the top 10 NHL stats is limited to sixth once in power-play goals, and a few others for shorthanded goals. Bottom line: The guy wasn’t a superstar, folks. He was a pretty good player. That’s it. So how about we stop following him around like he was Eric Lindros or something, OK? 12. Bucks County Courier-Times – Richards helps send Flyers to first loss Wayne Fish PHILADELPHIA — The ending couldn’t have been scripted any better if it were written in Hollywood. Which, come to think of it, is the new stomping grounds for one Mike Richards, who made his homecoming a triumphant one Saturday night. Returning for the first time since his trade to the Los Angeles Kings last June, Richards set up the winning goal in overtime to hand the Flyers their first loss of the season. With a power play to Philadelphia’s James van Riemsdyk about to expire, Richards got the puck to defenseman Jack Johnson for a point-blank shot past Ilya Bryzgalov at 1:39 of the extra session and a 3-2 Kings victory. Richards wasn’t in the mood to talk about vindication. Or revenge. But clearly he was feeling satisfied with the outcome against his former team. At the start of the game, the Wells Fargo Center crowd gave Richards a mixed reception, with cheers that later turned to boos. “It was easy once we touched the ice,’’ Richards said. “Maybe a little nervous. But after I got on the ice I was comfortable. Nice assist, got the win.

“It took me a second to realize it (the winning goal) was in. It was kind of a broken play.’’ Richards also made his mark felt when he buried Jakub Voracek midway through the second period. That was a bit of payback for Zac Rinaldo’s big hit that injured Kings star defenseman Drew Doughty on the first shift of the game. No doubt there was an extra buzz in the building for this game. “He (Richards) spent six years here,’’ Chris Pronger said. “He was the face of the franchise. Anytime you have guys like that come back, there’s going to be a buzz in the air. “Fans get to see him again. I think the fans showed their appreciation and then they got over it.’’ On the winning goal, Bryzgalov didn’t have much of a chance. Richards slid past a Claude Giroux check and then had room to make his pass. “Cobie (Braydon Coburn) was standing in front of me and I was trying to find the puck,’’ Bryzgalov said. “I didn’t see it there. “He (Richards) just passed it to the side to Johnson and he put it in an empty net.’’ A goal by ex-Flyer Justin Williams, his second of the game, with 7:25 to play gave Los Angeles a 2-1 lead. Williams deked past Pronger, got off one shot, then poked home his own rebound. But the Flyers quickly answered on a power play. Richards was in the penalty box as Matt Carle took a feed from van Riemsdyk and beat Jonathan Quick with a short shot with 6:31 left on the clock. Power plays figured into both of the only two goals of the first two periods. Each team scored with a one-man advantage after a five-on-three power play expired. Daniel Briere struck first for the Flyers at 2:30 of the first period. Just after a penalty to Dustin Penner expired (but with L.A.’s Matt Greene still in the box), Briere smacked home a cross-crease pass from Jaromir Jagr. The Kings came back at 11:29. After a penalty to Carle expired (but with Andrej Meszaros still in the box), Williams took a pass from another ex-Flyer, Simon Gagne, and banked a slot shot off the crossbar and past Bryzgalov. Williams said Richards had to be happy with the outcome.

“I know this is especially sweet for Mike,’’ said Williams. “We did everything we could to get a win for him. “We wanted to win this for a lot of reasons. Obviously, Mike being the top of the list. I thought he got a warm reception early, then got booed the rest of the game. “That’s Philly, if you’re not on their team they are going to boo you. I know he appreciated the response initially and I know he’s happy to get that first assist on the game-winning goal.” Doughty hurt The Rinaldo hit on Doughty touched off a fight between Penner and Rinaldo. Doughty left the game with what the Kings are saying is an upper body injury and might cost him a week. Short shots Carle ended a 57-game goal drought dating back to Dec. 5, 2010. ... In their last three overtime games with the Kings, the Flyers are 0-3. They haven’t won in an extra session against Los Angeles since 1996. 13. Bucks County Courier-Times – Richards gets a mixed reception Wayne Fish PHILADELPHIA — It was a mix of cheers and boos for ex-Flyers captain Mike Richards when he made his first appearance back in Philadelphia for the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night. Richards, traded last June, wore No. 10. The Flyers put up a message of "Thank you, Mike Richards, for all your contributions...'' which drew a raucous reaction from the sold-out Wells Fargo Center. Schenn rolling One night before Richards made his emotional return to the city where it all started, one of the players he was traded for, Brayden Schenn, showed why the Flyers did the deal. Schenn scored a hat trick for the Adirondack Phantoms in a 6-3 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Friday night in Glens Falls, N.Y. In two games, Schenn already has five points.

After suffering an upper-body injury in the preseason, Schenn needed time to recover and missed playing time. The Flyers decided to let him start the season in the American Hockey League but that stay might be short, if Friday's performance is any indicator. It sounds like Schenn would like a promotion to the NHL soon. I just want to make a good impression,'' Schenn said after the game. "You don't want to be down here for long." Opportunity knocks For Andreas Lilja, it was the ultimate nailbiter. Hours before the season opener in Boston, the Swedish defenseman still wasn't sure he was in the lineup. The competition between him and Matt Walker for the No. 6 defense job was going right down to the wire. As the clock hit 7, Lilja appeared on the ice and it's been smooth skating ever since. Going into Saturday night's game against Los Angeles, Lilja was playing outstanding hockey, standing tied for second on the team in plus/minus at plus-2. "He's been really strong I think,'' coach Peter Laviolette said. "He's aggressive within our system, which I like to see. You can see he stands up in the neutral zone, defends the blue line well. I think he's done a really good job.'' Laviolette said there are some favorable comparisons to Sean O'Donnell, who played for the Flyers last year. "They're both stay-at-home defensemen,'' the coach commented. "They can play physical and defend the net. Lilja, 36, has been around long enough to know anything is possible. So he was ready for the good news or bad news in Boston. "Of course, you want to play,'' he said. "Walker is in the same position I'm in. He wants to play, for sure. You just have to go with it.'' Lilja seems to have find a comfortable spot alongside Andrej Meszaros. The two have been effective in situations requiring some net protection, such at the end of Wednesday night's 5-4 win over Vancouver. At this stage of his career, it comes down to spending a little extra time in the workout room to keep up with the youngsters of the NHL.

