Flyers Preview

The Flyers home-opener is tonight at seven. The New York Islanders will be visiting them at the Wachovia Center. The Flyers team you saw last year is nothing like the one you will go to see this year. The team is reformed and looking good after its first three games this season, especially the last game, in which the Flyers blew out the Vancouver Canucks, 8-2. Among the many new-comers, Danny Briere, the team's big free agent signing in the offseason, has 4 goals and 7 points in three games. They also signed Kimmo Timonen who was probably the best free agent defenseman out on the market. They got another veteran defenseman in Jason Smith, who was named the team captain. They got two good wingers in Joffery Lupul and Scott Hartnell. General manager Paul Holmgren looked like a mad scientist reforming his experiment this off-season.
The Flyers also look like the old Broad Street Bullies early this season but that might not be a good thing. Steve Downie was handed a suspension in the pre-season for a nasty hit. Steve Downie was handed his 20 game suspension for a brutal hit in the Vanouver game.
This is one of the fastest turnarounds I have ever seen in sports. And it's all because of Paul Holmgren. He traded veterans (including Peter Forsberg) for draft picks and young players even though some protested. He also took out Comcast's wallet to get Daniel Briere along with the veteran defensemen.
So the season opens tonight, and even though you see some new faces and hear some new names, you will know that this team is way better than the one took the ice last year.