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Flyers face big goaltending decision
As the Flyers begin their offseason hoping to change the roster only enough to get two more wins than this season, the biggest question mark comes between the pipes.
The goaltender position was a revolving door this season. The Flyers went out and signed Ray Emery last offseason and immediately made him their No. 1 goalie. There were hops that he would find his 2006-2007 form and become the goalie Flyers fans have longed for the last decade. Instead injuries derailed his season and created instability on the backline.
In his place became the combination of Brian Boucher (33 games), Michael Leighton (27 games), Jeremy Duchesne (1 game) and Johan Backlund (1 game). Boucher and Leighton each had their moments in the regular season, but it is hard to say either is of No. 1 caliber.
Boucher produced a 2.76 GAA and Leighton had a 2.48, both more than respectable. Whether either could produce those numbers over a full season is yet to be seen.
Fans grew to love Boucher and Leighton in the playoffs as they helped lead the Flyers on an unbelievable journey to the Stanley Cup Finals. However, both struggled in the finals as the Blackhawks fired puck after puck in the net, particularly in Games 5 and 6. We don’t need to talk about the soft goals goals in Game 6.
Leighton did finish with a 2.46 GAA and three shutouts in the playoffs — tops among all goalies. The Flyers were also 16-5-2 when Leighton started in the regular season.
If the Flyers decide that Leighton is not their man (they already know Boucher will not be the starter) there is a host of free agent netminders to consider. Bellow is the the best of the bunch.
Notable free agents
Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose
Marty Turko, Dallas
Jose Theodore, Washington
Vesa Toskala, Calgary
Chris Mason, St. Louis
Dan Elis, Nashville
Martin Biron, New York Islanders
Nabokov is the first name on every fans wish list but is also the most unrealistic. He earned $6 million last season and the Flyers do not have the cap room to add that type of salary to the books. The team would have to move at least one prominent player to make room for Nabokov. If the front office could make a deal work without hurting the team’s offense too much I would be all for it. Top goalies are rarely available and when they are teams should pounce on them. Again I don’t think this move happens, but Nabokov is head and shoulders above the field.
After that things get a bit tricky. Turko and Theodore and respectable options, but each will also be looking for around $5 million. I don’t know if I trust either that much.
From there the choices get real sketchy though. If the team can not get top talent it may decide to save money and stick with Leighton and hope he pans out.
Re-signing Emery is also an option, though I haven’t heard a peep that would lend me to believe that would happen. He is still recovering from hip surgery and it is not known when or if he will be able to return.
The Flyers also have a pair of developing goalies in the minors in 2008 draftees Jacob DeSerres and Joacim Eriksson, but neither is considered to be ready for the big time in the upcoming season.
The final option would be working a trade for Florida’s Tomas Vokoun, who the team had interest in at the trade deadline. Vokoun would be sure thing in net, but again working a trade will not be easy.
One thing that is certain is that money will need to be spent this season. Who it is spent on may very well decide if the Flyers are the ones celebrating with the Cup this time next year.
“I think Michael Leighton cost the Flyers $142,000 this year,” Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren recently said. “I think it’s fair to say that whoever our goalies are next year are going to cost a lot more than that.”
In case you missed it …
With all of the excitement in the NCAA Tournament this past weekend you may have missed some of the things that took place here in Philadelphia. Heck you may missed things because you had a family commitment or simply were out boozing with friends. We don’t discriminate here. Whatever the reason, Philly Sports Blogs has you covered. In what will become a Monday tradition, we unveil the first “In Case You Missed it.”
Because even though you are not always watching, we are.
— Playing goalie for the Flyers might be the most dangerous position in all of sports right now. Johan Backlund, the latest victim of the injury bug, never even got a chance to show his worth. Making his first start in place of the injured Michael Leighton, who was in for the injured Ray Emery and the slumping Brian Boucher, Backlund left Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the Penguins in the second period after aggravating a groin injury. Taking Backlund’s place on the roster is Carter Sutton, who was called up from the Phantoms. Sutton only appeared in four games for the Phantoms, going 1-2-1 with a 2.70 goals-against average.