"You have to work harder,'' he said. "When you were younger, everything just came natural. Now you have to do extra, like before and after practice.'' 14. Camden Courier-Post – Richards helps Kings crown Flyers Randy Miller PHILADELPHIA — A teenaged girl stood directly behind the Los Angeles Kings bench with a crown on her head and a sign in her arms: “Mike Richards always my captain, now my King.” In the same row, another young girl proudly pressed a billboard against the glass: "Richie you will always be a Flyer in our hearts.” Flyers fans welcomed Richards back to his old stomping grounds with a couple of big ovations Saturday night, then united to give the former captain the Crosby treatment. By the end of the night, Richards went from goat to heartbreaking hero in a 3-2 Flyers overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings that cost them their first 4-0 start since 1995-96. Richards took a third-period slashing penalty that led to Matt Carle tying the game for the Flyers, but set up defenseman Jack Johnson’s game-winner 1:39 into the five-minute overtime with the Kings on the power play. The Kings had a lengthy power play to start overtime after James van Riemsdyk tripped ex-Flyer Simon Gagne with 19 seconds remaining in the third. Despite losing, the Flyers still earned a point, their seventh in four games. “When you get to the end of the year, sometimes you wish you could go back in October and redo a couple games because maybe you weren’t at your best, but right now we’re putting points in the bank, and that’s a real positive for our club,” Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. The game was tied 1-1 from midway through the first period until 13:35 into the third, when Justin Williams, another former Flyer, scored his second goal of the game for a 2-1 Kings lead. Thanks to Richards, the Flyers had the game tied 54 seconds later. When Richards went off for hooking at 13:02, the Flyers went on the power play and scored in 27 seconds when van Riemsdyk set up defenseman Matt Carle, who wristed in a shot from the left circle for his first goal in 58 games. Traded this summer after six seasons with the Flyers, the final three as captain, Richards had the one assist and three shots in 20 minutes, 58 minutes of ice time, plus one big hit on Flyers winger Jakub Voracek. That led to words with Wayne Simmonds, part of the return from Los Angeles in the June 23 summer blockbuster that went down just 30 minutes after fellow Flyers star Jeff Carter was sent to Columbus. This was a hot ticket for October hockey with Richards making his only Philly appearance this season, just two weeks into the season. Early on, Richards was the focus: In the Kings starting lineup, Richards was introduced last, and the response was a loud roar that was mostly cheers mixed with a few boos. During a stoppage of play early in the first, Richards was recognized by Wells Fargo Center public-address announcer Lou Nolan, and again, there was a loud response of mostly cheers.

It didn’t take long for the Flyers to show everyone that they had showed up, too, as scrapping fourth-line winger Zac Rinaldo leveled Drew Doughty with a crunching check 14 seconds into the game that had the Kings defenseman out for the night one shift later with an upper-body injury. Rinaldo’s hit led to Kings winger Dustin Penner immediately jumping into the play to instigating a fight. After both players got in a couple punches and then tumbled to the ice. 15. Camden Courier-Post – Gutsy trades have improved Flyers Randy Miller PHILADELPHIA June 23, 2011 — the day Flyers management shook things up in a way it hadn’t since trading for Eric Lindros, was a high-stakes roll of the dice. Trading Mike Richards and Jeff Carter for young talent and draft picks could have really set back this proud franchise. One year they finish two victories shy of a Cup, the next they’re wheeling and dealing their captain to Los Angeles and trading best goal scorer to Columbus, all in one headshaking and totally shocking summer afternoon. As usual, the Flyers are coming out of this potentially disastrous makeover smelling like roses. Why wait to state the obvious? They’re better off than they were a year ago, more talented now than their Cup-finalist team. They’re better off because right wing Wayne Simmonds, part of the return in the Richards trade, is blossoming into a very talented two-way forward who scores, fights and has the courage to stand in front of the net and screen goalies during power plays. They’re better off because left wing Jakub Voracek, a piece back in the Richards deal, is playing like a change of scenery has transformed him into a top-six forward who no longer just shows flashes of being something special the way he did in Columbus. They’re better off having used some of Richards’ and Carter’s cap space to sign Ilya Bryzgalov, the best available goalie this summer, and turn the team’s most-pressing issue into a big-time strength. They’re better off with Chris Pronger as their captain, their once-again healthy and still-dominating hulk of a defenseman who has leadership qualities that rival Mark Messier’s. They’re better off with Claude Giroux, their 23-year-old almost-superstar center, realizing that he’s now the face of the franchise, and it’s time to take his game even beyond his 2010-11 breakout season of 25 goals and 76 points. They’re better off with Sean Couturier, the centerpiece of the Carter trade, an 18-year-old, going-on-25 top draft pick who is doing a nice job centering the third line and killing penalties. They’re better off with Jaromir Jagr playing with Giroux instead of new Buffalo Sabre Ville Leino playing with Danny Briere; better off with star-in-waiting center Brayden Schenn in the system and a good bet to soon make the Richards trade look even better. Pronger took the high road Friday when asked about all these changes actually making the Flyers better, not just for the long term, but the short term, too.

