Boxing great Joe Frazier dead at 67; battled liver cancer

Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN Sports) - Boxing great Joe Frazier died late Monday night in Philadelphia after a brief battle with liver cancer.
Frazier, 67, was most famous for a series of classic fights vs. the great Muhammad Ali, who was his rival in and out of the ring for most of his career and after it came to an end.
The pair came to have a grudging respect for each other over the years, and Frazier even indicated he forgave Ali for hurtful comments he made about "Smokin' Joe" in an apparent effort to hype their fights.
His family asked to be able to grieve on its own and would have more on "our father's homecoming celebration" at a later time.
HBO fight analyst Larry Merchant, who became friendly with the ex-champ, said Frazier will be dearly missed.
"This is a body blow to me because I knew him personally as well as professionally," Merchant told ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. "I thought he was as honest and as real a fighter as there ever was. He followed in a tradition of (Jack) Dempsey and (Rocky) Marciano as the 'Warrior King.' "
Frazier, who hailed from Beaufort, South Carolina but lived mostly in Philly, was 32-4-1 with 27 knockouts in an outstanding career.

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Bears wideout Earl Bennett has another big game vs. Eagles

John Nestor - AHN Sports Correspondent
Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN Sports) - The Chicago Bears got Earl Bennett back for their crucial Monday night matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles and it paid off right away.
Bennett made several clutch plays and the Bears overcame a third-quarter deficit to post a 30-24 victory over the Eagles in Philadelphia.
Out of the lineup since sufffering a chest injury in a loss to New Orleans in Week 2, Bennett returned Monday night to catch five passes for 95 yards and a crucial touchdown.
It was a much-needed jump-start to the Chicago offense, which put together drives throughout that limited the opportunites the Eagles' high-powered offense.
"He's just a steady player that can do a lot of things for you," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "He made a lot of big plays. For a guy like Earl, when you haven't played in a long time, you're anxious to come back and get out there on the football field and show people what we've been missing. He gave us a boost."
Bennett caught a TD pass from 5-yards out early in the fourth quarter to put the Bears on top, 27-24. It was another in a list of big plays he has made against Philadelphia.
In two career games against the Eagles, Bennett has caught 14 passes for 208 yards and 3 TD. Last season he had nine receptions for 113 yards and 2 TD in a 31-26 win over Philadelphia in Chicago.
At 5-3 the Bears are on the move in the NFC and Bennett is happy to be back and contributing.
"It was very frustrating not to be able to be out there with your teammates to help them out and win games with them," Bennett, a fourth-year player said. "But you've just got to put that behind you and move forward. It was a lot of fun to be back out there making plays."

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John Nestor - AHN Sports Correspondent
Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN Sports) - Jim Thome is going to take at least one more shot at winning a World Series and he is going to do it back in Philadelphia.
According to a report on the team's website the Phillies and Thome have agreed on a one-year, $1.25 million contract, pending Thome passing a physical.
It's not a surprising move at all since it is no secret that both sides had hoped for a reunion this past season. It was not meant to be as the Minnesota Twins traded Thome to the Cleveland Indians in August.
Thome has a great relationship with Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, who has been a guiding influence in his career since their time together in Cleveland. Thome also has fond memories of the Phillies, who traded him to the Chicago White Sox following the 2005 season to pave the way at first base for Ryan Howard.
With Howard out with an Achilles injury, Philadelphia must feel Thome can give them some innings in the field as well as provide a lefthanded bat with some pop off the bench.
Thome hit a combined .256 with 15 home runs, 50 RBI, a .361 on-base percentage and a .477 slugging percentage with the Twins and Indians. He has hit 604 homers in his career, which ranks eighth on the all-time list.

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Philly-busters: Flyers dominating Blue Jackets 8-0 after two periods

Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN Sports) - This is how it was supposed to be.
The Philadelphia Flyers, who lead the hapless Columbus Blue Jackets 8-0 after two periods, were designed to be one of the NHL's elite teams and they are sure playing like it Saturday night.
Ilya Bryzgalov was expected to be a shutdown goalie and the Flyers many new acquisitions were expected to add some offensive firepower.
The new Flyers are hitting the back of the net, including Jaromir Jagr and Jacub Voracek, Max Talbot and Sean Couturier have each scored a goal as the Flyers are dominating the Blue Jackets.