—The Flyers salvaged the weekend. The news wasn’t all bad for the Orange and Black as they put together their best effort in the month of March with a 5-1 thrashing of the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. It was a much needed win as it moved the Flyers into a 6th place tie in the Eastern Conference with Montreal and four points ahead of 9th place Atlanta.
— The Sixers (yes they are still playing) actually put together a nice win on Friday, defeating the Atlanta Hawks, 105-98. It was the second-straight win for Philadelphia, something that could be cause for celebration they way the team has played. One of the recent revelations has been Jason Kapono, who has stepped into the starting lineup and produced. He scored 14 points against Atlanta, and 10 in Wednesday’s win against the Bucks. Who knew that putting an actual shooter on the floor would force opposing teams to lengthen their defense, thus creating more space for the other Sixers on the floor?
— Donovan McNabb is still here. Nothing more to be said.
— Ryan Madson will open the season as the Phillies closer. With Brad Lidge set to start the season on the DL, Charlie Manuel elected to go with Madson over the newly-acquired Danys Baez. Madson struggled in that role last year, saving 10 of 16 games and posting a 5.82 ERA, but gets a clean slate to work with. So what happens if Madson starts the season on fire saving 6 of 6 games? Does Lidge still come back and take over?Likely, but it sure will be fun debating about it.
So there’s your Philly weekend in a nutshell, just in case you missed it.
Backlund gets start for Flyers, it’s chicken wing time!
Look out for the Chicken Wing, Penguins!
OK, if you have no idea what I am talking about check out this clip here. Bob Backlund was a famous wrestler for the WWF and his special move, the chicken wing, was one of the best in the business.
Tell me it wouldn’t be great to see Sidney Crosby locked into this move.
Back to seriousness now. The Flyers will be turning to their latest net-minder today, Johan Backlund when they take on Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins at 1 p.m. While he is not a household name, Backlund was having a solid season in the AHL, posting a 2.79 goals-against average, with a .906 save percentage with the Adirondack Phantoms.
For complete details on Backlund read Philly.com’s article.
Ah, it seems so long ago that Flyers fans were pumped up for the season, with hopes of a Stanley Cup and faith in newly-acquired Ray Emery in net. Now fans are just hoping the team can sneak into the playoffs. Things can change in a hurry in the NHL, so maybe the Flyers will do another 180 in the final month of the season and catch fire. Maybe Jeff Carter comes back for the playoffs, healthy and on a mission. Maybe Backlund is a hidden gem that will be the next Ron Hextall.
Or maybe they will end up like one of Bob Backlund’s opponent when the chicken wing gets locked in – limp and lifeless.
Jeff Carter out 3 to 4 weeks
The news keeps getting worse for Flyers fans.
Leading scorer Jeff Carter will miss 3-4 weeks with a fractured in his left foot, according to General manger Paul Holmgren in this nhl.com article.
The loss is the latest blow for a team that has never found its flow this season. The Flyers are already without Ray Emery and Michael Leighton and will now have to make do without the assistant captain.
It seems so long ago that the Flyers were picked to win a Stanley Cup.
It just doesn’t feel like it’s meant to be for the Orange and Black this year.
Leighton’s injury could be nail in coffin
If your heading out to a local pub today to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, be sure to raise you glass and drink one to the health of Michael Leighton.
Then say a long prayer.
While there are far worse are far more gruesome injuries there’s something about the words “high ankle sprain” that makes a fan cringe.
When the phrase is simply “ankle sprain” there’s a whole different feeling. Players recover from ankle sprains in days. Players often don’t recover from high ankle sprains weeks — or even months.
SO Flyers fans wait today holding their breath that Michael Leighton’s high ankle sprain, is somehow a miss diagnosis and that the man entrusted with taking the Flyers deep into the NHL playoffs will not be relegated to a training room the rest of the season.