“Time will tell on that,” the captain said. “Things don’t happen overnight. It takes a lot of hard work. It’s takes a lot of development over the course of the season.” Yes, it’s too early to pass final judgment on what went down on last June, but right now it’s looking like the Flyers are better off with what they have instead of what they had. Hasta la vista, baby Simmonds never warmed to what most consider the best perks of playing for the Kings. A native of Toronto, he prefers cold weather to warm. He lived in Hermosa Beach while playing the last three seasons in L.A. but says he was in his house when everyone else was on the beach. Being traded to the Flyers was a blessing. “You know what? I’m loving the East Coast,” he said. “I don’t regret being traded. Hopefully, I’m here (in Philadelphia) for a while. I’m not a West Coast guy.” He did have a brush with fame in L.A. Attending a Lakers-Heat game last Christmas, Simmonds noticed Arnold Schwarzenegger walking by. “It was a whole spectacle,” Simmonds said. “He had a million body guards around him.” Cheers for 87 Sidney Crosby, the superstar Flyers fans love to hate, was booed at Wells Fargo Center last Thursday for being featured in an anti-cancer commercial. That’s fine, but it’s very good for the league that No. 87 is close to returning to the Penguins lineup after being sidelined since early January with concussion symptoms. Pittsburghers, by the way, never have forgotten Flyers fans giving cancer-surviving Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux a standing ovation at the Spectrum on the March 1993 night in which No. 66 rejoined the Penguins after missing almost two months fighting Hodgkin's disease. 16. Camden Courier-Post – Flyers made right move with passionless Richards Kevin Callahan PHILADELPHIA -- Former Flyers captain Mike Richards said returning to play against his old team for the first time tonight will be "just another hockey game." This relaxed response by Richards is probably part of the reason why he is now playing with the Los Angeles Kings. Truly, if facing your old teammates in the building where you once wore the "C" in front of a stuffed Wells Fargo Center is just another game, well, Richards didn't belong in Philadelphia anymore. Another game should be playing in Nashville or Tampa Bay. Not here in Philly. Not for the Flyers. Not for the organization that drafted Richards and anointed him the next Bob Clarke without even losing his two front teeth. So, if there was any lingering doubt that Richards needed to be removed from the locker room, then the man himself answered the questions while dressing in the visiting locker room after the Kings' afternoon skate Friday. "It will be all right, it will just be another hockey game," Richards asked what his emotions will be on his return. "I'll prepare for it the same way I will prepare for any other game. "I played in this building a lot, so there isn't going to be much difference."

Strange. Playing against the Flyers should be all the difference. A little later in the five-minute interview with local media, Richards softened, saying, "by no means is it going to be a normal game, but I will try to approach it like that." Richards said the Kings welcomed him and the transition was eased by having former Flyers teammate Simon Gagne playing in Los Angeles. When Gagne returned to play the Flyers last year, he received a hero's welcome. During a stoppage of play in the first period, highlights of his career here were shown on the big board above the ice and the fans responded with a standing ovation. The scene was chilling as the players on the bench banged their sticks on the boards out of respect. Richards should receive the same touching treatment. He was a great player here. He played hard and he cared. But, something is just missing for him to feel playing his old team is just another game. "It is not easy going somewhere else, it takes some time to adjust," Gagne said. "Right now, Mike is doing really good. "It took me almost 60 games before I realized I wasn't playing for the Flyers and I was part of another team," Gagne added. "It takes some time and that is normal." Really, it is. What isn't normal is for Richards to be so disconnected from the Flyers already. When asked if he missed the Flyers and still felt a part of the team, he said, "I don't feel part of them, no, I am an L.A. King and I'm excited to be a L.A. King, we got a great team here and an opportunity to do something special throughout the season. I'm happy to be here." Richards said he wouldn't change anything in his stay Flyers. He said he "couldn't be any happier than I am right now." The Flyers and the fans should be happy for him. They should be happy he is gone, too. The rumblings of a disconnect between the Flyers captain last year and his teammates and coach Peter Laviolette in the locker room were loud. His passionless feelings about his return favor the belief the whispers of a divide between Richards and some teammates and his coach were true. He also said he hasn't thought about the response he would receive from the fans, which is odd. With the long plane rides from the West Coast to the East, who wouldn't think about returning to their roots? "I haven't really thought about it," he said. "It has been a busy couple of weeks, so I haven't had time to think about that. I woke up this morning and came to the rink and prepared for practice and then prepared for [tonight's] game just like any other. "I've been booed in rinks before, I've been cheered in rinks before," he added, "nothing will change for me." The change is Richards wearing the opposing uniform tonight. The change is good for the Flyers, too. 17. NHL.com – Kings top Flyers 3-2 in OT Adam Kimelman

PHILADELPHIA -- In his first game back in Philadelphia, Mike Richards set up the winning goal 1:39 into overtime to give the Los Angeles Kings a 3-2 win against the Flyers on Saturday night at Wells Fargo Center. With the Kings skating on a power play thanks to a James van Riemsdyk penalty with 19.9 seconds left in regulation, Richards held the puck at the top of the four-man power-play diamond. His slap pass hit Jack Johnson on the blade of his stick, and the puck re-directed behind Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov for the winner. "It took me a second to realize it was in," said Richards. "Just kind of a broken play. I was just looking for a lane to shoot the whole way. Not sure what (defenseman) it was and he was stepping up there and I wanted to try to shoot through him. I saw J.J. (Johnson) last minute and I just gave it to him." Richards spent six seasons with the Flyers, serving as team captain for the last three. He received a mixed ovation when he was announced for the starting lineup, then a louder, far more positive ovation when the Flyers put his picture on the center-ice scoreboard to thank him for his time with the club, which included a pair of trips to the Eastern Conference Finals and the 2010 Stanley Cup Final. Later, however, he was booed every time he touched the puck. "I thought he handled things really well," said Kings coach Terry Murray. "I was really happy for Richards. I was real happy to see the Flyers fans receive him the way they did at the start of the game; that was class. And once the game starts there's a little bit of a change but that's OK -- that's hockey, that's sports. I thought he dealt with it very well. I know he was very anxious about this game. At the end of the day, how fitting is it that he makes the great play and the game-winning goal." Richards said being back in the place he started his NHL career -- and the place he expected to finish it, especially after signing a 12-year contract in December 2007 -- didn't really affect him. "It wasn't a big deal to me," said Richards. "I think from a media standpoint, you try to blow things up a little more than it is. For me, it's another game in a road arena. I've been booed everywhere, I've been cheered a couple places. You just go out there and play. Once the puck is dropped, I think it's the easiest thing to do -- just go out and play hockey." However, his teammates were thinking of him. "I know this is especially sweet for Mike," said Justin Williams, another former Flyer. "We did everything we could to get him a win today." Williams scored his first two goals of the season for the Kings, and goalie Jonathan Quick had a fine game, stopping 32 of 34 shots. The Kings also blocked 22 shots.

