Philadelphia Flyers: 2011-12 Roster Described with Songs

The Flyers 2011-12 season is extremely different from the roster of last season. For someone who has not seen the Flyers since the end of the 2010-11 season, looking at the current roster would be shocking experience with all of the changes that have been made to the team over the past year.

With the playoffs coming, even the most casual of Flyers fans will be tuning in to watch a local team make a run at a championship. For all of the causal fans, now would be a good time to get to know the Flyers, and even the die-hard fans could always take a second look at the team.

Music is able to express human qualities much easier that could be explained through words alone, and music is something that is liked by everyone. With music being so well liked and very expressive, what could be a better way to get everyone up to speed on this season’s Philadelphia Flyers?

Here is a list of the current roster, minus the player that are in limbo between the Phantoms and the Flyers, and some songs to better understand them and their season. 

Claude Giroux

"You're the Best"—Joe Esposito

If you have seen "Karate Kid," you are familiar with Joe Esposito’s "You’re the Best," and it really does describe Giroux.  Giroux has been the best player for the Flyers all season, and any Flyers fan who watches regularly has seen that Claude has a slight lead in the team's Toyota Cup Standings.

In Philadelphia, Giroux really is the best around, and the team knows it. He leads the team in scoring and gets goals when it counts, and when the Flyers are down he is leading the charge back. 

Danny Briere

"Stronger" (What doesn’t kill you)—Kelly Clarkson

Briere has had a hard season this year. With all of his scoring and success from his previous years with the Flyers, this season would be considered a down year by Briere's standards. 

Not only has his goal production been down, but this season Briere has had to deal with coming back from a concussion. Just like the Kelly Clarkson song, with everything that has been going on for Briere, hopefully what doesn't kill him does make him stronger in the end.

James Van Riemsdyk

"Please Don't Leave Me"—Pink

This season has been a letdown for Van Riemsdyk. With the good season and a strong playoff performance from Van Riemsdyk, he came into this season expecting to have a lot more success.

Once Chris Pronger got injured and the Flyers needed to add some defense, they started looking around the league for a trade. Almost every trade rumor that came up surrounding the Flyers involved trading away Van Riemsdyk.

Jaromir Jagr

"I Ain't As Good As I Once Was"—Toby Keith 

This season the Flyers signed the 39-year-old Jaromir Jagr for his return to the NHL. Many people questioned if the aging star would be able to play at a level that would make a serious impact on a team. While Jagr might not be the NHL superstar the he used to be, he still has brought his veteran leadership and creative playmaking to help a young Flyers team. 

Scott Hartnell

"Wild Ones"—Flo Rida

Hartnell plays with a style that makes him a great fit in Philadelphia. He plays with a grinder mentality; he gets in the faces of the the other teams and gets under their skin; and he goes up front and gets the dirty goals. Hartnell is a wild one on the ice and he plays with energy and is always willing to provide a spark whenever the team needs it. 

Maxime Talbot

"The Hustle"—Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony

This season the Flyers brought Talbot over from their cross-state rival, the Penguins, to give them a hard-working, blue-collar player. Hustle really is the perfect word to describe how Talbot plays the game. Every night Talbot hits the ice and works hard. He kills penalties, back checks and is one of the hardest-working forecheckers on the team. 

Wayne Simmonds

"Young, Wild & Free"—Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa Featuring Bruno Mars

Simmonds had big shoes to fill when he came to the Flyers in a trade that sent away former captain Mike Richards. Simmonds is a young and wild NHL player on the rise. Simmonds is always right in front of the net getting in the goalie's line of sight, and because of that he is always getting into scraps with defensemen. 

Matt Read

"I Gotta Feeling"—Black Eyed Peas

Read is the Flyers top-scoring rookie this season and has made a surprising impact on the team so far. With Read getting better as the season continues, it really is possible that he could become a big contributor for the team.  