A high ankle sprain is defined as an injury to ligaments between the two major bones in the lower leg (tibia and Fibula) at the level of the ankle. There are grade I, II, and III injuries. If Leighton has grade I and there is just a minor tear of the ligament, there is hope for him to return without too much time lost. If it is II or III, you can probably forget about it.
It’s a tough break (not literally) for a player who was finally given his opportunity to be a starting goalie in the NHL and was making the most of it. Leighton was 16-5 with a 2.48 GAA for the year. He will be replaced by Brian Boucher, who has not been nearly as effective. For the season Boucher is 4-12 with a 2.77 GAA.
If the injury proves serious, a season that began with hopes of a Stanley Cup and Ray Emery in net has been reduced to competing for a middle of the pack playoff spot with Boucher the man who will be counted on win in the postseason.
It’s not exactly how Paul Holmgren drew it up.
Leighton now “the guy”
Forget everything you think you know about Michael Leighton. The fact that he has been a journeyman backup means nothing. The fact that he has had a fantastic year, which has produced a great winning percentage and a sub-three goals against average this season is also meaningless.
Right now everything changes. When the Flyers decided not to bring in a veteran goaltender to replace the injured Ray Emery by yesterday’s trade deadline, everything concerning Leighton changed. He was no longer a Cinderella story that had a nice little run at the NHL level.
He was now the undisputed No. 1 goalie for a Flyers team that has Stanley Cup aspirations. Now the pressure is on and soon we will find out how he handles his new position.
Those were the thoughts that ran threw my mind at 3:01 p.m. on Wednesday when it became clear that it would be Leighton from here on out.
As for his first presentation after the deadline? Well, it was a disaster. Leighton allowed four goals in a period and a half before being pulled in favor of Brian Boucher in a 7-4 loss to the Panthers.
Talk about a bad way to reward a management team that just put its faith in you.
Now Leighton cannot be judged by one bad outing but it was a rough start that will go along way in determining if management made the right call making a goalie who has not played more than 34 games in a season since his arrival in 2002, the guy.
For all that Leighton’s resume lacks, his production in 22 games with Philadelphia has been eye-opening. The team is 14-7-1 in games he has started and his 2.80 goals against average is more than acceptable for a team that scores at a 3.02 clip.
The issue at hands seems to be why the Flyers neglected to give Leighton any help at the deadline. If you are going to stick with a goalie who has had limited success in the past and lacks in the playoff experience department, why not load up the defense in front of him? GM Paul Holmgren said the team tried to bolster the team but nothing that would accomplish that could get done.
I’m sure Holmgren tried his best. But Pittsburgh, Washington, Ottawa and Buffalo all made moves to make themselves stronger moving forward. For those counting, each of those teams are ahead of the Flyers in the conference standings and stand in the way of the team’s quest for a Stanley Cup.
But there is no changing that now. All Flyers fans can do is hope Leighton takes his game to a level it has yet to reach.
Welcome to the fire Leighton.
Flyers nearing deal for defenseman Dan Hamhuis
It appears as if the Flyers have a deal in the works.
Things looked to be heading in that direction yesterday when the team place Riley Cote and Danny Syvret to the waiver wire in a salary cap clearing move. The team also put injured goalie Ray Emery on the long-term injured list, opening up an addition roster spot.
Philly.com’s Frank Seravalli said that according to a league source the Flyers are close to trading for defenseman Dan Hamhuis, of the Nashville Predators – a move that would solidify the back line.
According to Seravalli, the Flyers will have cleared $2.652 million on yesterday’s moves and taking on Hamhuis would only cost the team $2 million.
As for what type of player the Flyers would be acquiring, Seravalli describes Hamhuis as “a stay-at-home defenseman with an eye for bone-crunching hits. In 462 NHL games, he is exactly even in the plus/minus category. Averaging almost 22 minutes per game during his career, Hamhuis also has been one of the NHL’s most durable players. He has missed only nine games in six full seasons.”