Danny Briere and Matt Carle scored for the Flyers, and goalie Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 23 of 26 shots. Los Angeles played all but the first 1:34 of the game without top defenseman Drew Doughty, who suffered an upper-body injury. He was rocked by Flyers rookie forward Zac Rinaldo just 24 seconds into the game, and played just one more shift later in the first period. The Kings say Doughty will miss 7 to 10 days, but that he does not have a head injury. Doughty entered the game fourth in the League in average ice time per game at 27:33 in three games. In his absence, Johnson played a game-high 30:57, Willie Mitchell played 27:15, and Rob Scuderi played 22:39 while blocking a game-high five shots. "They had a lot of pressure placed on them," Kings captain Dustin Brown told NHL.com. "Philly has a good team over there, and we lose our top defenseman, who probably logs between 25 and 30 minutes every night, it's a tough thing to do to pick up those extra minutes when you're not used to it. Guys got to play 3-4 minutes more than their normal ice time. It's taxing on the body, especially against a team like Philly, they had a lot of (offensive) zone time. We stuck together and weathered it and found a way to win." It also helped to have Quick in net. In four starts now against the Flyers, he's 3-1-0 and has allowed six goals on 126 shots. "I thought he was really good tonight," said Flyers coach Peter Laviolette. "We don’t get the chance to see him too often, and tonight he was sharp. He's one of those athletic goalies that gets around pretty good, and I thought he did a great job." Four of the five goals in the game were scored on the power play. Briere scored a slam-dunk goal 2:30 into game off a cross-ice pass through the crease by Jaromir Jagr, but the Kings answered late in the period on Williams' first goal of the season, a rocket from the right hash mark that hit the bottom of the crossbar over Bryzgalov's glove. Williams scored the only even-strength goal of the game early in the third to put the Kings ahead 2-1, walking out of the right corner with the puck and scoring on his own rebound. Moments later, after a hooking penalty on Richards, Carle snapped a 57-game goal drought to tie things with 6:31 left. 18. Philly Sports Daily – Flyers Lose To Mike Richards And The Kings Ryan Bright The Flyers got the point but the Los Angeles Kings and Mike Richards got the last laugh with the 2-1 overtime win on Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

In his return to Philadelphia after being traded in the offseason for Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn, Richards received a nice ovation but a smattering of boos, that continued throughout the contest whenever the former Flyers captain touched the puck. Richards finished with 20:58 of ice time, three hits and went 13-7 on the face-off circle. Late in overtime with the man advantage, Richards launched a fake shot-pass to defenseman Jack Johnson on the doorstep, who redirected it past Ilya Bryzgalov for the winner. Although the Flyers were dealt their first loss of the regular season, they have recorded seven of a possible eight points during the opening four games — a substantial feat for a team thought to be searching for chemistry early. Following a slow and defensive first two periods, the offense began to pick up late in the third. Justin Williams broke the 1-1 tie at 7:25 with his second of the game on a scramble around the Flyers net. With Ilya Bryzgalov forced out of position after a series of shots on net, Williams was at the right place at the right time, making it 2-1 Kings. But moments later, with Richards in the penalty box because of a hooking call on Sean Couturier, an uncovered and pinching Matt Carle took a cross-slot pass from James van Riemsdyk and deposited the puck past Jon Quick and in the wide open net to tie the game at two. Yet, that wasn’t the first time the Flyers struck on the man advantage. They opened scoring on the power play just 2:30 into the game, when Danny Briere notched his first of the season on a cross-crease slam dunk goal from Jaromir Jagr to make it 1-0. Chris Pronger was rewarded the secondary assist. It was Briere’s first of the season. However, their lead didn’t last long; just nine minutes later, former Flyer Williams locked the game at one with a power play goal of his own. Streaking through the slot, Williams accepted a perfect pass from Simon Gagne and fired it high glove on Bryzgalov, who had little shot to stop the laser. The Flyers Zac Rinaldo knocked Kings defenseman Drew Doughty out of the game with an upper-body injury with a hard but clean body-on-body open-ice hit just 24-seconds into the game, as Doughty tried to carry the puck into the Flyers zone. 19. Philly Sports Daily – Production Will Come Soon For Sean Couturier Dave Isaac

WELLS FARGO CENTER — When the Flyers drafted Sean Couturier, they knew they were getting a good, all-around forward. They knew he was a point-a-game player in juniors with the Drummondville Voltigeurs. But they had a void on the third line, a spot where they needed a defensive forward, and Couturier proved he could fill it. “We use him for penalty kill because we’ve got our power plays loaded up right now,” said coach Peter Laviolette, “so trying to spread the minutes throughout the lineup and he’s a smart defensive player and he’s been in that role before in juniors.” The 18-year-old hasn’t scored his first NHL goal yet, but has had a few “almosts” already. One of them came in his second game, against New Jersey when he went in on a 2-on-1 with Max Talbot on the penalty kill and nearly beat Martin Brodeur. He also rang a shot off the post recently, but he knows he’s right there in terms of getting his offensive game going. “Slowly I’m gonna maybe be more comfortable offensively, but I’m focusing on doing all the right details and small little things that I’ve been doing right since the start,” said Couturier. “By taking care of the little details, I think the offense is going to come.” It doesn’t hurt that an offensive force like Danny Briere has taken him under his wing. The veteran took Claude Giroux in a couple years ago and that certainly paid off. Now Briere is keeping an eye on the shy Couturier as well. “He’s pretty good with me,” said Couturier. “I mean, I’m moving in with him next week. For sure he’s a great pro to look up to and learn from. Whatever I can learn from him will be great.” The Flyers are content to keep him focused in that defensive role, but Laviolette doesn’t want to discount the 36 goals in 58 games Couturier had last season in Drummondville. There is clearly talent there that the Flyers don’t want to go to waste. “He plays with good offensive players on a line,” said Laviolette of his third line which also consists of rookie Matt Read and veteran Scott Hartnell. “He’s getting lots of opportunities. He’s got good offensive instincts.” If there was ever a time for a rookie to enter the fold and feel comfortable, it’s now. Couturier is one of eight new faces in the Flyers lineup and therefore doesn’t feel like an outsider coming to an already established group. “So far everyone’s been great to me,” said Couturier. “It’s fun. I’m just trying to adapt myself and the veterans are making it great for me.”

