PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Flyers are set to hit the big 4-0.Yes, thats 40 years without a Stanley Cup championship.Winning it all this season would erase one of the longest Cup droughts in the NHL, though this years team seems far removed from championship contention.The Flyers were the hit of the NHL in the 1970s thanks to those hard-hitting Broad Street Bullies. Led by Hall of Famers Bobby Clarke and Bill Barber, the Flyers won consecutive Cups in 1974 and 1975 and seemed poised to build a dynasty.The only thing the franchise has a built is a loyal, yet frustrated, fanbase wondering if the orange-and-black will ever celebrate with a championship parade again through the heart of Philadelphia.Only the Toronto Maple Leafs (1966-67) have suffered longer than any other team that has won at least one Stanley Cup. Buffalo, St. Louis, Vancouver and Washington all have longer Cup droughts than the Flyers, though those franchises have never hoisted or sipped from hockeys grandest prize.I just feel like somehow were snakebit and somebodys putting pins in a doll, Flyers chairman Ed Snider said.The Flyers have been close a€” real close: Philadelphia lost in the Stanley Cup finals in 1976, 1980, 1985, 1987, 1997 and 2010.They can get to the finals, they just cant win them. The silver trophy is always the star of some other teams championship parade. For those keeping score at home, thats 14,373 days without winning the championship as of Oct. 1, according to the Twitter feed @SinceFlyersCup.Despite heavy criticism in Philadelphia for failing to win it all, the Flyers have long been considered one of the top NHL franchises. Theyve earned a playoff berth in 39 of their 46 seasons.Seriously, it drives me crazy. It drives me nuts, Snider said. Like were chopped liver. You know how many times I hear they havent won a Cup since 1975? ... I understand we havent.The Flyers will need some career years and a bit of luck to even think about playing in June this season. New York eliminated them in seven games in the first round last season and the Flyers havent advanced past the second round since losing it all to Chicago in 2010.The Flyers went 42-30-10 (94 points) and finished third in the Metropolitan Division last season.I dont know close we are, Snider said.Theyll start to find out when they open the season Oct. 8 at Boston. The home opener is Oct. 9 against New Jersey.Here are some things of note as the Flyers open the season:IN A PINCH: Flyers captain Claude Giroux returned earlier than expected when he played in Tuesdays preseason game for the first time since he suffered an undisclosed lower-body injury early in the first practice of training camp. Giroux was selected last season as a Hart Trophy finalist, the leagues MVP award. He matched a career high with 28 goals and finished third in the NHL scoring race (86 points), helping the Flyers rally from a 3-9-0 start. Hell be the key to any success the Flyers have this season. Once dubbed the Best in the World, Giroux will have to live up to that billing for the Flyers to have any shot at playing deep into the post-season.CHIEF AMONG US: The Flyers seem to love for playing coach Craig Berube. Berube, a former Flyers tough guy and part Cree, led the Flyers to the playoffs after he took over Peter Laviolette four games into last season. With a full season and one training camp behind, Berube has earned the respect of his team. Berube had 20 goals and 54 points over parts of seven seasons with the Flyers and his 3,149 penalty minutes are seventh in NHL history.When he gets barking, you dont want to be making eye contact with him too much, Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds said. If hes staring at you, you generally did something wrong. But I can say Chiefs a players coach. Hes been really good with us. Its been awesome playing for him.NET RESULT: Finally, the Flyers have found their goalie of the present and future. Well, maybe. Mason, the NHLs rookie of the year with Columbus in 2008-09, pushed aside the doubts that he could become a No. 1 goalie and blossomed last year. Mason won 33 games, had four shutouts and stopped 92 per cent of his shots in his first full season in Philadelphia. But can he do it again or will he fall back into his inconsistent ways?HEX ON YOU: Former Flyers goalie Ron Hextall will get to prove his worth in his first season as general manager. Hextall was promoted to general manager by the Flyers to replace Paul Holmgren, who was elevated to president. Hextall is Philadelphias all-time winningest goalie and served as assistant GM last year. Hextall preaches patience, something the Flyers have long lacked as they spent years throwing cash at high-price free agents as part of their win-now philosophy. I think Ron has established a philosophy that is probably long overdue, Flyers chairman Ed Snider said. I have probably been a little too anxious to win another Cup. Keep an eye on Hextall around the trade deadline. Dave Casper Jersey . Halak, 28, split his eighth NHL seasons between the St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals, compiling a 29-13-7 record in 52 games. Jack Tatum Jersey . The 23-year-old Neustaedter will move at the end of the season when his contract with Moenchengladbach expires. He signed a four-year deal with Schalke. http://www.cheapraidersjerseysauthentic....er-hayes-jersey. 