This is a move that can only help the Flyers. The Penguins – as they seem to do at this time every year – made themselves better yesterday by trading for defenseman Jordan Leopold.
Meanwhile, the streaking Senators added veteran defenseman Andy Sutton today.
Bringing on Hamhuis doesn’t necessarily put the Flyers in the same class as the defending champion Penguins, but it is a step in the right direction.
Examining the East: Three teams going to the playoffs
Playoff team No. 1: Flyers – This choice is not about hometown favoritism, it’s all about numbers.
The Flyers are by far the most talented of the eight teams vying for the final three playoff spots. They are the only team that has a positive goal differential with a plus-11. No one else is even close. The team is about to engage on a critical stretch as it heads west for three games followed by a home-and-home series with New Jersey. The team appear completely over a horrible December stretch that dropped it to the second-to-last place in the East. Ray Emery, while not lighting it up, has been consistent since his return from injury and Jeff Carter has regained his scoring touch.
There is simply too much talent for this team not to be in the playoffs.
Playoff team No. 2: Boston – Of all the borderline teams no one has a better chance of being carried in by goaltender play than the Bruins. When Tim Thomas gets hot, he gets scorching hot. The only question is if Thomas will even be between the pipes when the season ends. While Thomas has played well (2.50 goals against, 34 games), little known Tuukka Rask has been even better (2,13 goals against, 23 games). Either way the Bruins are solid on the backline, keeping them in contention despite an offense that has scored just 11 goals during a seven-game losing streak.
The Bruins are the coldest of the teams fighting for a playoff spot, but like the Flyers did, I think they will bounce out of it in time to play in the postseason.
Playoff team No. 3: Atlanta – Unlike the Bruins, the Thrashers will be going to the playoffs on the strength of its offense. Atlanta averages 2.98 goals per game, which leads all of the borderline playoff teams and is 6th in the NHL. The problem with Atlanta has been its defense, which is 26th in the NHL.
A key stretch will be a five-game home stand starting on March 12th. While Atlanta has played well at home (12-9-4), this will not be easy time. The Thrashers will face the Rangers, Flames, Senators, Sabres and Flyers.
It won’t be easy and it may come down to the last day of the season, but Atlanta should sneak into the playoffs, grabbing the eighth seed in the East.
Elimination No. 5: New York Rangers – The next two weeks will go a long way in determining if the Rangers will be competing for Lord Stanley’s Cup and that’s not a good thing for New York. The team is currently playing at its worst, losers of five straight and eight out of 10. Up next on the schedule is Colorado, Los Angeles, Washington, New Jersey, Nashville and Pittsburgh. Unless they turn their play around the Rangers will spend the final two months of the season playing catch-up.
One of the best things going for the team right now is its penalty kill, which is the fifth best in the NHL. Much of that has to do with the play of Henrik Lundqvist, who has kept New York afloat with a 2.40 gga.
In the end, not even Ludqvist will keep this inconsistent squad from making the playoffs.
So there you have it - a jumbled Eastern Conference playoff race made simple.
Did I get it right? Time will tell.
In the meantime, who do you think will grab the last three spots?
Down goes Avery
I’m talking about Scott Hartnell and the whipping he laid on Rangers’ punk Sean Avery.
Few things in life can bring as much joy as watching a guy who runs his mouth and acts tough get what’s coming to him. Maybe your wedding day? Maybe the birth of your first child?
I’m not sure. What I do know is that I could watch this clip all day long.
Michael Leighton’s long road leads to Philly
In a move so minor that it hardly made a splash, the Philadelphia Flyers claimed Carolina’s Michael Leighton off re-entry waivers on Dec. 15. At the time it hardly stopped the presses as Leighton was nothing more than a backup with a goals against average over four.
One month later and it is hard to imagine where the Flyers would be without him.
