PHILADELPHIA -- After playing some of their best hockey this month, the Philadelphia Flyers now sit and wait. Or take a relaxing vacation somewhere warm. Brayden Schenn and Scott Hartnell scored, Ray Emery stopped 32 shots and the Flyers beat the Calgary Flames 2-1 on Saturday for their fourth straight victory. With momentum going their way, its not an ideal time for Philadelphia to take 18 days off for the Olympic break. Five players are headed to Sochi to play for their countries and several others are headed to sunny destinations. "We knew this was going to happen," Schenn said. "Its up to us to keep in shape and be ready when we come back." Flyers chairman Ed Snider expressed his disdain for the break Thursday night, saying "its ridiculous. Theres no benefit to us whatsoever." Players werent quite that vocal. "Im going to relax mentally and make sure Im ready for the second half," captain Claude Giroux said. Making his first start since Jan. 23, Emery had a shutout going until Matt Stajan scored with 2:26 left. The Flyers are one point behind the New York Rangers for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Despite winning six of their past eight games, the Flames are tied for the third-fewest points in the NHL. "I think weve been playing good hockey. Weve been in every game," Stajan said. "Sometimes the hockey gods dont reward you, and thats not to say they didnt play well. They had chances, too, that our goalie made some saves. Thats the game. Well take this break, come back, and try and get back at it on home ice." The teams resume their regular-season schedule Feb. 27. Schenn gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the second period when he ripped a shot from the left circle off goalie Reto Berras glove and into the net. Wayne Simmonds set it up with a nice pass from the side of the net. Hartnell made it 2-0 early in the third when he scored his 15th goal, deflecting a slap shot by Giroux. Passed over by Team Canada for the Olympics, Giroux has been one of the leagues top players the past two months. He has 37 points in 29 games since Dec. 11. Giroux still plans to watch the Winter Games and root for Canada. "Its a great event and good hockey," he said. Forwards Michael Raffl and Jakub Voracek, and defencemen Kimmo Timonen, Andrej Meszaros and Mark Streit are the Flyers heading to the Olympics. Berra and defenceman Ladislav Smid are the only Flames going. "I think the team is getting comfortable with the way we are expected to play," Emery said. "I think the rest of the year is not so much easier, but you get into the playoff battles and you get those competitive juices flowing. I think the tough part is out of the way, the tough months are normally January and February and it gets a bit long." NOTES: Flyers G Steve Mason had cramping issues during a win over Colorado on Thursday night, but couldve started against the Flames. ... Schenn extended his career high in goals to 15. ... . Emerys previous appearance was Jan. 25 in relief of Mason. ... The Flames had won five of their previous six games in Philadelphia. ... Calgary lost 2-0 in Montreal on Tuesday night. . Following back-to-back wins against the Western Conference-leading Grand Rapids Griffins, the Marlies found themselves over confident against the Syracuse Crunch on Friday and fell 6-3 in American Hockey League play. [url=http://www.argentinasoccerteamshop.com/world-cup-hugo-campagnaro-argentina-... Campagnaro Jersey . Louis Blues return to top spot in the TSN. . Hes the first of a group of top prospects expected to help the Astros back to respectability after three straight 100-loss seasons. But hes trying not to put too much pressure on himself. [url=http://www.argentinasoccerteamshop.com/world-cup-martin-demichelis-argentin... Demichelis World Cup Jersey . -- Erik Guay took an important step towards the 2014 Winter Olympics on Saturday. SURREY, B.C. -- Khalif Mitchell didnt leave a lot of friends behind when the B.C. Lions traded him to the Toronto Argonauts prior to last season. The controversial defensive lineman had been a dominant force in helping the Lions to a 2011 Grey Cup victory, but the following campaign was marked by a number of troubling incidents on and off the field that resulted in both fines and suspensions. "Good riddance!!!!" tweeted running back Andrew Harris following the April 2013 deal with the Argonauts was announced. But after Mitchell was released this past off-season by Toronto to pursue NFL opportunities that never materialized, the Lions jumped at the chance to bring the hulking 29-year-old with a unique skill set back into the fold by signing him to a contract on Tuesday. Despite the baggage Mitchell left behind in Vancouver, Lions general manager Wally Buono said players, coaches and management agreed he deserved another shot with the club. "Once we got into it, everybody felt it was the right thing to do," said Buono, whose team will host the Grey Cup. "When you look at trying to improve this football club, Khalif is an outstanding football player and from our point of view we wanted to move forward and we wanted to build a championship team for 2014. "If I felt I had to convince (players and coaches) then I wouldnt move forward. This was not a matter of me imposing what I wanted. This was an opportunity." The six-foot-six, 315-pound Mitchell, who met the media at the Lions suburban practice facility on Tuesday, said he grew up a lot during his time in Toronto and understands why some of his former teammates felt the way they did when he left B.C. "I dont believe that anybodys words were going to be kind when I left," he said. "I didnt leave on kind terms." An all-star in both 2011 and 2013, Mitchell has 86 tackles and 13 sacks in four CFL seasons. What those numbers dont show is how much he influences the game from the interior of the defensive line, often occupying two and three blockers to free up teammates. "Weve done five camps in the United States looking for another Khalif Mitchell and theyre not out there," said Buono, adding that Mitchell has matured a lot in the last year. "For us, when hes here in our backyard, when hes willing to make a commitment to come play for the B.C. Lions ... to me, I thought that was something worthwhile." For his part, the eccentric Mitchell downplayed any hard feelings that might linger from his first stint with the Lions. "This is a place that was my house. (If) youve got trash in your house, yyou just take it out.dddddddddddd. Its not something as complicated as the media might make it seem," he said. "Its very simple. Its trash. You take it out." The Virginia Beach, Va., native had 33 tackles and six sacks with the Lions in 2011, and had another outstanding campaign with the Argonauts in 2013, registering 32 tackles and five sacks. "Its exciting to be back. Its a place I call home. Its a place that I have a lot of fond memories of," said Mitchell. "When I look around I see a lot of Grey Cup pictures and stuff ... all of a sudden I get a lot of memories and a lot of butterflies." Despite those warm feelings, its that 2012 season that often comes to mind when Mitchells name is mentioned. He was suspended for two games by the CFL for violently hyper-extending the arm of an opponent that July before being fined an unspecified amount by the league for making multiple throat-slashing gestures in another game. Mitchell was then fined and suspended again for violating the CFLs social media policy after using a racial slur on Twitter. "Theres a risk with everybody you sign, whether its a player, a coach, a staff member," said Buono. "Theres always risks and thats part of what makes this job and life exciting. "We all grow with our experiences. Ive had experiences that I regret ... Ive gotten better for it." The move to sign Mitchell would appear to immediately improve a Lions defensive line that surrendered the second fewest rushing yards per game (94.4) in 2013, but allowed the second most rushing touchdowns (17) and recorded the third fewest sacks (45). "Im not sure that when Khalif is on his game theres too many people (as dominant)," said Buono. "A man of his size, with his athleticism and his power, they dont come around every day. In 2011, why did we win a Grey Cup? A lot of it had to do with the guys up front. "I believe today that Khalif Mitchell is a better football player than he was in 2011." With the Grey Cup set to be played at B.C. Place Stadium in November, the Lions were relatively quiet this off-season, losing a number of veterans through trade, free agency and retirement. They got a big one back on Tuesday and he seems eager to make an impact. "I was looking for a team to go ahead and win a championship with," said Mitchell. "Wally Buono went to go look for players to help put together a team to win a championship with. "We met somewhere along the path and thats how were here today." Note: The Lions made another move Tuesday, releasing defensive back Lin-J Shell. ' ' '