Matt Carle has found a home in Tampa Bay ... again.  The former Flyers defenseman is back at the Bay for his second career stint, and after the Lightning's 5-1 blowout of his old team Sunday night, Carle looked fit and acted happy with his place with the his new/old team, the Lightning.
That's as it should be, of course ... as Carle got the Lightning to agree to bring him in with a six-year deal paying him better than $5 million per.
What Flyers fans want to know, of course, is whether Carle chose Tampa over re-signing with the Flyers because GM Paul Holmgren and Company perhaps dragged their feet with trying to get him to stay while they pursued Nashville free agent Ryan Suter.
"No," Carle said after a pause. "I played a lot. I had a good relationship with all the guys and the coaching staff. I think in the end things just didn’t work out. There’s nobody to blame for that."
Carle called hockey "a business at times," and said he was just treating it that way when he signed with the Lightning.
He also called the free agent process "weird."
But you get the feeling Carle followed his preferred business plan all along. Clearly, he likes it in Tampa, and thought the Lightning had turned the roster to the point of once again being a contender.
In the early going, they certainly look like one.

As feared, Scott Hartnell's injury is as bad as it could be. GM Paul Holmgren just announced Hartnell has a fracture of his first metatarsal bone in his left foot, and preliminary indications are that Hartnell will miss anywhere from four to eight weeks.

Surgery is still a possibility, which would impact the length of Hartnell's absence.

Holmgren said he would be looking to make a possible trade to replace Hartnell, who was the Flyers' leading goal scorer last season and was a fixture on the top line with Claude Giroux. More to come.

Just a couple of late short-takes from another Flyers loss in Newark, this one by 3-0 Tuesday night, the fifth straight Flyers loss to the Devils (you remember those other four, don't you?).
Mar-tan Brodeur posted his 658th career victory, 120th career shutout ... and 10th blanking of the Flyers in his illustrious 20-year career. But you know, he has to have a little fun doing it.
Brodeur's Devils so frustrated the Flyers in the latter stages of the game that at one point, Wayne Simmonds tried to light a little spark for his team - by stick-shoving Marty.
Brodeur's subsequent fall to the ice would match the best pratfall that Kramer from Seinfeld or even Chevy Chase (hey, Brodeur's old enough to remember him, isn't he?) ever mustered.
Best goalie actor award goes to...
"He's played well," Simmonds said in low key response mode. "I didn't hit him too hard. I just kind of gave him a little push and he over-exagerated."
Asked if Brodeur's vast experience has only helped him develop his gifts of embellishment, Simmonds said, "He's one of the best goalies to ever play. I think he can do whatever he wants in this league."
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One of the best players on the ice didn't play like it Tuesday night. At the least, Claude Giroux didn't look like himself as the game wore on and the Flyers' nerves wore away.
Where you could really see that was in the way the Flyers reacted with their frustrations. After Simmonds "crashed" Brodeur, he was jumped, and was given a goalie interference and double minor for roughing at 12:50 of the second. That done, the Flyers boiled over. About three minutes later, their bench was cited for "abuse of officials." Then 6:49 into the third, Giroux was called for "abuse of officials." He followed that up with a slashing call at 12:24 of the third as the Flyers slipped into dysfunction mode.
Don't think the coach could have been too happy about that.
"It gets a little bit frustrating at times," Peter Laviolette said. "We found ourselves down 3-0, and frustration set in at a lot of different levels."
As for all the fisticuffing in the third, Simmonds added, "We're 0-3 and we're down 3-nothing. I think you have to expect stuff like that."
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One weird little numerical note: Sean Couturier has been on for 9 of the Flyers' 11 goals allowed through these first three games. And I don't think he playing that badly.