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MLS: Sporting KC ends Colorados title defense, reaches East finals

 

Jojo Doria - AHN Sports Contributor
Kansas City, KS, United States (AHN Sports) - The failure to overturn a two-goal deficit coupled with injuries doomed the Colorado Rapids' chance to continue the defense of their MLS title Wednesday night, when they succumbed to a determined Sporting Kansas City 2-0 at a soggy Livestrong Sporting Park.
Amid the cold and rainy atmosphere, Aurelien Collin and C.J. Sapong delivered goals on each side of halftime that sealed Sporting's triumph, and spot in the Eastern Conference finals with a 4-0 aggregate total.
Graham Zusi provided the assists on both goals, sending set pieces into the box with Collin coming through in the 28th before Sapong capped the rout in the 76th.
Sporting KC will host either the Houston Dynamo or Philadelphia Union in the conference finals Sunday.
The consecutive losses ended the defending champion Rapids' season. The Rapids, coming off a 2-0 loss at home in the opening leg Sunday, were severely shorthanded entering Wednesday's second leg.
Colorado was missing three starters Wednesday with Caleb Folan, Kosuke Kimura, and Drew Moor all sustained injuries at Dick's Sporting Goods Park that will kept them out of the return leg.
Embattled Rapids coach Gary Smith had to rely on a makeshift squad with Scott Palguta, Joseph Nane and Ross LaBauex replacing the three injured starters.
Prior to Sunday's costly setback, the Rapids had already lost Jamie Smith to a torn right ACL and Pablo Mastroeni to a concussion.
Tyrone Marshall was also kept out of Wednesday's match after earning a red card Sunday.

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Avalanche fail to stop surging Coyotes on home ice

Jojo Doria - AHN Sports Contributor
Denver, CO, United States (AHN Sports) - Mike Smith, who has made his presence in goal felt since being signed as a free agent in July, frustrated the Avalanche by stopping 39 shots in the Phoenix Coyotes' 4-1 victory over Colorado Wednesday night at Pepsi Center.
It marked the third straight win and the fourth in the last six games played by the six-year veteran Smith, who was inked July 1 to replace Ilya Bryzgalov, whose rights were traded to Philadelphia a month earlier.
Radim Vrbata scored twice against his former team, including the eventual game-winner off his own rebound with 2:03 to play in the second period.
The 30-year-old right winger Vrbata sealed the win with an empty-netter with 1:33 remaining in the third period for his second consecutive two-goal game.
Taylor Pyatt and Lauri Korpikoski also lit the lamp in the triumph, the third straight for the Coyotes.
Ryan O'Reilly scored the lone goal for the Avalanche, who suffered their fourth loss in five home games this season.
It was also the third setback in the last four games overall for Colorado.
Semyon Varlamov allowed three goals on 27 shots in the loss.
With the win, the Coyotes have gone 4-0-1 in their past five contests. It moved them within two points of first-place Dallas in the Pacific Division entering Thursday night's home tilt versus Nashville.

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Most teens trying to lose weight not doing it right

David Goodhue - AHN News Reporter
Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN) - Most overweight and obese teens want to lose weight, but a new study finds they are going about it the wrong way.
Researchers with Temple University in Philadelphia looked at data from 44,000 adolescents and found that about 75 percent of them wanted to shed pounds. But they also found this group was more likely to report smoking.
While females trying to lose weight were more likely to report participating in 60 minutes or more of physical activity per day, they were also prone to drink soda daily.
Males trying to lose weight were more likely to report having no days of physical activity. They also reported playing more than three hours of video games per day.
The researchers said in a statement that they are encouraged that the teens wanted to lose the weight, but their methods are often counterproductive.
"For example, among the girls who are exercising, they may not realize that one soda could undo that 30-minute walk they just took," they said.
The researchers recommended that when teens tell their doctors they are trying to lose weight, an important follow-up question from the physician should be, "How are you doing that?"

