Flyers Blank Chicago, 3-0

Last night's game was one of sharp contrasts. The Flyers dominated the first period, the Blackhawks the second, and the Flyers again in the third. The outcome can definitely be looked at in contrast also, as the positive can be that the team beat the kind of opponent they're supposed to -- an injury-riddled team on a four-game losing streak that hadn't scored a goal in better than two games -- and the negative is that the team they beat is the kind of opponent they're supposed to. What's the big deal in beating an injury-riddled team on a four-game losing streak that hadn't scored a goal in better than two games? If nothing else, the win should serve as a confidence booster for the team as a whole and goaltender Robert Esche in particular. Esche played very well in the second period, holding Chicago scoreless on 15 shots (26 for the game) -- some from point blank range. (He also got some help from the iron as one of the Blackhawks rang a shot of the crossbar that came down at a funny angle and then bounced off the post.) Notes: Both Randy Jones and Freddie Meyer made their way back into the lineup last night as Lars Jonsson and Alexandre Picard were the healthy scratches. The Inquirer's Tim Panaccio says fans should expect this rotation to continue for a while until two of the four solidify their position. This makes no sense to me as Derian Hatcher and Dennis Gauthier -- last night's play on former Flyer Patrick Sharp notwithstanding -- have looked terrible all season. Does anyone realize Hatcher is a -14 through 11 games so far? He's on pace for a -104 season. For a team that is stressing defensive play, how can he be considered anything but a liability? See: Daily News See: Inquirer See: Chicago Sun-Times See: Chicago Tribune See: Yahoo/AP