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Canada will host the second stop on the circuit, the 2014 Skate Canada International in Kelowna, British Columbia from October 31 - November 2, 2014 at Prospera Place.One of the top analysts in fantasy football started Week 15 with a thought you wouldnt even consider two months ago or even two weeks ago: Benching Peyton Manning in favour of less talented quarterbacks with better matchups.But Sigmund Bloom, co-owner of Footballguys.com, mused on Twitter that after two bad weeks, he didnt envy fantasy owners who have to choose between Manning and Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger or Jay Cutler. Manning put up 2 fantasy points last week in standard leagues (thats not a typo, we double-checked) and 13 points the week before.Bloom said in an interview Wednesday that he ended up ranking Manning fifth in part because he followed one of his personal rules about making tough fantasy decisions — especially ones that turn out to be wrong.What can you live with? Can you live with losing because Peyton has 400 yards on your bench? Bloom said. Everyone has to kind of answer this question for themselves.That fantasy owners would even consider benching Manning and other tough questions is a sign of Week 15s intensity. Every decision is heightened thanks to a must-win head-to-head matchup to sniff a championship game next week.Ever hear fantasy players talk about the grind, the agony? This is it. Good luck.While Bloom says the circumstances set players up to feel terrible no matter what, he makes peace by owning his choices, knowing theres always a nugget of information elsewhere that can swing things the other way.I can live with going home because of my own poor decisions, Bloom said.Here are some other bold questions unique to the playoffs that Bloom and other fantasy experts have been considering:___MACLIN NOT A GIMME?Its likely the matchup of the week, the Eagles versus the Cowboys, both teams 9-4 and playing in a game that will likely determine the NFC East title.And James Hatty Hatfield has Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin ranked 21st (http://bit.ly/1yRXopP ), below Mike Evans, Kelvin Benjamin and Jarvis Landry and well behind his fellow experts in rankings compiled by FantasyPros.com. Maclin has the sixth most fantasy points this year among wide receivers in standard scoring leagues.Hatfield said hee expects Maclin to have similar output to his game against Dallas two weeks ago, when he had 108 yards but no touchdowns, but that Dallas defence has been inconsistent.ddddddddddddYou just gotta figure out what defence is going to show up for Dallas, Hatfield said. Maybe you gamble here if youve got someone like Mike Evans or someone whos putting up multi-TD weekends.Hatfield said each leagues scoring settings also matter: Hed play Evans over Maclin in a TD-only league but Maclin in point-per-reception formats.___COOK OVER JULIUS THOMAS?It looks as if Broncos tight end Julius Thomas will play this week. But Salvatore Stefanile, a two-quarterback league whiz who manages content at Sportable.is, thinks St. Louis tight end Jared Cook is a slightly better play this week.Stefanile said playing in two-quarterback leagues (where every starter has fantasy value) has trained him to consider anyone an option, especially at a position like tight end where you play only one player and the options beyond Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham are a crapshoot.Stefanile said Cook is averaging about 7 points more per fantasy game per year against Arizona than other opponents, with more targets and catches, while Arizona has been weak against tight ends.All thats missing? The star power. But you dont need it, he said.You just strip it away and you look at the numbers, look at the stats and put your trust in the process that youve put into it, he said. You just forget about the brand name value of the player and look at the quality of the material.___LESEAN vs. LEGARRETTE?Running back LeSean McCoy was a first-round draft pick, but will he end up with more fantasy points for Week 15 than New England running back LeGarrette Blount, who was dropped by Pittsburgh not long ago?Good question, Bloom said.I have to really think on this one, he said. Blounts a better play. I think that New Englands offence is going to play better. ... 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