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Tugboat mate in fatal Delaware River collision sentenced to a year

Kris Alingod - AHN News Contributor

Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN) - The tugboat operator responsible for a deadly collision between a barge and a tourist vessel last year on the Delaware River has been sentenced to one year in prison, the U.S. attorney in the eastern district of Pennsylvania announced Tuesday.
Matthew Devlin will spend a year and a day in prison beginning Jan. 5 next year under a plea agreement with prosecutors. The 35-year-old admitted to one count of misconduct of a ship operator causing death, a charge under a federal statute applicable to involuntary manslaughter.
Prosecutors had proposed a sentence between 37 and 46 months. However, U.S. District Court Judge Legrome Davis decided on a more lenient punishment.
Devlin, who was distracted by a family emergency while navigating the vessel Caribbean Sea on the day of the accident, previously agreed to the permanent revocation of his Coast Guard-issued license as mate.
The Caribbean Sea was pulling an unmanned 250-foot barge, the Resource, on July 7, 2010, when the barge crashed into a stranded tour boat.
The tourist vessel, an amphibious boat operated by Ride the Ducks, was carrying 35 passengers and two crew members. Two Hungarian students, Szablcs Prem, 20, and Dora Schwendtner, 16, drowned.
The accident took place in shallow water near Penn's Landing while the "duck boat" was stationary due to an engine problem.
The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that Devlin was on his cell phone when the collision took place. He was operating the Caribbean Sea from the lower wheelhouse, where visibility was limited, instead of the upper wheelhouse, from where the captain had told him to pilot the tugboat.
In addition, Devlin did not ask any of his fellow crew members to serve as lookout. The Caribbean Sea, which is owned by K-Sea Transportation, was manned by five crew members at the time.
The NTSB found that Devlin made 15 outbound calls and received six calls between noon on the day of the accident until 2:37 p.m., the time of the crash. The calls were to his mother's home phone and cell phone, his wife's cell phone and his father's cell phone. They were made in violation of company policy prohibiting the use of personal cell phones while on watch.
According to local reports, Devlin testified tearfully in court that the calls were about complications during his son's eye surgery.
The accident prompted Ride the Ducks, the nation's largest amphibious tour operator, to temporarily suspend operations in Philadelphia. The company and K-Sea Transportation are the focus of a wrongful death complaint from families of the victims who cite safety failures and a lack of emergency procedures.
The NTSB investigation had also faulted the duck boat captain for failing to follow company policy requiring him to alert the Coast Guard immediately about problems with steering, propulsion or passenger injury. Moreover, he did not follow emergency procedures that would have forced passengers to don life jackets once the tour boat was stranded in the water.

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Jets get back on track, top Panthers in shootout

 

Jojo Doria - AHN Sports Contributor
Sunrise, FL, United States (AHN Sports) - The Jets rallied late and then beat the Florida Panthers in the shootout round with Andrew Ladd scoring the deciding shootout goal to lift Winnipeg to a thrilling 4-3 victory Monday night at BankAtlantic Center.
Ladd beat Jose Theodore to give the Jets an edge after a scoreless first round in the shootout before Kyle Wellwood's tally sealed Winnipeg's second win in three games.
Evander Kane scored a pair of goals, including the game-tying goal with 50 seconds remaining in regulation, while Wellwood had a first-period goal for the Jets, who improved to 2-1 on their season-long seven-game road trip.
Winnipeg edged Philadelphia 9-8 Thursday night, but was shut out at Tampa Bay 1-0 Saturday.
Ondrej Pavelec, who turned away two shots in the scoreless overtime period, stopped a season-high 39-of-42 Florida shots for the victors.
The Panthers, making the first of three-game homestand after winning two of their three tilts on their recent road trip, got a pair of goals from Tomas Fleischmann.
Jason Garrison also lit the lamp for Florida, while Theodore ended with 28 saves.
The Jets built a 2-0 lead in the opening stanza before Florida closed to 2-1 with 20 seconds left in the period courtesy of Garrison's slapshot.
Fleischmann scored twice in the third period before Kane's late equalizer.
Monday's contest marked the first of six meetings between these division rivals who are slated to meet again next week in Winnipeg.
It is also the first game of the season where the Jets faced Panthers assistant coach Craig Ramsay, who was their head coach last season. Ramsay was not retained after the Jets moved from Atlanta.

