More rain is undoubtedly on the way, with Hurricane Irene set to pass through the Delaware Valley this weekend. Somehow, Rittenhouse Square - where Bryzgalov has been staying - reminds him of home. Perhaps, it resembles Moscow's Red Square?
"It's a beautiful park there," Bryzgalov said. "The people have been very friendly. There are lots of good restaurants right there. I like it a lot here."
Bryzgalov, 31, already promises to be one of the most entertaining voices in the Flyers' suddenly different locker room. You never know what might come out of his mouth. At one point, when putting on his Flyers jersey for the first time in front of cameras, he coughed and said, "I've got to stop smoking!" Yet he is known for abstaining from alcohol, which he professes on his Twitter feed.
Nonetheless, Bryzgalov said his teammates and the Flyers organization have been much more welcoming than the weather.
He has skated in a few on-ice sessions with the likes of Danny Briere, Kimmo Timonen and new Flyer Max Talbot. One of Bryzgalov's old teammates from Anaheim, Chris Pronger, has been lingering around the Skate Zone as he continues his rehab from offseason back and hand surgeries.
"I see lots of talent in the guys, lots of talent and lots of passion to play hockey and to win," Bryzgalov said at his introductory press conference yesterday. "It's a team with a rich history. The team has always had the highest goal in front of them: to win the Stanley Cup. That's what it's all about: winning. That's all that matters."
Bryzgalov said he is willing to play as much in the Flyers' net as he is asked by coach Peter Laviolette. He has not played in fewer than 65 games in any of the last three seasons, all spent in Phoenix.
