Philadelphia Flyers Daily Clips – March 9, 2012

FLYERS Headlines

1. Philadelphia Daily News- Flyers' season ends with 3-1 loss 2. Philadelphia Inquirer- Gift goal won't soon be forgotten 3. Philadelphia Inquirer- Flyers Notes: Flyers juggle lines in Giroux's absence 4. Philadelphia Inquirer- Will Jagr, Carle return? 5. Philadelphia Inquirer- Devils use balance to rule Flyers 6. Philadelphia Inquirer- Phil Sheridan: A hard fall for the Flyers 7. Philadelphia Daily News- Rich Hofmann: Another bad-luck puck for Flyers 8. Philadelphia Daily News- Sam Donnellon: Was this Timonen's swan song? 9. Philadelphia Daily News- Giroux, Flyers puzzled by suspension policy 10. Philadelphia Daily News- Jagr pensive about season cut short 11. CSNPhilly.com- Flyers sent packing with Game 5 loss to Devils 12. CSNPhilly.com- Bryzgalov's blunder caps up-and-down season 13. CSNPhilly.com- Flyers' postseason was wasted opportunity 14. CSNPhilly.com- Game 5 Notes: Meszaros logs big minutes in return 15. Delaware County Times- Bryzgalov’s gift gives Devils series as Flyers fall 16. Delaware County Times- THAT LOOKED FAMILIAR 17. Delaware County Times- McCAFFERY: Another playoff exit marked by goalie goof 18. Delaware County Times- Flyers Notebook: Giroux's suspension helps snuff hopes, raises questions 19. Delaware County Times- Jagr stays mum on future as Flyers season ends 20. Delaware County Times- Physical approach not exactly a hit as Flyers fall in Game 5 21. Delaware County Times- Timonen feels clock ticking for Flyers’ veteran corps 22. Bucks County Courier-Times- Flyers eliminated in 3-1 Game 5 loss 23. Bucks County Courier-Times- Jagr's future with Flyers up in air 24. Camden Courier-Post- Flyers bedeviled into summer vacation 25. Camden Courier-Post- Jagr unsure of return to Philly 26. Camden Courier-Post- Loss a microcosm of Bryz's season 27. Camden Courier-Post- Devils put the clamps on Flyers' wingers 28. NHL.com- Bryzgalov's first Philly season ends in disappointment 29. ESPN.com- Flyers haunted by same problems New Jersey Devils Headlines

1. New York Post – Devils defeat Flyers in Game 5, advance to conference final 2. Newark Star Ledger – Politi: There’s no reason for Devils to celebrate with something better coming around the corner 3. Newark Star Ledger – Devils take series from Philadelphia Flyers despite always starting down 4. Newark Star Ledger – Who’s next: A look at the Devils’ possible opponents 5. Newark Star Ledger – Devils’ Martin Brodeur: Must’ve been tough for Flyers to talk to themselves 6. Newark Star Ledger – Devils forward David Clarkson receives a “gift” goal that puts them ahead for good

7. Newark Star Ledger – Devils-Flyers: Ilya Kovalchuk cherishes lesions from Martin Brodeur 8. Newark Star Ledger – Devils beat Flyers, 3-1, advance to Eastern Conference finals 9. Newark Star Ledger - Devils feel they could have swept Flyers; await Rangers or Capitals 10. Newark Star Ledger – Philadelphia Flyers’ youth gives hope for future 11. Newark Star Ledger – Claude Giroux’s absence only a small factor in Philadelphia Flyers’ loss 12. Bergen County Record – Sullivan: Ilya Kovalchuk, Devils able to finish the job 13. Bergen County Record – Devils eliminate Flyers with 3-1 win in Game 5 14. Bergen County Record – Devils notes: Marek Zidlicky injured

15. NHL.com – Devils advance by beating Flyers 3-1 16. NHL.com – Kovalchuk continues to silence critics 17. NHL.com – Parise savors first trip to Conference Finals 18. TSN.ca – Cullen: Devils eliminate Flyers in five 19. ESPN.com – Devils reach 1st Each finals since ’03 as Martin Brodeur halts Flyers NHL Headlines

1. NHL.com – Shoulder surgery to sideline Kesler six months 2. NHL.com – Finns remain unbeaten at World Championship 3. NHL.com – Blackhawks drop assistant coach Mike Haviland 4. TSN.ca – Blackhawks deny speculation Quenneville’s headed to Habs 5. TSN.ca – Report: Stillman to complete purchase of Blues on Wednesday 6. TSN.ca – McKenize: Not necessarily at end of Coyotes sale saga yet

FLYERS Articles

1. Philadelphia Daily News- Flyers' season ends with 3-1 loss

Frank Seravalli

KIMMO TIMONEN twirled and dished the puck back, deeper into the Flyers' zone to try and shake a pressuring attacker. The puck landed on Ilya Bryzgalov's tape and by the time he could look up, David Clarkson was bearing down hot and heavy. With panic in his eyes, Bryzgalov tried to saucer the puck out of harm's way. It was a Bryzaster. Ultimately, Clarkson's series-clinching gift - after Bryzgalov's pass deflected off his outstretched stick and into the net - will be the forgettable, lasting image of the end of the Flyers' spring dreams.

But it certainly wasn't the only reason the Flyers, incapable of adjusting after three eerily similar losses, were dealt a 3-1 death blow in Game 5 on Tuesday night. "I think we were thinking we were going to walk all over New Jersey," said Claude Giroux, who was suspended for Game 5. "It's kind of our fault a little bit. It should have been a tighter series. Not to be able to go to Game 6 is frustrating." By the time 10 minutes remained in the Flyers' season, after Ilya Kovalchuk had blasted the insurance tally past Bryzgalov, the Wells Fargo Center was half-empty. For the 36th straight spring, Broad Street will not have a Stanley Cup parade in June. The comeback kings had no comeback left in them on Tuesday night. New Jersey took the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series by virtue of four consecutive victories, after the Flyers stole Game 1. It was the Flyers' only four-game losing streak of their 93-game campaign. The Flyers fell 11 "Knock, Knocks" short. They are now 30-36 all-time when facing elimination in any playoff series. This is just the 11th time in franchise history (out of 96 series) that the Flyers have lost four games in a row in a playoff series. After a 29-day run in hockey's annual rite of spring, the Flyers' playoff beards will be shaved on Wednesday. After 236 days, numerous trades, pints of blood lost, bones broken and surgeries performed, it is all over. "That is a terrific group of men in that room, I can tell you that," coach Peter Laviolette said. "They played hard. They gave it their all. We came up short. But they have a bright future ahead." It's just all so hard to believe. One year ago, the New Jersey Devils finished 23rd in the NHL. One year ago, the Flyers' brass decided that Mike Richards and Jeff Carter were not the avenue to navigate for a Stanley Cup. Richards and Carter, playing for the Los Angeles Kings and preparing for the Western Conference final, probably proudly celebrated the Flyers' demise at an oceanside watering hole somewhere in California. They will face Bryzgalov's Phoenix Coyotes, who advanced further in the postseason in franchise history without him. After such a promising regular season - where the Flyers finished with the sixth-most points in all of hockey but landed as the Eastern Conference's fifth seed in the playoffs - they followed it up with one of the most exhilarating playoff series in franchise history by knocking off Pittsburgh, the odds-on favorite to win the Stanley Cup. Less than 2 weeks ago, dreams of those orange-clad and well-lubricated fans packing the sidewalks to celebrate a passing caravan with a gleaming, silver chalice as the centerpiece seemed so real.

"It went by fast, that's for sure," Max Talbot said. "Beating Pittsburgh was really emotional. It was something that was a big challenge for us. We put a lot into it. You want to give credit to the Devils. They played smart. But it's obviously disappointing because you beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, the favorite to win the Stanley Cup and then you're supposed to win the second round. "You turn around, you're down 3-1. And then now you're done." With the supposedly less talented Devils on the docket, one more round - and one more shot to exact the ultimate revenge on the New York Rangers - seemed like a foregone conclusion. Their supposed long run lasted just five measly games. The pain and anguish in that quiet Flyers locker room on Tuesday night was all so real. Many players sat still, unwilling to pull off their equipment for the last time this season, staring at the floor. The collapse, so quick and so complete, is the shocking part. Some players, like the Flyers' eight contributing rookies, received a valuable taste of playoff pressure. Some players, like Jaromir Jagr and Timonen, aren't sure how many more cracks they're going to get at a Stanley Cup. "It's a sad day for me," Jagr, 40, said. "I want to cry right now." Game 5 started so positively for the Flyers, as Zac Rinaldo nearly knocked Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov through the boards with a thundering hit and Talbot followed that with a goal to give them a 1-0 lead in what appeared to be a possible series-shifting sequence. New Jersey responded with three unanswered goals. With playoff hero Danny Briere closely guarded and leading scorer Giroux watching helplessly, the Flyers did not know where to turn. No player rose to the occasion, even as Martin Brodeur flopped like a fish in a pan in the Devils' crease. "If we played like we played all season, we would have come back," Talbot said. "Obviously, we didn't play like we did all season." The Flyers will return to their practice facility later this week to gather their belongings, clear out their lockers and conduct exit meetings. They have all summer to realize what could have been. "You always want to move forward, that's what you've been playing for since you were a kid, to win the Cup," Nick Grossmann said. "It didn't go our way this series. It wasn't enough. This feeling is the worst. It's just empty." 2. Philadelphia Inquirer- Gift goal won't soon be forgotten

Sam Carchidi

Playing without suspended star Claude Giroux, the Flyers were trying to stave off elimination against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night. "G's been our best player all year. We owe him one," winger Zac Rinaldo said before the game, before he sparked the Flyers with five first-period hits. "This one is for him." Well, they'll have to pay the debt another time. The New Jersey Devils eliminated the Flyers, 3-1, and won the Eastern Conference semifinal series, four games to one. A Flyers season that had seemed so promising after they jolted the Stanley Cup favorite Pittsburgh Penguins came to a crashing end. The Flyers lost the last four games to the hungrier Devils; they had not lost four straight all season. New Jersey overcame a 1-0 deficit - teams were 1-10 when scoring first in the Flyers' playoff games this spring - with a pair of odd goals in the opening period. Bryce Salvador scored the first one, firing a shot that caromed off the stick of the Flyers' Wayne Simmonds and over the right shoulder of goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. The second Devils goal will live in Flyers infamy. It's right up there with a goal from beyond center ice by Minnesota's Barry Gibbs that gave the North Stars a 1-0 season-ending win and cost the Flyers a 1970 playoff berth. Goalie Bernie Parent lost the puck in the sun that was coming through the Spectrum windows, and he was playing for Toronto the next season. There was a gut-wrenching tally by Buffalo's Gerry Meehan with four seconds left in the final game of the 1971-72 regular season, knocking the Flyers out of the playoffs. Meehan's 80-footer somehow eluded goalie Doug Favell. The Goal Heard 'Round South Philly on Tuesday was right up there with the Patrick Kane score than got past the Flyers' Michael Leighton and gave Chicago an overtime win and the Stanley Cup in Game 6 of the 2010 Finals. Tuesday's goal, scored by New Jersey's David Clarkson, was a gift. It was hand-delivered by Bryzgalov, the colorful 31-year-old goalie who played well in the series but will be remembered for his pee-wee hockey mistake that gave the Devils what proved to be the game-winner. After defenseman Kimmo Timonen made an ill-advised pass to Bryzgalov, the goalie had the puck on his stick and tried to clear it. Instead, it deflected off the shaft of an on-charging Clarkson and went into the net.

"We expect to finish the season different," Bryzgalov said. "The New Jersey Devils were outstanding, and we did not play our game." Bryzgalov said he saw Clarkson coming and was trying to feed Timonen in the corner, "but I hit him on his stick and it went into the net. It could have gone anywhere - in the corner, higher or lower - but it goes straight between the legs. "The first goal, too, was a deflection, and the third one, too. It was just unlucky." "I was just trying to get on him and force him to make a play, and he put it right off my stick," Clarkson said. "I'll take it any way I can." That gave New Jersey a 2-1 lead with 7 minutes, 15 seconds left in the opening period, and the Flyers, Cup-less since 1975, never recovered.

3. Philadelphia Inquirer- Flyers Notes: Flyers juggle lines in Giroux's absence

Sam Carchidi

Claude Giroux's one-game suspension caused Flyers coach Peter Laviolette to tinker with his lines, a common occurrence in this Turnpike Series with the New Jersey Devils. With his team facing elimination Tuesday, Laviolette started the night with four different lines from the ones that he primarily used Sunday. The first-period lines: Matt Read centering Scott Hartnell and Jaromir Jagr; Danny Briere centering Brayden Schenn and Jakub Voracek; Eric Wellwood centering James van Riemsdyk and Wayne Simmonds; and Sean Couturier centering Max Talbot and Zac Rinaldo. Couturier played only a little over seven minutes in Game 4 on Sunday because he was still bothered by a leg injury. After Tuesday's morning skate, he said he felt "much better," and Laviolette figured to give him more playing time. Rinaldo played his first game in this series and had five hits in the opening period. Meszaros returns

Defenseman Andrej Meszaros returned to the lineup for the first time since March 1. He missed nearly seven weeks because of a back injury that required surgery March 21. Meszaros was paired with rookie Erik Gustfasson, and Andreas Lilja became a healthy scratch.

The Flyers were hoping Meszaros would help them get out of their zone more quickly than they had in the previous three games. Bad apples

The former teams of Simmonds (Kings) and Ilya Bryzgalov (Coyotes) are in the Western Conference finals. Kidded Simmonds: "I guess me and Bryz were bad apples there. They got rid of us." Breakaways

Briere took Giroux's spot on the team's first power-play unit. The Flyers had no shots on their first power play of the night. . . . Surprisingly, a half-hour before the game the Flyers' public-relations staff tweeted that some tickets were available. Entering the night, teams that scored first were 1-9 in the Flyers' 10 playoff games this year. . . . The Flyers began the night with a 1-14 record in series in which they trailed three games to one. . . . Giroux nervously paced in the press box after the Devils took a 2-1 first-period lead. 4. Philadelphia Inquirer- Will Jagr, Carle return?

Sam Carchidi

Now that their season is over, where do the Flyers go from here? Well, one of the first things on general manager Paul Holmgren’s agenda is trying to resign defenseman Matt Carle ($3.4 million cap hit this year) and right winger Jaromir Jagr ($3.3 million), a pair of potential unrestricted free agents. The Flyers would like to sign both players, a source said The Flyers have $61.2 million committed to next year. If Chris Pronger is on the long-term injured reserve list again next season, the Flyers will get $4.9 million of cap relief. That would mean they would have about $56.2 million committed to 2012-13 salaries. The current cap is $64.3 million, but it is expected to rise to around $69 million. So the Flyers would have about $13 million of cap room, and that number will drop when they sign restricted free agents Jakub Voracek and Marc-Andre Bourdon. They could free more room by dealing winger James van Riemsdyk ($4.25 million), and, remember, Nashville defenseman Ryan Suter, a potential UFA who figures to get a big raise from his $3.5 million salary, is on the Flyers’ radar.

The 40-year-old Jagr, who scored just one goal in 11 playoff games _ none against the Devils _ said he didn’t know what would happen in the off-season. “I have to say, thanks for the support from the fans,” he said. “I love everyone on this team. That was probably the most enjoyable year I’ve ever had. I’ve won some Cups, I’ve won some trophies, but I loved this year. From the organization to the last player on the team, and the fans, they were so nice to me. “I hate to finish it right now; that’s the worst feeling. You finish the whole story, the whole year, that’s a sad day today for me…I wanna cry right now.” Breakaways. Claude Giroux said overconfidence played a role in the series loss the Devils. “I think we thought we were going to walk over New Jersey,” he said…..In the last two games, the Flyers had a total of 34 giveaways while the Devils had 11…..It marked just the 11th time (out of 96 playoff series) that the Flyers had lost four straight in the post-season. 5. Philadelphia Inquirer- Devils use balance to rule Flyers

Marc Narducci

In their Eastern Conference semifinal victory over the Flyers, the New Jersey Devils prided themselves on having strength in numbers. Despite the presence of proven scorers such as Ilya Kovalchuk, Patrik Elias, and Zach Parise, the Devils' strength has been the involvement of virtually everybody at the offensive end. In their first seven playoff wins, seven Devils scored the winning goals. Now that's balance. The Devils ended the Flyers' season with Tuesday's 3-1 win at the Wells Fargo Center, winning the series four games to one. "The fact that we had four lines, six defensemen, game-winning goals from seven or eight people, our team game is what has made us successful," Devils coach Peter DeBoer said. In the clinching win, the Devils' first goal was scored by the most unlikely of players - defenseman Bryce Salvador. After the Flyers' Max Talbot opened the scoring in the first period, Salvador got the equalizer a little more than two minutes later.

Playing in all 82 regular-season games this season, Salvador had a grand total of zero goals. Tuesday's goal was his second of the playoffs. The first was an empty-netter in the Devils' 4-1 win in Game 2 against the Flyers. This was a continuation of unlikely goal-scorers for the Devils in this series. In that Game 2 victory, New Jersey tied the score on a goal by 19-year-old defenseman Adam Larsson, who was playing his first postseason game. New Jersey's second goal Tuesday came from a much more traditional scorer, but one who has had trouble finding the net in the postseason. David Clarkson gave the Devils a 2-1 lead, although he received a huge assist from Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. In an attempt to clear the puck, Bryzgalov instead hit Clarkson's stick, and the puck deflected in. Clarkson had a career-high 30 regular-season goals, but this was only his second in the Devils' 12 postseason games. "You look around, all our lines and our defense is contributing every night, and you look at a kid like Adam Larsson who hadn't been playing and he did what he did," said Clarkson, who also scored the winning goal in Game 2. "And Marty [Brodeur] standing on his head all playoffs - it's been fun." Of course, it hasn't been just the unheralded players who boosted the offense. Kovalchuk, despite missing Game 2 with a lower-body injury, had two goals and five assists in four games during this series with a goal and an assist in the clincher. He extended the Devils' lead to 3-1 on a power-play slapshot in the third period. Kovalchuk also had an assist on Salvador's first-period goal. "Our special teams were really good and our structure was really good," Kovalchuk said. "We didn't give them many chances in the last four games, and we have to continue to play this way." 6. Philadelphia Inquirer- Phil Sheridan: A hard fall for the Flyers

Phil Sheridan

The Flyers left themselves no room for error, so naturally a whopper of an error led to their final downfall.

Ilya Bryzgalov's fateful attempt to clear a puck will be the lasting image of this second-round elimination at the hands of the New Jersey Devils - just as Michael Leighton, frozen to the post after the Stanley Cup was lost, is the picture from 2010 that haunts Flyers fans. When Bryzgalov played well in this series, the Flyers played terribly in front of him. When the Flyers finally showed up with a full tank of rocket fuel, Bryz fizzled. It was only one of the mysteries of this puzzling series. Without their best player, the suspended Claude Giroux, the Flyers played their best game of the series. And yet, they will always have to wonder if Giroux's presence would have been enough to tip the scales in their favor. They were virtually even in Game 5. Both teams controlled play for stretches. Both launched breathless rushes that led to some excellent scoring chances. Both goalies made some good saves. Both goalies made one mind-boggling mistake. When Bryzgalov muffed an attempted clear, the puck went right to New Jersey's David Clarkson. He managed to bat it right past the stunned Bryzgalov. When Martin Brodeur got caught behind his own net, then dove to swat the puck away, it went right to Danny Briere. He managed to hit the post instead of the six feet of empty goalmouth. "Marty passed the puck from behind the net," Bryzgalov said. "It was pretty much the same situation. We hit the post or it would have been a different game." Instead it was the same result for the fourth game in a row. The Devils won and the Flyers are done. "When a team beats you four times, they're the better team," Kimmo Timonen said. When Ilya Kovalchuk fired a slapshot over Bryzgalov's shoulder for a 3-1 third-period lead, it was official. Bryzgalov was not just the second-best goalie in this series, he was also the second-best Ilya. "We saw guys play desperate hockey," said Giroux, who watched the game from the press box. "Guys played with heart. It's how we should have played the whole series." They didn't, though, and it cast a cloud of doubt over this otherwise promising season. After a rousing first-round dismissal of the rival Pittsburgh Penguins, the Flyers looked tentative and timid and confused against the Devils. For the veterans, it was just another year without a Stanley Cup. It won't sting as much as the 2010 run to the Finals, but it will sting. The Rangers and Capitals are locked in a very

tough series and the survivor could be vulnerable. Now the Devils will get that chance. Get to the Finals against Phoenix or Los Angeles and who knows? It's wide open. "After the Pittsburgh series, I thought this was really our chance," Timonen said. "The teams that are left, I thought are beatable. This was the best opportunity. Personally, I'm running out of time." Briere and Timonen are running low on chances. Jaromir Jagr, who looked every bit of his 40 years in this series, has the consolation of his two rings from the last century. For the young players, it was experience - not necessarily useful experience. They had it too easy in the first round and were stuck in a quagmire throughout the second. "They're going to have a really good team for years to come," Timonen said, picturing a future that doesn't include himself. As for Bryzgalov, his first year was decidedly mixed. He never seemed comfortable in a city where expectations and enthusiasm are high. When he slumped in the regular season, his eccentric public comments did not fly so well. When he got hot, he raised hopes he could be the long- sought shutdown goalie this team has lacked for years of postseason disappointment. He was not that. He was very good for stretches, but he was never that brick wall. That said, maybe he and the team can make some adjustments. Bryzgalov thrived in the Phoenix system that now has Mike Smith preparing for the Western Conference finals. Maybe that says something about the system as well as the goalies. Bryzgalov improved after the Flyers added Nick Grossmann. If the defense can get tighter and Bryzgalov can adjust his game to the Flyers' more open style, this marriage could still work. Given the length of his contract, the Flyers may have no choice. Coach Peter Laviolette burst onto the scene with that run to the Finals in his first season. There have been two second-round exits since, with two vastly different rosters. He never did find a way to awaken his sleepwalking team in this series, but he's not going anywhere. Except home, with the rest of them.