Jakub Voracek

"Good Life"—OneRepublic

Voracek came to the Flyers in an offseason trade that sent away Jeff Carter to the Blue Jackets. Voracek has been one of the many Flyers young players who have had a much bigger impact on the team than most had expected. While Voracek could have been spending his season trying to figure things out in Columbus, he is currently living the good life in Philadelphia. 

Zac Rinaldo

"Boom"—P.O.D.

Rinaldo has been a physical force this season for the Flyers. Rinaldo brings huge hits every night for the Flyers. While sometimes they might be too much and result in a penalty, it's the thought that counts. Rinaldo is always willing to fight when he needs to and is a young, fast, physical presence who is perfect for the modern NHL. 

Chris Pronger

'Without You"—David Guetta

This season for Pronger has been as tough as a season could be. After being knocked out with concussions, Pronger started to have increasing symptoms during his recovery. With such serious symptoms still bothering the captain, Flyers fans at this point shouldn't be hoping for a return, but should be hoping that he is able to recover to have good health for the rest of his life. 

Kimmo Timonen

"The Show Goes On"—Lupe Fiasco

Timonen has been the defensive anchor for the Flyers for the majority of the season. When Pronger went down, Timonen had to step up and lead the defense, which he has done for the majority of the season. No matter what has happened to the team, Timonen has made sure the defense is still working and making sure the show sill goes on. 

Andrej Meszaros

"Rock You Like a Hurricane"—Scorpions

Meszaros has become a big part of the defense for the Flyers and is also never shy about jumping up into a play or pitching in to keep the puck in the zone. Meszaros plays with a fast, physical style that mixes things up. Not only does Meszaros play physical, but he also has a powerful shot from the point that helps fill the void left with the absence of Pronger. 

Nicklas Grossman

"Glad You Came"—The Wanted

The Flyers needed to add some size to the defense when Pronger went down, and at the trade deadline one of the things the team did was acquire Grossman from Dallas. The Flyer fans really are glad that Grossman came to Philadelphia because he can strengthen the blue line to help the team down the stretch. 

Pavel Kubina

"I’m Yours"—Jason Mraz

At the trade deadline, when the Flyers were looking to add some size and strength to the blue line, they jumped at the chance to acquire Kubina. He is a huge man who is a right-handed shot on the blue line, which gives them another weapon on the power play. Kubina has a contract that keeps him a Flyer through next season, so he is a Flyer for the time being. 

Matt Carle

"Good Feeling"—Flo Rida

Carle has been a Flyer who has been a solid force on the blue line for a few years. He is a defensive player who plays smart and does his job well. With a plus-minus as good as Carle's, Flyer fans really should have good feelings any time he is on the ice. 

Braydon Coburn

"’ll Be There For You"—The Rembrandts

It has been five years since the Flyers made their trade-deadline deal to acquire  Coburn from Atlanta, which means that Coburn is the longest=serving Flyer currently on the roster. During those five years Coburn has turned into a very reliable defenseman and is always there to get the job done. 

Ilya Bryzgalov

"Crazy Train"—Ozzy Osbourne

Flyer fans have been very frustrated with their new goaltender this season, and after seeing HBO's "24/7," fans got a look at who their goaltender really is. After getting to know Bryzgalov a lot of people really might thing that he is a bit out of his mind. Hopefully this season does not go off the rails on a crazy train. 

Sergei Bobrovsky

"Centerfield" (put me in coach)—John Fogerty

Bobrovsky is a very young goalie and has been showing that he has the ability to improve. With his rookie season behind him and the struggles of Bryzgalov, Bobrovsky has to be thinking that he is ready to have a chance to prove that he can get the job done. 

Coach Peter Laviolette

"Break Stuff"—Limp Bizkit

Flyers fans know that when watching a game, it will only be a matter of minutes before  Laviolette's face is as orange as the jerseys and he is yelling to get the team to pull things together. Sometimes it seems like the team is driving him crazy, and he really does look ready to break stuff.