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head coach: Roger Neilson

roster: C - Eric Lindros, Chris Gratton, Dan Lacroix, Joel Otto, Mike Sillinger, Peter White. LW - John LeClair, Rod Brind'Amour, Colin Forbes, Dan Kordic, Shjon Podein. RW - Alexandre Daigle, Trent Klatt, Dainius Zubrus. D - Paul Coffey, Eric Desjardins, Chris Joseph, Dan McGillis, Luke Richardson, Kjell Samuelsson, Petr Svoboda, Chris Therien, Dave Babych. G - Ron Hextall, Sean Burke.

injuries: Eric Lindros, c (concussion - will return April 13 vs. Buffalo); Petr Svoboda, d (thumb, day-to-day); Joel Otto, c (flu, day-to-day); Daniel Lacroix, c (knee, indefinite).

transactions: April 3 - Paul Healey, rw, and Neil Little, g, returned to Philadelphia (AHL); April 2 - Neil Little, g, recalled from Philadelphia (AHL)...The National Hockey League suspended Dainius Zubrus, rw, two games and fined him $1,000 for a slashing incident against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday; April 1 - Neil Little, g, returned to Philadelphia (AHL); March 31 - Neil Little, g, recalled from Philadelphia (AHL); March 29 - Paul Healey, rw, recalled from Philadelphia (AHL); March 26 - John Druce, rw, recalled from Philadelphia (AHL); March 24 - Acquired defenseman Dan McGillis and a second-round draft pick in 1998 from the Edmonton Oilers for defenseman Janne Niinimaa. Acquired defenseman Dave Babych and a sixth-round pick in the 1998 draft from the Vancouver Canucks for a third-round pick in the 1998 draft.

standings:

Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division   
Team           GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA   
x-New Jersey   76  46  21   9   101  208  149  
x-Philadelphia 75  39  25  11    89  220  177  
Washington     75  36  28  11    83  202  189  
NY Rangers     77  23  36  18    64  186  217  
NY Islanders   74  26  38  10    62  194  209  
Florida        75  23  40  12    58  184  231  
Tampa Bay      75  17  49   9    43  144  241  
x - Clinched playoff spot

game results:

3/24 at New Jersey   L 3-2
3/26 at Boston       L 4-2
3/28 Carolina        L 4-2
3/29 at Carolina     W 3-1
3/31 Chicago         W 3-2
4/02 Los Angeles     W 3-0
4/04 Florida         L 4-1

team news:

by Eric Meyer, Philadelphia Correspondent

THE BIG NEWS
Just one more week and...he's baaaaaaack. That's right. Having sustained a grade two concussion back on March 7 when he was leveled by Pittsburgh defenseman Darius Kasparaitis, Eric Lindros has been declared fit to play by Flyers doctors and will make his much awaited return on April 13 against the Buffalo Sabres.

Lindros' return against the Sabres will give him four games to tune up his game before the playoffs and the real drive for the Stanley Cup begins. If past performance and floating rumors hold true, despite playing under a new system and a new head coach, Eric Lindros will be reunited with left wing John LeClair and right wing Trent Klatt on the team's top line. That means that right winger Chris Gratton will probably return to his spot on the second line along side center Rod Brind'Amour and left winger Shjon Podein. The third line will be the surprising force of Colin Forbes, Mike Sillinger and Alexandre Daigle. The fourth line? Well? It's anyone's guess. How about Joel Otto centering Dainius Zubrus and Dan Kordic?

News of Lindros' return came a day after New York Rangers center Pat LaFontaine said he would skip the rest of the season with a concussion he suffered March 16. The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim lost Paul Kariya for the season after he suffered a concussion Feb. 1 at the hands of Gary Suter.

Combine all of these cases with the fact that Eric's brother Brett was forced to call it quits with the New York Islanders after suffering a series of concussions. Eric's father Carl, as well as Flyers GM Bobby Clarke, exercised great caution in allowing their star centerman to return to the ice. With Lindros out of the lineup, the Flyers have gone 8-5-2.