7. Philadelphia Daily News- Rich Hofmann: Another bad-luck puck for Flyers

Rich Hofmann

AND SO, THIS is how it ends, one of those only-in-Philadelphia nights. It is a story that we pass down through the hockey generations, like baldness. The Flyers lost a playoff series to the New Jersey Devils and this will be the enduring symbol from the final game: Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, trying to shoot a puck away from the front of his net, away to safety, instead seeing the puck picked out of the air by Devils forward David Clarkson and ricocheting behind him and into the goal. It was impossible, and it happened. It was Cechmanek-esque, or burlesque. It joins the pucks that impossibly sneaked in through John Vanbiesbrouck that year against Toronto, and the Roman Cechmanek meltdown against Buffalo, and the Cup-losing goal that somehow eluded Michael Leighton in 2010, and the dizzily spinning carousel that was the three-goaltender situation in 2011. When that goal happened Tuesday night, it was only the first period. The Flyers' deficit was only 2-1. But as soon as everyone realized what had happened, and that the puck was in the net, it was obvious that another chapter in the endless municipal tragicomedy was being written. The final score was Devils 3, Flyers 1. The series was over in five games. Pinning it on Bryzgalov would be more than unfair. At the same time, nobody is ever going to forget how that second one got behind him. "I saw [Clarkson] was coming," Bryzgalov said. "I wanted to put the puck in the corner for Kimmo [Timonen]. The puck, I don't know - it hit him in his stick and goes in the net. A bad bounce, unfortunately. It could go anywhere - in the corner, higher, lower - but it goes straight between the legs . . . "It was just unlucky," he said. The play began with Timonen passing the puck back to Bryzgalov, who has never been thought of as much of a puck-handler. Still, the goaltender said that was not the problem. "No, Kimmo did that a couple of times this season, I think," he said. "It's not that I didn't expect it. I just tried to put the puck in the corner for Kimmo to start the attack, but Carlson . . . " The truth is, Bryzgalov played well in the series overall. Really, he has played well since he allowed five goals on 18 shots in Game 4 of the Flyers' first-round series against Pittsburgh. In the first four games against Pittsburgh, his save percentage was an awful .844. In the next seven games, including Tuesday's, his save percentage was a credible .907.

He was good enough for them to win games, but it was the strangest thing during the series. In the games where Bryzgalov was at his best, the team was timid in front of him. They could never get it synced up. "I'm not happy because we're not going into the next round," Bryzgalov said. "I can't be happy with my performance. It's a team game. We lose, and it doesn't matter if you play well or bad . . . The whole team loses. It doesn't matter if you play well. It's not enough." On Tuesday night, playing without suspended star Claude Giroux, the Flyers came out hitting everything. Zac Rinaldo was a human missile. The Flyers took another 1-0 lead, as they seem to do every night - but they couldn't hold either that lead or their early emotional edge. Overall, they played a much better game than they did in Games 2, 3 or 4. They did not struggle nearly as much with either getting the puck out of their end or with keeping possession in the New Jersey end. It was a much more even game. Where that edge was in the middle of the series is the question to which there is no answer. Someone wondered if they had been spent, either physically or emotionally, in six wild games in the first round against the Penguins. "But we had some time to recover, a week more than New Jersey," Bryzgalov said. (Actually, it was 4 days.) "Some teams play seven games every round and still push hard and play tight games and try to win," he said. "I don't know. Really, I don't have an answer what just happened with us during the series." And, in the end, they were playing from behind because of the goal that went bump in the night. They could never overcome the deficit, or the shock of the thing that always seems to happen around here. "I guess it was not our night, and not our fate to go to the next round," Bryzgalov said. And so it will be told, another Philadelphia goaltending story. 8. Philadelphia Daily News- Sam Donnellon: Was this Timonen's swan song?

Sam Donnellon

HE FINISHED another postseason looking again like an old action figure, his limbs long misshapen from too much bending and wear, his effectiveness frayed by too many hits, too much dependence, too many years of doing this. Kimmo Timonen ends his latest postseason at 37 years old, a year left on his contract, the tread on his tires visibly worn. You have loved the guy for his smarts and for his fight, for

being a guy who will play with a bad back, a bad knee, a bad shoulder, and still find a way to impact a game. But he is 37, and the bendable parts aren't bending much anymore. "I'm running out of time, to be honest," he said after the Flyers were eliminated, 3-1, by the New Jersey Devils Tuesday night. It was a sentiment he expressed at the end of last year's aborted run as well. "After the Pittsburgh series I really thought this was our chance," Timonen said. "Look at the teams that were out. Look at the teams that were in. I thought every team that was still in was beatable." His team included, as it turned out. When the Flyers finished off the Penguins in that sixth game last round, Danny Briere alluded to a ton of undisclosed injuries, how the week off would most certainly help. Judging from who did not practice in the early days of that, you can conclude that Briere was speaking of himself, of Jaromir Jagr, and of Timonen. "There's so many injuries I don't even want to go there," Timonen said when I asked him whether he was hobbled in this series. "It's part of the game, and if someone wants to talk about my injuries you can ask Homer." General manager Paul Holmgren will undoubtedly disclose this in the days to come, but Timonen's most significant injury was his back. And made him look slow at times, tentative at others, and there's just no way around this: His impact in this five-game series was more about bad plays than good. Sunday night, he allowed Adam Henrique to sneak in along the boards behind his own net and intercept a slowing pass from Braydon Coburn. Henrique hit Dainius Zubrus wide-open in the slot for what proved to be the game-winner. While Scott Hartnell allowed Zubrus to spring from the half boards into the slot untouched, the play underlined that the Flyers veteran defenseman was playing on less than two healthy legs, and with a balky back to boot and for much of this high-pressure series, a step or two behind. Last night, the game again tied, Timonen played a puck back to goalie Ilya Bryzgalov as David Clarkson bore down on him, played it as you would in soccer, where the distance between players is often longer than the width of a hockey rink, a game in which the last player before the net must perfect a play like that before being allowed to play that position. Bryzgalov was not schooled that way. He's also not a guy who sees the whole game the way those goalies do, the way most NHL goalies do, the way Martin Brodeur most certainly does. Despite the 1-1 score at the time, Bryzgalov was most decidedly fighting the puck by that juncture, which is why Timonen's play seemed less about trust and more about tired. Clarkson kept coming, Bryzgalov played the puck rather than cover it, and a postseason that began so electric with those comebacks against Pittsburgh had its final awful, unfortunate bad bounce. Bryz hit the shaft of Clarkson's stick - something he

couldn't do again if you gave him another 100 tries - the puck bounced into the net and New Jersey once again had rallied from an early hole. A day before Timonen had said, "If we do the little things and we correct a few things we're going to be fine." After being eliminated Tuesday, he said, "This is a game of mistakes. It was a mistake. It happens. Usually if you don't score more than one goal, you don't win." Someone asked him whether the system had to be changed. He said, "That's coach's decision, not mine," but at least this seems clear. If not the system, the personnel. It seems like a reach to think a defensive unit of unlike parts and no real physical presence could survive the kind of high-risk, high-reward game that makes the Flyers equal parts exciting and frustrating. The Flyers scored one goal in two of their four losses. And yet this series seemed less about their offense and more about their failure to clear pucks, to escape their own zone, to win battles along the boards. A team built to trade one of your chances for two of its own seemed either undone by such a philosophy or by the soldiers implementing the plan. A couple of years ago, this team seemed well on its way to building back to front, but now it seems unlikely Chris Pronger will play again, and they will be hard-pressed to find the cap space to re-sign Matt Carle, or another guy who could shore up what we saw this last week. And of course, the 5-10 action figure doesn't get refurbished, not at 37, not with the parts so beaten on and bent. "I really thought we could do something this year," he said. He wasn't alone. 9. Philadelphia Daily News- Giroux, Flyers puzzled by suspension policy

Ed Barkowitz

THE PLAYERS in the Flyers' locker room understand that league discipline czar Brendan Shanahan has a difficult job. Some called it impossible. Shanahan's task is to dole out supplemental punishment that will deter players from trying to kill one another out there. Some of his rulings have prompted more answers than questions. In the first week of the playoffs, Shanahan handed out eight suspensions, including two to Pittsburgh for violations against the Flyers in the first round. He probably could have, and should have, given out more.

Nashville's Shea Weber, for instance, tried to smash Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg's face through the glass at the end of an opening-round game and received only a fine. That decision sent a wave of uncertainty throughout NHL dressing rooms. It probably didn't help matters that the Predators won the series in five games. Shanahan had a hearing on Monday with Flyers star Claude Giroux a day after Giroux's hit on Dainius Zubrus in Sunday's Game 4. Giroux delivered a shoulder to the head of Zubrus long after the puck was gone from Zubrus' stick. Giroux was not happy with the one-game suspension Shanahan handed down. "It's hard to say what's a suspension or not," Giroux said before Tuesday's Game 5. "Obviously, I hit his head with my shoulder, but I didn't jump, my elbow was down, and it wasn't my intention to hit his head. Obviously, it's disappointing that I [couldn't] get on the ice and help the guys win. All I can do is focus on [a possible] Game 6." That won't be necessary. The Devils beat the Flyers again, 3-1, and took the series in five games. Shanahan said Giroux was "reckless" on the play and violated the rules with an illegal check to the head. Headhunting and the resulting concussions are nothing new to the NHL, which surely sees the mounting litigation and other toxic fallout engulfing the NFL. "I think he did get him in the head there," Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds said. "I don't think that was his intent. G's not a dirty player. He plays the game honestly. Things just happen out there. They saw the shoulder contacted the head, and you expect a suspension there." Giroux's hit might not have been intentional, but it was to the head. Shanahan's mistake isn't that he suspended Giroux. It's that he probably should have suspended Weber, or Pittsburgh's James Neal longer than the one game Neal got for a pair of questionable hits in the first round. Washington's Alex Ovechkin left his feet to deliver a hit to the jaw of the Rangers' Dan Girardi on Saturday, but was not suspended. Phoenix's Raffi Torres, a notorious repeat offender, hammered Chicago's Marian Hossa with a midice hit and got 25 games. "Everything's been so all over the map with that kind of stuff, you don't really know what to expect," James van Riemsdyk said. "I can't really say if I was or I wasn't [expecting Giroux to be suspended], because everything's kind of been so sporadic with all that." Giroux said he had never been suspended at any level of hockey, which Shanahan said worked in his favor. Or did it? "I didn't think I was going to get suspended, to be honest," Giroux, the Flyers' MVP this season, said before Tuesday's game. "They want to get [hits] to the head out of the game,

and I respect that. But there's nothing I can do about it now. I obviously can't play tonight, and it's frustrating. I really don't know what else to say. Obviously, I'd love to play. I don't know what else to say." Kings for a day

Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds jokingly took credit for his former team flying through the Western Conference's first two rounds. Simmonds and Brayden Schenn were part of the package that sent Mike Richards to Los Angeles, which is 8-1 in the postseason and in the conference finals for the first time since 1993. "I guess me and [Schenn] were the bad apples there," Simmonds said, laughing. "They got hot at the right time, I guess. That's what matters." 10. Philadelphia Daily News- Jagr pensive about season cut short

Ed Barkowitz

WHEN JAROMIR Jagr signed with the Flyers last summer, no one was sure what to expect this season. That includes Jagr. But after scoring 19 goals in the regular season and becoming one of the veteran leaders in the Flyers' dressing room, the $3.3 million the team spent on the 1-year deal to bring him back into the NHL proved to be a bargain. Now that the season is over, the 40-year-old Jagr isn't sure what 2012-13 will bring. "I really don't know what's going to happen," said Jagr, obviously dejected after Tuesday night's 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils that eliminated the Flyers from the Stanley Cup playoffs. Jagr looked as if he drank from the Fountain of Youth when he rang up seven points in six games in the opening-round win over Pittsburgh. Against New Jersey, he looked as if he drank a quart of motor oil. He registered only one very quiet assist in the series, and then reflected on his season in Philadelphia. "I have to say thanks for all the support from the fans. I love everybody on this team," said Jagr, who is an unrestricted free agent. "It was probably my most enjoyable year that I ever had. I won some Cups, won some [individual] trophies, but I loved this year. From the top of the organization, to the last player on the team; and the fans were so nice to me. I hate to finish right now. That's the worst feeling. You finish the whole story, the whole year. It's a sad day today for me. I want to cry right now." 11. CSNPhilly.com- Flyers sent packing with Game 5 loss to Devils

Tim Panaccio

This certainly wasn’t in the Flyers' plans. Not after the unexpected success they had this season. What was supposed to be a rebuilding year blossomed into one of those "they gotta chance years." Especially after the Flyers disposed of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the opening round of the playoffs. For all intents and purposes, that was your Eastern Conference finals. The New Jersey Devils? Seemingly a mere afterthought to the Flyers. A team they took too lightly at series' start. Not any more. In a rainy spring where the field is wide open for any club to win the Stanley Cup, the Flyers are no longer a factor. The Devils vanquished them, 3-1, in five games Tuesday night at Wells Fargo Center. Truth is, New Jersey broke the Flyers “will” to compete, much less win, a couple games earlier. “Personally, I’m running out of time to be honest,” said a shattered Kimmo Timonen, who still has not won a Cup in 13 years in the NHL. “After the Pittsburgh series, I really thought this was our chance. “Look at the teams who were out. Look at the teams that were in -- and I thought every team was beatable. I don’t have many chances left. This was a wasted opportunity for us.” That said, the Flyers finally showed up (late) for Game 5 and competed hard without the NHL’s leading playoff performer – Claude Giroux (suspension). Still, they were done in by mistakes. “I’ve got to say, they were very strong,” Jaromir Jagr said. “They were strong on the boards. I don’t think they lost anything on the boards. I hate to say that, I hate that feeling, but they were very strong on the boards. “That surprised me. They played close to each other, and once somebody made a mistake there was always a second guy. But they were so strong on the boards. They didn’t have chances from the cycle.”

The Flyers skated better in Game 5 than any other game in the series. Their checking was fierce. They established a forecheck. They even got defenseman Andrej Meszaros (disk surgery) back. And still they could not defeat the determined Devils. “They put four guys in the corner and there’s really not a lot of space out there,” Max Talbot said. “We’re a team that likes to play with the puck and make some plays. They played us really well. “I wouldn’t say we underestimated them. We were ready for them in Game 1 and came back and worked really hard. After that, they took the momentum and worked really hard and made plays. They were really disciplined.” Every game was tight, but the Flyers had a chance in this one. All it took to the ice the game, however, was Ilya Kovalchuk’s brilliant shot through traffic on the power play five minutes into the third period. The puck kissed the inside of the left post and into the net to give the Devils a 3-1 lead. After setting a franchise record with 12 power play goals against Pittsburgh, the Flyers scored just three in this series. The Devils recorded four. Several Flyers expressed frustration that the club didn’t play the Flyers' “brand” of hockey, which they played all season long, in this series. “There’s a couple of games that I will look back on with disappointment,” said coach Peter Laviolette. “We didn’t play a better brand of hockey. In the other three games, our guys were trying to play that style, that brand, but you have to give New Jersey credit. “The way they played defense and forechecked. It kept it from being the game we wanted. We never could seem to get down that road.” Despite a strong start and despite scoring the game's first goal (again), the Flyers self-destructed in the opening period, while goalie Ilya Bryzgalov did something reminiscent of a fellow named Roman Cechmanek. If there were doubts as to whether they had some angst in their bellies, it was removed within the first seven minutes as the Flyers came out hitting and hurting. Anton Volchenkov rocked Brayden Schenn with a clean hit behind the Devils’ net that left the Flyers' rookie shaken going to the bench. Next shift out, Volchenkov was sandwiched by a vicious, legal hit from Zac Rinaldo as Sean Couturier got him from the other side.

“That's my bread and butter right there,” Rinaldo said between periods. “That's what I feed off of and that's what gets the boys going.” He and Talbot did the same thing to Volchenkov in the second period behind the net, again. Not even a minute after the first Rinaldo hit, Danny Briere centered a puck into the slot. Schenn, back quickly from his hit, and Talbot jabbed away amid a scrum of players. Talbot came away with the goal and a 1-0 lead at 7:18. For the playoffs, the Flyers were 1-6 when scoring first. Then, the Flyers got themselves in trouble. After having several successful forechecks, they twice dumped the puck right into Devils goalie Marty Brodeur on the same shift. On the second dump-in, Brodeur sent an outlet pass to Kovalchuk, who found Bryce Salvador in the Flyers' zone. Salvador’s shot deflected high off Wayne Simmonds into the net to tie the game at 9:27. The play looked offside, but replays showed otherwise. Three minutes later, Bryzgalov pulled a Checko move. Taking a puck in the crease, the Russian goalie tried to flick it to Timonen and past fast-approaching David Clarkson. Instead, he lined it off Clarkson. The puck ricocheted into the net for a 2-1 Devils’ lead. It was a hideous goal that drained whatever momentum the Flyers had established (see story). “Ask Bryz,” Timonen said of the play. “This is a game of mistakes. It was a mistake and it happens. One goal, you usually don’t win. We couldn’t score today.” Bryzgalov said this was a routine play and he was trying to hit Timonen in the corner to begin a breakout, but “the puck just hit him.” It's a play that will be debated all summer long because that’s not what your $51 million goalie is supposed to do in a playoff elimination game. The second period was every bit as frantic and hard hitting as the first. It also became apparent that the Flyers were targeting Volchenkov every time he touched the puck. Even Nicklas Grossmann pounded him into the ice. “We tried everything,” said Grossmann, who sat at his stall in the locker room for several minutes, staring at the floor, following the loss. “We tried to push the pace, get it deep, get a forecheck. But we didn’t really get up to that level, that attack level, that Flyers hockey on being relentless on the puck.

