Second Place is the First Loser

Excellent read on new Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger:

"I feel better than I ever have," Pronger told FanHouse on Monday after a long day at training camp. "I'm more hungry to win than I've ever been."

By winning, he doesn't mean just qualifying for the playoffs. "I don't play for second place," he said.

Pronger is at the stage of his first-ballot Hall of Fame career that if he was an NFL player, he'd find a way to show up a few weeks into training camp. But every morning he's here early, attacking drills with the verve of a rookie. In the punishing skate near the end of practice, Pronger leads the defensemen lap after lap. When his two hours on the ice are over, the defenseman pushes himself through another hour of footwork and lifting.

"He doesn't stop," said Flyers goalie Ray Emery. "When you see a 15-year veteran with an approach like Pronger's, you better believe it rubs off on the rest of the team."

Let's hope it rubs off on Emery in particular, because if Pronger can vastly improve Philadelphia's defense and Emery can regain the form he had when he led Ottawa to the Stanley Cup Finals, then this should be a very successful season for the Flyers. Now if they just could win some faceoffs …