Flyers Notes: Banner ceremony was 'pretty special'
Flyers Notes It wasn't the banner that they were hoping to win. Still, seeing the 2009-10 Eastern Conference championship banner unfurled from the rafters Monday was a proud moment for the Flyers.
"It's special, remembering what happened last year in the playoffs," center Danny Briere said. "It's special because it was unexpected, I think. No one gave us a chance. We didn't even know if we were going to make the playoffs."
The Flyers, seeded seventh, upset second-seeded New Jersey in the first round, overcame a three-games-to-none series deficit against Boston, and cruised past Montreal before losing to Chicago in six hard-fought games in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The loss to the Blackhawks "hopefully makes us a little hungrier this year," Briere said.
Coach Peter Laviolette called the ceremonies before Monday's home opener against Colorado "a good little blast. The guys worked hard for that thing. It was a long road to get into the playoffs, and a lot of determination to get to that point. When you get an opportunity to play for the Cup, it's a pretty special thing - and to see the banner go up recognizes the work that the players put in."
Video highlights of the first three playoff rounds were shown on the scoreboard during the ceremony, which included the players' introductions. Ian Laperriere, sidelined with post-concussion syndrome, received the loudest - and longest - ovation of any player. A teary-eyed Laperriere waved to the crowd, which chanted "Lap-py, Lap-py."
Pronger returns After sitting out the first two games, defenseman Chris Pronger made his season debut.
"He's one of the best in the league, so when he comes back, we welcome him with open arms," Laviolette said before the game.
Pronger did not play in the preseason or in the first two games as he recovered from off-season surgery to his right knee.
Pronger, who was also used on special teams Monday, was reunited with defensive partner Matt Carle. The other defensive pairings: Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn, and Andrej Meszaros and Sean O'Donnell.
Breakaways The Flyers said Michael Leighton's back surgery Monday at Methodist Hospital went well. The goalie is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks. . . . The Flyers committed a league-high 21 penalties in their first two games. "It's early in the season and guys are kind of figuring out what you are able to get away with and what you have to be careful with," Briere said. "We have to do a better job. That's something we talked about after the St. Louis game." . . . There's a chance the Flyers will move Saturday's 7 p.m. game against visiting Pittsburgh to the late afternoon to accommodate the Phillies, who play the National League Championship Series opener that night.
- Sam Carchidi