“Give credit to them. They played good. They defended hard, spent a lot of time in our zone and made it hard for us. Brodeur had good games.” What stood out that period was Brodeur's poor play in handling dump-ins. He was atrocious. Every shot in front or to the side of Brodeur that was at his feet became an adventure. Still, the Flyers could not take advantage of him. Even more disappointing was the Flyers had a power play and failed to get a set-up, let alone a single shot on net. That’s how intense the Devils' penalty kill pressure was on the half-wall and at the points. “It’s hard right now,” Laviolette said. “Meeting with the players after a loss when the season ends is one of those speeches you never seem to master. “I can tell you that the group that’s in that room right now is a terrific group of men. They played hard. “They gave a lot and we came up short. It’s a bright future and we’re looking forward to that part, but tonight it’s disappointing.” 12. CSNPhilly.com- Bryzgalov's blunder caps up-and-down season

Sarah Baicker

In a series in which so much went wrong for the Flyers, goaltending was often the exception. For the four games that preceded Tuesday’s Game 5 loss to the New Jersey Devils, the Flyers could hardly break out of their own zone, let alone score a goal. All throughout this Eastern Conference semifinal series, though, goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov was the Flyers’ silver lining. Each night, he gave his team the chance to win. It was everyone else out on the ice with him that couldn’t get the job done. And so, in a way, it hurts even more that Bryzgalov’s biggest blunder of the season – if not his entire career – led to the game-winning goal in a 3-1 Devils victory that ended the Flyers’ playoff run (see game recap). Isn’t that the way it always seems to go with the Flyers? “The second goal is a tough bounce,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “We’re in possession and then we try to move the puck and it ends up in the back of our net. That goal stung. It hurt. I thought our guys were playing really hard at the beginning of the game. It seemed

like we were skating and physical play. That’s more of an unfortunate bounce than anything else.” As Laviolette said, Tuesday night had started off so strong. Bryzgalov was in a rhythm. The skaters in front of him managed to put together a competent forecheck. The game was physical, it was fast and it had an altogether different feeling from that of those that preceded it. Enter Devils winger David Clarkson, and a play that should have been as simple as Bryzgalov covering up the puck and awaiting a whistle. Instead, somehow, and for reasons that might never be known to anyone outside the Flyers’ netminder himself, Bryzgalov paused. He looked up, perhaps right into the face of Clarkson, and heaved the puck directly at him. The puck bounced off Clarkson and right into the Flyers’ net, giving the Devils the lead they needed to win and move on to the postseason’s next round. The Flyers simply couldn’t regain the passion and urgency they’d had in the moments that came before the Devils’ 2-1 lead. “I saw him coming,” Bryzgalov said. “I wanted to put the puck in the corner for Kimmo [Timonen] to start back up. And the puck, I don’t know, hit him in his stick and going in the net. A bad bounce, unfortunately. It could go anywhere – in the corner, higher, lower, but it goes straight between the legs. And the first goal too was deflected. It just was unlucky tonight.” In a way, Bryzgalov’s performance Tuesday night was the perfect representation for his season as a whole. There were moments of magnificence but they were, as they have been all year, ruined by an ugly bounce or questionable decision. It’s been a wild ride for the Flyers’ goaltender, who was “lost in the woods” in the fall but put together an impressive March, earning NHL Player of the Month honors and setting a new Flyers record for consecutive shutout minutes. But like the rest of his teammates, his summer, too, is beginning too soon (see story). He may have been the Flyers’ most consistent player through each of the five games against the New Jersey Devils, but Bryzgalov isn’t satisfied with his performance. “I’m not happy because we’re not going any farther than the second round,” Bryzgalov said. “I can’t be happy with my performance. It’s a team game. We lose and it doesn’t matter who play well, who play bad. We lose it, the whole team lose it. It doesn’t matter who play well. It’s not enough.” It’s a given that the Flyers’ netminder will take plenty of heat this off-season, for his gaffes, his inconsistencies, his inability to steal a victory in the playoffs.

But in the end, it’s hard to argue with his assessment of Game 5. “Sometimes you have good bounces, sometimes bad,” Bryzgalov said. “This night just was unfortunate.” 13. CSNPhilly.com- Flyers' postseason was wasted opportunity

John Gonzalez

Outside the Wells Fargo Center, messages were painted on the parking lot. The missives were sent in by fans and then dutifully printed onto the asphalt in orange. The notes were predictably positive, even if the Flyers’ chances didn’t seem nearly so rosy. The one that got my attention went like this: “I see not 1 team that’s gunna [sic] stop these Flyers.” Whoever crafted that particular communication was correct. One team didn’t stop the Flyers. Two teams did. The New Jersey Devils had a lot to do with making the semifinals an especially miserable affair for Philadelphia. So did the Flyers. If the Devils should be credited for playing well, then the flip side is that the Flyers should be criticized for essentially failing to play at all. On Tuesday evening, thousands of forlorn fans watched the Devils win Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, 3-1 (see game recap). The Devils will advance to the penultimate round of the playoffs. The Flyers won’t. They’ll have a long off-season now to think about what could have been, about the grand opportunity they wasted. “I think we were thinking we were going to walk over New Jersey,” said Claude Giroux, who watched the final game of the series rather than playing in it after getting suspended for a hit on Dainius Zubrus in Game 4. “I guess we have to learn from it … everything happened pretty fast. It’s obviously frustrating, because we thought we could do a little more damage than that. Tonight, we played desperate hockey. We played with heart. That’s how we should have played the whole series. We didn’t play as well [as against Pittsburgh]. We didn’t play with the emotions.” No. They didn’t. After the Flyers dispatched the Penguins – every expert’s fashionable pick to win the Stanley Cup – they were heavy favorites to push past the Devils. That they didn’t do so – that they failed to “walk over New Jersey” the way Giroux and almost everyone else thought they would – will be a difficult thing for the team and the town to get over. Because when you look around at the organizations that are still alive – the Coyotes and the Kings, the Rangers and the Capitals and the Devils – you think that it really is anyone’s title to win this year.

The Flyers had serious trouble against New York this season, but the Rangers haven’t looked worlds better than Washington in the playoffs, and the Ottawa Senators forced them to play seven games to get out of the first round. No, there was a real chance this year for the Flyers – and then, before anyone could process what happened, that chance slipped away just like the puck that Ilya Bryzgalov handed over to David Clarkson in the first period. “I saw him coming,” Bryzgalov said. “I want to put the puck in the corner for Kimmo [Timonen]. I don’t know. It hit him in his stick and went in the net.” That was a humongous horrible mistake by the goaltender (see story), and it ended the Flyers’ season even though the game continued thereafter. When he badly mishandled the puck – allowing Clarkson to quickly redirect it and score – the goalie made it awfully hard for the Bryzgalov backers to support him and awfully easy for the Bryzgalov detractors to lampoon him. Up to that point, Bryzgalov had not been the Flyers’ biggest problem. That changed with one awful play. The gaffe was so big, so significant that the stat sheet should have credited Bryzgalov with the goal, or at least the assist. It will haunt them for a long time. “That goal stung,” Peter Laviolette said. “It hurt.” He could have said the same thing about this postseason. The Flyers’ prospects were so promising only a round ago. That bright future is suddenly a bleak present. How are Mike Richards and Jeff Carter – who are no doubt enjoying themselves out in Los Angeles – still playing and the Flyers aren’t? How is it that perennial underachiever Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals are still alive and the Flyers aren’t? How are the Devils and Coyotes headed to their respective conference finals while the Flyers are headed home? “They were the better team in almost every game,” Scott Hartnell said. “It’s frustrating to say. They played better than us. We’ve got a long summer to think about it … A lot of woulda, coulda, shoulda in a series like this. It’s heartbreaking. “You look at the [Western Conference], not that they’re beatable teams or whatever, but it’s anyone’s game right now [to win the Cup Hartnell. Washington is giving the Rangers a run for their money. It’s frustrating that we’re not moving on.” To that end, there was one other message out on the parking lot pavement that resonated. It was shorter than the first but still worth noting: “This is our year.” It could have been. Now it will be some other team’s year. That is the hard, ugly truth. 14. CSNPhilly.com- Game 5 Notes: Meszaros logs big minutes in return

Tim Panaccio & Sarah Baicker

All things considered, Flyers defenseman Andrej Meszaros probably would not have played Tuesday night if Game 5 had not been an elimination game. “It was hard, definitely hard to jump into that kind of pace for the playoffs,” Meszaros said. He had not played since March 1 after undergoing surgery to remove a herniated disk in his back. Meszaros logged an amazing 19:26 for a guy who had been off for two months. “They’re a pretty fast team and they play well and I tried to do my best out there,” he said. “It didn’t go our way. I felt when G [Claude Giroux] being out, I would try to get in there and try to do something, do something offensively.” He said if were not an elimination he “probably” would not have played but added that because he felt “pretty good” he wanted to give it a shot. “I took some hits, did some one-on-one the days before and I wasn’t as sore,” Meszaros said. “That’s why I didn’t play [Game 4]. But yesterday I felt pretty good and wanted to try it today.” First goal curse

Through the 11 games the Flyers played this postseason, teams were 1-10 when scoring first, which is incredible, when you think about how important scoring a game’s first goal is considered to be. The Flyers were 1-6 in the two series against the Penguins and Devils when scoring the first goal. They simply couldn’t play with a lead – especially this series. “They were just coming. They were coming and coming and coming,” Jaromir Jagr said. “Today we had a 1-0 lead, last game we had 2-0. They put a lot of shots on the net, a lot of scoring chances.”

Devils series

The Flyers are now 2-3 all-time in playoff series against New Jersey. The Devils won the Stanley Cup in both other seasons they beat the Flyers in a playoff series, 1995 and 2000. This is just the 11th time in franchise history (out of 96 series) that the Flyers have lost four games in a row in a playoff series. They didn’t lose four games in succession all season. Out of line

With Claude Giroux out of the lineup because of a suspension, coach Peter Laviolette had to once again shuffle the Flyers' lines. It was the fourth time in four games the Flyers had a new look on offense. Matt Read centered Hartnell and Jagr; Danny Briere centered Brayden Schenn and Jakub Voracek. Couturier centered Max Talbot and Rinaldo. Wellwood played with James van Riemsdyk and Wayne Simmonds ‘My bread and butter’

Rinaldo returned to the lineup for the first time since the Pittsburgh series in place of Giroux. As expected, he added physicality to a series that had seemed to lack it. Nowhere was it more noticeable than when he crunched Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov along the boards. Volchenkov eventually returned to the game, but he was badly shaken up and needed to be attended to by trainers immediately after the hit. "That's my bread and butter right there,” Rinaldo said. “That's what I feed off of and that's what gets the boys going.” 15. Delaware County Times- Bryzgalov’s gift gives Devils series as Flyers fall

Rob Parent

PHILADELPHIA — Charged with the legendary goaltending mission of postseason salvation Tuesday night, Ilya Bryzgalov instead took it upon himself to perform a classic playoff pratfall. As a result, the Flyers tripped all over themselves and finally fell, 3-1, to the New Jersey Devils, thereby stumbling gracelessly right out of the postseason. So went a postseason with so much promise, dissolving into four consecutive and anemic losses to their old antagonists from New Jersey. The Devils, meanwhile, wait for a winner between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals for what should be an intriguing Eastern Conference finals matchup. Don’t expect it to stir much interest in frustrated Philly, however. “You always want to go far,” defenseman Nick Grossmann said. “That’s what you play for when you’re a kid, out on the pond. Win the Cup. But it didn’t go our way this series. I think we battled hard. Every guy put their heart and soul into it and it wasn’t enough. “This feeling, it’s the worst. You don’t know what to feel. It’s empty and disappointing.” After falling behind early — a beautiful strategy in this series — the Devils tied it with a Bryce Salvador goal midway through the first period, then iced it with a bullet of a power

play slap by Ilya Kovalchuk in the third. In between, however, was the goal that shocked the shorthanded Flyers and essentially put them down for good. It really wasn’t as much a goal as it was a gift, as Bryzgalov, who excelled in a losing effort in Game 4 with 39 saves, pulled a memorable blunder. About three minutes after Salvador’s shot went off Wayne Simmonds’ stick and in for 1-1, Bryzgalov gained possession of the puck and went to clear it. One skater was near him and was closing in — the Devils’ David Clarkson — and Bryzgalov somehow managed to fire the puck right at Clarkson. It hit the shaft of his stick and bounced back and through Bryzgalov’s legs at 12:45 of the first period for a 2-1 New Jersey lead. “I wanted to put the puck in the corner for Kimmo (Timonen),” Bryzgalov said. “It hit stick and it’s going in the net. Bad bounce, unfortunately. Could go anywhere; in the corner, higher or lower ... but go straight between the legs.” With it went the air inside the Wells Fargo Center, which just minutes before was jumping after a Max Talbot goal that garnered an early lead and had been fed with some famous Flyers physical energy. One deflected Devils goal followed by a huge botch job by the Bryz later ... silence. The way the Devils played in this series, more than a few of the stunned thousands had to feel that this series was over. But then, they’ve seen so many Flyers teams fall into this same Devils trap. “Totally different series,” Jaromir Jagr said. “It was more up and down hockey against Pittsburgh (in the first round). That was not very many battles along the boards. This series there were a lot of battles on the boards, lots of cycling the puck — especially on their side.” After his mistake goal, Bryzgalov played well. Kovalchuk had banged a puck off the post in the second period, and his slapshot on the power play early in the third would have beaten anybody. Other than that, the Devils didn’t do much offensively, but then, they were spending most of their time busily bullying the Flyers. “We spent a lot more time in our zone,” Jagr said. “They were really strong along the boards. There was a huge difference, in my opinion. And from that, they had more time in our zone and they had better shots. They were just coming at us. They were coming and coming and coming.” Though their problems in getting through the middle of the ice weren’t as blatant as they were in the third and fourth games of the series in New Jersey, the Flyers still barely

made Martin Brodeur break a sweat. Still, the 40-year-old goalie was his typical solid self, making 27 saves. Most of them came before the third period, when the Devils, obviously schooled in old style organizational tactics, set up a neutral zone trap that flummoxed the Flyers into submission. Not helping their cause was the absence of their top forward, Claude Giroux, who was suspended for the game after putting a shoulder check into Dainius Zubrus’ head in Game 4. Using that as motivation, the Flyers came out hot and turned on the crowd by getting physical from the start. Then Talbot ripped home a rebound and the roars soared. After that, the game quickly changed. Normalcy returned. The Flyers couldn’t answer the Devils’ two quick goals, the hits stopped coming, the motivation disappeared. Through the third period, the Flyers were clearly stumped and beaten, and would go quietly. Now a loud offseason may follow. New Jersey 2 0 1—3 Philadelphia 1 0 0—1 First Period_1, Philadelphia, Talbot 4 (Schenn, Briere), 7:18. 2, New Jersey, Salvador 2 (Henrique, Kovalchuk), 9:27. 3, New Jersey, Clarkson 2, 12:45. Penalties_Schenn, Phi (interference), 14:37. Second Period_None. Penalties_Larsson, NJ (interference), 2:11; Rinaldo, Phi (interference), 12:47; Hartnell, Phi (high-sticking), 17:01. Third Period_4, New Jersey, Kovalchuk 5 (Henrique, Zubrus), 5:00 (pp). Penalties_van Riemsdyk, Phi (holding), 4:56. Shots on Goal_New Jersey 12-11-7_30. Philadelphia 11-7-10_28. Power-play opportunities_New Jersey 1 of 4; Philadelphia 0 of 1. Goalies_New Jersey, Brodeur 8-3-0 (28 shots-27 saves). Philadelphia, Bryzgalov 5-6-0 (30-27). A_19,818 (19,537). T_2:26. Referees_Stephen Walkom, Eric Furlatt. Linesmen_Brad Kovachik, Steve Miller. 16. Delaware County Times- THAT LOOKED FAMILIAR

Jack McCaffery

Weak goaltending. Lost expressions. Lack of coaching adjustments. Fans leaving early. The end of another Flyers' season, their 39th in failed pursuit of Stanley Cup III. Not that it was Ilya Bryzgalov's fault that they lost, for hockey is a team game and, wow, did he have plenty of help. But he was not the $51 million goalie that he was sold as ... and certainly was undependable in the Devils series. Now what? Last offseason, the Flyers changed philosophies and captains --- spending big for a goaltender and shipping Mike Richards to L.A. For a while, that upheaval seemed to make sense. Ultimately, it might. They do have an intriguing, young nucleus. It's just that it could have happened this year. And they know it. Check out my column in the Daily Times and on delcotimes.com Wednesday, along with a story about Kimmo Timonen, who is convinced that the Flyers will win a Stanley Cup some day ... but not sure whether he will be with them to enjoy it. 17. Delaware County Times- McCAFFERY: Another playoff exit marked by goalie

goof

Jack McCaffery

PHILADELPHIA — The first period ended Tuesday and the Flyers, all but one, marched to the dressing room, heads and championship hopes low. Only Ilya Bryzgalov seemed reluctant to budge. By then, there was nothing for him to draw from another between-periods strategy session, even if Peter Laviolette would recommend playing with jam. By then, there was nothing to gain from the silence he would have heard from the teammates who’d just watched him pledge the ever-popular fraternity of embarrassed Flyers goaltenders: Kappa Season Poorly. So, Bryzgalov remained motionless for a few telling seconds. And he gently laid his stick on top of the net, delayed some more, then skated slowly to dry land. He’d just wasted another early Flyers lead, and this time, there was no one else to blame … or even to attempt to blame. He’d just handed New Jersey’s David Clarkson a puck and a supporting role in the next treasury of hockey bloopers. Clarkson responded by ping-ponging a two-foot shot past him and into the net. That was the second Jersey goal within a span of 3:18, but the latest of several deflating,

ridiculous, postseason goals against the Flyers in their troubled history. Claude Lemieux beat Ron Hextall with one in the Spectrum in 1995. The Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane beat Michael Leighton with one in 2010 to win —- what do they call it again? —- oh, yeah, the Stanley Cup, which, as usual, the Flyers will not win this year, not after a 3-1 loss that once again prevented the elusive “Hat Trick in ’76.” They will not win it because when they needed spectacular goaltending Tuesday, they got more of what they had through what quickly had become a mini-series: Decent goaltending, but losing goaltending. With Claude Giroux suspended for a game, chances were strong that they would struggle to score, and the Flyers did. But when Clarkson was allowed to score with a minimum of heavy lifting, the Flyers seemed to realize that beyond the necessary offense, they would not have championship-level goaltending, either. Kimmo Timonen showed up at the morning practice with a shirt that read, “Play Angry.” He seemed confused that he would be asked about the message. That’s understandable, too. For ever since 1975, the only shirt that the Flyers ultimately wind up wearing in the spring says something like, “Wildwood Crest.” He probably just made an incorrect wardrobe choice and was embarrassed that it would be noticed. “We have to play our system,” Timonen said. “The last few games, we haven’t played our system. What’s the reason for that? I don’t know. Maybe guys are trying to do too much.” The Flyers tried Tuesday, with Max Talbot scoring in the first. For a while, they would throw elbows and knees and Devils around. They seemed ready to force a Game 6. But even in a year when they demolished previous organizational policy and went all-in for a special goaltender, they would wind up only with a late-model Roman Cechmanek. So another Flyers season ends, and with a searing, haunting image. How many have there been? There was Bob Clarke, often, caught standing in his VIP box, peering down on an emptying building, barely moving. There was Brian Boucher, blasting Bill Barber, the coach. There was Leon Stickle, not making a call. There was Eric Lindros skulking out of Joe Louis Arena. The searing image of the Kane goal will be tough to top — particularly because it was unacceptably soft in an overtime of a Cup-deciding game. But it will take years — years, years and years — before Bryzgalov sheds the image of handing the puck to Clarkson in a 1-1 hockey game in such a charitable fashion that he should have been credited with an assist. Of course, he is under contract to the Flyers for eight more years. So he can take his time. 18. Delaware County Times- Flyers Notebook: Giroux's suspension helps snuff

hopes, raises questions

Rob Parent

PHILADELPHIA -- Facing elimination Tuesday in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals series with the Devils, and with the added handicap of having their best player sidelined with a suspension, the Flyers had a bit too much on their minds to contemplate the immediate future. While their playoff run was to end later in a 3-1 Devils victory at Wells Fargo Center, it was already obvious that the ramifications of Claude Giroux's ill-timed suspension would pad a long list of disturbing decisions coming out of the office of NHL top cop Brendan Shanahan. While the league faces another potential labor war in the offseason, how Shanahan fared in his first full season of being the face of a small committee of league honchos doling out discipline likely would come under scrutiny, either by league office powers, the NHL Players Association or both. One NHL source had the opinion the league would “absolutely” review the way discipline was handed down during the offseason. That said, most Flyers willing to spend a moment thinking about how much of an issue suspensions -- or the lack thereof -- became during this playoff season wouldn't want to be involved in the decision making. "Shanny has a tough job to do," Scott Hartnell said. "I think (Giroux's hit on Zubrus) was a hit to the head. They're obviously trying to get them out of the game; so it's a fine or a game ... he chose it to be a game." As for Giroux himself, the only thing he’d care about is having to watch another playoff season go awry from somewhere other than on the ice. It’s frustrating. The guys gave everything they had,” Giroux said. “They worked hard. We played the kind of hockey that we do play. “They’re a good team,” he said of the Devils. “They played well. … I still think that we’re a good team, but it should have been a tighter series. We just got to learn from it.” Giroux certainly learned a lesson from his ill-timed suspension. But that doesn’t clear up the problem of trying to figure out what’s what with this issue. Whether it was the 25 games repeat offender Raffi Torres received for pounding Marian Hossa or a dirty dozen or so other suspensions this spring, the one that the Giroux call and every other suspension is being compared to was one of the first postseason Shanny calls -- no suspension on Shea Weber after he shoved Henrik Zetterberg's head into the glass. It makes the players wonder what conclusions could be drawn from reviewing all such decisions this spring.

