Flyers have little choice but to roll with Bryz

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If you can move it, you can play with it. So rather than pulling the chute after getting hit during the morning skate, whatever strength Ilya Bryzgalov still had in his left hand went into squeezing Andrew Ladds drive that could have put Tuesday nights game in Winnipeg away.

Appearances are deceiving. A guy who too often has played like he would rather be anywhere but in the Philadelphia goal indeed must still want to be there.

After Evander Kanes go-ahead knuckler eluded Bryzgalov, he made not only that nice catch off Ladd, but also a big-time pad save, again on Ladd, on Winnipegs only good chance of the overtime. Undoubtedly, Jaromir Jagrs goal was a sight for sore eyes for a sore-handed goaltender who has stopped just 2 of 10 shootout attempts this season. Bryzgalov did get through it a 5-4 winner.

The Flyers, relentlessly pounding pucks at a ridiculously hot Andrej Pavelec, reminded us all of just how much firepower they have when their lineup is at full strength. And Bryzgalov -- giving up a shortside goal, dropping too early on another, mindlessly coming off the post in one fortunate sequence just before Kanes go-ahead goal -- continued to remind us that he remains nothing close to the guy the Flyers presumed would finally stitch up their open sore in goal.

The goalie they thought they had signed was never the quickest in the NHL, only one of the biggest with some of the best technique and -- hard to believe now -- control of rebounds. The Flyers have paid a 51 million ransom, but the kidnappers still have not returned the real Bryzgalov, only the one relentlessly making the wrong move at the wrong time. And compounding the problem is that Sergei Bobrovsky hasnt run with whatever opportunities he has been given.

But Paul Holmgren will not be quick to move a 23-year-old goalie with reflexes this fast, not with Bobrovsky still a year-plus away from restricted free agency and his first big contract -- and not with Bryzgalov continuing to struggle with just 23 regular season games remaining.

With so much cap-choking money left on Bryzgalovs deal, the Flyers dont have much choice but to hope that, like a lot of players who seemed initially overwhelmed by the obligations of their first big tickets -- Sergei Gonchar in Pittsburgh and Zdeno Chara in Boston spring to mind -- the 51-million man will begin to settle in during Year II.

In the meantime, the Flyers, now six deep in top-four caliber defensemen thanks to two Holmgren trades, dont have much choice but to win games the way they won Tuesday night in Winnipeg. Look how capable they are of it.

Jay Greenberg covered the Flyers for 14 years for the Daily News and Evening Bulletin. His history of the Flyers, Full Spectrum, was published in 1996. He can be reached at jayg616@aol.com.

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