Couturier has eaten extensive minutes on the penalty kill through his first few games and will continue to grow into a full-time NHL’er and soon enough, he’ll start finding the net too. He’s certainly got his chances already. “I know that I have the ability to play offensively,” he said. “I just need to focus on defense first and the offense will come on its own after that.” 20. Edmonton Journal – Is Jagr still an asset? Jim Matheson If Jaromir Jagr hadn't grown tired of the NHL three years ago and hiked off to Siberia - who does that willingly? - we might be saying he just recorded his 1,800th NHL point, not his 1,600th. We'd be saying he's joining the company of Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Gordie Howe as the only players to reach that plateau. But Jagr is Jagr. He left the New York Rangers for the Siberian city of Omsk, located more than 2,200 kilometres from Moscow. But he's back in the NHL now and the burning question is how much gas does he left in that big tank. Will he get 40 points this season for the Philadelphia Flyers? Sixty? How many games will he play at top form? Forty? The man is 39, don't forget. Jagr was drafted in 1990, fifth overall. He and New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur (23rd overall) are the only players from that draft class still playing in the NHL today. "He called me about eight times this summer asking where he should go," said Edmonton Oilers head coach Tom Renney, a good friend of Jagr's and his former coach in New York. "I told him if I was picking, I'd go to Detroit," said Renney. "The Flyers? That one never came up. Jags? He's a good man, a smart man. We'd have long discussions (over the years). We'd talk hockey for five minutes and then everything else." "Tom and I had a good friendship," Jagr told Philadelphia writer/broadcaster Tim Panaccio. He's a good person. That's important to me, to play for somebody who is a good human being. Someone who's always fair and never blames anybody. "Tom always admitted if he made a mistake. Before, I never heard from a coach, 'I lost the game' or 'I coached badly.' To me, that is a very important thing. You respect him a lot more for that." Ralph Krueger, Renney's righthand man in Edmonton, coached the Swiss national team for 12 years and knows European hockey as well as anybody. But he also knows that

once a player has been an NHLer, he's always an NHLer - if their spirit and body is willing. Jagr had 65 goals and 79 assists in 155 games for Avangard Omsk of the KHL, but he never forgot about the NHL, signing a one-year $3.5-million US deal with the Flyers on July 1, and drawing emerging star Claude Giroux as his centre. He also drew the ire from angry Penguins fans - the Flyers rivals - after winning two Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh. "You're getting players like Raphael Diaz, who's 25 or 26, coming from Switzerland to play in Montreal's lineup now, but it's nice to see older players realizing they aren't playing at the top of the world (in Europe/ Russia) and they want to try one more time in the NHL," said Krueger. "That's what I see with Jagr. He thought he could get motivated by playing for national (Czech) teams or in world championships (or the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver), but that wasn't doing it for him any more. "It's great to see Jagr come back with so much passion, but we'll have to see if he can hold his level. We have to be careful and watch him day to day. Can he handle the pace and intensity over a long period of time after what he was seeing in Russia?" asked Krueger. "If you can bring a player like Jagr back and you get 50 great games out of him, he's probably an asset. That might be what happens with him." Krueger kept track of Jagr in Omsk and heard good reports. He didn't go to Russia to play out the string - he got points and was well-liked by his teammates. He played in the Olympics and while he doesn't appear to have the lung power or the wheels he used to have, he's still tough to move in the corners and around the net. Jagr can still shoot off the half wall on a power play. "He's got to be realistic about his age and the physicality of the National Hockey League will be where he's tested the most," said Krueger. "Russia is absolutely a nocontact league. It's 1-4 system, where everybody sits back (one man in on the forecheck, four players retreating). That would be good for Jagr. As soon as you lose the puck, you wait for the other team to come at you, then you try and get it back. "Without being hit or being punished for so many years, you wonder if he's still got that conditioning to play in North America. His greatness has always been there, though, and maybe he's rested his body and he might not be the age he's showing on paper." Krueger has also been keen to see forward Petr Sykora back with the New Jersey Devils. His NHL days seemed over when the Minnesota Wild let him go last season and nobody else took a run at him.

Sykora's foot speed seemed his Achilles heel in today's fast NHL game, but the took a tryout from the Devils and is back for a second go-round after playing in Europe and Russia last season. "What I see in the NHL is teams have room for players who can bring a winning package with them (Sykora won a Cup with the Devils on a line with Patrik Elias and Jason Arnott). In both cases, Philadelphia and New Jersey, those organizations are looking for a lot more than just what they're doing on the ice. "At some point this season, the Jagrs and Sykoras will push the right buttons," said Krueger. "Why did Petr and Jagr come back? It's not the money. They could make as much in Russia. It's the love of the game. Their careers are running out and they want to be on the big stage again." Los Angeles Kings Articles 1. Los Angeles Times – Kings defeat the Flyers in overtime, 3-2 Staff Reports PHILADELPHIA -- Mike Richards had a triumphant return to Philadelphia, assisting on Jack Johnson's winning power-play goal at 1:39 of overtime to lift the Los Angeles Kings past the Flyers, 3-2, on Saturday night. Richards returned to Philadelphia for the first time since his shocking trade in June. Richards was the Flyers captain and led them to the Stanley Cup finals in 2010. He heard mostly cheers during his pregame introduction and a huge ovation when the Flyers thanked him on the big screen for his years of service. The goodwill ended soon after and he was booed each time he touched the puck. Richards raised his arms in celebration after Johnson redirected his shot past Ilya Bryzgalov to spoil Philadelphia's perfect start. — Associated Press Doughty to miss 7-10 days Kings defenseman Drew Doughty is expected to be out at least seven to 10 days after suffering an undisclosed upper-body injury Saturday, though General Manager Dean Lombardi said via email that the injury was not to the defenseman's head.