"Anytime you're going to analyze anything like that, it's almost impossible," James van Riemsdyk said. "I don't even know ... I mean, I'm sure everybody's guess is as good as anyone's with the different rulings that have come down. No one really knows what to expect. Everything's been all over the map with this stuff." After profession concern about playing seven weeks after undergoing back surgery on a disc, Andrej Meszaros finally agreed to go into the lineup. He wound up playing more than 19 minutes and didn't do anything to hurt his team. But all he saw was that he didn't help. "It was tough to jump into that kind of tempo," Meszaros said. "Obviously, it's a high pace with the playoffs. I tried to do my best. I tried to help the team, but it didn't go our way. (Giroux) wasn't playing. I wanted to help. ... Unfortunately, I don't think it helped much. We still lost. It's disappointing." Hartnell recalled the ill-timed goalie interference call he received in Game 4 Sunday night, which was the same night Devils goalie Marty Brodeur turned 40. "That was his birthday penalty," Hartnell said with a smile.

19. Delaware County Times- Jagr stays mum on future as Flyers season ends

Rob Parent

PHILADELPHIA — Jaromir Jagr wrapped up his first Flyers season by not committing to the idea that it won’t be his last Flyers season. But the former NHL megastar who enjoyed a fine season, finishing it at 40 with a quiet playoff loss to the New Jersey Devils, still tried to leave the impression that he wanted to play nowhere else but here. “I don’t know what’s going to happen,” said Jagr, looking ahead to his second straight summer as a pending unrestricted free agent. “But it doesn’t really matter what will happen. I just want to say thanks for the support from the fans.” Recent conversations with management leave the impression the Flyers are interested in bringing Jagr back. He had a strong season (19 goals, 54 points in 73 games) and meshed well with franchise forward Claude Giroux. But Jagr’s agent Petr Svoboda has not had any recent conversations with the Flyers about the future. “I love everybody on this team,” Jagr said. “It was probably my most enjoyable year. I’ve had some Cups, some trophies, but I loved this year. From the organization to the last player on the team and the fans, they were so nice to me. I hate to finish it right now. “That’s the worse thing. It finishes the whole story, the whole year. That’s a sad day for me. I’m going to cry right now.”

20. Delaware County Times- Physical approach not exactly a hit as Flyers fall in

Game 5

Christopher Vito

PHILADELPHIA —- The Flyers accepted the finger-pointing Tuesday for all of those strewn-about bodies. They went to the ice, belly-down, throughout the second and third periods, just doing their best to keep another gaffe of a goal from landing in the real estate directly behind Ilya Bryzgalov. That’s how these things go, Eastern Conference semifinal games where 20 minutes usually mean the difference between an extended season or an offseason. Then as if learned and not inherited, the Flyers started hitting New Jersey. Whether recklessly or with a slice of caution, the Flyers resorted to a physical aspect of their game from which they had strayed. Unable to break the Devils’ forecheck, the Flyers figured it was in their best interest to hit. That gameplan didn’t exactly prove fruitful, though, with the Flyers managing only a first-period goal and nothing more offensively in their season-ending, 3-1 loss to the Devils in Game 5 at the Wells Fargo Center. “They were the better team almost every game,” the Flyers’ Scott Hartnell said. “It’s frustrating to say that they played better than us. We have all summer to think about it.” Defying conventional logic, the Flyers could make an argument that they were fortunate enough to make it this far into the Stanley Cup playoffs. Their season ended with six losses in their last eight games. That disparity usually equates to a team’s swift playoff exit, not one able to conjure ideas of June glory. It didn’t have to be that way, resorting to blocked shots. It didn’t have to end this way, with Bryzgalov relinquishing the game-winning goal to David Clarkson in a failed attempt to clear the puck. “We just weren’t able to get on track,” Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. But the Flyers seemed unwilling to end their campaign without a fight or a hit or a black-and-blue. “We didn’t play a better brand of our hockey,” Laviolette said, attempting to offer reason. “Our guys were trying to play that style and play that brand, but I think you’ve got to give credit to New Jersey for how they played defense, how they forechecked it. They kept it from being a game we wanted. We never seemed to get down that road.”

Laviolette’s group might have taken the biggest hit fewer than eight minutes into the game when they scored first courtesy of Max Talbot. In 10 of 11 Flyers postseason games, the team to take the lead ended up on the wrong side of the ledger. So when Bryce Salvador got a welcome deflection from the stick of the Flyers’ Wayne Simmonds and seven minutes later Clarkson made Bryzgalov pay with another first-period tally, most among the 19,818 saw the writing on the wall. Still the Flyers refused to relent, even while failing to get at Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur. The Flyers outhit the Devils, 38-26, a product of being outshot. “Frustration,” as Hartnell termed it, began to settle in when the Flyers couldn’t crack the blue line and develop any offensive rhythm for the better part of the last, oh, six periods. “We’re a hard-working team,” Brodeur said. “You look at the games that are won, (there’s) a lot of hard work and desperation out there. We don’t do it defensively as much as other teams, but we’re doing it in the offensive zone. “Our forecheck has been good, but we put on our work boots so when there are breakdowns, we make the other guys pay.” While the Flyers made Dainius Zubrus and Adam Larsson pay with crunching hits from Zac Rinaldo and Hartnell, respectively, the Devils are moving on. And that’s something the Flyers will have to ponder for the next five months.

21. Delaware County Times- Timonen feels clock ticking for Flyers’ veteran corps

Jack McCaffery

PHILADELPHIA —- At the end of his 13th NHL season, an end that seemed too familiar, Kimmo Timonen was certain of one thing, but unsure of another. The Flyers’ young nucleus, he believed, will someday win a Stanley Cup. He’s just not certain he will be around to enjoy the moment. “Personally, I am running out of time, to be honest,” the veteran defenseman said after a 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils that ended the Flyers’ season Tuesday. “After the Pittsburgh series, I really thought, ‘This is our chance. Look at the teams who are out. Look at the teams who are in. And the teams that are in are beatable.’ I don’t have many chances left. This is a wasted opportunity for us.” With the home-ice advantage in the second-round series, the Flyers had reason to believe they would advance to the conference final. But when a four-game losing streak thrust them into the offseason, they were caught in spinning emotions.

With such young (and relatively young) contributors as Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier, Jakub Voracek, James van Riemsdyk, Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds, the Flyers can accept their second-round playoff penetration as a down payment on future returns. While they are young in spots, they were also reliant on Timonen, Jaromir Jagr, Scott Hartnell, Danny Briere and Ilya Bryzgalov, none particularly young, to push them to the postseason. “That’s why I said ‘personally,’” Timonen said. “I’m not talking about the team. I am talking about personally. Look at this team and all the young guys they have here. They are going to have a really good team for years to come. I am not talking about the future of this team. I am talking about personal.” The Flyers thrived in a first-round series against Pittsburgh largely because of their youth-experience blend. A loose Round 2 theory was that the Penguins taxed the veterans physically and the younger players emotionally. “Everything happened kind of fast,” Giroux said. “It’s obviously frustrating. We know we could have done a lot more damage than that. And you saw guys tonight play desperate hockey. They played with heart. And that’s how we should have played the whole series.” That’s the plan —- that’s the possibility, anyway —- as the Flyers bounce into another offseason. They hope that their intriguing young players, of which they have several, gained from the experience. “I give our young guys a lot of credit,” Hartnell said. “They played with a lot of guts that first series. A few of our young guys were banged up and they were still putting on the skates and going out there and battling for us. It wasn’t a case of inexperience. They were the better team almost every game. It is frustrating to say that they played better than us. We have a long summer to think about it.” 22. Bucks County Courier-Times- Flyers eliminated in 3-1 Game 5 loss

Wayne Fish

PHILADELPHIA -- In any sport, the old adage is defense wins championships. While there were no titles on the line Tuesday night, this wisdom was evident in keeping one team's postseason hopes alive. The New Jersey Devils continued their defensive mastery of the Flyers, throttling their high-powered offense and knocking them out of the playoffs with a 3-1 victory in Game 5 at the Wells Fargo Center.

New Jersey wins the Eastern Conference best-of-seven semifinal series 4-1 and moves on to play the winner of the New York Rangers-Washington series in the conference finals. After scoring a record 30 goals against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 1, the Flyers were held to just 11 goals in five games against the Devils. "We didn't play a better brand of our hockey,'' coach Peter Laviolette said after the game. "You have to give New Jersey credit for the way they played defense, the way they forechecked. "They kept it from being the game we wanted. We could never seem to get on that road.'' Philadelphia had to play without the services of its leading scorer, Claude Giroux, who was suspended for this game due to an illegal head hit on New Jersey's Dainius Zubrus in Game 4. "They (the Devils) played a very good brand of hockey at both ends of the ice,'' Laviolette said. "We just weren't able to get on track with what we wanted to do.'' Other Flyers had similar observations. "I have to give a lot of credit to them, they were the better team,'' Kimmo Timonen said. "Did we try to do too much? It's hard to say now. They were a better team in every area of the game. When you get beat four times, they're the better team.'' The Flyers took an early 1-0 lead but, as statistics show, that wasn't a favorable position to be in, since they finished the playoffs 1-6 when scoring first. Max Talbot scored out of a scrum in front of Martin Brodeur at 7:18 of the first but the lead was short-lived. A Bryce Salvador shot deflected off a stick and fluttered past Ilya Bryzgalov at 9:27. Then Bryzgalov tried to clear a puck, only to have it hit David Clarkson's stick and bounce back into the net at 12:45 for the go-ahead goal. That's all the Devils needed. "Obviously we expected to finish this season differently,'' Bryzgalov said. "The Devils played outstanding and we didn't play our game.'' As for the Clarkson play, he added, "I saw him coming, I wanted to put the puck in the corner for Kimmo, puck hit him in the stick and go in the net ... bad bounce, unfortunately. It could go higher, lower but it goes straight between the legs.''

For the Flyers, it was a second straight season of elimination in the second round and the taste wasn't much better than last year's sweep by Boston. "They (the Devils) were very strong, strong on the boards,'' Jagr said. "I don't think they lost any battles on the boards. I think that was the difference. We didn't have a chance to cycle.'' The Flyers never could get their offense untracked. With the exception of four goals (including one in overtime) in Game 1, the Flyers were jammed up for most of the four straight remaining losses. "They (the Devils) really played solid defensively,'' Talbot said. "They play a little like the Rangers, there's not a lot of space out there. They worked hard, they made some plays and they were really disciplined.'' Indeed. Over the final two games, the Devils had just 11 turnovers to the Flyers' 34. "They play a pretty collapsed style and Brodeur played great the whole series,'' Scott Hartnell said. "It's frustrating. They're stingy, they're tight, you have to fight for every inch. You had to make plays quick.'' While the season did mark the introduction of as many as six rookies into the Flyers' regular rotation, there was still a feeling that this team could have gone farther. No doubt, the Flyers have to weigh the fact the Devils are on a roll right now. And there's no way of knowing how much a six-day layoff hurt the Flyers' chances, while the Devils quickly returned to action after a seven-game series against Florida in Round 1. Yet after Game 1, the Flyers were not able to get sustained pressure on Brodeur and had way too much trouble getting clean breakouts from their own zone. There wasn't much traffic in front of Brodeur throughout the series and the Devils checking pressure probably had a lot to do with that.

23. Bucks County Courier-Times- Jagr's future with Flyers up in air

Wayne Fish

PHILADELPHIA - It was billed as a one-year experiment and now that it's over, will the Flyers think about doing it again in regards to Jaromir Jagr's future? Or did Jagr, 40, play his last game for the Flyers on Tuesday night? Only Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren knows the answer to that one. Jagr made $3.3 million this year and made a nice return on his investment. He contributed 19 goals and 54 points in 73 regular-season games, then added another eight points in 11 playoff games, although he was stymied by the Devils.

How does he see the future? Does he want to play in the NHL next year. "Oh I don't know, I don't know what's going to happen-it doesn't really matter what's going to happen,'' Jagr said after the Flyers' 3-1 loss in a Game 5 elimination. "I have to say, thanks for the support from the fans. I love everyone on this team. That was probably the most enjoyable year I've ever had. I've won some Cups, I've won some trophies, but I loved this year. "From the organization to the last player on the team, and the fans, they were so nice to me. I hate to finish it right now, that's the worst feeling. You finish the whole story, the whole year, that's a sad day, today for me. . .I want to cry right now." Flyers' future: Scott Hartnell believes the Flyers made big strides this year by introducing so many young players into the rotation. "We are probably one of the youngest teams in the league this year,'' Hartnell said. "I think we were fifth or sixth-best in the regular season. We gave it a good run here, but to see a bunch of these young faces and the up and coming talent they have here, even though it is one of the worst days of the year. You have to look to the future and it is going to be exciting." Clarkson's praise: David Clarkson, who scored the winning goal for the Devils, said the Flyers were a tough out, despite appearances. "They are a good team,'' he said. "They worked hard. Their power play was scary. All we tried to do was stay out of the box and keep the puck down low and work harder. Our D played great for us, Adam Larsson was out for awhile and comes back in and did what he did this series. I think we just tried to play the Devils way." 24. Camden Courier-Post- Flyers bedeviled into summer vacation

Randy Miller

PHILADELPHIA — There were reporters everywhere. Max Talbot was answering questions on one side of the Flyers dressing room, Jaromir Jagr giving his take across the way. Nick Grossmann, the last player still in skates, already had done his talking while sitting at his dressing area. Five minutes later, the big Swedish defenseman was still there staring straight ahead but ignoring the commotion. His balding head still was sweating as Grossmann finally took his time shedding his elbow pads and leg pads before unlacing and removing his skates.

“We put the heart and soul into it, and it wasn’t enough,” Grossmann said after a 3-1 Flyers loss to the New Jersey Devils. “This feeling is the worst.” A Flyers season died Tuesday night the same way it had been put on a respirator: A bunch of turnovers, not much offense. Factor in the bad goal of the century courtesy of Ilya Bryzgalov plus suspended star Claude Giroux watching from the press box, there was no season-saving victory for the Flyers, just a final nail in their coffin pounded by the Devils, who won the series 4-games-to-1. “I think they were the better team almost every game,” Flyers winger Scott Hartnell said. “It’s frustrating to say it, but they played better than us and we’ve got a long summer to think about it.” The Flyers had home-ice advantage and were favorites to win this best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal, but were taken off their game after winning the series opener in overtime and never completely recovered in losing four in a row for the first time all season. The Flyers were riding high after beginning the playoffs by upsetting the Pittsburgh Penguins, but New Jersey’s smothering forechecking did them in and for the second year in a row their playoff run ended in the second round. “You gotta give New Jersey credit,” Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. “Defensively they forechecked and kept it from being the game we wanted.” Instead of the Flyers earning a possible shot at redemption against the Rangers for losing all six regular-season meetings, it’ll be the Devils moving on to the Conference Final to play either New York or Washington. “Obviously, we expected to finish the season different,” Bryzgalov said. The Flyers scored the opening goal, and once again it was the kiss of death, as every team scoring first lost the entire series – a first in NHL history. Max Talbot scoring 7:18 into the first for the Flyers was countered by a quick retaliation when a wrister by Devils defenseman Bryce Salvador from the left circle deflected off Wayne Simmonds and in, then Bryzgalov let in an all-time blooper goal at 12:45 to give New Jersey that held up. The Devils added the final stake 5:00 into the third when sniper Ilya Kovalchuk ripped a slapper past Bryzgalov just four seconds after James van Riemsdyk was sent off for an unnecessary holding penalty in the offensive zone.

Besides the Flyers struggling all series long for offensive zone time, a lasting memory will be the gift game-winner David Clarkson scored 9:27 into the first. Not known for his stick handling Bryzgalov played a puck near his net with Clarkson fast approaching, then attempted a clear that became perfectly imperfect. In a flash of agony, Bryzgalov sticked the puck off the shaft of Clarkson’s stick and it deflected back his way and into the net for a stunning goal. “I saw him coming and I want to put the puck in the corner for Kimmo (Timonen) to start the attack and the puck, I don’t know, hit him in the stick and go in the net,” Bryzgalov said. “It’s bad bounce, unfortunately. It could go any way - higher, lower. But it goes straight between the legs.” “That goal stung,” Laviolette said. Just like that, the Flyers were down ... and soon to be out with New Jersey going into shutdown mode. The Flyers at least displayed more fight trying to get the series back to Jersey for a Game 6, but a lot of jarring checks didn’t make up for not taking care of the puck again. This time, the Flyers had 14 turnovers to only six by New Jersey, bad numbers that actually were an improvement from Game 4 when the Flyers’ had 20 giveaways to the Devils’ five. What went wrong? “I can’t tell you,” Bryzgalov said. “I’m not a coach to analyze the team, but ... the New Jersey Devils play outstanding and we not play our game.” 25. Camden Courier-Post- Jagr unsure of return to Philly

Randy Miller

PHILADELPHIA — In the heat of the frustration, the oldest and most accomplished of the Flyers could not bring himself into saying he wants to return next season. Jaromir Jagr, a future Hall of Famer and unrestricted free agent come July 1, wouldn’t address his future Tuesday night after the Flyers were handed a season-ending 3-1 loss by the New Jersey Devils. “Right now, I don’t know,” said Jagr, who turned 40 in February. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. It doesn’t matter what’s going to happen.”

Jagr did make it clear more than once that he absolutely loved his first season with the Flyers, one that also was his first back in the NHL after three seasons playing for a KHL team in Russia. “I have say thanks for the support from the fans,” he said. “I love everybody on this team. That was probably my most enjoyable year I ever had. I win some Cups, I win some trophies, but I love this year. From the organization to the last player on the team, and the fans, they were so nice to me.” Jagr had a tough ending to a nice season. No. 68 was scoreless with one shot in Game 5 and managed just one assist for the series, but before that he had 19 goals and 54 points in 73 regular-season games plus goal and assists over six games in the first round against Pittsburgh. “You finish the whole story, the whole year,” Jagr said. “It’s a sad day for me. I don’t want to cry right now, but ...” • Giroux’s agony: Suspended Flyers star Claude Giroux felt helpless watching his teammates lose a game that ended the season. Dressed in a suit and tie, the NHL’s leading playoff scorer watched the first period from the press box, sometimes from a seat next to teammate Jody Shelley, sometimes while pacing. The rest of the game, he was downstairs either in the dressing room or in a runway, and when the end came, he immediately walked out to the Flyers bench to put his arm on the shoulder of defenseman Kimmo Timonen, who remained sitting there after everyone else had left. “The guys gave everything they had,” Giroux said. “They worked hard. We played the kind of hockey that we do play. Not to be able to go to Game 6, it’s frustrating.” Giroux sat out the game serving a one-game suspension from league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan for an illegal check to the head Sunday on Devils winger Dainius Zubrus. “I didn’t think I was going to get suspended to be honest,” Giroux said. “Obviously I hit his head with my shoulder, but I still think I didn’t jump. My elbow was down. That wasn’t my intention to hit his head. I think (Shanahan) wants to get hitting to the head out of the game, and I respect that.” • Meszaros returns: Defenseman Andrej Meszaros, out since March 1 with a knee injury that required surgery, returned for Game 5 after hinting for a week that he was leery of playing again too quickly.

“It was tough to jump into that type of tempo, but I tried my best and tried to help the team,” Meszaros said. Meszaros replaced veteran Andrea Lilja to play with rookie Erik Gustafsson on the Flyers’ third defense pair and registered two shots, three hits and two blocked shots in 19:26 of ice time. Meszaros had surgery March 21 to remove a small fragment in his lower back that was impinging on a nerve root. At the time of his procedure, doctors predicted he’d miss 6-to-8 weeks. Tuesday was one day shy of seven weeks. “G wasn’t playing and I wanted to help,” said Meszaros, referring to Giroux. “I took a couple hits the day before in practice to see how I felt, and I felt pretty good actually, so I decided to go.” • Empty netters: Wayne Simmonds on the Los Angeles Kings, his team from 2008-11, facing the Phoenix Coyotes, Ilya Bryzgalov’s team from 2007-11, in a surprising Western Conference Final: “I guess me and Bryz were the bad apples there. They got rid of us.” ... Rookie Zac Rinaldo took Giroux’s spot in the lineup, his first action since Game 4 of the first round. He played on the Flyers’ fourth line with Max Talbot and Sean Couturier. ... Rookie Matt Read took Giroux's spot on the first line, which had Scott Hartnell and Jagr on the wings.