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Federal safety report finds curbside buses have higher fatal accident rate

Kris Alingod - AHN News Contributor
Washington, DC, United States (AHN) - Buses that pick up passengers curbside have a higher incidence of fatal accidents than buses that stay at terminals, according to a report by the National Transportation and Safety Board.

NTSB Chair Deborah Hersman released the first comprehensive report on bus safety on Monday after a six-month study. She revealed that curbside buses are seven times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than conventional carriers.
The agency reviewed data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from January 2005 to March 2011. It found that there were 1.4 deadly accidents per 100 vehicles for curbside buses that have fewer than 10 carriers or that have been in business less than a decade, compared with 0.2 fatal incidents for buses that operate from terminals.
According to the report, curbside buses are also more likely to be out-of-service due to driver violations such as fatigued driving and fitness violations, compared with conventional carriers.
Hersman said safety violations are not discovered because curbside buses are excluded from regular enroute inspections. The buses also rely on online bus brokers, which the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has no authority to regulate.
In addition, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has a lack of inspectors and enforcers. The agency has 878 employees reviewing compliance of more than 765,000 buses, a ratio of 1 worker to 1,000 carriers.
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), who requested the study, called the findings a "wake-up call."
The review was in response to a spate of deadly accidents early this year. A bus operated by World Wide Tours crashed in the Bronx in March as it was making its way to Chinatown on I-95, killing 15 passengers.
At least two other major accidents occurred the same month. Two people died and dozens were injured when a tour bus bound for Philadelphia crashed on the New Jersey Turnpike. On I-95, a bus operated by PRT tours rolled over on its way to Boston.
The second crash resulted in only injuries while the first prompted the U.S. Transportation Department to order Super Luxury Tours out of service and canceled the company's license for violating insurance requirements.
In a Senate hearing following the accidents, Hersman had testified that the two most important factors in bus safety are the condition of the vehicles and the performance of the drivers, but that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has not taken this into account in compliance reviews.
According to Hersman, the NTSB issued a number of recommendations years ago, such as installing seat belts and better emergency exits for children, the elderly and the disabled.
In response, lawmakers had criticized the Transportation Department for failing to implement the recommendations. They called for the passage of a bill, first introduced in 2009, requiring seatbelts, anti-ejection glazing on windows, stronger roofs to withstand rollovers, and reduced flammability of bus interiors.
According to the NTSB, there are nearly the same number of passengers on buses every year, 750 million, as there in commercial aviation, 800 million. Fatalities from motorcoach operations average 20 annually, while in aviation there are 70 deaths.

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Cardinals roll to win in Game 2 of NLCS, head home with series tied 1-1

John Nestor - AHN Sports Correspondent

St. Louis, MO, United States (AHN Sports) - The St. Louis Cardinals accomplished a few things Monday night against the Milwaukee Brewers and now enter Game 3 of the National League Championship Series feeling pretty good about themselves.

The Cardinals evened the series at a game apiece with a 12-3 rout of the Brewers in Game 2 but they also accomplished a couple of other things that may prove to be just as important.

St. Louis now hosts the next three games and a sweep of them will send it back to the World Series. The Cardinals took home-field advantage from the Brewers with Monday's win and poked a hole in Milwaukee's seeming invincibility at Miller Park.

"If you want to make it a competitive series, winning a game here, that's a big step in the right direction," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.

Just as important as the win was the fact that Albert Pujols finally got going with a four-hit night and five RBI.

He went 4-for-5 with a homer and three doubles, a welcomed sight after driving in just one run in St. Louis' first six playoff games.