Doughty, who had a concussion early last season, was slammed hard on a rising, open-ice hit by Flyers forward Zac Rinaldo 20 seconds into the Kings' game at Philadelphia. Doughty appeared dazed when he returned to the bench. According to the time-on-ice charts at the NHL's website, the 21-year-old defenseman played one more shift before being held out of the game. While sitting on the bench Doughty appeared to be favoring his shoulder. Lombardi would not say if that was where Doughty was injured but specified that the prized defenseman did not suffer a head injury. Doughty missed most of training camp as a restricted free agent until signing an eight-year, $56-million contract before the Kings left for their season-opening trip to Europe. It was not clear whether the league would impose any supplementary discipline against Rinaldo, who had three goals and 331 penalty minutes in 60 games last season with the Flyers' American Hockey League farm team. Every play is reviewed in the NHL's "War Room" in Toronto, and fines or suspensions can be imposed by executives of the hockey operations department if they feel sanctions are merited. The Kings were scheduled to return to Southern California after Saturday's game and practice in El Segundo at noon Sunday. They will play their Staples Center opener on Tuesday against St. Louis. — Helene Elliott 2. NHL.com – Doughty leaves with injury, will miss 7-10 days Adam Kimelman PHILADELPHIA -- Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty was knocked out of Saturday's game with the Philadelphia Flyers after playing just two shifts with what the club is calling an upper-body injury. Kings general manager Dean Lombardi said the injury was not a head injury but will sideline Doughty for 7-10 days. On the game's first shift, Doughty was hit hard by Flyers rookie forward Zac Rinaldo while skating through the Philadelphia zone. The hit occurred just 24 seconds into the game, and precipitated a fight between Rinaldo and the Kings' Dustin Penner. Doughty left the ice under his own power, but played just one more shift totaling 1:10 the remainder of the period. He left the bench during the period. He entered the game fourth in the League in average ice time per game at 27:33 in three games.

3. LA Kings Insider – Kings 3, Flyers 2, OT Rich Hammond PHILADELPHIA -- Fittingly, the Kings’ long, bizarre road trip ended with an odd game. Philadelphia fans cheered a visiting player. The Kings played with five defensemen for most of the game. They took a late lead, then lost it. Jack Johnson, who had never scored a game-winning goal in four seasons, netted his second in his last four games. The two-week journey ended on a happy note, as Johnson scored 1:39 into overtime to give the Kings a 3-2 victory over the Flyers on Saturday night at Wells Fargo Center. Johnson’s power-play goal, essentially a redirection of a shot-pass by Mike Richards from the slot, let the Kings to go home happy. They hadn’t seen Southern California since Oct. 1, when they left for Las Vegas, three European cities and the East Coast. ``We’re looking forward to getting back and seeing our families, maybe staying in our time zone for a few days and getting some rest,’’ winger Justin Williams said. The win came with a cost. Drew Doughty took a big hit from the Flyers’ Zac Rinaldo in the game’s first 30 seconds and left the game shortly thereafter. Doughty is expected to miss 7-10 days with an ``upper-body’’ injury that the Kings said is not head-related. Without Doughty, the Kings were forced to play with five defensemen against a gritty Flyers team that had started the season with three consecutive wins. The Kings pulled it out, and made it a happy Philadelphia reunion for Richards. Richards’ return to Philadelphia -- the city where he played his first six NHL seasons -- had been anticipated for days. Flyers fans, notoriously brutal to opponents, even gave Richards a rousing cheer when his name was included in the starting lineup. Later, Richards got a standing ovation after a brief video-game tribute but, true to their nature, fans started booing Richards when he touched the puck in the second period. ``It was easy once we touched the ice, I think,’’ Richards said of returning to Philadelphia. ``Getting through warmups and getting ready for the game, I was maybe a little nervous or something, but it is what it is. I got on the ice and you feel comfortable after that. You just play hockey. It’s nice to see us get the win.’’ For a while, it appeared that the story might not have a happy ending. Williams scored his second goal of the game with 7:25 remaining to give the Kings a 2-1 lead, but just 27 seconds later, Richards was called for a hooking penalty. Philadelphia’s Matt Carle scored on the ensuing power play, but Richards more than redeemed himself with an intelligent play in overtime with the Kings on the power play.

Richards controlled the puck near the blue line and carried it to the slot. He faked a slap shot, then spotted Johnson hovering near the left post. Richards fired a pass to Johnson, who essentially redirected it past Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. ``It took me a second to realize it was in,’’ Richards said. ``Just kind of a broken play. I was just looking for a lane to shoot. I’m not sure what (Flyers defenseman) it was, but he was kind of stepping up there and I was looking for a way to get through him. I saw JJ at the last minute and just kind of threw it to him.’’ Richards and Johnson also connected on an overtime power-play goal in the season opener against the New York Rangers in Stockholm. ``Same thing on both goals, really,’’ Johnson said. ``I had the easy job, just going to the back post and trying to get lost back there. Richards made two great plays.’’ The Kings finished their road trip -- which actually included two ``home’’ games in Europe -- with a 2-1-1 record, not bad considering that including the end of preseason, the team traveled approximately 16,000 miles in the past three weeks. From Kansas City to Denver to Anaheim to Las Vegas to Hamburg to Stockholm to Berlin to Newark to Philadelphia, the Kings’ world tour went through five time zones and a lot of hotel keys. It ended with a collaborative effort against the Flyers. Jonathan Quick was sharp again, as he stopped 32 of 34 shots. Williams, another former Flyer, scored two goals and now has five points in four games. The other five defensemen kept things under control basically for 59 minutes without Doughty. ``(Quick) made a bunch of big saves when we needed them,’’ Richards said. ``The defense played a lot of minutes and played them well. We kept it simple. We didn’t try to do too much with it, and we kept a good team off the board.’’ The game did not lack for action early. Less than 30 seconds into the game, Doughty took the big shoulder check from Rinaldo, which led to a retribution attempt. Dustin Penner skated in and grabbed Rinaldo, which led to a brief fight -- unofficially the eighth of Penner’s NHL career -- and he paid for it with a two-minute instigating penalty and a 10-minute misconduct. Kings coach Terry Murray said Penner also suffered ``a contusion’’ during the fight, and Penner’s minutes were limited after that. During the Flyers’ power play, after Penner’s penalty, Kings defenseman Matt Greene was called for slashing. The Kings killed all of the Flyers’ 44-second 5-on-3 advantage but the Flyers scored six seconds later. Jaromir Jagr slid the puck across the crease to Danny Briere, who one-timed it past Quick from close range to the left of the net, 2:30 into the game. Chris Pronger also got an assist.