It took only two games for Brayden Schenn to be removed from the Flyers' top line, but the 20-year-old forward shouldn't take it personally.
Schenn, who played in Adirondack while NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and players union chief Donald Fehr played with the league's future, had clicked with fellow physical and skilled forward Tye McGinn on a line with the Phantoms.
With McGinn called up to replace the injured Zac Rinaldo for tonight's game against the New Jersey Devils in Newark, coach Peter Laviolette thought it best to give those young guys another shot at playing together.
You know, against the defending Eastern Conference champions.
"I think he's a little bit nervous," Schenn said of McGinn. "But that's going to happen. He’s a second-year pro. I know he’s excited, I’m excited for him. I’m sure he will do well."
McGinn talked of the nice chemistry he enjoyed with Schenn in the AHL this season.
"It was great," said McGinn. "Playing with all those guys ... Rinaldo, (Sean) Couturier (too) ... it brings friendships together on and off the ice. It helps out a lot for me.
I was mostly with Schenn. I know what he likes to do, hopefully he knows what I like to do and hopefully we can contribute."
That hope is shared, as the Flyers don't want to fall to 0-3, though the schedule makers couldn't have picked a more difficult place for them to play in that circumstance. Oh, and the Rangers are in Philly Thursday.
For tonight's game, Laviolette has made several line switches to try to get the offense working.
"We talked about it," Laviolette said. "When you find yourself not getting the results you want, the urgency level goes up. So I think that’s where we’re at."
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Defenseman Kurtis Foster was held out of the morning skate today in Newark, leading to speculation of an injury. But club officials said he was on "a maintainence day." You'll see a lot of that in a 48-game season.

By the time the Flyers hold a special thank you practice session for the fans - yes, we're still talkin' 'bout practice - before what's looking to be a very big crowd at Wells Fargo Center Thursday night, the deed should be done. Claude Giroux should finally have been named the Flyers' captain.
“It’s a decision they have to think about,” Giroux said last week. “It’s a big move, but at the same time it doesn’t really matter whether you have a ‘C’ or an ‘A’ or nothing on your jersey. If you lead by example or you’re comfortable enough to speak in a (locker) room, you don’t need a letter on your jersey to do that.
“It’s a big responsibility, but it’s an honor at the same time. Even if I don’t have the (captain’s) letter, I’m still going to be the same player on or off the ice."
Clearly the club's best leader down the stretch and through the playoffs last year, Giroux probably didn't want a "C" stitched to his jersey while current captain Chris Pronger was still sidelined with post-concussion syndrome stemming from a hit the prior November.
That has officially changed this week, as Pronger came to the Flyers' short training camp from his St. Louis home ostensibly to work with some of the defensemen in the video room - which he's done, by the way. But Pronger also had to be evaluated by Flyers doctors so that he could be classified as a long-term injury list resident. He'll still be paid, but the Flyers will thus get relief against the salary cap.
For the first time since he was hurt, talk of Pronger likely never playing again has been addressed by team officials, and by his brother Sean in an interview chat on Deadspin the other day. It's been no secret, it's just becoming an accepted formality.
There is talk that somewhere down the road - just as with what happened with Ian Laperriere - that Pronger's status after his time on the LTI list would be one of team employee. At this stage, that's still speculative. But more immediately, there is the presumed pomp and circumstance to Giroux's captaincy crowning.
He likely will be introduced to all those Flyers fans Thursday night as the team's new captain. The appointment itself could happen in a quieter, locker room venue sooner than that, perhaps as early as Tuesday.
Either way, it will be interesting to see if Pronger takes part in any team party, whether in front of a building full of fans or not.