Pujols' heroics helped St. Louis pick up a crucial road win. Milwaukee was the best home team in the majors all season and the Brewers had won its first four home games in the playoffs.

Now the Cardinals send ace Chris Carpenter to the mound for Game 3. Carpenter is coming off a three-hit shutout in Game 5 of the Division Series at Philadelphia.

The Brewers will try to recapture the momentum in the series behind Yovani Gallardo, who allowed two runs and 10 hits in 14 innings in two starts against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS. The Brewers won both of Gallardo's starts.

to the mound for Game 3. Carpenter is coming off a three-hit shutout in Game 5 of the Division Series at Philadelphia.

The Brewers will try to recapture the momentum in the series behind Yovani Gallardo, who allowed two runs and 10 hits in 14 innings in two starts against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS. The Brewers won both of Gallardo's starts.

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Flyers offense a force against Canucks; Philly forges 4-3 lead

Ed Condran - AHN Sports Correspondent

Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN Sports) - Some hockey pundits thought that the new look Philadelphia Flyers might be as offensively challenged as the Phillies. That's not the case. The Flyers are up 4-3 over the Vancouver Canucks after two periods.
Two of the four goals are of the power play variety. Claude Giroux scored his third goal in three games and he also assisted on James van Riemsdyk's first goal of the season. Chris Pronger and Jakub Voracek have also found the back of the net.
The high-powered Canucks are putting pressure on Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. Henrik Sedin , Chris Higgins and Mikael Samuelsson have scored for the Canucks.

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MLS: Richards goal helps Red Bulls top Union, secure playoff spot

AHN Sports Staff
NY, NY, United States (AHN Sports) - The New York Red Bulls secured their place in the 2011 MLS Cup playoffs after holding on for a 1-0 victory against the Philadelphia Union at Red Bull Arena.
Dane Richards played the hero's role in Thursday night contest, heading in the eventual game winner in the seventh minute.
New York peppered Philadelphia with lots of goal scoring opportunities as winger Jan Gunnar Solli played a superb role as the team's offensive architect.
Philadelphia's best chance of an equalizer came in the final 30 minutes when Carlos Valdés' header was nullified after he was called offsides.
The game featured 31 fouls and 23 open play cross opportunities. Union goaltender Faryd Mondragon made four saves, while Frank Rost recorded just a save as the Red Bulls defensive unit took care of the business
With the win, the Red Bulls secured a spot in the 2011 MLS Cup playoffs and will wait for next week's results to determine playoff seeding.

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Supreme Court considers case against phony war hero