SETTLEMENT REACHED
Does the name Craig Carton ring a bell? On Feb. 28, 1997, Mr. Carton, a former sportstalk host at 610 WIP radio, a station owned by Infinity Broadcasting, dropped a bomb that resonated in Philadelphia for the remainder of the Flyers season. He claimed that a reliable source had informed him that Eric Lindros had missed a Feb. 15 game against Pittsburgh because he was hung over after drinking too much the night before.

Carton then went on to insinuate that the Flyers were making efforts to cover for Lindros by scratching him from the lineup with a sore back he suffered two nights earlier in a game against Ottawa.

	The apology reads as follows:
		"In a broadcast on February 28, 1997, a former WIP personality stated that Philadelphia Flyers captain Eric Lindros was unable to play in a February 15, 1997 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Although Eric suffered from an injured back sustained against Ottawa on February 13, 1997, it was stated that he did not play because he was 'hung over' from an excess of alcohol consumption the prior evening. WIP's personality also stated that the Flyers organization reported that Eric was injured to cover up his inability to play. "After an investigation of the facts underlying its February 28 broadcast, WIP executive management has concluded that the sole reason Eric did not play on February 15 was because of his injured back and not for any other reason. The entire management of WIP regrets this unfortunate incident and wishes to apologize to Eric Lindros, the Flyers and their fans for the broadcast."

Lindros was outraged, but GM Bobby Clarke and Flyers President Ed Snider nearly lost it. Within days, the Flyers filed a libel suit against the broadcaster, which coincidentally carries its games, on March 5, 1997.

Lindros and Infinity Broadcasting, Corp. of Philadelphia agreed to a settlement of Lindros' libel suit against the station, the team announced last Thursday. In exchange for the settlement and a formal apology from WIP, the lawsuit brought by Lindros would be dropped.

Carl Lindros, refused to reveal how much money is included in the settlement. Nonetheless, it has been reported that any money paid to Lindros will be forwarded along to the Children's Miracle Network, a charity with which Eric donates a lot of time and energy.

Lindros will make his return to the Flyers lineup on Tuesday, April 13 against the Buffalo Sabres.

I CAN PRESCRIBE THE REMEDY
In the past few months I've done trips to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, skied the slopes of Aspen, laid on the beaches of the Bahamas, partied in Virginia, and gone to an occasional class.

Well, while I'm sure the Flyers don't have quite that much free time on their hands, after their 4-1 loss to the Panthers on Saturday, which ended a stretch of 19 games in 34 days, they sure could use a rest.

How about three days off until back-to-back games on Wednesday and Thursday against Tampa and Florida down in the Sunshine State? Maybe a little golf, maybe a little sun, maybe a little clubbing? Oh well, at least coach Neilsen is giving the team Sunday and Monday off before returning to practice on Tuesday.

OH YEAH! THE TRADE
In possibly the biggest "trade deadline day" trade of the day, amidst a sea of Dave Babych and a sixth-round pick in the 1998 draft for a third-round pick in the 1998 draft trades, Bobby Clarke pulled of a "questionable" move sending the once "untouchable" defenseman Janne Niinimaa to Edmonton in exchange for defenseman Dan McGillis and second-round pick in the 1998 draft.

Niinimaa, who looked like an immense find last season, displaying solid defensive skills and a nice offensive spark under the tutelage of defenseman Paul Coffey, appeared to trail off a bit this season. Offensive numbers were not where people expected them to be, while Niinimaa's defensive play appears to be not as physical as last season, often getting manhandled along the boards and driven towards the net by opposing forwards. He was the man who Bobby Clarke constantly referred to as untouchable, but, finally pulled the trigger on.

Enter Dan McGillis, a bruising young defenseman who appears to be a better fit into Roger Neilsen and Bobby Clarke's "Broad Street Bullies II" format. Not only does the youngster have physical ability, not only does he have experience playing with defenseman Luke Richardson, but McGillis also brings some talent to the power play.

With Niinimaa gone, look not only for McGillis to see time at the point on the power play but also Eric Lindros to get some time there as well. Speculation points to Roger Neilsen possibly double shifting Lindros on the power play, or even playing him solely at the point on the man-advantage.

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