On the other end, Emery was bouncing from interview to interview, repeatedly peppered with questions about his exodus to Russia when the Senators bought out his contract after last season and cut him loose.
No one took a flier on him then. But that's why it's called a Flyer, right?
Heh, heh, heh.
The Flyers are no longer the gold, silver or bronze standard for on-ice success. But if you're looking for a second chance, this is the place to be. Most of the time - Alexandre Daigle, Billy Tibbetts, Steve Downie - it doesn't work out so well.
Hey, maybe this time will be different.
That's the roll of the dice here, underlined and perhaps bolstered by the low-risk, low-cost deal to which Emery has been signed. While saving several million in goalie costs, letting a low-maintenance, solid performer like Martin Biron go could really backfire if Emery isn't the "ideal fit on our team" that Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren called him yesterday.
At times over the last two seasons, Biron played as well as anyone in the league, and proved several times that he was capable of winning a playoff game by himself. But there was a telling juncture during yesterday's events in which Holmgren lauded Emery's competitiveness, likening the action in front of a net nowadays to an NFL line of scrimmage. And while Holm-gren quickly added he was not disappointed in Biron's play in that regard, it was clear he values Emery's edginess - as long as it doesn't spill over into his off-ice relationships.