Just like the Flyers, the Kings failed to score on a 5-on-3 advantage, then scored a power play goal in the first period. Williams took a pass from Simon Gagne and shot from the slot. The puck deflected off Bryzgalov's left shoulder and into the net to tie the game 1-1 with 8:31 remaining in the first period. Willie Mitchell also got an assist. Both teams had ample power-play opportunities in the second period and the early part of the third, but the game remained 1-1 until Williams’ third-period goal. The Kings took a 2-1 lead with 7:25 remaining in the third period. Johnson made a nice play at the blue line to keep the puck in the Flyers' zone, then Anze Kopitar passed to Williams, who went toward the front of the net. Williams' backhand shot was saved, but Williams worked for the rebound and beat Bryzgalov. The Kings' lead lasted only 64 seconds. Shortly after Williams' goal, Richards was called for hooking and the Flyers scored 27 seconds into the power play. After a scramble behind the Kings' net, Matt Carle was left open in the middle of the left faceoff circle and scored with 6:31 remaining to make it a 2-2 game. One final penalty made the difference. Philadelphia’s James van Riemsdyk got called for tripping with 20 seconds left in regulation, so the Kings had a lengthy 4-on-3 power play to start overtime. Johnson’s goal came with one second left on the power play. After the unconventional trip to Europe, the Kings earned three out of a possible four points against the New Jersey Devils and the Flyers. ``I think it’s best just to forget about it,’’ Williams said. ``Starting in Europe, we’ve been in every time zone since the start of training camp. It’s been exhausting. It’s been a grind, and we’re happy to get out and we want to play in front of our home fans now.’’ Adirondack Phantoms Articles 1. Glens Falls Post-Star – Phantoms winning start ends with Crunch Tim McManus SYRACUSE -- The Adirondack Phantoms played like gangbusters in their first two games on home ice. They didn't fare as well in their first road game of the season. The Phantoms suffered a 6-2 loss to the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday at the Onondaga County War Memorial. Kyle Palmieri scored three times as the Crunch improved to 2-0. The Phantoms, who suffered their first loss of the season after back-to-back home wins, continue their road trip on Sunday with a 3 p.m. game at Bridgeport against the Sound Tigers.

Syracuse outshot the Phantoms badly through the first two periods on Saturday, but Adirondack roared back in the third period to outshoot the Crunch 24-7. Syracuse goalie Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers stopped 36 of 38 shots for the win. Jason Bacashihua started in goal for Adirondack, but was replaced by Michael Leighton after giving up the fourth goal. Syracuse wasted little time jumping on the Phantoms in the first period. Palmieri scored 4:54 into the game on a power play. Rick Schofield and Sean Zimmerman added later first-period goals. Denis Hamel got Adirondack on the board early in the second period with the 317th goal of his career, moving him to 15th place on the AHL's career scoring list. But Syracuse scored two more goals within five minutes to put the game away. Brayden Schenn scored the Phantoms' other goal, in the third period, his fourth goal in three games. Syracuse was one of the few teams that the Phantoms were able to beat with regularity last season, going 7-1 against the Crunch. The teams will play a 10-game series this season, despite the fact that they play in different divisions. Adirondack 0 1 1 - 2 Syracuse 3 1 2 - 6 First Period - 1, Syracuse, Palmieri 2 (Bonino, Rodney), 4:54 (pp). 2, Syracuse, Schofield 1 (Clark), 11:01. 3, Syracuse, Zimmerman 1 (Schofield, Drouin-Deslauriers), 11:29. Penalties - Bartulis, Adk (holding), 3:55; Maroon, Syr (slashing), 11:56; Holmstrom, Adk (roughing), 12:50; Zimmerman, Syr (roughing), 12:50. Second Period - 4, Adirondack, Hamel 2, 3:31 (pp). 5, Syracuse, Palmieri 3 (Maroon, Bonino), 4:47. Penalties - Clark, Syr (hooking), 2:29; Foster, Syr (high-sticking), 8:11; Akeson, Adk (tripping), 17:04; Zolnierczyk, Adk (cross-checking), 18:47; Carle, Syr (roughing), 18:47; Foster, Syr (roughing), 19:51. Third Period - 6, Syracuse, Maroon 2 (Bonino, Holland), 7:28. 7, Adirondack, Schenn 4 (Wellwood, Gustafsson), 12:50. 8, Syracuse, Palmieri 4 (Maroon, Bonino), 13:55. Penalties - Clark, Syr (hooking), 4:12; Bartulis, Adk (slashing), 5:55; Sestito, Adk (unsportsmanlike), 8:50; Sestito, Adk (checking to the head, fighting), 14:21; Kennedy, Syr (roughing), 14:21. Shots on Goal - Adirondack 10-4-24-38. Syracuse 21-12-12-45. Power plays - Adirondack 1-5; Syracuse 1-3.

Goalies - Adirondack, Bacashihua (23 shots-19 saves); Leighton (22-20). Syracuse, Drouin-Deslauriers (38-36). A - 6,311. Referee - Chris Brown. NHL Articles 1. New York Post – Hockey world unites behind plane crash victims Larry Brooks The whole world wasn't only watching when the Yak- 42 carrying the KHL Yaroslavl Lokomotiv club crashed shortly after takeoff on Sept. 7, claiming 44 lives, the entire hockey world has united behind charitable efforts in support of the accident's lone survivor plus the families of those who perished that day some 150 miles outside Moscow. "The NHL, the NHLPA and the fans here in North America have been amazing, but we've also gotten almost overwhelming support worldwide," Erica Lundmark, heavily involved in the effort to promote and sell Love For Lokomotiv bracelets as a fundraising item, told Slap Shots on Friday. "Almost every team in every league throughout the world has ordered from us, with a lot of teams agreeing to sell them in their buildings and have nights for us. I hope we can schedule a date at Madison Square Garden. "Everybody wants to help in some way. Some teams have pledged to match the money we raise selling bracelets in their buildings. We're getting orders from teams for their kids and their kids' teams, so the truth is we really don't quite know exactly how far this can go, but we're so grateful because there are so many families in need over there after the tragedy. "There might be people who think this is about helping rich hockey players, but not at all. The survivor [crew member Alexander Sizov] has huge medical bills. The wives of the players who were lost are mostly very young women with small children who might not have had insurance and are going to have a very hard time getting jobs to earn a living." Erica Lundmark is married to one-time Ranger Jamie Lundmark, who is playing for the KHL's Dinamo Riga four years after first having played in Russia during 2007-08 with Dynamo Moscow. She said she has no undue concerns about her husband's safety. "Other than the fact that I obviously do hope they use different planes, because they still do fly [the Yak-42], I don't necessarily worry about him," said Erica, the mother of the couple's three children, 5-year-old Ashton, 2-year-old Karter and 1-year-old Chloe. "The truth is that anything can happen anywhere. We were both in New York on 9/11, Jamie in fact was on the bike at MSG doing his testing on the first day of Rangers