26. Camden Courier-Post- Loss a microcosm of Bryz's season

Randy Miller

PHILADELPHIA — Well, at least Ilya Bryzgalov didn’t score on himself Tuesday night as the Flyers went out quieter than a monkey in space. However, in a snapshot of his season, the Flyers goalie did assist on a goal. No one wearing the free orange t-shirts that read “rise to the occasion” cheered though. Clearly, like he didn’t do with that puck, Bryz didn’t “rise to the occasion.” “I wanted to put the puck in the corner for Kimmo (Timonen) to start back up,” Bryzgalov said about the numbing pass he attempted that ended up behind him, “and the puck, I don’t know, hit him in his stick and going in the net. “A bad bounce, unfortunately. It could go anywhere - in the corner, higher, lower, but it goes straight between the legs.” Strange, indeed, as somehow Bryzgalov found the slim shaft of Devils right winger David Clarkson, banking the puck off it like a layup in basketball, giving a gift goal for a

2-1 lead. It was the last goal New Jersey needed to finish off the Flyers 3-1 on the scoreboard and 4-1 in games. “The second goal was a tough bounce,” Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said kindly, “that goal stung and hurt.” The goal stunned the 20,000 fans here at the Wells Fargo Center like a monkey in space wondering what just happened after pressing the wrong button, like Bryz talked about last week. And, the Flyers were not only dejected seeing the go-ahead goal, but ejected into the numbing space of the offseason to wonder what just happened - not only on the goal, but in this series loss to New Jersey. When asked about the goal, Timonen said, “ask Bryz.” Timonen wasn’t going to blame his goalie, but if ever there was a game the Flyers needed their goalie to rise to the occasion this season, this was the game. After all, they were not only down two games in this Eastern Conference semifinals, but they were down their best player Claude Giroux, who was suspended one game for a hit to the head in Game 4. This is precisely the game for which Bryz was acquired. The Flyers gave him a nine-year, $51 million contract to carry his team in a game like this - not to make jokes about monkeys in space like he did last week. Bryz was brought here to stop the three goalie crazy carousel ride of last season’s playoff exit to Boston. Instead, the Flyers got two Bryzgalovs. They got a goalie who assisted on a goal against himself. Not even a monkey in net would do that. “It was a mistake,” Timonen said, “it happens.” Saying Bryz’s latest meltdown was just a mistake, however, misses to capture how frightfully inconsistent he has played all season, except for a stretch in Month where he was good enough to be named the NHL Player of the Month. But, this was April and Bryz was back to being the Bryz of November, December, January and February. Still, after Bryz played his best hockey since March in Game 4 in Sunday night’s loss, there was hope he would string together a second strong game. Instead, Bryz was lost in the woods again early, looking shaky on routine stops and just overall out of it. Then, he assisted on the goal against himself. “He put it right off my stick and back in,” Clarkson said.

But, to put this series entirely on Bryz’s back would be unfair. Truly, if the Flyers and Devils traded goalies, the Devils still would’ve won the series. It wasn’t Bryz’s fault the Flyers looked like they cleared their zone as if the giant video board here at the Wells Fargo and in Newark’s Prudential Center dropped to mid ice and they had to pass around the electronic mess. “When you lose four games in a row, obviously the better team won,” Timonen said. Still, the rest of Bryz’s teammates didn’t assist on the go-ahead goal. “Well, we’re losing as a team or win as a team,” Timonen also said. “It’s not my job to start blaming somebody.” OK, but without anyone saying it in the locker room, Bryz is signed for the next eight years and the Flyers have too good of a young nucleus to go into the playoffs each year with a goalie who practically scores on himself in the biggest game of the season. So, the pressure will be on Bryz next year to be consistently good in the regular season and then to be really good in the playoffs. The Flyers don’t need him to score goals on the other team to win, but they do need him to not help score on himself. 27. Camden Courier-Post- Devils put the clamps on Flyers' wingers

Randy Miller

PHILADELPHIA — One of the biggest keys to the Philadelphia Flyers success during the 2011-12 regular season and the first round of the playoffs was the scoring depth provided by its core of wingers. Unfortunately for the Flyers, the production from their wingers was minimal in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New Jersey Devils. Collectively, the Flyers’ wingers’ inability to get in on the forecheck and create scoring chances with any regularity proved to be one of the major differences in the series. In contrast to the Flyers, several New Jersey wingers stepped up to score critical goals in each of the Devils’ four consecutive wins in the series. New Jersey made life miserable for the Philadelphia wingers in all three zones of the ice. In the defensive zone, Flyers’ wingers had problems chipping pucks past defensemen at the blueline to relieve pressure.

In the neutral zone, the Flyers wingers were often stationary or surrounded and had precious few chances to carry the puck in the zone. In the offensive zone, the Devils had superior puck support. New Jersey won most of the battles along the walls and prevented the Flyers’ wingers from getting to the net. “They are so strong on the boards,” acknowledged Jaromir Jagr, who was held to a single point in the New Jersey series (a power-play assist in Game 3) after racking up seven points in six games against Pittsburgh. “We couldn’t create very much coming out of the corners or moving in off the walls.” Jagr was hardly the only Flyers’ winger who had trouble finding operating room in Game 5 and throughout the series. Scott Hartnell, coming off a career year and goals in the final two games of the Pittsburgh series, was held to a single goal by New Jersey. “There wasn’t a lot of space out there,” said Hartnell. “We had to do a better job at creating room for ourselves, and we didn’t. That was very disappointing.” Jakub Voracek was one of the few Flyers who was able to create more than sporadic forechecking pressure in the series. Nevertheless, he finished the Conference Semifinals without a goal. Voracek was credited with three assists in the five games. After a dominant first game in the series, reminiscent of his stellar play in the first nine games of the 2011 playoffs, James van Riemsdyk was at best a non-factor and at worst a liability as the series wore on. In Game 5, van Riemsdyk skated just 8 shifts, played 5:47 and was a minus-two. In the third period, van Riemsdyk took a costly holding penalty in the offensive zone that rapidly turned into an insurance goal for New Jersey. Likewise, Wayne Simmonds had a rough series. He finished without a goal against New Jersey – and just one in the playoffs. In contrast, the Devils enjoyed 11 goals from their wingers in the series to 3 by the Flyers, which includes Max Talbot’s goal that opened the scoring in Game 5. Over the course of the series, Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk each nabbed a pair of goals for the Devils, as did Petr Sykora, David Clarkson and Dainius Zubrus. They also got an overtime winner from Alexei Ponikarovsky in Game 3. The Flyers did a get a power-play goal from center Brayden Schenn in Game 3 while he was playing a wing on the man advantage. They also got a single tally from Matt Read, who played more wing than center over the course of the season but spent much of the New Jersey series in the middle.

28. NHL.com- Bryzgalov's first Philly season ends in disappointment

Adam Kimelman

PHILADELPHIA -- After a 2011 postseason that saw them start three different goaltenders in the first round and was capped by getting swept in the second round, the Philadelphia Flyers focused their massive summer roster overhaul on bringing in a franchise goalie. They signed Ilya Bryzgalov to a nine-year, $51 million contract to fill that role, but the result nearly was the same -- another second-round playoff exit. Bryzgalov's season was marked by record-setting highs and bizarre lows, with the final game of his first season serving as a 60-minute recap. Bryzgalov turned aside 27 of 30 shots Tuesday night and looked strong in making a number of those saves. But a pair of bad bounces -- one he had little control over, another of his own making -- is what people will remember. David Clarkson was credited with the game-winning goal in New Jersey's 3-1 victory, but he didn't need to do much to earn it. Bryzgalov took a backpass from Kimmo Timonen and tried to move the puck to the defenseman in the corner, but his pass hit the shaft of Clarkson's stick and ricocheted back between his pads and into the net at 12:45 of the first period, putting New Jersey ahead to stay. "I saw him coming and I wanted to put the puck in the corner for Kimmo to start back up," Bryzgalov said. "The puck, I don't know, it hit him in the stick and go in the net. It's a bad bounce unfortunately because it could have gone anywhere -- in the corner, higher, lower. But it goes straight between the legs." The Devils' first goal also came on an odd bounce. Defenseman Bryce Salvador took a shot from the left circle that hit Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds and went up as Bryzgalov went down; the puck went over the goalie's right shoulder at 9:27 of the first period to tie the game at 1-1. Beyond those two mistakes, Bryzgalov was sharp. He stopped all 11 New Jersey shots in the second period to keep his team in the game, and the only goal he allowed in the final 40 minutes was Ilya Kovalchuk's power-play rocket five minutes into the third -- a blast through a screen following a faceoff that he had no chance to stop. "He played well for us in this series," center Claude Giroux said. "He was one of our best players. He made some big saves for us." Bryzgalov made a number of big saves early in the season, winning his first three starts -- including a shutout of the Devils. He had a four-game losing streak in October and a five-game winning streak in December. He struggled to get on the same page with his defensemen and blamed a

number of goals on shots that were blocked or tipped by his teammates in an attempt to help him. In 20 games between Dec. 17 and Feb. 23, he went 7-7-4, and upset some of his veteran teammates by announcing he would not be starting in the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic before the club wanted the information shared publicly. Things changed during a late-season West Coast swing, and in March he played like the best goalie in the League. Bryzgalov posted three straight shutouts, set the club record for longest consecutive scoreless streak and went 10-2-1 with a 1.43 goals-against average to win the NHL Player of the Month award. Bryzgalov finished the regular season 33-16-7 with a 2.48 GAA in 59 games, but he couldn't sustain his strong closing kick in the first round against the Penguins. He was better in the second round against New Jersey, but the season ends with Bryzgalov playing much like he did in the regular season -- strong in parts, soft in others. 29. ESPN.com- Flyers haunted by same problems

Scott Burnside

PHILADELPHIA -- And in the end, the song remains the same in Philadelphia. Or make that the lament remains the same as the Philadelphia Flyers are humbled in the second round of the playoffs for the second straight season. In spite of all of the changes, the overhaul of the roster, the introduction of top-end young talent, the signing of a "franchise" netminder, the Flyers went away without a whimper once again as the deeper, more committed New Jersey Devils won Game 5 by a 3-1 count. The Devils now move on to their first Eastern Conference final since 2003, which happens to be the last time they won a Stanley Cup. Regardless of whom they will face -- the New York Rangers or the Washington Capitals -- it's hard not to believe the Devils will be the favorites to advance to the Stanley Cup finals. That's how good this team is regardless of how far under the radar they've flown this postseason. "I think you've got to give New Jersey credit for the way they played defense and the way they forechecked," Philadelphia coach Peter Laviolette said after the game. "It kept it from being the game that we wanted and we could never seem to get down that road."

Laviolette's counterpart, Pete DeBoer, has fashioned an impressive system that allows and expects contributions from all four lines. It was something the Flyers had no answer for from the moment the series started. "Yeah, I think the fact that we've had four lines, six defensemen, we've gotten winning goals from seven or eight different people through the playoffs," DeBoer said. "Our team game is what is making us successful, not any individuals. The guys are believing in what we're doing and we've got a lot of work left to do. That's a very good team we just beat, and [we're] happy to get through." By the end of this series it was hard, really, to assess just what kind of team were the Flyers. One has to wonder whether they are any further ahead than they were a year ago when owner Ed Snider demanded GM Paul Holmgren go out and get a goaltender after a carnival of goaltending misadventures against Buffalo and Boston. In fact given the uncertainty over the mental toughness of Ilya Bryzgalov, he of the nine-year contract, it's easy to suggest the Flyers are actually worse off. Let's be clear: Bryzgalov was not solely to blame for this disappointing series loss. The team's best player Claude Giroux watched the finale in civilian clothes after losing his cool in Game 4 and earning a one-game suspension for a head shot to Dainius Zubrus. It will be a long summer for him remembering this night. "I think we were thinking we were going to walk over to New Jersey and they'll fall a little bit," Giroux said. "I guess we've got to learn from it. They are a good hockey team. They are well balanced and they played a pretty good series." Scott Hartnell, Wayne Simmonds, Jaromir Jagr (who looked like he was laboring with some sort of injury all series) were nowhere to be found when the chips were down. James van Riemsdyk continued his halting evolution as a player, scoring just once this spring after coming back from a foot injury. And his mindless holding penalty early in the third period allowed the Devils to take a two-goal lead that sucked the life out of the Flyers. But if there was a play that encapsulates the Flyers' experience this spring, it was just past the midpoint of the first period. The Flyers had struck first with a gritty Max Talbot goal, but the Devils tied it just 2:09 later when a Bryce Salvador shot deflected off Simmonds and over Bryzgalov's shoulder. Just three minutes later defenseman Kimmo Timonen dropped a puck back toward Bryzgalov. Instead of smothering it, the netminder tried to play it. Martin Brodeur he isn't, and the puck ricocheted off the shaft of Clarkson's stick and back into the Flyers' net.

"I saw [him] coming and I want to put some puck in the corner for the Kimmo, you know to start the attack, and puck, I don't know, hit him in his stick and going in the net," Bryzgalov explained after the game. "It's bad bounce, unfortunate because it could be go anywhere -- in the corner, higher, lower -- but it goes straight between the legs." It's somehow fitting that turned out to be the winning goal, the goal that ended Stanley Cup hopes that looked so bright just two weeks ago as they rolled through Pittsburgh in six games. That series saw the Flyers average five goals per game, so it didn't particularly matter that Bryzgalov was only ordinary. Against the Devils, Bryzgalov was much better. Were it not for his play in Game 4, a 4-2 loss in Newark, the Flyers would have been routed. But at no point in this playoff run did the Flyers seem to rally behind their netminder. There were no games that reminded us of what we have seen Mike Smith do in Phoenix or Jonathan Quick in Los Angeles or Braden Holtby in Washington. There was never a feeling that the Flyers were going to win a game simply because Bryzgalov would make it so. He was not that kind of goaltender the past two playoff seasons when he and his Phoenix Coyotes were ousted in the first round by Detroit. He is, it appears, not that kind of goaltender at all. On a night when the Flyers needed someone to say, "No, we're not done yet," no one stepped up, including the man who was supposed to put an end to literally years of goaltending questions in Philadelphia. "I know Bryz made big saves in there, I thought," Laviolette said. "The second goal is a tough bounce. We're in position and we try to move the puck and it ends up in the back of our net. "That goal stung, it hurt. I thought our guys were playing really well. Playing hard at the beginning of the game it seemed like we were skating and physical play, that's more of an unfortunate bounce than anything else. That was a tough goal." Timonen's response to what happened on that play: "Ask Bryz." Asked to assess his performance this spring, Bryzgalov said he wasn't pleased because the team didn't have success. "I'm not happy because we're not going further than the second round and you can't be happy with my performance," Bryzgalov said. "It's a team game we lose, it doesn't matter

who play well, who play bad, it's losing, the whole team losing. Doesn't matter who played well, it's not enough." And here's the thing: After watching him fight pucks or seem bewildered by shots throughout the postseason, it's hard to imagine this Flyers team ever enjoying a long playoff run with him in goal. Given that he's under contract for eight more years with an annual cap hit of just slightly more than $5.66 million annually, that's a significant problem for GM Paul Holmgren. For all the good work Holmgren has done in restocking this team with high-end young talent, such as Brayden Schenn, Jakub Voracek and Sean Couturier, Holmgren appears at this juncture to have failed to solve the singular problem that has plagued this franchise since the days of Ron Hextall. In a market that demands forward motion, it's hard to view this desultory end to the season as anything but a familiar step backward. New Jersey Devils Articles

1. New York Post – Devils defeat Flyers in Game 5, advance to conference final

Mark Everson

PHILADELPHIA — Now, it’s up to the Rangers. The Devils are ready. “It would be the ultimate,” Martin Brodeur, the longest-running star of this rivalry, said Tuesday night of an Eastern Conference final showdown between the Devils and the Rangers. It awaits only one more Rangers victory over the Capitals, perhaps Wednesday night. The Devils did their part by eliminating the Flyers in five games with a 3-1 victory last night. The Devils and Rangers have met five times in past playoffs, but this one would be special, definitive. There hasn’t been a Battle of the Hudson between such powerhouses, which have each knocked off two foes, since they both grew up, the Rangers by ending their 54-year drought in 1994, the Devils by winning their first Cup in 1995. “For the glory of going to the Stanley Cup it’s an unbelievable matchup for the people that care about our rivalry,” Brodeur said. “And there are a lot of people who care about our rivalry. “It would be the ultimate.” The Devils have only won only one of their Battles of the Hudson, their 2006 sweep. The Rangers won in 1992, 1994, 1997 and 2008.

This year, the Rangers won four of six in a regular-season series that brewed bitterness. “You saw some of the battles we had, at the drop of the puck at Madison Square Garden. There’s a big rivalry there. The War of Words with the coaches?” Brodeur said. “If we do play them, the buildup would be pretty tremendous.” First, the Rangers have to get there. In these playoffs, particularly this romp over the Flyers, the Devils have become the team no one should want any part of. They’re 14-4 in their last 18 games going back to the regular season. The Rangers and Caps can’t avoid them now. The Devils demolished the favored Flyers in five games, sealing their first trip to the conference final since 2003. The Devils outscored Philly 18-11, as they spotted the Flyers the overtime opener, then won four straight, sandwiching victories in Philadelphia around two triumphs in Newark. The series turned when the Devils, after losing the opener, came back with four straight goals in the third period of Game 2. Alexei Ponikarovsky put them in front to stay with a Game 3 OT winner, and Dainius Zubrus scored the winner and empty-netter in Game 4. Last night, they battled through too-late Flyers thuggery and took advantage of two major breaks, as well as the absence of Claude Giroux, the playoffs’ leading scorer, suspended last night for a head-hit on Zubrus on Sunday. The evening opened with boards and brains rattling, without penalty. Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov launched the frolics by launching himself, shoulder into head, at Braydon Schenn at the end boards, boarding or interference at least, but disregarded by referees Stephen Walkom and Eric Furlatt. Within two minutes, Sean Couturier and Zac Rinaldo gave Volchenkov a flying sandwich, and Volchenkov examined the ice for a few minutes before heading to the dressing room. Volchenkov returned before the first period was done. Energized by the rough stuff, the Flyers took the lead 7:18 into play. Danny Briere came away with the puck behind the net from Mark Fayne and Travis Zajac, emerging around the left wing post. He passed across the goalmouth for Schenn, who had two tries before Max Talbot shove his fourth under Brodeur. Flyers coach Peter Laviolette was furious over a missed offside when the Devils tied the score 2:09 later. Ponikarovsky lifted his left leg, on the line, with his right inside, to allow Adam Henrique to carry in, and play continued. From the left point Bryce Salvador sent a

wrister netward, which Flyer Wayne Simmonds deflected up and over Ilya Bryzgalov’s waffle, in off the crossbar. Salvador stands 2-4-6 in 12 playoff games, after going 0-9-9 in all 82 games this season. Bryzgalov then committed a gaffe that won’t soon be forgotten. From his own crease, he fired the puck directly off the stick of the on-rushing David Clarkson, less than 10 feet away, and it caromed back between his legs and in at 12:45 of the first. After a scoreless second, in which Brodeur scrambled and hung on narrowly, Ilya Kovalchuk gave the Devils insurance 5:00 into the third, his power play slap eluding Bryzgalov’s glove for his fifth of postseason. Ryan Carter returned to the Devils lineup after sitting out Game 4 with suspected food poisoning ... The Devils remained unbeaten with a 3-1 series lead, now 10-0 in such circumstances. They have won in five seven times, six twice and seven once.

2. Newark Star Ledger – Politi: There’s no reason for Devils to celebrate with

something better coming around the corner

Steve Politi

PHILADELPHIA — The celebration said it all. Or, more accurately, the lack of a celebration did. Here were the Devils, back in the conference finals after a nine-year absence that felt like 90, filing off the bench like they had just finished off a preseason game in September. Martin Brodeur used to leap several feet in the air when the clock expired on nights like this. Tuesday night? He barely lifted his stick. “We’re excited to be still playing hockey this time of year,” he said after his team’s 3-1 victory eliminated the Flyers in Game 5, “but at 40, I don’t jump as high anymore.” It wasn’t just age keeping the goalie grounded. It was the increasing expectations. Maybe, when the playoffs began a month ago, the Devils would have been satisfied with winning two rounds. This is a franchise that didn’t even make the playoffs last year, one that failed to get out of the first round the three seasons before that. To be one of the last four teams standing — well, a few weeks ago, that would have seemed like a very nice accomplishment. Not now. Not after the way this team dominated the Flyers in four straight victories. Not with the way these playoffs have unfolded, leaving the Devils — dare we say it? — playing better than anyone still alive.

