 Flyers @ Coyotes Game Thread
Strong Goaltending Highlights Flyers-Coyotes Game
Hackett, Burke Among League Leaders
Phoenix, AZ ? After a scoreless tie in San Jose on Thursday night, the Flyers will look to get back on track offensively with a game in Phoenix against the Coyotes on Saturday night at America West Arena.
On Thursday night in San Jose, Flyers goaltender Jeff Hackett made 27 saves and still has yet to allow a goal this season as he blanked Buffalo, 2-0, in Philadelphia?s season opener. It is the first time in Flyers history that a goaltender has recorded a shutout in each of his first two career starts as a Flyer. Further, it is the second time that a goaltender has opened a season with two consecutive shutouts in club history. Bernie Parent opened the 1973-74 season with a 2-0 win vs. Toronto on Oct. 11 and a 6-0 win at the New York Islanders on Oct. 13.
Phoenix boasts a strong situation in goal also, as Sean Burke has performed impressively thus far in winning his first three starts of the season. Burke has allowed just two goals over those three wins, for a 0.65 goals against average and .976 save percentage.
The Coyotes? only loss came on Thursday night in Tampa Bay, 5-1, with former Flyer Brian Boucher between the pipes. In fact, Burke flew home early to Phoenix as Zac Bierk was the backup to Boucher in the loss to the Lightning. Mike Johnson registered the lone goal for Phoenix, and is the team?s leading scorer so far with a goal and three assists.
Clearly, the key to the Coyotes this season will be Burke. In games that he has started for Phoenix the team has a 92-50-25-11 mark, while in games that he has not appeared the Coyotes? record is 44-65-23-7.
Further, this is a team that may have trouble scoring goals. Players such as Chris Gratton, Daymond Langkow, Ladislav Nagy and Johnson are all capable of putting the puck in the net, but the Coyotes appear to be lacking 40-goal scorer on their roster.
The team was also hit hard by injuries last season, with 462 man-games lost, as they finished out of the playoffs.
This will be the first game back in Phoenix for Tony Amonte, who was acquired by Philadelphia right before the trading deadline last season. The Coyotes signed Amonte as a free agent in the summer of 2002.
Last season, the Flyers and Coyotes split two games as each team won in its home building. They will meet for a second and final time this season at the Wachovia Center on December 5.
FLYERS NOTES
Flyers winger Michal Handzus, who left the game in San Jose in the second period but returned for the third, did not skate on Friday morning at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. Chris Therien, who has yet to play in a game this year, suited up as a forward in Handzus? absense. ? John LeClair, who also has yet to play this season due to a broken bone in his foot, is scheduled to skate with the team on Saturday morning. LeClair is hoping to play either in Los Angeles on Tuesday or Anaheim on Wednesday. ? The Flyers arrived in Phoenix on Friday afternoon, and will depart for Los Angeles on Sunday.
Friday, October 17, 2003
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