Here's a Sunday morning update to Saturday night's blog on the 14-hour study session the NHL and its players union did on the so-called "Memorandum of Understanding" that served as a Cliff Notes version of the CBA, and when approved late Saturday night by both parties officially ended the lockout.
The update is how the Flyers have responded to it ... they started their opening to "training camp" by announcing they've traded with Carolina to bring back good guy goalie Brian Boucher for the 100th time...
Dateline, Voorhees, N.J. ... even though I'm not there yet - The Flyers open a six-day training camp this Sunday with the news that GM Paul Holmgren has been keeping busy. Holmgren allowed the team to announce what had already been agreed to ... that he'd signed free agent defenseman Kurtis Foster, as the Daily Times first reported Thursday night.
Foster is coming off a fractured collarbone he'd suffered while playing in Finland during the lockout. He apparently is recovered from that and ready to jump right in, though you wonder with his limited mobility where he'll fit in with this defensive alignment.
He will make a difference on the power play, as the Flyers need his right-handed gun from the point there.
A more surprising - though it shouldn't be - move by Holmgren was the acquisition of Boucher, who is back for the fourth (one was minor league only) Philly stint. This can't make Michael Leighton happy, after he signed up as backup to Ilya Bryzgalov, but now finds a name that he competed with over and over in 2009-10 back behind or with him. Boucher's acquisition is likely for AHL depth, however ... or, might be part of another trade coming.
This is only the start of resumption of NHL business for Holmgren, so check back to this blog for updates throughout the day, including the expected reacquisitions of Ray Emery and Antero Niittymaki.
As for that NHL schedule ... apparently, there won't be any more than the 16 last-minute changes they made to it now.
If you saw it on delcotimes.com or in our Saturday print version of the Daily Times, we had the entire schedule Friday night, complete with starting times, though it hadn't been officially released.
After a quick review of the released schedule, we note just two discrepancies from what we had Friday night. The starting times for two games in April are changed. Instead of a 2 p.m. start it'll be 3 p.m. (Eastern time) April 6 out in Winnipeg. And instead of a 7 o'clock start in Buffalo April 13, it'll be a 3 p.m. game then too.
Yes, NBC loves the Flyers. Right now. But if they don't get off to a quick start, those changed afternoon times might be for a local audience only.
Anyway, here once again, is the entire schedule. Yes, all 48 games of it...
Sat. Jan. 19 Pittsburgh 3
Sun. Jan. 20 @ Buffalo 12:30
Tue., Jan. 22 @ N.J. 7:30
Thu., Jan. 24 N.Y. RANGERS 7
Sat. Jan. 26 @ Florida 7:30
Sun. Jan. 27 @ Tampa 6
Tue. Jan. 29 @ N.Y. Rangers 7
Fri. Feb. 1 @ Washington 7
Sat. Feb. 2 Carolina 7
Tue. Feb. 5 Tampa 7:30
Thu. Feb. 7 Florida 7
Sat. Feb. 9 Carolina 1
Mon. Feb. 11 @ Toronto 7
Tue. Feb. 12 @ Winnipeg 7
Fri. Feb. 15 @ N.J. 7
Sat. Feb. 16 @ Montreal 7
Mon. Feb. 18 @ N.Y. Islanders 1
Wed. Feb. 20 @ Pittsburgh 7:30
Thu. Feb. 21 Florida 7
Sat. Feb. 23 Winnipeg 1
Mon. Feb. 25 Toronto 7
Wed. Feb. 27 Washington 7:30
Sat. March 2 Ottawa 12
Tue. March 5 @ N.Y. Rangers 7:30
Thu. March 7 Pittsburgh 7
Sat. March 9 @ Boston 1
Sun. March 10 Buffalo 7:30
Wed. March 13 @ N.J. 7:30
Fri. March 15 N.J. 7
Mon. March 18 @ Tampa 7:30
Sun. March 24 @ Pittsburgh 7
Tue. March 26 N.Y. Rangers 7:30
Thu. March 28 N.Y. Islanders 7
Sat. March 30 Boston 1
Sun. March 31 Washington 7:30
Wed. April 3 Montreal 7:30
Thu. April 4 @ Toronto 7
Sat. April 6 @ Winnipeg 3
Tue. April 9 @ N.Y. Islanders 7
Thu. April 11 Ottawa 7
Sat. April 13 @ Buffalo 3
Mon. April 15 @ Montreal 7:30
Tue. April 16 N.Y. Rangers 7:30
Thu. April 18 N.J. 7:30
Sat. April 20 @ Carolina 7
Tue. April 23 Boston 7:30
Thu. April 25 N.Y. Islanders 7
Sat. April 27 @ Ottawa 7

It only took them ALL DAY LONG to review the so-called Memorandum(b) of Understanding today, but at just before 10:30 on this Saturday night, the NHL and NHLPA finally signed off on this shortened form of a collective bargaining agreement, allowing business as usual to return for the league.

Immediately, and finally, teams announced rosters, training camp starting times and their official league schedules. For the Flyers, it also means GM Paul Holmgren can make official what has already essentially been agreed to - the signing of unrestricted free agent Kurtis Foster.

As for the long-awaited shortened schedule, if you saw it on delcotimes.com or in our Saturday print version of the Daily Times, we had the entire schedule Friday night, complete with starting times, though it hadn't been officially released.

After a quick review of the released schedule, we note just two discrepancies from what we had Friday night. The starting times for two games in April are changed. Instead of a 2 p.m. start it'll be 3 p.m. (Eastern time) April 6 out in Winnipeg. And instead of a 7 o'clock start in Buffalo April 13, it'll be a 3 p.m. game then too.

