Wayne Simmonds

HAPPY BIRTHDAY on Monday to Ukee Washington, who'll wake up with the city (or, as he says, his "morning family") by celebrating his 54th on "Eyewitness News This Morning. " The West Philly-born news vet's been at Channel 3 since 1986, first as a sports anchor, now as the anchorman for both "This Morning" and "Talk Philly. " (You can also catch him on the CW.) Recently recovered from a left-hip replacement, Washington has a big year ahead of him, starting with a few more squats and lots more fabulous Fridays.

Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds missed Saturday's game against Carolina because of a concussion suffered when he was elbowed by John Erskine during Friday's 3-2 loss in Washington, general manager Paul Holmgren confirmed. Simmonds, who missed the last two-plus periods against the Capitals, will be reevaluated Sunday, Holmgren said, adding that Simmonds has head and neck injuries. "It's disappointing," coach Peter Laviolette said before the game. "We certainly can use him in the lineup right now with his ability to score, and his physical presence.

WAYNE Simmonds did not flinch. Even in the middle of tenuous labor negotiations between the NHL and its players' association, Simmonds said he did not need to think long when Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren dangled a 6-year contract extension. "Just to be a part of the Flyers organization for a substantial amount of time," Simmonds said, "I jumped on it. " Simmonds jumped into Philadelphia's hockey scene headfirst last season, producing new career-highs in goals (28) and points (49)

DETROIT - The Flyers are rallying around teammate Wayne Simmonds, the right winger at the center of an apparent racial incident during Thursday night's exhibition game in London, Ontario. Simmonds, 23, one of the few black players in the NHL, had a banana thrown at him from the stands as he went in on a breakaway to start the shootout against Detroit. Simmonds scored, but the Flyers lost the game, 4-3. Simmonds said after the game - and again on Friday after the morning skate in Detroit - that he wants to move past the incident and not rehash it anymore.

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes, underachieving teams that have tumbled out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, played a meaningless game Saturday night at PNC Arena. But don't tell that to Wayne Simmonds. The 24-year-old right winger scored his first career hat trick, sparking the Flyers to a 5-3 victory over the Hurricanes at PNC Arena. Simmonds had such a good night that even when he blocked a shot it led to a Flyers goal. He finished with a career-high four points.

Most of the attention has been on former Flyers captain Mike Richards' return to the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday night with the Los Angeles Kings. But another player who will be on the ice was a big part of the blockbuster summer trade: hard-nosed Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds. Acquired from the Kings with Brayden Schenn and a No. 2 pick in 2012, Simmonds will face his former teammates for the first time. "It's my old team, and I have a little bit to prove, but I think it's more that we have to focus on our team game," Simmonds said after Friday's practice in Voorhees.

DENVER - The Flyers' five-game road winning streak was snapped Monday night, but they used some late theatrics to salvage a point at the Pepsi Center. Colorado escaped with a 3-2 shootout win, scoring on all three shots against Ilya Bryzgalov after the overtime. "I hate shootouts," Bryzgalov said after the Avs' sixth straight home win. Danny Briere and James van Riemsdyk scored in the shootout, but Matt Read's shot hit the crossbar. Ryan O'Reilly had the game-winner in the shootout.

Here is staff writer Sam Carchidi's key to the game:   For the Flyers, containing the Jordan Staal line - which has been more effective than the heralded Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby units - and getting better production from Danny Briere and his linemates. Briere, Brayden Schenn, and Wayne Simmonds are a combined minus-16 in the last two games.

  Coach Peter Laviolette's attacking system didn't work for the Flyers this season. The fact is, opponents had the better scoring chances, had many more odd-man rushes, and had goalie Ilya Bryzgalov's head on a swivel as he watched teams cycle the puck around him. Do not be misled by the shots-on-goal figures that show the Flyers averaged 29 shots per game (15th in the 30-team NHL) and allowed 28.6 (tied for 12th). A majority of the Flyers' shots came from outside, while many of their opponents' attempts came on three-on-twos, two-on-ones, and breakaways.

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes, underachieving teams that have tumbled out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, played a meaningless game Saturday night at PNC Arena. But don't tell that to Wayne Simmonds. The 24-year-old right winger scored his first career hat trick, sparking the Flyers to a 5-3 victory over the Hurricanes at PNC Arena. Simmonds had such a good night that even when he blocked a shot it led to a Flyers goal. He finished with a career-high four points.

IF THE FLYERS are going to avoid watching the Stanley Cup playoffs go on without them for only the second time since 1995, they will do so with Peter Laviolette coaching mostly the same crop of players. Despite swirling rumors and speculation, Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said Thursday he has not given any consideration toward firing Laviolette. "I haven't even thought about it," Holmgren said. "It hasn't even entered my mind. Right now, I think our team needs to play better.

NEW YORK - Wayne Simmonds said when he thinks of Flyers-Rangers, he thinks of "tight-checking," close, low-scoring hockey games. Not wide-open, free-for-alls with clear breaks toward the Flyers' crease. Through a series of defensive blunders, that's exactly what Ilya Bryzgalov faced on Tuesday night, as the Flyers kicked off their most important week of the season with a 4-2 loss at Madison Square Garden. Not a single one of the Rangers' goals came through a deflection, screen or pile of bodies.

ONE GAGGLE of cameras and audio recorders surrounded Wayne Simmonds. Another was quickly forming around Danny Briere. Brayden Schenn kept his head down and walked toward his stall in the corner of the Flyers' dressing room, distanced from the bright lights and eager microphones. Schenn, 21, entered Monday's action tied for 29th in NHL scoring with 19 points - ahead of such bigger names as Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Ilya Kovalchuk, Alex Ovechkin and even Simmonds. Yet no player ahead of him on that list - especially no Flyer - has received less attention and fanfare this season.

The Flyers are officially a mediocre team. After failing in six previous attempts to reach .500, they defeated the Ottawa Senators, 2-1, and evened their record at 11-11-1 in front of a sellout crowd Saturday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center. Ilya Bryzgalov made 33 saves and notched his 200th career win, and Jake Voracek and Wayne Simmonds each scored their ninth goals, tops on the team, as the Flyers outlasted the Senators and finally got to the top of Mount Mediocrity. "Obviously, we've been fighting to get to .500 now for a long time, and we can't stop now. We've just got to keep going ahead," Simmonds said.

For the first time this season, the Flyers won when they didn't have a lead heading into the third period. Winger Wayne Simmonds completed his second Gordie Howe hat trick - a goal, assist, and fight - in the last three games as he scored on the power play with 11 minutes, 3 seconds left, keying the Flyers' 5-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center. Skating by the crease, Simmonds took a slick backhand pass from Brayden Schenn (two goals) and rammed in his seventh goal of the season.

PITTSBURGH - If you didn't know better, you would have sworn you were watching a continuation of last year's wild, no-defense playoff matchup between the Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night. There were fights, there were mad scrambles in front of the net - one in which the Flyers scored on their sixth  shot from around the crease - and there were goals galore. The Flyers overcame an early, two-goal deficit and another injury, getting a hat trick from Jake Voracek as they rallied past the Penguins, 6-5, at the electric Consol Energy Center.

NEWARK, N.J. - Ever since Matt Cooke's errant skate tore through 70 percent of Ottawa star Erik Karlsson's Achilles' tendon on Wednesday night on national television, there has been a buzz in the Flyers' locker room. No, there isn't any chatter about Cooke's intent or culpability in the hockey play, since almost every player agrees that even if he wanted to, Cooke would have a hard driving driving his skate blade into Karlsson's boot. Instead, the Flyers are looking to do anything they can to prevent a similar crippling injury.