Eric Wellwood

Rookie Scott Laughton is sticking with the Flyers. As expected, the Flyers kept Laughton - the team's first-round pick last June - on their Opening Day 23-man, thanks to extra roster space provided by Danny Briere's wrist injury. According to reports, Laughton will be one of 10 junior players to make the Opening Day cut. Seven other underage players were sent back to their junior teams earlier in the week. "With Danny's situation being as it is, it just gives us a few days to give him a bit longer look," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said.

Matt Read is making an impact in his first NHL training camp. Fact is, the 25-year-old rookie forward has played so well that it would be surprising if he didn't make the Flyers. Displaying great speed and being strong on the puck, Read has resembled the player who was so effective in a brief AHL stint late last season, when he had seven goals and six assists in 11 games with the Adirondack Phantoms. That look-see, Read said, helped prepare him for camp. "With those 11 games, I had to learn and adjust to the speed of the game," he said.

Publicly, the Flyers brass is all smiles about their work so far this summer. But we wonder if they must feel like parents who have walked several blocks to an Ocean City beach, dragging an umbrella and chairs, three young kids, a well-stocked cooler, and all the essential toys - only to realize they left their beach tags at the house. In other words, it's been a frustrating week in Flyerdom, especially for the fans. But the Flyers aren't fazed by the fact they failed to hit a home run in free agency.

Danny Briere was sworn to secrecy by Flyers coach Peter Laviolette and general manager Paul Holmgren, but even he could not hide his optimism for a somewhat surprising return for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against Pittsburgh. Citing what he called a "big change" in his health since last week, Briere skated with Brayden Schenn and Jakub Voracek in practice Monday. Officially, Briere is listed as "out indefinitely" with an upper-back bruise, though he wasn't limited to a non-contact jersey in what appeared to be a normal practice.

Their best defensemen, Chris Pronger, was at home with a concussion that has threatened his Hall of Fame career. Their all-star defenseman, Kimmo Timonen, was nursing a sore back. Their recently acquired 6-foot-4, 258-pound defenseman, Pavel Kubin, was out of the lineup with an unspecified injury. Oh, and the player who was named the team's top defenseman last season, Andrej Meszaros, was sidelined with what is believed to be a groin injury. But the Flyers, with a patchwork defense, persevered.

UNIONDALE, N.Y. - There is an old cliche in hockey: the team's best penalty killer is always the goaltender. For much of this season, that hasn't been the case for the Flyers. Whether it was the result of a breakdown in coverage or a simple rebound that landed on the stick of the opponent, neither Ilya Bryzgalov nor Sergei Bobrovsky could make the key save to get the unit off the ice unscathed. The Flyers entered last night's win against the Islanders ranked 18th in penalty killing.

PITTSBURGH - Rookie defenseman Marc-Andre Bourdon shaved his face with soap and a razor for the first time in nearly three years Tuesday morning. Bourdon's scruffy growth is usually thicker than his French Canadian accent. After all, this is the season of the playoff beard - an annual rite of passage for the 320 or so players who qualify for a chance to compete for Lord Stanley's silver chalice. For Bourdon, who was in the AHL less than two weeks ago, the shave was an unexpected first-time experience.

WASHINGTON - Minus two key defensemen, the Flyers were still a "plus" on Sunday night, defeating the Washington Capitals, 1-0, at the red-clad Verizon Center, and putting together their first winning streak in nearly two months. Credit a revived Ilya Bryzgalov, who was outstanding in the nets. Credit young left winger Eric Wellwood, who scored his second NHL goal after being recalled from the AHL's Phantoms the previous day. Credit coach Peter Laviolette, who has a knack for getting the Flyers to respond after a timeout.

DANNY BRIERE was sworn to secrecy by Peter Laviolette and Paul Holmgren, but even he could not hide his optimism for a somewhat surprising return for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Penguins. Citing what he called a "big change" in his health since last week, Briere skated with Brayden Schenn and Jake Voracek in practice on Monday. Officially, Briere is still listed as "out indefinitely" with an upper-back contusion, though he wasn't limited to a non-contact jersey in what appeared to be a normal practice.

After the 113-day NHL lockout ended in the wee hours Sunday morning, some fans suggested that Scot Beckenbaugh - the federal mediator who steered both sides to an agreement during a 16-hour meeting - should replace the league's commissioner, Gary Bettman, as the person who hands the Stanley Cup to the winning captain this June. Beckenbaugh will live in NHL lore, while Bettman and union boss Donald Fehr will forever be cast as villains because of the way they seemingly took the fans for granted during a laborious, contentious process that alienated millions.