The Devils should be thinking about one thing now, and it’s silver with a lot of names on it. There is no reason this team can’t win that fourth Stanley Cup. The opportunity is there. So why celebrate now when they can really celebrate in a few weeks? “It feels good,” star Ilya Kovalchuk said, “but we’re just halfway to where we want to be.” Halfway there and on the rise. This is the most impressive thing about the Devils right now: They’re getting better. It’s like something clicked in Game 6 of the first-round series against the Panthers, like a collective light went on, and they’ve just been building off their success. They were the more disciplined team, the more explosive team, and maybe most of all, the better prepared team. Brodeur said this current staff, with rookie coach Pete DeBoer, has adjusted in a series “better than a lot of the coaches I’ve had in the past,” and remember, he’s had a new one every year or so. More than anything, DeBoer has the Devils believing — not just in that lethal forecheck, but that this team can accomplish something great. The Devils weren’t just the better team in this series, they were the most confident. Up two goals or down two goals, nothing fazed them. “Listen, as good as we played in one series, it can go wrong in another,” Patrik Elias cautioned, and he’s right. But you look around the teams left in the tournament and wonder: Who’s better? The Rangers were in the regular season, with 109 points to the Devils’ 102, but they still need that final victory against seventh-seeded Washington to advance. The Western Conference finals features the eighth-place team, Los Angeles, versus Phoenix, a team that needed a strong finish just to qualify. Yes, regular season results mean little now, but it’s wide open. The Devils not only advanced yesterday, but because they closed out the Flyers in their first chance, they get some much-needed rest. To think, after he sat out Game 2 with a herniated disc in his back, the Devils wondered how much — if anything — they’d get out of Kovalchuk. What they got was their $100 million worth. Kovalchuk not only ripped an unstoppable power-play shot past Ilya Bryzgalov in the third period to give his team a two-goal cushion, but he was one of the team’s most active defensive players in the final minutes. The Devils have all four lines contributing, with seven different players scoring game-winning goals, and they won this series without Brodeur stealing a game, which he’s still capable of doing.

“I’m excited about it,” Brodeur said. “We’ve been through a lot as an organization. To be able to bounce back, make the playoffs and get to the third round — so far — it’s rewarding for everybody in here.” Note those two words: So far. The Devils already have accomplished more than most observers expected when the playoffs began. But now, there’s no reason to celebrate, not with the opportunity to do something truly special this spring. 3. Newark Star Ledger – Devils take series from Philadelphia Flyers despite always

starting down

Mike Vorkunov

The strangest quirk of this entire series maybe that the Devils won four straight games to finish it out despite finding themselves down to start each of them, including 2-0 to being Game 4. Against the Flyers Tuesday night, Maxime Talbot scored 7:18 in to give Philadelphia a 1-0 lead. In Game 5 the Devils responded a little more than two minutes later when Bryce Salvador scored on a shot from just past the left faceoff circle. It was the first of three unanswered goals. In Game 4, the Devils scored four unanswered and did the same in Game 2. "It feels really good," Zach Parise said. "It’s a lot of fun. Even the few times in this series, in the playoffs, that we’ve given up the first goal, there’s no panic on the bench and that’s great to see. We’re playing with a lot of confidence." Some of the resolve may come from their experience last round against Florida. The Devils found themselves down three games to two and facing elimination. They steadied themselves and won the last two games of the series to advance. "I think the toughest part was when we lost Game 5 in Florida and we were against the wall," Ilya Kovalchuk said. "That’s when those veteran guys – Marty (Brodeur), Patty (Elias), (Marek Zidlicky) – they were there before and they told us to take one game at a time and we’re better than those guys. We were playing simple and we got them." 4. Newark Star Ledger – Who’s next: A look at the Devils’ possible opponents

Mike Vorkunov

WHO’S NEXT? Three reasons the Devils want to play the Rangers

1 THE RANGERS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SCORE WITH THEM. The Rangers have scored more than three goals once in these playoffs and that was the first game against the Senators. The Devils have done so three times against the Flyers. 2 MARTIN BRODEUR LIKES PLAYING THE RANGERS. He had a 2.41 GAA this season but a 1.99 GAA in six games against the Rangers. 3 MARIAN GABORIK ISN’T THE 41-GOAL FORCE HE WAS IN THE REGULAR SEASON. He’s got three goals this postseason and doesn’t seem to be as big a weapon as the Rangers hoped he could be. Three reasons the Devils want to play the Capitals 1 HENRIK LUNDQVIST WOULDN’T BE PLAYING. Coming off of a Vezina Trophy-level season, the Rangers goaltender has been just as good in the postseason, to the tune of a 1.70 GAA and .937 save percentage. He was even better against the Devils this season in five regular-season games. 2 EXTRA DOWN TIME. The Capitals will have gone seven grueling games to get to the Eastern Conference finals, while the Devils will have been resting after last night. Time to heal your wounds is a big luxury in the playoffs. 3 THE CAPITALS’ POWER PLAY IS A MESS. Their PP was 18th in the NHL this season despite a boatload of offensive talent and has struggled in the second round, scoring three out of 16 times. 5. Newark Star Ledger – Devils’ Martin Brodeur: Must’ve been tough for Flyers to

talk to themselves

Rich Chere

PHILADELPHIA -- Devils goalie Martin Brodeur did not hesitate. The key to the team's success so far is preparation. "We know what we can do. We know how we can expose teams," Brodeur said after the 3-1 win in Game 5 Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center. "Our big weapon is the

coaching staff. They prepare us, they make changes to our system better than a lot of coaches I had in the past. We're well-prepared to do the things we need to do to be successful. "Whoever we're going to face in the conference finals I'm sure the coaching staff is going to prepare us as well as they did against the two teams so far." Those things were obvious against the Flyers. "The main key is discipline," Patrik Elias said. Brodeur agreed. “Stay disciplined. You could talk about scoring goals, forechecking them and playing well and all that,” Brodeur said, “but I think what was tough on them was us not retaliating to any of the stuff they were doing and all the stuff they were saying every single game. Guys just turned away and didn’t respond to anybody. “They were able to get Pittsburgh all wrapped up in that stuff. It must’ve gotten tough on them a little bit to just talk to themselves all day long.” * * * TV tried to get Ilya Kovalchuk to reveal what the "magic" was that allowed him to come back from a herniated disc in his back after missing just one game. "We're still in it so it's still a secret," Kovalchuk said with a smile. 6. Newark Star Ledger – Devils forward David Clarkson receives a “gift” goal that

puts them ahead for good

Mike Vorkunov

The goal that put the Devils in front for the final time in this second round series against the Philadelphia Flyers? The one that came when David Clarkson put his stick in the way of Ilya Bryzgalov's attempt to clear the puck only to see it riccochet off the shaft and past him five-hole, well, Zach Parise described it like this: "When you get something like, when you get a gift like that, that’s a great feeling. I think that put us up 2-1 at the time, it takes the crowd out of the game and I think it might have frustrated them a bit." Clarkson didn't even know he scored until he gauged the reaction of the crowd at the Wells Fargo Center. When the displeasure came down, he understood. "I was actually just skating to the net and it was one of those lucky bounces," he said. "I don’t know how it happened sometimes. Just trying to force the goalie, banging my stick

a bit and he put it off me. I had no idea it was in until the crowd starts booing. Pretty good feeling when it went in." Clarkson said that the Devils are commanded to go full bore at a goaltender like that and force him to adjust. So, in the end, it was much fortuitous as it was an indictment of their perseverance. "It was a big break for us," Parise said. "I don’t know what to say. Those types of things happen when you play hard. When those types of things go in, we’re pretty happy. 7. Newark Star Ledger – Devils-Flyers: Ilya Kovalchuk cherishes lesions from

Martin Brodeur

Mike Vorkunov

PHILADELPHIA — Ilya Kovalchuk would use the two-hour bus rides to and from this city to pick the brain of Martin Brodeur. Kovalchuk would take stories and reassurances from him, the second-round neophyte talking to a man searching for his fourth ring. Brodeur relayed a somewhat counter-intuitive message — that the first step was the hardest. He meant the first round, which Kovalchuk had never escaped in eight seasons in the league, but for the Russian sniper it also carried into the first game of this series. After that opener against the Philadelphia Flyers, Kovalchuk was criticized after an ineffective outing. He was caught in a malaise, with speculation of injury that soon proved to be true. Even in victory, he could do no right as the Devils rallied without him in Game 2. How long ago that seemed. His last exit from Philadelphia Tuesday night came on better terms than his initial one. Kovalchuk scored the insurance goal in a 3-1 Devils’ victory that finished the Flyers in this round and also assisted on the first goal. By all accounts, he is now back to the form that saw him considered one of the premier goalscorers in the NHL. “Huge goal,” Zach Parise said. “I think the excitement when we saw that one go in, that was great. After him taking that game off and getting himself healthy again. He came back and has been dominant. He got a gain, he set up another one, he’s playing really well.” Kovalchuk returned a different version of himself. No longer was he hampered by a back injury that forced him to miss Game 2 and burdened him in Game 1. He was spry, quick, rejuvenated. He created havoc offensively and was responsible defensively – backchecking to break up a possible breakaway.

There is mystery with him, despite how he answer every question with a nonchalance. He was hurt then and professes to be healthy now, which seems more believable than his denials earlier in the playoffs. “I feel good,” Kovalchuk said. “I feel 100 percent like I was in the beginning of the season.” His goal to cap Game 5 sent the Flyers to their depths, already playing unhinged at times but unable to capitalize. His reaction was non-descript. “That’s my job,” he said. Yet, Kovalchuk could not deny an excitement to advance to a place he’s never been – the Eastern Conference finals, where Washington or the Rangers will soon join the Devils. Those first steps for Kovalchuk are past him now. He’s broken new ground and he’s back in form. Yet there is still one last bus ride back to Newark and he’s already made the best of the ones prior. “When it’s a two hour bus drive we have nothing else to do,” Kovalchuk said, “so I ask him a couple of questions.” 8. Newark Star Ledger – Devils beat Flyers, 3-1, advance to Eastern Conference

finals

Rich Chere

PHILADELPHIA — Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur leaped into the air like someone half his age who was heading to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2003. Okay, maybe in his dreams. “I was jumping with 31 seconds left, but they canceled that goal,” Brodeur said of an empty net score that was disallowed because the Devils were offsides. “It’s a good feeling, but at 40 I don’t jump as high anymore.” The celebrating came in the closed-door dressing room after a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 5 of their semifinal series Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center. Having become a close-knit team the rest of the league almost certainly dismissed as serious Stanley Cup contenders, the Devils will face either the Rangers or Washington Capitals in the conference finals. The Rangers lead that best-of-seven series, 3-2. Brodeur said he has no preference.

“It doesn’t matter. Stay home for seven games or travel 40 minutes. That’s not that big a deal,” Brodeur pointed out. “But I’m sure a lot of people would like to see Devils-Rangers.” Most figured it would be Flyers-Rangers in the next round. Certainly few thought the Devils could knock the Flyers out in five games. “I don’t think a lot of people thought we could do that, and that’s fine,” captain Zach Parise said. “We believe in here and we’re getting better as the playoffs go along.” If there was a downside to the victory that extended the Devils’ record to 10-0 in playoff series in which they held a 3-1 lead, it was the loss of defenseman Marek Zidlicky with an undisclosed injury during the second period. Zidlicky was checked into the boards by Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds with 8:14 remaining in the period. He got up and skated off on his own, booed by the crowd, but did not play the entire third period. The Flyers, of course, did not have leading scorer Claude Giroux, suspended one game for his hit to the head on Dainius Zubrus in Game 4. Without Giroux, the Flyers cranked up their hitting and nasty style of play. Sean Couturier and Zac Rinaldo sandwiched Anton Volchenkov along the boards at one point in the first period and Zubrus was kneed in his right leg by Rinaldo with 7:13 left in the second. “It’s pretty good,” Zubrus said of his leg. “I’m sure I’m going to have to work on it. It’s a muscle. I’m glad it was nothing else.” The Devils refused to bite. “Stay disciplined. You could talk about scoring goals, forechecking them and playing well and all that,” Brodeur said, “but I think what was tough on them was us not retaliating to any of the stuff they were doing and all the stuff they were saying every single game. Guys just turned away and didn’t respond to anybody. “They were able to get Pittsburgh all wrapped up in that stuff. It must’ve gotten tough on them a little bit to just talk to themselves all day long.” A fortunate deflection of a Bryce Salvador shot that sailed over Ilya Bryzgalov’s shoulder, as well as a giveaway by the Flyers goalie onto the stick of David Clarkson resulted in first-period goals that erased a 1-0 deficit. But it was still a 2-1 game in the third period when James van Riemsdyk draped himself over Patrik Elias at 4:56 and was sent off for holding. It took the Devils four seconds to score on the power play as Ilya Kovalchuk blasted a shot from the left point that beat Bryzgalov high on his glove side.

Kovalchuk’s goal was his fifth of the playoffs. Brodeur said he sensed his teammates were nervous at the start of the third, but Kovalchuk’s goal was a sign. “We expected it to be, and it was, a tough series,” Elias said. “I think we just played well.” The Devils are, as Parise suggested, building up steam. “We’re happy,” Brodeur said. “We had a little scare in the first round there (against the Florida Panthers). I thought we played pretty good. We played against a resilient team that had our number on their power play. And we had a hard time shaking them off. We were fortunate to do that. “We came in with a lot of confidence because I thought Games 6 and 7 of that series really showed what we were able to do. We just continued it into this series. We’re really excited to be one of the top four teams in the NHL to still be playing hockey this time of year.”

9. Newark Star Ledger - Devils feel they could have swept Flyers; await Rangers or

Capitals

Rich Chere

PHILADELPHIA – To many, it was a shock to see the Devils eliminate the Flyers in only five games. To Devils forward Dainius Zubrus, it could have been a sweep. “We knew how good of a team they are. I think we played pretty good in this series,” Zubrus said. “The overtime game (Game 1) could’ve gone either way. It was very close. Momentum is so important.” Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov couldn’t put his finger on the difference. “I can't tell you. I'm not a coach to analyze the effort of the team,” Bryzgalov said. “It's only (one of) two ways: The New Jersey Devils played outstanding and we didn't play our game. What it was? I don't know." One key in Game 5 was Bryzgalov’s giveway to David Clarkson that resulted in the Devils’ go-ahead goal. The goalie shot the puck right into Clarkson at the bottom of the right circle. “I was just trying to get on him and force him to make a play and he put it right on my stick,” Clarkson said.

Bryzgalov explained: “I saw him coming and I wanted to put the puck in the corner for (Kimmo Timonen), but it hit him in his stick and it went in the net. It's a bad bounce, unfortunately, because it could go anywhere. In the corner or higher or lower, but it went straight between the legs. Their first goal, too, was deflected and the third, too. We were just unlucky." * * * Zach Parise said the Flyers were cordial when the teams shook hands on the line after the game. “They were all very classy,” Parise said. Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said of the series: “You’ve got to give the Devils credit for the way they played. They played a very good brand of hockey at both ends of the ice. Commenting just on that and this series, we just weren’t able to get on track with what we wanted to do.” Devils GM Lou Lamoriello had some encouraging words for Flyers counterpart Paul Holmgren in the hallway near the dressing rooms. * * * There was no word from the Devils on the condition of defenseman Marek Zidlicky, who did not play the entire third period. Zidlicky, unavailable after the game, was checked into the boards to Wayne Simmonds with 8:14 left in the second period. He got up and skated off the ice, but the team did not specify his injury or status. * * * The Flyers played the game without top scorer Claude Giroux, suspended for his hit to the head on Zubrus in Game 4. “Claude is an important part of our makeup for a lot of different reasons,” Laviolette said. “He plays all situations for us, so to take him out you take out a big piece.” 10. Newark Star Ledger – Philadelphia Flyers’ youth gives hope for future

Chris Pawling

The ride is over. For now, that is.

This season, the Philadelphia Flyers not only relied on a slew of very youthful players to get on the ice, including several rookies, but they relied on them to produce. The fact of the matter is that without players like Matt Read, Sean Couturier, Brayden Schenn and Jakob Voracek, they might not have earned the fifth seed in the playoffs. They might not have made it to a second-round series with the New Jersey Devils after ousting the Stanley Cup-favored, red-hot Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. “I give our young guys a lot of credit,” the Flyers’ Scott Hartnell said after his team lost Game 5, 3-1 against the Devils to be eliminated from the postseason. “They played with a lot of guts that first series. A few of our young guys were banged up and they were still putting on the skates and going out there and battling for us. “It wasn't a case of inexperience. (The Devils) were the better team almost every game. It is frustrating to say that they played better than us. We have a long summer to think about it.” On the plus side, when the Flyers do come back for the 2012-13 season, they’ll have the same youthful talent to produce on offense and defense. Only this time around, they’ll have some real experience under their belts. “We are probably one of the youngest teams in the league this year,” said Hartnell. “I think we were fifth- or sixth-best in the regular season. “We gave it a good run here, but to see a bunch of these young faces and the up-and-coming talent they have here, even though it is one of the worst days of the year, you have to look to the future and it is going to be exciting." When asked about his team’s future, head coach Peter Laviolette had trouble looking ahead to next season because of the disappointment of losing a series in five games. But he did manage to show his positive outlook on what these youngsters could do for the organization. “It’s hard right now,” Laviolette said in a post-game press conference. “Just meeting with the players after a loss when the season ends --- those speeches that you never seem to master. I can tell you that the group that’s in that room right now is a terrific group of men. “They played hard this year, they gave a lot and we came up short. It’s a bright future and we’re looking forward to that, but tonight it’s disappointing.”

11. Newark Star Ledger – Claude Giroux’s absence only a small factor in

Philadelphia Flyers’ loss

Chris Pawling

You could ask all day long if the absence of suspended Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux was a blow to the team’s chances in Game 5 at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday night, where the Flyers dropped a 3-1 decision and were ousted from the playoffs by the New Jersey Devils. Giroux was one of the Flyers’ on-ice mascots during the playoffs and had a league-leading 17 points in 10 postseason games. He is undoubtedly a big part of the Flyers’ system. ”Claude is an important part of our makeup,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “He plays all situations for us, so you take him out, you take out a big piece.” ”He’s our best player. He was all year long and in the playoffs he was totally dominating the game,” added Giroux’s linemate, Jaromir Jagr. “Obviously you don’t know what would happen if he played, but obviously we would have a better chance with him.” But in all reality, Giroux’s absence during his one-game suspension for a hit on Dainius Zubrus in Game 4 probably had little effect. Regardless of No. 28 never being seen on the ice Tuesday, the Flyers simply couldn’t get a thing going after winning Game 1 in overtime. The Flyers say that the Devils simply worked harder and made many less mistakes than the Pittsburgh Penguins did in the first round. ”They were very strong on the boards,” Jagr said.”“I hate to say it and it surprises me, but they were so strong on the boards that we didn’t have the chances from the cycle. ”We tried, but it wasn’t enough. For whatever reason, you gotta give them credit. They were just a little bit stronger and a little bit quicker.” Kimmo Timonen mentioned that he felt the Devils played a brand of hockey similar to the New York Rangers, who went 6-0 against the Flyers in the regular season. He also admitted that there was no doubting the Devils were the better team in this Eastern Conference semifinal series. ”They were better than us on all aspects of the game,” Timonen said. “When you lose four games to a team, they’re the better team.” ”You want to get chances with the Devils because they’re a really solid team,” said Flyers forward Max Talbot, who had his team’s only goal Tuesday.. “You knew they’d play after the whistle and play smart. Every time we got beat you had to give them credit because they’re a solid team.”

What makes the 4-1 series loss that much more disheartening is the fact that after scoring 30 goals in six games with an electric offense against the Penguins, the Flyers simply dropped off and managed just 11 goals in five games in the second round. ”It’s disappointing because you come back and beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are supposed to be the Cup favorite,” Talbot said. “Then you’re obviously confident going into the second round and you turn around and you’re down 3-1, now you’re done.” 12. Bergen County Record – Sullivan: Ilya Kovalchuk, Devils able to finish the job

Tara Sullivan

PHILADELPHIA – On his first trip to Philadelphia this postseason, Ilya Kovalchuk skated around the ice like a wounded bird, no push in his legs, no zip in his stick. A painful lower back injury didn’t just rob him of his dominant ability; it stole his chance to play in Game 2 of this second round Devils’ playoff series against the Flyers. On his second postseason trip to Philadelphia, Kovalchuk skated around the ice like the goal-scoring sniper he always has been, blasting a third-period shot past Ilya Bryzgalov and just under the crossbar, an all-important security goal in Tuesday night’s 3-1 win. After a one-year playoff drought and a nine-year absence from the Eastern Conference finals, the Devils return to the penultimate Stanley Cup round as complete a team as we’ve seen all year. But for all the confidence that comes from having Martin Brodeur in goal, from having Zach Parise wearing the captain’s C, from having veterans like Patrik Elias and David Clarkson leading a patient, potent offense, nobody bolsters the bottom line of belief the way Kovalchuk does. The $100-million man who couldn’t even get his team into the playoffs a year ago turned this gritty, hard-fought Flyers series into a referendum on his toughness and skill. One missed game and one back treatment later, Kovalchuk returned to Philadelphia a different player. And one enormous goal later, the Devils’ season continues because of it, with Kovalchuk making his first-ever foray this deep into hockey’s second season. “He’s looked a lot healthier. It looked like he had that speed burst that everyone is used to seeing him have,” Parise said. “He was getting more engaged physically. You could tell he was in a little bit of pain in that first game. It’s been great to see. He’s played really well. A 2-1 lead is definitely nerve wracking, 3-1 is too, but I think that goal took a lot of emotion out of them and out of the crowd too. It was huge.” Kovalchuk has played big since getting back on the ice. From the ridiculous instinctive pass that set up an overtime game-winner in Game 3 to the relentless effort that provided the exclamation point five minutes into the third period of Game 5, Kovalchuk, like Brad Richards a night earlier in New York, paid handsomely on his contract’s demands. For the second straight night in our local hockey area, the big-money star made a big-money play.