Leighton continued his host streak, helping lead the Flyers to their fourth straight win, 6-3, over the Dallas Stars. Leighton has now made 10 straight starts, going 8-0-1. His goals against is an impressive 2.14. So impressive, in fact, that despite Ray Emery being cleared to play, Flyers manager Peter Laviolette decided to stick with Leighton Tuesday against the Stars.
While the coach did not go int details about continuing to stick with the newest Flyers’ goalie, he did stress that as long as the team is winning, he s going to stick with the same guys.
So who is Michael Leighton? Well he has been a journeyman to say the least.
Here is some info: Leighton has spent parts of six seasons in the NHL and AHL. While with the Panthers this season he went 1-4-0 with an unimpressive 4.28 goals against average and bellow-average.848 save percentage.
He was drafted in 1999 in the fourth round by the Chicago Blackhawks. He made his NHL debut in 2003. From there he was traded to the Sabres, who he never appeared in a game for. He then went to the Ducks, followed by the Predators, playing in just one game combined. Nashville later put him on waivers and the Flyers claimed him during their awful 2007 season. He played four games before going to the Canadians, who then shipped him to Carolina. As discussed earlier, Carolina put him on waivers and the Flyers picked him up.
Will the rest be history?
Probably not. If Leighton was an overlooked gem someone would have discovered him somewhere down his winding road before now. That doesn’t mean Flyers fans can’t enjoy the ride though. Winning in the NHL is all about finding a hot goalie and that’s exactly what the Flyers have done.
And if everything comes crashing down to earth? Well, that’s OK too. The team has a pretty good backup policy in Emery.
At midseason the Flyers are tough to figure out
The Flyers are contenders to win the Stanley Cup.
The Flyers are worst team in hockey.
The Flyers are just another average team.
At different points of this season all three statements have been made about the Orange and Black and we still don’t know which one is true.
The Flyers reached the midway point of their schedule on Sunday with a wild, if not fitting, 7-4 loss to the Ottawa Senators. The game featured the Flyers starting cold, getting hot, then going cold again.
Hot and cold — sounds a lot like their season.
Entering the season the team had expectations of winning the Stanley Cup. As they reach the halfway point they are exactly .500. At 19-19-3 the Flyers sit at the bottom of the Atlantic and 12th in the Eastern Conference. This was not what was envisioned when Chris Pronger added a defensive element with a team full of offensive firepower. This was the year that Gagne, Briere, Richards, Carter and Hartnell would lead the team past the hated Penguins, Rangers and Devils. Instead, Gagne and Briere have missed a ton of time to injures, there are rumors of Carter sleeping with Hartnell’s wife, Jon Stevens was fired and even the Islanders have a higher place in the standings.
Yet, for all of their problems the Flyers are not in all that bad shape. That’s right, even after going through a stretch of 14 losses in 17 games, the Flyers are right in the thick of the playoff chase, sitting just two points behind the Rangers. Getting on a hot streak shouldn’t be a problem for this group, as it has three streaks of at least three straight wins. The problem is avoiding losing streaks. There have been four cases where the team dropped at least three straight games.
To say Philadelphia fans can still envision a Stanley Cup this season sounds funny, but it is not all that out of the realm. Just two years ago the Penguins sat in 10th place in the Eastern Conference heading into the final half of the season before getting hot and advancing all the way to the finals where the succumbed to the Detroit Red Wings.
In every sport the favorites in the playoffs are the teams that enter the postseason a hot streak — but in hockey it seems to be more true than any of the others. It is a sport where it is not that rare for a No. 7 or No. 8 to knock off a No. 2 or No. 1., it seems all you really need is a team on a goal-scoring run with a red-hot goaltender.
Ray Emery is set to return later this week and Flyers fans can cling to the hope that he can find that fire. His talent is there, the consistency needs to follow.
This is not where the Flyers or their fans thought the team would be at the season’s midpoint. Fortunately there is another half of a season to go.
