Prospal traded to Tampa

The Philadelphia Flyers have traded the rights to Vinny Prospal back to Tampa Bay in exchange for a 2008 7th round pick and a conditional pick in 2009.
[Comcast Sportsnet]

Vinny really didn’t express much of an interest in coming back and playing for us next season,” general manager Paul Holmgren said in a statement released by the team. “His heart is elsewhere.”

Prospal had 4 goals and 10 assists for the Flyers in 18 games. With Prospal's little desire to return to the Flyers, it was a good move for them to get rid of him. The Flyers had very little cap space to re-sign him anyway and it is now more likely that they will give their best attempt to sign both Carter and Umberger.

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Jeff Carter for a Case of Tastykakes

The Flyers fell behind early again. Very early. Jussi Jokinen scored 31 seconds into the game for the Lightning. In his return to the lineup, Daniel Briere tied the game with top shelf wrist shot after a couple beautiful plays by R.J. Umberger. A little less than two minutes later, Jeff Carter scored on a beautiful back hand to give the Flyers the 2-1 lead and they kept it going into the second period.

The lone second period goal came from Tampa's Quellet as he knotted the game at 2 and it stayed that way heading to the third.

The third period seemed like those of late. It looked like another game going to overtime, and then the shoot-out, and we'd be happy with a point, but Jeff Carter circled in the offensive zone and lifted a wrister pass Lightning goaltender Mike Smith with 1:54 left to give the Flyers the 3-2 lead and victory.

Jeff Carter is really starting to become the player we saw lead the Phantoms to a Calder Cup Championship. He is becoming more physical and extremely hard to take off the puck. Some may say that trade rumors got in his head, but once the deadline passed, he has been playing very well. If he can keep up this play when Richards, Lupul, and Hatcher return, I'll feel much better going into the playoffs. The Penguins and Bruins both lost tonight, so the Flyers gained in both the division and the playoff race.

Riley Cote and Andre Roy squared off for two rounds of fighting. The first fight was a draw, but Cote landed a one punch knock-out in the second bout.

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Flyers Also Make it 5...but Losses

Flyers have lost their fifth straight and their eigth straight at home to the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-3. Flyers drew one called penalty and it was on a delay of game penalty. The refs called nothing against the Lightning in regard to hooking.

The Flyers on the other hand suffered some lazy play from Jim Vandermeer, Jim Dowd, and Lasse Kukkonen.

Joffrey Lupul, Steve Downie (SH), and Jeff Carter scored for the Flyers.

Danny Briere had zero shots on goal. That is completely unacceptable when you're brought into be a scorer. You cannot be effective if you're not getting the puck on net. It has nothing to do with the lines. It has to do with Danny Briere, who is also a minus 20 on the season.

Maybe John Stevens needs to pull a Martin in Pittsburgh and just start benching people for a game who don't show up to play.

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