“That’s why he’s Kovy. We count on him to do these type of things,” Brodeur said. “We’re just happy that he’s OK to play because it was a little scary there when he missed that game. It was a big goal. We were leading by one goal and when it’s closing time, it’s tough to hang onto a one-goal lead that second goal really let guys play more composed. I thought we were a little nervous early in the third, we took a lot of icings, turned puck over a couple times, but after that goal, everything settled in.” The Flyers came out intent on exacting physical revenge for the absence of their suspended star Claude Giroux, evident when Zac Rinaldo laid out Giroux’ Game 4 victim Dainius Zubrus across the knees, or when Marek Zidlicky and Anton Volchenkov were crushed so hard they had to go to the bench for extended timeouts. Philly struck first, but their early 1-0 lead vanished after Bryce Salvador’s quick equalizer, faded when Clarkson picked off Ilya Bryzgalov’s pathetic attempt to clear the puck and poked it back through the goalie’s legs, and died when Kovalchuk needed but four power-play seconds to silence the building for good. “We were talking about it on the bench, as soon as we got the power play, that we wanted to put them away, but be simple, put a lot of pucks on net,” Kovalchuk said. “It was a big goal for us.” It wasn’t nearly as dramatic as Richards’ stunner with 7.6 seconds remaining in regulation Monday night, but ultimately, it means more because it’s the gateway to the next round of the playoffs. Now, if Richards and the rest of his Rangers can close out the Capitals tonight in DC, these next-door-neighbors will meet in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since their epic seven-game bloodbath in 1994. The Devils weren’t interested in any public declarations of preference during their muted post-game locker room roundup, but they know as much as we do how much heat this hometown series would generate. “Doesn’t matter,” Brodeur said. “Stay home for seven games or travel 40 minutes, so it’s not that big of a deal. But I’m sure people would like to see Devils-Rangers.” The Rangers have to do their part, while the Devils can take their day off to watch, secure in their dominant five-game series win. “We don’t know who we’re going to play and we’ll leave it at that,” Elias said. “We’ll enjoy a few days off. We don’t care.” “I don’t know who we’re going to play in the Eastern Conference final because I don’t think Washington is going to give them an easy game,” Kovalchuk said. After making his second chance count so much against the Flyers, Kovalchuk doesn’t want to stop now, no matter who pops up in his path. “It feels good,” he said, “but we’re just halfway to where we want to be. … I want to play as soon as we can, because now I feel good and everything is firing.”

13. Bergen County Record – Devils eliminate Flyers with 3-1 win in Game 5

Tom Gulitti

PHILADELPHIA – A year ago, the Devils were licking their wounds after missing the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, and weren’t quite sure what direction their organization was headed. The answer is very clear now. They’re headed back to the Eastern Conference finals. The Devils capped an impressive five-game victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in the conference semifinals with a 3-1 victory Tuesday at Wells Fargo Center. David Clarkson scored what turned out to be the winning goal when Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov’s clearing attempt deflected in off his stick 12:45 into the first period. Ilya Kovalchuk added a huge, power-play insurance goal five minutes into the third period and the Devils’ defense and goaltender Martin Brodeur did the rest to secure their first conference finals bid since they won their last Stanley Cup in 2003. “Wow,” Brodeur said. “It seems like forever for a lot of guys, but for me it is nine years. It’s tough to do that. We’re fortunate to have made it there so far and we’re looking forward to it.” “This is a great,” said Devils captain Zach Parise, who will make his first conference finals appearance. “We’re all enjoying this. We know we’ve got a lot of work and we have to keep improving and keep getting better.” The Devils will face the Rangers or Washington. The Rangers hold a 3-2 series lead and can clinch their spot in the final four with a win in Game 6 tonight at Verizon Center. That would set up a highly anticipated battle for a Stanley Cup Finals berth between the Hudson River rivals. It would be the first time they would meet in the conference finals since their unforgettable 1994 series that needed double overtime in the seventh game to decide a winner. Brodeur, who is the only active player who participated in that series, said it “doesn’t matter” whom the Devils face next. “Stay home for seven games or travel 40 minutes, so it’s not that big of a deal,” he said. “But I’m sure people would like to see Devils-Rangers.” Few would have expected the Devils to get this far after they missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 1996. Even after a 102-point regular season that earned them the sixth seed in the East, it would have been hard to find anyone outside their locker room who would have believed they would dominate the Flyers the way they did and win the series in five games.

“I don’t think a lot of people thought we could do that and that’s fine,” Parise said. “We believe in here and we’re getting better as these playoffs are going. We like the way we’re playing. It’s rewarding to find ourselves in the conference finals now.” The Flyers had been so dominant in dispatching Cup favorite Pittsburgh in the first round, while the Devils needed double overtime in Game 7 to get past Florida. But the Devils clearly were the better team in this series, controlling play and frustrating the Flyers with their relentless forechecking and unwavering discipline to avoid after-the-whistle scrums. After losing Game 1 in overtime, the Devils reeled off four consecutive victories. “We did it by sticking with our game plan,” Devils coach Pete DeBoer said. “We recognized early in the series what we needed to do to be successful, and we just kept bringing that game to the rink.” Before this season, the Devils hadn’t been out of the first round since 2007. Now they’re four wins away from the Stanley Cup Finals. “I’m excited about it,” Brodeur said. “I think we’ve been through a lot as an organization. … We were getting in the playoffs most of the years, but especially coming back from last season, when we missed the playoffs for the first time in [16] years, to be able to bounce back and make the playoffs and get to the third round of the playoffs so far, it’s rewarding for everybody that’s in here.” “It feels good,” center Patrik Elias said. “Sometimes some of the years it’s a grind, and in the playoffs, a lot of it is mental and you get tired. But this year for some reason we are having fun, enjoying the moment, enjoying playing and being with each other. It’s a good taste for success here, but we haven’t done anything but give ourselves another chance to play.” 14. Bergen County Record – Devils notes: Marek Zidlicky injured

Tom Gulitti

Zidlicky injured One thing that put a damper on the Devils' postgame celebration was an injury to defenseman Marek Zidlicky that forced him to sit out the third period. Zidlicky was shaken up on a hard hit from Philadelphia's Wayne Simmonds with 8:14 left in the second period, but played four shifts after that before not returning for the start of the third. The Devils gave no information on Zidlicky's injury and Zidlicky was not available to the media in the postgame locker room.

"I haven't gotten a report," Devils coach Pete DeBoer said of Zidlicky's injury. Right wing Dainius Zubrus also said he suffered a charley horse in his right thigh on a kneeing hit from Zac Rinaldo in the second period, but was able stretch it out and finish the game. "I'm sure I'm going to work on it a bit, but it's a muscle, so I'm happy it's nothing else," Zubrus said. Secret weapon Goaltender Martin Brodeur has been with the Devils for 18 seasons and has seen a lot of head coaches come and go, but said the job DeBoer and his assistants have done in the playoffs has been among the best he's seen. "Our big weapon is the coaching staff," Brodeur said. "I think they prepare us, they make changes to our system better than a lot of the coaches that I had in the past. And I think we were well prepared to do the things we need to do to be successful. Whoever we're going to face in the conference final, I'm sure the coaching staff is going to prepare us as well they did against the two teams we faced so far." Going deep David Clarkson scored his second game-winning goal of the series. The Devils had gotten winning goals from seven different players in their first seven wins of this postseason – Ryan Carter, Zach Parise, Travis Zajac, Adam Henrique, Clarkson, Alexei Ponikarovsky and Zubrus. "I really think the story of this team has been our depth and ability to roll four lines and six defensemen and get contributions from different people every night and that's got to continue," DeBoer said. 15. NHL.com – Devils advance by beating Flyers 3-1

Adam Kimelman

PHILADELPHIA -- Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. The New Jersey Devils were both in their 3-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series. A pair of fortuitous bounces 3:18 apart in the first period gave the Devils all the offense they needed, and a high-pressure attack that baffled Philadelphia for most of the series propelled New Jersey to a series-clinching victory and a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2003, when they won the franchise's third Stanley Cup.

It's also the third time the Devils have defeated the Flyers in the playoffs; the others came in 1995 and 2000 -- and each time, the Devils went on to win the Stanley Cup. For now, they'll await the winner of the other Eastern semifinal series between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals. The Rangers lead the series 3-2 with Game 6 set for Wednesday in Washington. Bryce Salvador and David Clarkson scored in the first period for New Jersey and Ilya Kovalchuk added an insurance goal early in the third as the Devils won the final four games of the series after losing Game 1 in overtime. Philadelphia, playing without suspended leading scorer Claude Giroux, got only a first-period goal by Maxime Talbot. Martin Brodeur finished with 27 saves. "We played really hard this series," Brodeur said. "We survived a few scares in the first series. So it's nice that we finished this off today and looking forward to a little break here and see what we're going to face in the conference finals." It's the second straight year the Flyers have been eliminated in the conference semifinals; they were swept last year by the Boston Bruins. Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov also made 27 saves, but his giveaway resulted in New Jersey's series-clinching goal. At 12:45 of the first period, defenseman Kimmo Timonen played the puck back to Bryzgalov. The goalie tried shifting the puck back to Timonen, but instead shot it right into Clarkson. The puck caromed off the shaft of Clarkson's stick and into the net, giving New Jersey a lead it would not relinquish. "I just skated to the net, and it's just one of those lucky bounces," Clarkson said. "I don’t know how it happens, but you just try to force the goalie, bang my stick a little bit. I didn't even know it went in until some of the crowd started booing. It was a pretty good feeling when it went in." "I saw him coming and I wanted to put the puck in the corner for Kimmo to start back up," Bryzgalov said. "It's a bad bounce unfortunately because it could have gone anywhere -- in the corner, higher, lower, but it goes straight between the legs." The game-tying goal also came off a bad bounce for Philadelphia. Salvador teed up a shot from the left point, but the puck deflected off Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds out high, rising over Bryzgalov's right shoulder the goalie dropped to his knees expecting a low shot. "It was just tough luck," Jaromir Jagr said. "The first goal was tipped in by our guy, think it hit Simmer [Simmonds] and changed direction. The second goal was a tough break. He didn't even know he scored."

Talbot gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead 7:18 into the game when he shoveled a loose puck in the crease under Brodeur for his fourth of the postseason. However, scoring first has not worked well for the Flyers -- the team that scored first in their 11 playoff games went 1-10, with the Flyers themselves losing seven of eight. Philadelphia scored first in all four losses to New Jersey. "We have a lot of leaders in this group," Clarkson said. "We never gave up and that's the type of style we have tried to play all season. It was never give up and keep working hard. It is a tribute to everyone in here and our coaching staff and the way they have coached us all season. It is definitely a big, big deal, and we have to get ready for next round." Philadelphia had chances to at least tie the game in the final 40 minutes, but an offense that was among the best in the NHL during the regular season and dominant in the first round against Pittsburgh couldn't come through. The Flyers managed just 28 shots, but 11 came in the first period. They failed to get a shot on goal on a power play early in the second period, and at the 6:17 mark, Briere had an open net after Brodeur slipped playing the puck behind the net. However, he slid the puck into the goal post and New Jersey was able to clear it away. The Flyers finished the series 3-for-19 with the man advantage after scoring 12 times in 23 chances while beating Pittsburgh in the first round. The third period saw the Flyers continue to push, but the problems that plagued them for most of the series -- an inability to get the puck of the defensive zone, poor plays under pressure from the New Jersey forecheck -- were enough to end the Flyers' season. "They were very strong on the boards," Jagr said. "I don't think they lost any battles on the boards." Jagr said had the absence of Giroux -- who was suspended for his hit to the head of New Jersey's Dainius Zubrus late in the second period of Game 4 on Sunday -- made a difference. "He's our best player," Jagr said. "He was all year long. Even in the playoffs he was totally dominating the game. It was a big loss. You don't know what would have happened if he played, but we would have had a way better chance to win." Kovalchuk iced the game with a power-play goal five minutes into the third period. James van Riemsdyk was sent to the penalty box for holding, and on the ensuing faceoff Dainius Zubrus beat Talbot on the draw. Adam Henrique sent the puck back to Kovalchuk, who ripped a shot from above the circles that got past a screened Bryzgalov.

It was just the second goal of the series for Kovalchuk and his fifth of the postseason, but regardless of his statistics, he said he's just happy to be going to his first conference finals. "For the first time in nine years, I'm not going to the World Championship, so it's fun," he said. 16. NHL.com – Kovalchuk continues to silence critics

Mike Morreale

PHILADELPHIA -- Ilya Kovalchuk was all smiles as he began answering the countless questions that came at him in rapid fire long after the New Jersey Devils had just eliminated the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Tuesday at Wells Fargo Center. He talked about the excitement of advancing to the conference finals and playing with the team that made it all happen. Kovalchuk did, however, give a few lingering reporters an idea of what exactly he had endured prior to this marvelous run he is now experiencing in his third season in New Jersey. "For the first time in nine years, I'm not going to the World Championship, so it's fun," the 29-year-old Russian said. For Kovalchuk, that about sums up a career that had been incomplete -- until this season. "For Kovy, it's a breakthrough season," Devils goalie Martin Brodeur said. "He's scoring important goals in the hockey game. For him, it's probably a monkey off his back a little bit. He hasn't been on a successful team in his career and it took a while, but now he's getting rewarded. He's making a little push and I'm sure it's nice for him." Kovalchuk produced his third multiple-point game of the playoffs on Tuesday, and second against the Flyers after notching a goal and one assist in a 3-1 victory. He now has a team-leading 12 points on five goals and seven assists, which is pretty amazing when you consider he entered this year's tournament with more penalty minutes (25) than points (eight) in nine playoffs games prior to this season. "It's tough because he spent a lot of time in Atlanta where they didn't really make the playoffs for all those years so he never really had an opportunity," Devils captain Zach Parise said. "But he's played great. After healing his injury and getting healthy again, and now this break he'll get, he's been a big part of our team right now." Kovalchuk was ruled out of Game 2 against the Flyers when he was suffering from a herniated disc in his lower back, but has had two goals and six points since returning to the lineup for Game 3.

"I thought he's played really well and the other teams notice him when he's out there," Devils forward Dainuis Zubrus said. "I think he's bought into the way we play. We try to push the pace and he's in on the forecheck and goes in and finishes his checks all the time. He creates a lot on the power-play too. He's been nothing but great in the locker room and on the ice." Parise said Kovalchuk's power-play rocket that went top shelf on Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov at the five-minute mark of the third period was certainly clutch. The goal gave the visitors a 3-1 lead. "It was a huge goal," he said. "I think the excitement when we saw that one go in … that was great and after him taking that game off and getting himself healthy again, he just came back and has been dominant. Once again he got a goal and set up another, and he's played really well." Devils forward David Clarkson believes Kovalchuk has already silenced anyone who still had doubts of how dominant a player he could be when it mattered most. "I think he answered it by the way he plays," Clarkson said. "He's scored big goals all playoffs. He's been one of our best players all season I think, and now we just have to keep pushing." The veteran of 10 NHL seasons led New Jersey in multiple-point games and established an NHL record for game-deciding goals in the regular season -- two areas that led you to believe 'Kovy' was due for a postseason breakout. "It's obviously better than last year," Kovalchuk said. "It all starts with winning. You can't be happy with yourself even if you score as many goals as you want. You try your best every night, but when the team is winning and everybody is doing well, it helps a lot." When asked if it felt gratifying to produce in such a big spot, Kovalchuk wouldn't take the bait. "It feels good, yes, but this is a team effort," Kovalchuk said. "We have played really well to now. But we're not finished. We still have more work to do and we're looking forward to it." The odds of Kovalchuk becoming the first Russian player to score 500 career goals are pretty strong, considering his contract with the Devils runs through 2025. While that would be quite an accomplishment, it's the big prize he's obviously hoping for in the end. 17. NHL.com – Parise savors first trip to Conference Finals

Mike Morreale

PHILADELPHIA -- New Jersey Devils captain Zach Parise is headed to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in his career. It might have taken seven seasons, but for the 27-year-old Parise, it was certainly worth the wait. "This feels really good," Parise said after the Devils advanced by beating Philadelphia 3-1 on Tuesday night to wrap up a five-game series victory. "I don't think there are too many people out there that expected us to be where we are right now. We always thought we could make it here, but you have to have things go right for you and you have to be lucky at the right times and [on Tuesday], we got a lucky bounce on [David Clarkson's] goal, so it was a good sign." For a player who traditionally pours his heart and soul into every shift when he takes the ice, it's certainly a well-deserved achievement, as it is for a smattering of veterans who have been there and done that, including Stanley Cup winners Martin Brodeur, Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora. "I think Zach has been playing really good, taking leadership to heart and he's happy to be the captain and happy to lead," Brodeur said. "It's been really nice and for him. Being in this situation and being able to produce the way he does, is great. "He had a tough run the last six or seven years, where we've gone one round out, two rounds out, one round out," Brodeur continued. "So this is nice for him." Parise didn't register a point in Game 5, but the emotion and relentless motor were ever present. He logged 19:42 of ice time and generated a team-high five shots. "This is fun for everybody and we're having a good time, especially after the way things went last year," Parise said. "We're happy to be in the situation we're in. It's a good feeling, but again, we're only halfway there. We know it's only going to get harder from this point." Parise was one of five players on the team to appear in all 82 games this season and was second behind Ilya Kovalchuk with 31 goals -- becoming just the second player in team history to record five 30-goal seasons. It's quite a turnaround after Parise missed 69 games due to injury in 2010-11, when the Devils failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in 14 seasons. "He's a great leader and has done a lot in this locker room," Clarkson said. "He's had leaders to follow like Jamie Langenbrunner, who won before, so Zach's done a phenomenal job all season. He leads by the way he plays out there. It's not hard not to play all out when you see how hard he's working." 18. TSN.ca – Cullen: Devils eliminate Flyers in five

Scott Cullen

The New Jersey Devils made short work of the Philadelphia Flyers, taking their second-round series with a 3-1 Game Five win. Ilya Kovalchuk had a goal and an assist for the Devils, giving him a team-leading seven points in the four games that he played in the series. Dainius Zubrus added an assist, giving him five points in the series and four other Devils recorded four points; a balanced attack. Devils D Bryce Salvador continued his strong play in the series, leading the Devils in Game Five with 23:43 of ice time and scoring New Jersey's first goal. Salvador, who didn't score a goal and had nine assists in 82 regular season games, has two goals, four assists and a plus-8 rating in a dozen playoff games. With Flyers C Claude Giroux suspended for Game Five, due to his head hit on Zubrus in Game Four, Salvador got to turn his attention to Flyers C Danny Briere, who recorded an assist on the Flyers' lone goal, giving him a team-high five points in the series, but he wasn't especially dangerous otherwise. D Andrej Meszaros returned to the Flyers' lineup for the first time since March 1. Coming off back surgery, he logged 19:26 of ice time in the series-deciding game. Even though the Flyers won their first round series against Pittsburgh, it's not altogether surprising that their goaltending wasn't up to the level necessary to advance further. Ilya Bryzgalov posted a pedestrian .902 save percentage in the series, but the series-winning goal was a back-breaker -- Bryzgalov's attempt to clear the puck hit the shaft of forechecker David Clarkson's stick and bounced back between Bryzgalov's legs and into the net. The loss doesn't fall solely on goaltending, however. After a first-round series in which virtually all Flyers contributed offensively, the scoring well ran dry for several, including Jaromir Jagr (one assist, seven shots on goal), Matt Read (one goal, four shots on goal) and Sean Couturier (no points, seven shots on goal). Even if their playoff departure is sooner than they might have hoped, Philadelphia can take heart in their relative success this season. After overhauling their roster last summer and losing D Chris Pronger to a concussion early in the year, the Flyers exceeded expectations and are poised, with a young team, to remain competitive for years to come. On the other hand, the Devils missed the playoffs last year and are on their way to the Eastern Conference Final. New Jersey has stars like Kovalchuk and Zach Parise to lead the way, but it's also the foot soldiers, like Salvador, rookie C Adam Henrique and a veteran like Zubrus who have all come up with strong performances when the Devils needed it most.