That means the team can still live up to their potential and win a Stanley Cup.
Or they can be the worst team in hockey.
Or they can be just another average team.
With this team, each seems as likely as the rest.
Major retooling needed at Wachovia center
The Flyers started the season strong, but since the week before Thanksgiving they have posted a 4-13-1 record and dropped to next to last in the entire Eastern Conference.
With nearly 50 games to go, it is too early to say their season and playoff hopes are over, but it is getting close. Tomorrow they play the Carolina Hurricanes, the only eastern team with a more pathetic record and a team the Flyers beat in their season opener. I think it is fair to say they need to beat this team. Consider it a late Christmas present. Combined with their last game, a 5-2 win over Tampa Bay, it will constitute a modest two game winning streak. Early in the year, one would have thought 2 in a row was no big deal, but after the last month plus of play, I have to say that 2 in a row will be a marked improvement.
No one seems to be able to put their finger on why this team went from being a potential contender to almost an also ran so quick. It seems like the transition occurred in a flash. The entire roster seemed to lose skill points, speed, and attitude overnight. The goaltending tandem of Brian Boucher and Ray Emery, has been average at best, and horrible at times with Emery’s GAA rising from 2.1 to 2.83 with his last game consisting of a shellacking by Washington when he allowed 5 goals on 17 shots in 31 minutes before being injured and replaced by Boucher.
Emery had lost 6 of 7 prior to that game and since his injury, his replacement has come in to lose 8 of the next 10. Although to be fair to Boucher, he had only one terrible game, against the Penguins on December 15th when he allowed 6 goals on 35 shots. The remainder of his losses are more directly the result of a team that is offensively flatlining. Normally when a goalie allows 3 goals or less through a fifteen start stretch, one would expect him to win more than 2 of those games. The Flyers just plain stink, on both sides of the ice. Something has got to give.
With the return of Simon Gagne the Flyers have to be hoping to generate some momentum, and one rumor has them resigning goalie Martin Biron. The problem there is that the Flyers likely can not afford his nearly 4 million dollar salary without making some other roster moves. And given that they are on pace to score a paltry 212 goals this season, a ludicrous figure given their lineup, it is uncertain whether spending that kind of money will really do much to resolve the situation anyway. Yes, Emery has been a washout so far, either due to injury or poor conditioning, or age, or loss of skills, but Boucher is a decent goalie, and without goal support is not going to win more than a dozen games the rest of the year.
With the exception of Mike Richards and his 15 goals, there is not a single Flyer in the top 40 in offensive categories including goals, assists, points, and plus/minus. If it were not for the Flyers power play, one feels they may have no offense at all ! So the bottom line is that more than just needing a goalie, the Flyers are in need of major reinforcements in nearly all aspects of their game right now. If they do not get them, they are in jeopardy of having a worse season than their 2005-2006 campaign when they only managed 22 wins and 56 points as they were never in contention.
Here is hoping they can pull out a win, gain some momentum, and have a positive trend heading into the new year. They really need to make the adjustments quick and get back to their winning ways if they are to have a chance at salvaging the season. At this point, achieving the playoffs will likely be the best they can manage and a trip deep into the playoffs is not a serious possibility in 2010. Unless they get a multitude of gifts from Santa and a whole new attitude going into next year.
Sewage leak fitting for stinky Flyers
You can’t make stuff like this up.
The Flyers had their Tuesday afternoon practice in Tampa Bay canceled because of sewage leak in the locker room.
It makes sense considering how much crap the Flyers have put forth over the last two months.
Once picked as the Stanley Cup Favorites, the Flyers have sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic – and for that matter the NHL. Only the Carolina Panthers have fewer points than the Flyers’ 32.
Things have been nothing short of awful. The team has lost 14 of its last 17 games and has scored just 18 goals in the 10 games since John Stevens was fired. Against the Panthers on Tuesday, Chris Pronger, who was signed to help keep pucks out of the net, was on the ice for all four Florida goals. The Flyers are not exactly getting their bang for the buck there.