Tom Ramstack - AHN News Legal Correspondent

Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) - The Supreme Court met Friday to discuss which cases it will hear, among them a challenge to the Stolen Valor Act. The Stolen Valor Act of 2005 is a federal law that forbids falsely claiming to have received U.S. military decorations and medals. A conviction can lead to six months in jail, unless the defendants lie to say they received Medals of Honor, which can get them a year of imprisonment.
When President George W. Bush signed the law, there were 120 living Medal of Honor winners but many others who falsely claimed to have won the award. About 60 people have been prosecuted for violating the law since it was enacted.
Former Navy SEAL Don Shipley, who tries to expose phony war heroes, told ABC News the Stolen Valor Act has uncovered a large number of imposters.
"I can't even keep up with the amount of fraudulent claims and phony SEALs," Shipley said. "Guys who haven't ever considered doing this are coming out of the woodwork, and we're nailing them as fast as we can."
The question before the Supreme Court is whether the law oversteps the First Amendment's right to free speech. In other words, the court must decide whether lying about being a war hero is merely socially inappropriate or a crime.
The case the Supreme Court is considering involved David Perelman, a veteran who served in Vietnam in 1971 for three months and returned home uninjured. Twenty years later, he accidentally shot himself. He filed a disability claim with the U.S. Air Force that said he was wounded in Vietnam.
Perelman, now 58, received a Purple Heart and other battle medals, along with $180,000 in disability benefits. He wore his Purple Heart during conventions of veterans.
A government investigation later revealed the false claim. He was sentenced to a year in jail after pleading guilty to felony theft of government funds. He also was convicted under the Stolen Valor Act.
Perelman does not deny that he lied about having earned a Purple Heart. He argues on appeal that the Stolen Valor Act is too broad to be enforceable in any intelligent way.
He also says the law goes too far by seeking to penalize constitutionally-protected free speech.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco disagreed, saying Perelman was properly convicted under the Stolen Valor Act.
The appeals court said falsely bragging about winning medals is purely speech that is protected under the First Amendment.
However, when the imposters put on medals or claim veterans' benefits, they have taken actions that can incur criminal liability.
The 9th Circuit ruled the government can regulate speech and expression if it advances an important government interest.
In the same way the government can restrict who wears its military uniforms, it also can limit the people who wear its medals, the court said.
Perelman's attorneys said the Stolen Valor Act could be used to punish widows who wear their husbands' medals to their funerals or children who wear their fathers' medals to school.
However, the 9th Circuit said the Stolen Valor Act was never intended to punish innocent displays of someone else's medals. It is intended to punish only the fraud involved in falsely claiming to win military honors.
The Supreme Court is expected to announce whether it will hear Perelman's case as soon as Monday.
The Stolen Valor Act also came into play recently in U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania, where Vietnam veteran Terry Calandra admitted that his decade long effort to win a Medal of Honor was a sham.
He claimed to have dove onto a grenade during a March 23, 1969 battle in Vietnam to save a buddy.
An Army and FBI investigation of his claims found that he arrived on the scene after the fighting was over.
Federal prosecutors wrote that Calandra lied "because he liked how it felt to be a hero, that it boosted his ego and was an addiction."
Calandra, 62, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia to violating the Stolen Valor Act. He was sentenced to one year of probation and fined $500.
He also was ordered to surrender a fake Silver Star medal, Distinguished Service Cross medal and two Purple Heart medals he obtained through acts of fraud.

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U.S. banks start to demolish foreclosed properties

Vittorio Hernandez - AHN News

Cleveland, OH, United States (AHN) - Some U.S. banks have started to demolish foreclosed properties and are even paying for the cost, which saves the financial institutions from maintenance, taxes and real estate marketing expenses.

In some areas, the properties that were demolished became community parks, church extensions and parking lots.

In Ohio, the company that is charged with razing the foreclosed homes is the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation, which was created by a 2009 state law and tasked with creating land banks.

Other states such as New York, Georgia and Philadelphia are using the Ohio model to put up similar organizations.

Lenders and mortgage firms are also donating properties to land banks. Bank of America and Well Fargo said they will donate over 100 properties to land banks. JPMorgan Chase has made regular donations and Fannie Mae donates about 30 properties monthly.

While disposing of unwanted properties on their hands, the banks are also battling lawsuits over securities fraud claims filed by states and municipalities despite the lenders having settled some of the complaints.

Bank of America and JPMorgan are negotiating an agreement with state attorneys general and federal officials that would fund loan modifications for homeowners and set requirements on how the banks should conduct foreclosures.

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Lowbirth weight may be linked with autism

David Goodhue - AHN News Reporter

Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN) - Low birth weight infants may be five times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than their normal-weight peers, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing followed a group of children, some who were born weighing only a pound, for 21 years. The heaviest children were 4.4 pounds. The children were born between 1984 and 1987.

In total, 862 children were involved in the study. Five percent of the participants were diagnosed with autism, compared to one percent to the general population.

The researchers, including a team from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said in a statement that as more low birth weight children are surviving, "impaired survivors represent an increasing public health challenge."

Previous studies have suggested a link between low birth weight and motor and cognitive problems, but the researchers said their study was the first to establish that these children are also at an increased risk for autism spectrum disorders.

A full report about the study appears in the journal Pediatrics.

