Wayne Simmonds

DALLAS - Some fans were calling Claude Giroux's quick return from a concussion a "Christmas miracle," and that was before the Flyers' shifty center collected a goal and three assists against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night. Giroux's theatrical return spurred the Flyers to an entertaining, 4-1 win over the Stars at the American Airlines Center, a victory that included some extracurricular activity between fiery coach Peter Laviolette and Dallas center Steve Ott. "It was like old times," right winger Jaromir Jagr said, referring to having Giroux as his linemate.

The Flyers have continued a season-long trend by winning games and losing players. Despite seeing Claude Giroux depart late in the second period due to a head injury and goalie Ilya Bryzgalov leave with 13:01 left in the game, the Flyers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-2, Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers lead the Eastern Conference with an 18-7-3 record (39 points). Giroux was hurt late in the second period when he was inadvertently kneed in the head by teammate Wayne Simmonds.

EDMONTON - With sweat and a sense of desperation dripping off the Flyers' concerned faces, three players nearly simultaneously slammed their sticks into the boards in frustration as they left the ice last night. This time, there were no late-game heroics. You can go to that well only so many times. And the Flyers already did that in Winnipeg on Tuesday night, when they salvaged an overtime win after Wayne Simmonds' tally tied the game with 9.7 seconds left in the third period.

WITH TIME winding down and the game out of reach, Sean Couturier poked at the puck near the boards and twirled to skate toward the Flyers bench for a line change. He didn't make it back to the bench without the help of a trainer, as Penguins forward James Neal flattened the Flyers' high-flying rookie with a blindside hit. "The puck wasn't even close, nowhere close," Jaromir Jagr said. "I thought it was kind of a dirty play. " Somehow, the Flyers made it through Game 3 relatively unscathed.

DALLAS - Some fans were calling Claude Giroux's quick return from a concussion a "Christmas miracle," and that was before the Flyers' shifty center collected a goal and three assists against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night. Giroux's theatrical return spurred the Flyers to an entertaining 4-1 win over the Stars at the American Airlines Center, a victory that included some extracurricular activity between fiery coach Peter Laviolette and Dallas center Steve Ott. Just 81/2 minutes into the game, Giroux scored after Jaromir Jagr's shot deflected to him out front.

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.

WHEN Lauren Hart was belting out the lyrics to the "The Star-Spangled Banner" just minutes before the opening faceoff, the last of 25 stitches was being sewn into the lips of Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds. In the next room, the Flyers' equipment managers were scrambling to add a full facial shield to his helmet. It was a night that didn't start as envisioned by Simmonds - or the Flyers. In pregame warmups, Simmonds was the unlucky recipient of a puck that ricocheted off the crossbar.

EDMONTON - This time, there were no late-game heroics. There are only so many times you can go to that well. And the Flyers already did that in Winnipeg on Tuesday night, when they salvaged an overtime win after Wayne Simmonds' tally tied the game with 9.7 seconds left in the third period. Last night, the Flyers pounded 15 shots toward the Edmonton net in the third period while allowing just five chances at the other end of the ice. The effort was too little, too late.

Right winger Wayne Simmonds, one of the NHL's few black players, is deeply proud of his race, but he says he wants to be respected because of what he does on the ice - not the color of his skin. Four months into his first season with the Flyers, not only has he gained respect, but he has also developed into one of the team's most popular players. Flyers fans, you see, are enamored of guys who play with an edge, and Simmonds fits that description perfectly. He is an old-school grinder and, at the same time, one of the Flyers' fastest skaters.

LAST TUESDAY, when Peter Laviolette's eyes finally hurt too much from hours of video to stay open any longer, he climbed into the bed in his Pittsburgh hotel room and turned off the light. That night - and every successive night - the final thought was probably not about the glory of the Stanley Cup or nuance of a particular play. Like a worried parent, the lasting image is usually the worst-case scenario. The brooding, bloody knuckles and broken bones were a given. But through all of Laviolette's game-planning and preparation, never once was the possibility of sweeping the juggernaut Pittsburgh Penguins even a thought.