▁points ▁more ▁than ▁the ▁year ▁before , ▁for ▁the ▁most ▁part ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 – 0 9 ▁Fly ers ▁were ▁an ▁incons istent ▁unit , ▁playing ▁at ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁their ▁ability ▁one ▁night ▁while ▁sub par ▁the ▁next . ▁Def ens eman ▁Der ian ▁H atch er ▁missed ▁the ▁entire ▁regular ▁season ▁and ▁play offs ▁with ▁a ▁kne e ▁injury , ▁and ▁Steve ▁Down ie ▁was ▁trad ed ▁to ▁the ▁T ampa ▁Bay ▁Light ning ▁for ▁def ens eman ▁Matt ▁Car le . ▁Two ▁pleasant ▁surpr ises ▁were ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁ro ok ie ▁center ▁Claude ▁Gir oux ▁and ▁def ens eman ▁Lu ca ▁S b isa , ▁who ▁was ▁draft ed ▁by ▁the ▁Fly ers ▁in ▁June ▁with ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁overall ▁pick ▁acquired ▁from ▁the ▁Columb us ▁Blue ▁Jack ets ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁R . ▁J . ▁Um berger , ▁the ▁victim ▁of ▁a ▁sal ary ▁cap ▁cr unch . ▁Scott ie ▁U ps hall ▁also ▁found ▁himself ▁the ▁victim ▁of ▁such ▁a ▁cr unch , ▁trad ed ▁to ▁the ▁Phoenix ▁Co y otes ▁for ▁Daniel ▁Car cil lo ▁at ▁the ▁trade ▁dead line . ▁ ▁Despite ▁holding ▁on ▁to ▁the ▁fourth ▁seed ▁in ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Conference ▁for ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁season , ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁ 4 – 5 – 1 ▁finish ▁to ▁the ▁season , ▁highlight ed ▁by ▁a ▁home ▁loss ▁to ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁R angers ▁on ▁the ▁last ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁regular ▁season , ▁the ▁Fly ers ▁sli pped ▁to