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Well-balanced Flyers edge Canucks for three-game win streak

 

 Ed Condran - AHN Sports Correspondent

Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN Sports) - The Flyers are a beacon of hope in a city that watched its much hyped baseball team disappoint in the playoffs. It's football team is spiraling downward and don't even mention the NBA.
The Flyers edged the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 and are a league leading 3-0. "It's great that we're playing this way but it's still early," James van Riemsdyk said.
There is still plenty of hockey to play but a nice start for a team that many pundits see going deep in the NHL playoffs is good for a city in need of a team to rally around.
"It is weird," van Riemsdyk said. "The Phillies are usually still playing in October and the Eagles are off to a rough start but don't count them out. It's nice though if people are looking at us and counting on us to deliver something special."
Van Riemsdyk is living up to the promise he showed during last season's playoffs. He scored his first goal of the season.
"It's great to pick up where I left off," van Riemsdyk said. "I just want to play as well as I can."
Claude Giroux, Chris Pronger, Jakub Voracek also scored. Andrez Meszaros netted the difference-maker in a hard fought game against the Western Conference champions. Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov won his third straight start for the Flyers.
"Bryz got a lot heavier workload tonight than the previous two games and I thought he answered so I think there are some positives to take from that," coach Peter Laviolette said.
Rookie Sean Couturier, who had an assist, impressed Laviolette. "He also hit the post too," Laviolette said. "He had a solid game tonight."
The Flyers were solid in all aspects. The orange and black had two power play goals and played a physical style of hockey.
"We did what we had to do to win," van Riemsdyk said. "That's what it's about. We're trying to get as many points as we can. So far, we have six points in three games, which is pretty good."
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Revamped Flyers hope van Riemsdyk drives team deep into playoffs

 

Ed Condran - AHN Sports Correspondent Phildelphia, PA, United States (AHN Sports) -
 There weren't many positives to take from the Flyers bitterly disappointing playoff run last spring. The orange and black barely eked out an opening round win against the Buffalo Sabres and they were swept by the Boston Bruins in the next round.
However, the silver-lining in the dark cloud is the emergence of James van Riemsdyk. The Flyers highly touted number two overall pick from the first round of the 2007 Entry draft finally came of age during the playoffs.
Van Riemsdyk scored seven goals in 11 tense games. The dynamic 22-year old winger signed a six-year $25.5 million extension. His play wasn't enough to help the Flyers return to the Stanley Cup finals. However, his performance was enough to inspire general manager Paul Holmgren to revamp his team.
The Flyers traded captain Mike Richards and their top goal scorer Jeff Carter for youth and the ability to free up cap space to sign shutdown goalie Ilya Brezgalov.
"The deal worked out really well for me," van Riemsdyk said. "This is a great organization and I love being a Flyer."
Van Riemsdyk grew up in Middletown Township, New Jersey, which is only 60 miles away from the South Philadelphia sports complex that the Flyers have called home since its inception in 1967. "I had no problem leaving the Rangers behind," van Riemsdyk said.
"It's great being a Flyer and to be able to be a Flyer for years to come. I miss the guys (Richards and Carter) who are no longer here. I learned a lot from them but this is a business. You never know what's going to happen but I'm glad to be here. I think we have a very good team."
The Flyers, who are 3-0-1, had a major facelift during the off-season. Such newcomers as veteran scoring ace Jaromir Jagr, Jakub Voracek and 18-year old first round draft pick Sean Couturier each had points in a win last Thursday in a highly entertaining win over the Vancouver Canucks.
"There's certainly a lot of talent on this team," van Riemsdyk said. "It's not surprising that we're off to a good start."
Van Riemsdyk scored his first goal of the season against the Canucks. "It felt good to be able to do that," van Riemsdyk said. "It felt good to score.. Hopefully I'll have many more goals this season."
The Flyers are counting on van Riemsdyk, Claude Giroux, Danny Briere, Wayne Simmonds and Jagr to find the back of the net often to offset the production that Richards and Carter generated.
"I'm confident that we'll be fine this season," van Riemsdyk said. "Aside from the talent, we're gelling really well right now and it's early. We feel very comfortable with each other. Who knows if the chemistry will be there when you have so many new guys on the team but it's there already with us I think this is going to be a memorable season."
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