19. ESPN.com – Devils reach 1st Each finals since ’03 as Martin Brodeur halts

Flyers

Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA -- Martin Brodeur missed all the postseason fun a year ago. One of the game's all-time greats, the veteran goaltender considered retirement and the New Jersey Devils were absent from the playoffs for the first time since 1996. Flash forward a year later. The cheering and hollering from behind closed doors in the Devils locker room could be heard way down the Wells Fargo Center hallway. Days after he turned 40, Brodeur has the Devils back where they've been six other times before in their 30-year history. The Eastern Conference Finals. Bryce Salvador, David Clarkson and Ilya Kovalchuk scored goals to lift New Jersey to a 3-1 Game 5 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night, sending the Devils into the conference championship round for the first time since 2003. The Devils await the winner of the New York-Washington series, which the Rangers lead, 3-2. New Jersey rebounded this season under coach Peter DeBoer in his first season on New Jersey's bench after the franchise suffered one of its worst years since general manager Lou Lamoriello took over in 1987. Brodeur had 27 saves and the Devils hope they can ride him all the way to June one more time. "It seems forever for a lot of guys," Brodeur said. "It's tough to do that. We're fortunate to have made it there so far." The sixth-seeded Devils scored twice in the first period and became the first East team to win four straight games in these playoffs. "It was just sticking with the game plan and doing what it takes to be successful," DeBoer said. "Marty made some saves when he needed to, and we held on." Max Talbot scored for the Flyers, but Philadelphia was eliminated in the conference semifinals for the second straight season. The Flyers finished the season without suspended All-Star forward Claude Giroux because of his illegal check to the head on New Jersey center Dainius Zubrus in Game 4. "It should have been a tighter series," Giroux said, wearing a suit.

The Flyers underwent a facelift last summer that saw them trade team captain Mike Richards to the Los Angeles Kings and acquire goalie Ilya Bryzgalov from the Phoenix Coyotes. The Kings and Coyotes will play in the West finals while the Flyers watch from home. The Flyers again failed in the postseason to hold a quick lead after Talbot scored in the first. Meanwhile, the Devils survived a rugged series of hits unleashed by a frustrated Flyers team that failed to build anything off the surprising first-round victory over Pittsburgh. Anton Volchenkov, Marek Zidlicky and Zubrus all suffered punishing hits that knocked them down to the ice in Game 5. Bryzgalov had a disheartening end to an erratic first season in Philadelphia. He allowed two YouTube-worthy goals like only he can. Salvador unleashed a shot from outside the circle that skipped along the ice as if he threw a rock across a pond and sailed high over Bryzgalov for the tying goal. In a season loaded with head-scratching tallies allowed, Bryzgalov saved the weirdest for the finale. Clarkson's dump-in was pushed by Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen toward the goaltender. Instead of controlling it, wrapping it around the boards or even just covering it, Bryzgalov pushed it right back toward a charging Clarkson, whose stick grazed the puck as it slid through the netminder and past the line. "I honestly had no idea it went in until I heard the crowd yelling," Clarkson said. "Just to be on the forecheck when that went in is an unbelievable feeling." The Devils could have credited Bryzgalov with an assist on that goal. "I was just trying to pressure him to make a play," Clarkson said. "I had no idea it was in until the crowd starting booing. It's a goal I'll take any day." Kovalchuk fired a liner from the high slot after the Devils won the faceoff to make it 3-1 in the third to seal the win. From there, New Jersey's depth took over and stuffed any hope of a home team rally. "The fact that we have four lines and roll six defensemen really helps," DeBoer said. "It's a team game. We play that way, and guys really believe in what we're doing. But that's a good team we just beat over there, and we have a long way to go." All the inspirational "Rocky" clips on their highlight reel couldn't inspire the Flyers. Even Giroux's presence may not have even mattered in Game 5. Without their leading scorer, the Flyers tried to knock around the Devils with a series of both clean and questionable hits.

Zac Rinaldo stayed on his skates when he charged full speed with his right shoulder and crushed Volchenkov against the boards. Volchenkov was down on his knees for several minutes before he gingerly walked to the bench. "That's my bread and butter right there," Rinaldo said. "That's what I feed off of and that's what gets the boys going." But the hit sparked just a short dose of momentum. Talbot won a fight for the puck in front of the crease to score moments later for a 1-0 lead. But that was it for the Flyers' offense. Brodeur snared a Talbot slapper late in the period for one of his 27 saves. Rinaldo delivered a stiff knee to Zubrus in the second. Wayne Simmonds creamed Zidlicky in the corner that left the defenseman sprawled on the ice. The hits meant nothing more than a brief roar from the crowd, though. Late in the third, the Flyers fans made an early exit -- much like their team. The Flyers haven't won the Stanley Cup since snaring consecutive championships in 1974 and 1975. "It's hard right now," Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. "I can tell you that the group that is in that room right now is a terrific group of men. They play hard and they have a bright future." The Devils have won six of seven and believe they have another title run in them. This is the third time in franchise history New Jersey has defeated Philadelphia in the postseason. The previous two times (1995 and 2000), the Devils went on to win the Stanley Cup. Brodeur has gone from answering questions about retirement to ones about another chase for the Cup. He has been in net for all three of New Jersey's titles, including 2003, the franchise's last one. With two different coaches behind the bench last season -- Jacques Lemaire came out of retirement to replace John MacLean -- the Devils went 38-39-5, and finished in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with just 81 points. Taking out the lockout-shortened 1995 season, that was the franchise's lowest point total since 1990-91 (79). Brodeur came on board the next season. "I don't think he was ever a guy that was going to retire," Clarkson said. "He's won us some games in the playoffs. He's held us in. He's exciting to watch." Game notes The Devils are 22-16 in Game 5s. ... Flyers D Andrej Meszaros (back) played for the first time since March 1. ... DeBoer is now 2-0 in playoff series this season after never having won a postseason round before as a coach. ... The Flyers, swept by Boston in Round 2 last season, are now 1-8 in their last nine Eastern Conference semifinals games. ... Even

with the loss, Flyers F Jaromir Jagr loved his first season in Philadelphia. "I loved everybody on this team. This was probably the most enjoyable year I ever had." NHL Articles

1. NHL.com – Shoulder surgery to sideline Kesler six months

Kevin Woodley

Vancouver Canucks center Ryan Kesler will likely miss the start of next season after undergoing shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum, the team announced on Tuesday. Kesler is expected to "make a full recovery in six months," according to a release from the Canucks, meaning Kesler could be out of action throughout the month of October. "After consultation with our team physicians following the playoffs, it was deemed that Ryan would require a procedure on his shoulder," general manager and president Mike Gillis, who signed a contract extension Monday, said in the release. "We expect a full recovery and determined this procedure would best serve the team's and Ryan's long-term goals." Kesler has said the injury plagued him since January, and he struggled down the stretch, failing to score a goal in his final 17 games, and managing just three assists as the Canucks were knocked out of the playoffs in five games by Los Angeles. "I'm not going to make excuses," Kesler said two days after the season ended. "I wasn't good enough down the stretch." It's the second straight season that has ended in surgery for Kesler. He scored a career-high 41 goals and finished with 73 points and the Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward in 2010-2011, but injured his hip in the Western Conference Finals, was largely ineffective in the Cup Final and ended up having surgery to repair a torn hip labrum in July. He missed the first give games of the regular season, and finished with 22 goals and 49 points, his lowest totals in four seasons. 2. NHL.com – Finns remain unbeaten at World Championship

NHL.com

Valtteri Filppula scored two third-period goals in just over two minutes to seal Finland's 5-2 victory against Switzerland Tuesday, the Finns' third straight win to begin their quest to win a second consecutive IIHF World Hockey Championship. After recording shutouts over Belarus and Slovakia, Finland's stout defense was finally breached by the Swiss, who gave the Finns their first real scare of the tournament.

After Jarkko Immonen opened the scoring for Finland in the first period, Andres Ambuhl tied the game in the second for Switzerland, becoming the first player to score on Finland in the tournament. But the game wasn't tied long, with Leo Komarov scoring just 21 seconds later to help Finland regain the lead. Immonen's second of the game gave the Finns what appeared to be a comfortable lead, but Roman Wick beat Finland goaltender Kari Lehtonen with 2:16 to play in the second period, putting the Swiss back in contention. It was in the third that Filppula took over for Finland, scoring his first of the tournament just 19 seconds after Switzerland's Goran Bezina was sent off for interference. Filppula's second goal effectively put the game away, with Jussi Jokinen earning his second assist of the game. From there, Finland's suffocating defense clamped down on the Swiss, as Lehtonen made 26 saves for the win. The victory gave Finland sole possession of first place in their group ahead of Canada, which have two wins and one overtime loss. Finland next plays Thursday against France before facing Canada Friday in what will likely be its first sizeable challenge of the tournament. Russia 2, Germany 0 Semyon Varlamov stopped 30 shots for the shutout and Evgeni Malkin assisted on Nikolay Zherdev's game-winner, tying him for the tournament scoring lead as Russia remained undefeated at the World Championship with a 2-0 victory against Germany. After enjoying comfortable wins against Latvia and Norway to open the tournament, the Russians were in tough against upstart Germany, which fired 13 shots at Varlamov in the opening period. Despite the barrage of shots in the first, the game remained scoreless until Zherdev tipped in Evgeni Medvedev's shot to score his first of the tournament with just nine seconds remaining in the period. The Russians enjoyed a 10-8 shot advantage in the second before Alexei Tereshenko doubled the lead in the third with Germany's Justin Krueger in the penalty box for slashing. With his assist on Zherdev's goal, Malkin now has six points in three games, tying him with Sweden's Loui Eriksson for the tournament lead. The win also gave Russia a 3-0 record, tying it for first in its group along with Sweden. The two teams also have identical plus-seven goal differentials. The Russians next face Denmark Thursday before meeting the tournament host Swedes Friday. Belarus 3, Kazakhstan 2 Desperate not to fall to 0-3 in the tournament and risk relegation, Belarus rode a sudden offensive outburst to its first win at the 2012 World Championship, a 3-2 victory against Kazakhstan. After falling behind 2-0 on two goals from Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev, Konstantin Koltsov cut into the Kazakh lead just 66 seconds after Krasnoslobodtsev's second marker. Later in

the second period, Mikhail Grabovski and Yevgeni Kovyrshin struck just 15 seconds apart to give Belarus the lead. Andrei Mezin secured the win for Belarus, stopping all 13 shots the Kazakhs fired in the third period. After improving its record to 1-2, Belarus expressed hope that brothers Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn may join the team after the Nashville Predators' elimination in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Latvia 5, Italy 0 After making the quarterfinals just once in the last eight years at the IIHF World Hockey Championship, Latvia is hoping to raise some eyebrows in 2012. Five different scorers found the back of the net for Latvia, including Oskars Bartulis, Miks Indrasis, and Ronalds Kenins, who each contributed an assist along with their goals. The Latvians overpowered Italy in improving their tournament record to 2-1 after starting the tournament with a 5-2 loss to the Russians. Edgars Masalskis made 23 saves for the shutout win, which pulled Latvia ahead of the Czechs in its pool standings after the Czech Republic lost 4-1 to Sweden Saturday before requiring a shootout to top Norway 4-3 on Monday.

3. NHL.com – Blackhawks drop assistant coach Mike Haviland

Brian Hedger

CHICAGO -- Joel Quenneville put to rest on Tuesday evening any speculation that he's interested in the Montreal Canadiens coaching position. He did, however, talk about a departure from the Chicago Blackhawks' bench that happened on Tuesday when the team announced that assistant coach Mike Haviland was fired after the Hawks bowed out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second year in a row in the Western Conference Quarterfinal round. Quenneville said the decision was his to make after meeting with Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman several days following the conclusion of Chicago's first-round loss to the Phoenix Coyotes. He opted to terminate Haviland, who helped coach Chicago to a Stanley Cup title in 2010, after his fourth season on the Hawks' bench and seventh with the organization. "I felt like a change was necessary and ... it was not an easy decision," Quenneville said during a teleconference on Tuesday evening. "It was tough on Mike and I'm respectful of the job that he did. It's not the blame game here. That's where we're at." Did he have to choose between Haviland and Hawks assistant Mike Kitchen -- a long-time Quenneville associate who filled the void left by former assistant John Torchetti prior to the 2010-11 season?

"No, it was my decision and it could've been status quo as well," Quenneville said. "As far as who comes in, I still have the option to bring in one guy or even more than one. That was even offered. That's where it's at. It was my decision and I'm moving forward." Haviland, who couldn't be reached for comment, was first named to the Blackhawks coaching staff on July 23, 2008. He spent four seasons with the Blackhawks and the previous three as head coach of Chicago's American Hockey League affiliates in Norfolk and Rockford. Haviland's name has come up as a possible candidate for several vacant NHL head coaching opportunities in the past couple of seasons -- he was a finalist for the Winnipeg job last summer -- and also filled in for Quenneville when the Hawks' top coach became ill last year. Haviland's primary duty for most of this past season was working with Chicago's penalty-killing units, which finished ranked 27th in the League (78.1 percent) after allowing 51 goals against in 233 times shorthanded. The Hawks also were 12th of 16 teams in this season's playoff field (79.0 percent) after allowing four goals in 19 times short-handed. Haviland also headed-up the penalty kill in 2010-11 and the Hawks ranked 25th with a 79.2 percentage, allowing 53 goals in 255 times shorthanded. Still, Quenneville said he's not laying the blame for this season solely at Haviland's feet. After agreeing with Bowman's assessment that his coaching staff was "dysfunctional," Quenneville decided a change was needed and said it was a decision based on facts alone. The Blackhawks power play that Kitchen worked with all of last season and most of this season also ranked near the bottom of the League this year -- after finishing fourth in the NHL a year ago. Quenneville said he "flip-flopped" the special-teams roles between Haviland and Kitchen to start this season and through 15 games the Hawks were 30th in the League with Haviland running the power play. They switched back to their previous roles, but after an initial resurgence under Kitchen the Hawks' man-advantage sunk to 26th overall (15.2 percent) in the regular season and 16th out of 16 teams in the playoffs (1-for-19, 5.3 percent). "The numbers weren't good and that's where it's at," said Quenneville, who adamantly defended Kitchen. "All of sudden, it's almost like the whole team ... our problem was [Kitchen]. And it's not about [Kitchen]. It's about us as a team, making our power play all better collectively and that's why I'm not ... this is not blaming [Haviland] either." Quenneville also didn't absolve himself of blame. "I know there [are] areas I can be a better coach," he said. "We left this season disappointed. We felt we underachieved. We felt that we left something on the table.

There's a lot of disappointment and resentment at the end of the season and there's probably a lot of blame to go around. I felt or feel like I should be absorbing as much as anybody. I take some ownership on what happened this year." As for recent rumors about him possibly becoming a candidate for Montreal's open coaching position -- which started earlier this week after former Blackhawks assistant GM Marc Bergevin was hired as the Habs' GM -- Quenneville snuffed that possibility out quickly. "First and foremost, I'm excited about being here in Chicago," he said. "I love the opportunity. I love the organization. I love where we're heading in the future and that's something I want to put to bed right from the outset. "I've got two years left on the contract. I'm very happy here and [the Montreal job] was the last thing I was thinking about." What's on his mind now is filling the open role beside him on the Chicago bench. "Going forward, I'm comfortable with where we're at and there's no timeline of when exactly we're going to look at a guy," Quenneville said. "I'd like to get on a fast track. There's a lot of teams out there still playing, [so] I don't want to say exactly this is my guy ... but I have some ideas on who would be the proper guy and who's the right guy to move forward with. But to say I have that guy in my back pocket is not the case." Quenneville was asked if the decision would also be his sole decision and if one of the candidates might include Barry Smith -- the long-time friend and associate of Hawks senior advisor Scotty Bowman. Stan Bowman made the decision during this past season to bring Smith down from the front office, where he's the director of player personnel, to work on the power play. Smith has an impressive resume as an NHL assistant coach and won Stanley Cups with the elder Bowman in Pittsburgh and Detroit. Quenneville, however, said Smith is not currently a candidate to replace Haviland. "Everybody's welcome and at the end of the day I feel like it's going to be my decision," Quenneville said. "I haven't put [Smith] on my list. I don't have a list drawn up here at all right now. I don't even want to speculate any on any list or that process. I want to keep it confidential and work through it." There have been reports that Smith's presence on the ice at practices during the regular season irritated Quenneville and caused a rift between he and Stan Bowman, but both sides have publicly shot that notion down. It leaves a picture of both moving forward to fix whatever's ailed the Blackhawks the past two seasons. Quenneville said he re-assessed his own coaching efforts the past two years and has come up with a theory that he's doled out ice time too easily. He derived that thinking by watching other teams play in the postseason.

"I probably could've been better on delegating ice time, as far as what was merited or warranted when I see the effectiveness of it," Quenneville said. "You watch the [New York Rangers] playing or Washington playing and that's where I think our team can be better and more competitive come playoff time ... where you earn it and deserve it. And going forward, that's for sure a mistake I made and I'm going to learn from that." 4. TSN.ca – Blackhawks deny speculation Quenneville’s headed to Habs

TSN.ca Staff

Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin will apparently have to look outside of Chicago to find a new head coach, as speculation about current Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville possibly being available don't look to be true. Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman told the Chicago Tribune on Monday that while he doesn't like to address rumours, Quenneville - who is under contract through the 2013-14 seaosn - would be returning to the club next season. The Tribune reports that Quenneville had disagreements with management during the season, when director of player development Barry Smith was on the ice with the team working on their struggling power play. Smith continued the role until the playoffs, but did not travel with the club, after a reported confrontation between Quenneville and team management. Rumours of Quenneville leaving Chicago picked up when Bergevin left the team to become the Canadiens' GM last week and news broke of former Blackhawks executive Rick Dudley's imminent departure from Toronto to Montreal. "Joel is a great coach," forward Patrick Sharp told the Tribune. "It doesn't surprise me that those rumors are out there. I think a lot of teams would like to have him, but we're all happy to play for him, that's for sure." 5. TSN.ca – Report: Stillman to complete purchase of Blues on Wednesday

TSN.ca Staff

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that a group led by minority owner Tom Stillman is expected to close on its purchase of the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday, with Hall of Famer and former Blues captain Brett Hull re-joining the club in a management role. According to the paper, Stillman's group will be paying $130 million for a package that includes the Blues and the AHL's Peoria Rivermen.

Former team chairman Dave Checketts was trying to sell the team over the last two years and had an arrangement to sell the it to Chicago businessman Matthew Hulsizer. The NHL ruled in January that the purchase agreement had been terminated, allowing Stillman the go-ahead. The NHL Board of Governors' vote on the sale is to be completed Tuesday, prior to Wednesday's closing. Hull, who played for 12 years with the Blues, worked parts of two seasons as general manager of the Dallas Stars. 6. TSN.ca – McKenize: Not necessarily at end of Coyotes sale saga yet

Bob McKenzie

I wouldn't necessarily say this is the deal that ends the saga for the Phoenix Coyotes; I wouldn't say 'take it to the bank.' Gary Bettman articulated some concerns in terms of the arena lease and the Goldwater Institute, and in the immortal words of mythical Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Rod Tidwell, 'Show me the money!' Right now Greg Jamison has obviously represented to the NHL that he has investors and financing that will take care of this - believed to be as much as $170 million while some people are reporting $130 million. It will be somewhere in that ballpark but there will come a moment of truth where he'll have to lay the money on the table and say, 'This counts for real now, we have a deal with the NHL and the city of Glendale.' All those things have to happen, but obviously the NHL believes Greg Jamison is the pony. They've saddled him up, they can kind of see the finish line in the distance, but they may still have to jump over a couple of hurdles along the way. The Radulov Experiment In the NHL, when you win you don't have to answer anybody's questions and when you lose everybody dissects everything. The post-mortem on the Nashville Predators is that the Alexander Radulov experiment failed and failed miserably. In the first round against the Detroit Red Wings, he was terrific and gave lots of hope, but early in the second round to have the curfew violation, and become such a distraction to his team, that really set the Predators back.

People are going to say they never should have got away from their identity, but I personally applaud David Poile and the Predators for trying to go outside of their comfort zone to be more than a defensive team. They were thinking that they were so defensive minded that they needed some game breakers and we are not going to win the ultimate prize if we don't get it. They hadn't had playoff success in the past with their defence first approach, so they tried this, but it didn't work. Uncertain Future Monday night was a devastating loss for the Predators in the present, but what about the future. Ryan Suter is an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Shea Weber is a restricted free agent on July 1, and is a year away from restricted free agency. This franchise may never look the same again. It was built on three pillars, Weber, Suter and Pekka Rinne. Suter could be gone, and Weber may not be too far behind him. There are lots of questions in Nashville now about this franchise.

-FLYERS-