Further changes will be taking place tonight at the Staples Center as goaltender Michael Leighton will return to the ice for the first time since he tweaked his back during the preseason. No word yet as to who will be backing him up against the Los Angeles Kings.
Unlike many fans who would prefer Leighton to just go away, I am curious to see how he handles the puck in his first game back. There’s no question that the Flyers will need to make a decision sooner rather than later regarding their goaltending situation, and they will need to see all of their netminders in action to properly gauge their respective value to the club for this season.
As far as tonight is concerned, Leighton will need to be sharp if defenseman Kimmo Timonen sits out with a sore left hip. Timonen is a premiere shot blocker for the team, and Leighton is notorious for his weak rebound control. Hopefully, the Flyers will rebound themselves from the loss to Vancouver and show up to compete tonight.
On the other end of the ice, the Los Angeles Kings may start Jonathan Bernier in net after pulling starter Jonathan Quick last night in a 6-3 blitzing from the Phoenix Coyotes. Quick is considered an early front runner for a Vezina trophy nomination, so facing Bernier could help Leighton’s odds, if only a little.
The game starts at 10 PM tonight.
The ytypical Holiday January Swoon by the Flyers..
They will be up and down for the next 3-4 weeks and then snap out of it by Mid-Febuary..
They play like this almost every season, They Start hot, then slump big time in the middle of the season and then finish strong at the end…You could almost plan a inside garden around this schedule..
No Pronger OR Timonen after the efforts they’ve been putting in lately?????????? The Kings might put up a dozen!
Timonen’s in. Nice.