Red-Hot Flyers Get Just 1 All-Star

The Flyers are red hot -- sitting atop the Eastern Conference with 59 points after taking care of the Sabres with a 5-2 victory Tuesday night.

The Orange and Black have won four straight, put up an amazing 14-4-3 road record and gone an impressive 7-3-0 over their past 10 games but they aren’t getting much attention from the NHL it seems.

Only one Fly Guy is headed to Raleigh for the NHL All-Star Game at the end of the month.

Winger Claude Giroux’s 36 points in 41 games did enough to earn him an All-Star nod.

The soon to be 23-year-old was grateful for the recognition:

"Obviously, it is pretty exciting and should be a really good experience,” Giroux said. “I really don't know what to say. I never thought I'd be able to accomplish this but it is exciting."

But plenty of other Fly Guys including captain Mike Richards -- leads the team with 37 points -- and center Danny Briere -- sixth in the NHL with a team-high 21 goals -- have All-Star worthy stats.

But only Giroux got in likely because the Flyers generally lack star power of teams like the Penguins and Blackhawks.

And to make the snubs sting even more a terrible team like the last-in-the-west Edmonton Oilers (33 points) got three players on the team.

Despite the snubs, the Orange and Black are impressing just about everyone with their winning ways: Just ask ESPN who had nothing but praise for the Flyers while handing out midseason grades:

Summary: The Flyers are without question the cream of the crop in the Eastern Conference. Even without veteran defenseman Chris Pronger, who should return from injury in the near future, the Flyers haven't missed a beat. They have great balance up front and steady netminding from Renaissance man Brian Boucher. Fewest road losses in the NHL also illustrate the team's maturity. Grade: A-plus. Trending: Up.

Maybe the All-Star snubs including defender Andrej Meszaros -- an amazing NHL-best plus-25 -- and goalie Brian Boucher -- fifth in the NHL with a 2.23 goals against average -- will put a chip on the Flyers’ collective shoulders.

And at worst the snubs at worse give most of the Flyers a chance to relax and retool over the All-Star break.

Oh yeah and Pronger is coming back soon.


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