The good news for the Orange and Black is that they are just seven points behind the Panthers for the 8th seed in the East and have three games in hand. The reality of the NHL is that home ice advantage means next-to nothing in the playoffs. It is all about going in on a hot streak with a hot goaltender.
The Flyers have plenty of time to turn things around. Getting Ray Emery back will help. Remembering how to score will help more.
Hopefully Wednesday’s incident got rid of all the backed up crap the Flyers have been laying out on the ice.
I’m tired of the stink.
John Stevens fired.
The Flyers fired John Stevens today. They started the season strong with the Ray Emery signing and had only 5 losses through their first 15 games, but have been in a near tailspin recently. after losing 6 of their last 7 games, the Flyers have gone from the team to beat, to barely average in the Atlantic.
Fan consensus has been that Stevens lost this team long ago and has been simply going through the motions. They have the top power play unit in the league but the penalty killing unit has been falling fast, from the top ten to a ranking of 18th in the league as of yesterday. It seems that when the refs call the penalty on the Broad Street Bullies it is a virtual given the opponents will score with the ensuing man advantage.
Emery has gone from being the man in goal, to being half of a two man defensive team with Boucher, with Stevens starting Boucher in goal 4 of the past 5 games. All but one of those games have resulted in losses and Boucher is now 2-4 in goal despite a fairly decent 2.19 Goals Against Average and a save percentage of .924. Emery, who was supposed to be the defensive solution to a Flyers team that could score, but lost too many games by allowing the easy goal, has become more of a part time player than the star attraction after a very strong start.
The Flyers have dropped to a last place tie in the Atlantic Division and have at best a couple weeks to turn their season around before they find themselves fighting for a playoff spot. Two weeks ago they were being viewed as the potential best team in the division.
No word yet on who will be Stevens replacement, but the one thing that is certain is that unrest and unease are the predominant feelings in Philly tonight.
The Executioner claims another victim
Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins extended his career record to 50-5-1 with a unanimous decision against Enrique Ornelas Wednesday night. In a surprise upset, Australian Danny Green stopped Roy Jones Jr. early in the first round in Australia, thereby preventing the expected rematch between the Philadelphia native and the man who delivered the most telling defeat of his long career.
Roy Jones Jr is now 54-6 and, at 40, may retire after earning 8 titles in his 20 year career. The veteran had been slated to fight Hopkins sometime next year pending the successful conclusion of the fight against Green, intended as a warmup for the long awaited rematch.
Meanwhile, “The Executioner” left no doubt he has gas left in his tank as he dominated the younger challenger throughout, actually appearing stronger late in the 12th round than in earlier rounds. He dominated the middle rounds, staggering his younger opponent several times in the fifth and sixth rounds. It seems probable he would have knocked Ornelas out if the 12th round had gone much longer, or if he had started his final flurry 30 seconds earlier as Enrique was all but out on his feet when the bout ended. As it was, the unanimous decision showed him ahead by at least 8 points on all three judges scorecards. “This is what happens when you take care of your body when you’re young in the brutal sport,” Hopkins said. “I invested in myself like you invest in money in the bank.”
Hopkins was introduced to a roaring crowd as the pride and joy of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Eagles quarterback Michael Vick and Flyers goalie Ray Emery who has Hopkins painted on his helmet, were among the 6,662 fans cheering on Hopkins
Based on the Roy Jones loss, Hopkins may next challenge WBA heavyweight champion David Haye for his biggest bout of 2010, a year in which he will turn 45 in January. Hopkins, who once had a ten year prefect reign as middleweight champion, claimed “I’m going to be a problem next year” and re asserted his intentions to become heavyweight champion in 2010.
“The Executioner” will certainly shake things up in the boxing world next year. His last hiatus was one of 14 months, and he well could have three matches including the one this week in the newxt 14months before retiring as champion.
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