training camp when it happened, so, no, it's not an issue for me that he's playing in Russia. "Riga [capital of Latvia] is such a beautiful, amazing city. And Moscow, when I was there with Jamie, well, that's a little bit different, but we loved it," she said. "It reminded me of New York, but is about 10 times more chaotic." Kodette LaBarbera, married to Phoenix (and one-time Rangers) goaltender Jason LaBarbera, conceived the Love For Lokomotiv bracelets with the support of Katerina Jokinen, married to Calgary (and one-time Rangers) winger Olli Jokinen. Brijet Whitney, wife of Coyotes winger Ray Whitney, also is heavily engaged in the project. Information regarding the bracelets can be found at the website, LoveforLokomotiv.com. "The Arizona Community Foundation is handling all of the money to make sure it gets to the proper people who were affected by the crash," Erica Lundmark said. "We are going to establish scholarships for the children and set aside money so that the players' wives can get training to learn a trade." The sale of memory bracelets is not the only charitable initiative undertaken by individuals or teams under the NHL/NHLPA umbrella in the aftermath of the tragedy. The Penguins and Capitals wore commemorative patches on their uniforms in honor of their lost comrades during their match in Pittsburgh on Thursday. The autographed game-worn jerseys will be auctioned through NHL.com. The Devils wore patches honoring Karel Rachunek and Alexander Vasyunov, former teammates who lost their lives in the crash, in both their season opener and road opener. Those autographed jerseys are available by auction at auction.nhl.com. Devils winger Ilya Kovalchuk, who has been autographing 8x10 pictures in return for a $17 donation, is expanding his fundraising effort. Information is available by sending an email to info@puckagency.com. "When Kodette first came up with the initiative, we had no idea we would get this kind of a response," said Erica, who lives in the Philadelphia area and is a working real-estate agent also involved in the Professional Sports Wives Assn. "But the hockey world is a small world, and everybody we knew wanted to help. "We're all working to see that the hockey world never forgets. It's so gratifying to see how that's becoming the reality." 2. Minneapolis Star-Tribune – Michael Russo's Sunday Insider: It's all about location

Michael Russo Since Craig Leipold bought the Wild in 2008, his desire has been to get it out of the geographically-illogical Northwest Division and into the confines of the Central. He believes, most importantly, the Wild's fans want the Wild in the Central Division, which now at least includes Detroit, Chicago and St. Louis -- three teams, who along with the North Stars of yesteryear, helped make up the old Norris Division. The Wild owner has worked overtime trying to convince Commissioner Gary Bettman and the NHL's powers-that-be that when realignment comes after this season, now is the time for the Wild to make the move. Last summer, Leipold said on a radio show that he believed headway had been made as long as the NHL moved to a radical four-division league made up of seven or eight teams in each division. In the Wild's would be Winnipeg, St. Louis, Dallas, Nashville, Chicago, and ... Columbus or Detroit. That concept has since blown up. Rumors out of the recent Board of Governors meeting are that Bettman went around the room and at least 12 of 15 Eastern Conference teams essentially said they'd vote against anything that would disrupt their divisional alignment. After all, everybody's always in it for themselves -- not the good of the league. Considering 20 of 30 teams must approve realignment, Bettman realized that radical realignment was impossible. The less upheaval created would be the only way to get realignment approved. As reported last week by TSN's Bob McKenzie, it appears Detroit will move to the Eastern Conference and replace Atlanta in the Southeast Division. A huge draw, the Red Wings are typically on national television more than anyone. That comes out of owner Mike Ilitch's local TV revenue, and that money must be reimbursed to Fox Sports Detroit at nearly $25,000 a game. Ilitch has done this about 15 times a year for the last 15 years. Having been the good soldier, this would be payback so to speak. So the question becomes: Who replaces Detroit in the Central? This is where the fiery debates begin. Leipold wants it to be the Wild. The Dallas Stars want it to be them. The problem with Dallas moving to the Central is somebody would have to replace Dallas in the Pacific. That obviously would be Colorado, and the Wild does not want to be the only U.S.-based team in an all Canadian division (includes Winnipeg). The most logical move geographically would be to move Minnesota.

Do that, and now Colorado's upset because it's the only U.S.-based team in an all-Canadian division. Do that, and now Dallas is upset because it continues to be stuck in a Pacific Division with three California foes. That's why it's being reported the easiest solution might be moving Winnipeg to the Central. Leipold can't comment on realignment, but you can bet that would tick him off. He wants to move to the Central because: 1) Better geographical rivalries; 2) shorter flights; 3) fiscally more desirable; 4) less occasions the team has to clear customs; 5) earlier start times, meaning schoolchildren and working adults could actually watch Wild road games on TV. You can't argue with the Wild's logic. Frankly, it wins on all the arguments. Colorado and Dallas could claim the same thing. There are going to be winners and losers in any version of realignment. It's too complex to please everybody. But if you know anything about Leipold, you can bet he's still fighting the fight. From a Wild fan's perspective, pray the NHL sees his logic. Why? Because as those Eastern teams proved, everybody's always in it for themselves. And since 25 other teams wouldn't be affected by the Wild moving to the Central, you know the Wild would easily get the two-thirds majority at the December Board of Governors meeting in Palm Springs.

– FLYERS –