Yes, NBC loves the Flyers. Right now. But if they don't get off to a quick start, those changed afternoon times might be for a local audience only.

Anyway, here once again, is the entire schedule. Yes, all 48 games of it...

Sat. Jan. 19 Pittsburgh 3

Sun. Jan. 20 @ Buffalo 12:30

Tue., Jan. 22 @ N.J. 7:30

Thu., Jan. 24 N.Y. RANGERS 7

Sat. Jan. 26 @ Florida 7:30

Sun. Jan. 27 @ Tampa 6

Tue. Jan. 29 @ N.Y. Rangers 7

Fri. Feb. 1 @ Washington 7

Sat. Feb. 2 Carolina 7

Tue. Feb. 5 Tampa 7:30

Thu. Feb. 7 Florida 7

Sat. Feb. 9 Carolina 1

Mon. Feb. 11 @ Toronto 7

Tue. Feb. 12 @ Winnipeg 7

Fri. Feb. 15 @ N.J. 7

Sat. Feb. 16 @ Montreal 7

Mon. Feb. 18 @ N.Y. Islanders 1

Wed. Feb. 20 @ Pittsburgh 7:30

Thu. Feb. 21 Florida 7

Sat. Feb. 23 Winnipeg 1

Mon. Feb. 25 Toronto 7

Wed. Feb. 27 Washington 7:30

Sat. March 2 Ottawa 12

Tue. March 5 @ N.Y. Rangers 7:30

Thu. March 7 Pittsburgh 7

Sat. March 9 @ Boston 1

Sun. March 10 Buffalo 7:30

Wed. March 13 @ N.J. 7:30

Fri. March 15 N.J. 7

Mon. March 18 @ Tampa 7:30

Sun. March 24 @ Pittsburgh 7

Tue. March 26 N.Y. Rangers 7:30

Thu. March 28 N.Y. Islanders 7

Sat. March 30 Boston 1

Sun. March 31 Washington 7:30

Wed. April 3 Montreal 7:30

Thu. April 4 @ Toronto 7

Sat. April 6 @ Winnipeg 3

Tue. April 9 @ N.Y. Islanders 7

Thu. April 11 Ottawa 7

Sat. April 13 @ Buffalo 3

Mon. April 15 @ Montreal 7:30

Tue. April 16 N.Y. Rangers 7:30

Thu. April 18 N.J. 7:30

Sat. April 20 @ Carolina 7

Tue. April 23 Boston 7:30

Thu. April 25 N.Y. Islanders 7

Sat. April 27 @ Ottawa 7

Hey, the NHL is ready to play, and it only took 113 days to realize it.
The league's long, national nightmare - a lockout of its players that lasted 113 days and burned away more than half the season schedule plus two of its marquee, revenue producing events - finally came to an end about 5 o'clock this morning.
It was then after a negotiating session of some 16 hours that commissioner Gary Bettman and union chief Donald Fehr proclaimed a truce. A basic framework of a deal was agreed upon that should see the NHL play either a 48- or 50-game sprint of a season.
"We've got to dot a lot of Is and cross a lot of Ts," Bettman said. "There's still a lot of work to be done, but the basic details of the agreement have been agreed upon."
Other details are being worked out, owners and players have to be briefed and things are left to be agreed upon. But it should result in a semi-season that either begins Jan. 15 (for 50 games) or Jan. 19 (for 48).
As for the Flyers, players are already making plans to return to the area. A formal training camp could start as soon as Wednesday.
Players who were biding their time and trying to stay sharp by playing in Europe have travel details to work out, or injuries to mend. That would include Danny Briere, who is recovering from a wrist injury suffered while playing in Germany. His Berlin hockey partner, Claude Giroux, has been home for weeks after getting clocked in a game but claimed it did not result in a concussion.
Giroux should be ready for the start of this "training camp," while Briere will likely be ready shortly after the shortened season starts.
Flyers president Peter Luukko released a statement that essentially thanked the fans for their "tremendous patience and support during this process."
Apparently, Bettman's ongoing gag order rules prevent any team official from saying anything more, pending ratification votes.
General manager Paul Holmgren did offer this quick statement via a text: "Great to be back!!!"