Photo Courtesy of Chris O’Meara, Associated Press
…I’ll never get used to not seeing Simon in a Flyers’ jersey, but he’s now part of the top threat to the team’s Cup chances, so my feelings on that may change. Versteeg played over 17 minutes last night in his Flyers debut, and was a minus-1, skating on Mike Richards and Andreas Nodl’s line.
he Flyers dropped their first regulation contest tonight to the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning by a final score of 3-2.
Gagne returned to Philly with a victory tonight
The Flyers never led in the game tonight despite outshooting Tampa Bay by a total of 26-24. Steven Stamkos, Dominic Moore, and Pavel Kubina scored for the Lightning, while Nik Zherdev and Here are some quick hits:
- Simon Gagne is a class act. We will miss him forever in Philadelphia, but the amount of admiration the Flyers fan base had for him only grew after his in-game tribute aired tonight and Gagne’s sincere appreciative response to the Philadelphia crowd.
- Andrej Meszaros played yet another strong game. Keep an eye on #41 in Orange and Black, he is something to watch this season on the blue-line.
- Defensively, Matt Carle was atrocious tonight. He picked up an assist on Briere’s goal, but was otherwise awful in the game, taking a crucial delay-of-game penalty late in the contest, coughing up the puck in the second period that resulted in a Tampa Bay goal, and finishing -1.
- Brian Boucher was ok. He moves to 0-1-1 on the season and probably would have liked to get that second goal back.
- Vinny Lecavalier was absolutely invisible tonight. I expected a lot more out of him.
Nikolay Zherdev scored his first as a Flyer in a losing effort
- Nikolay Zherdev finally broke through with his first goal as a Flyer off a beautiful feed in front from James van Riemsdyk. He looked relieved to get the first one out-of-the-way after it happened.
- The Flyers only managed a pathetic four shots in the third period. Based off how Tampa played defensively, I’d say that was more a lackluster effort on the Flyers part than a shutdown effort from the Tampa side.
- Peter Laviolette has GOT to find a third piece to the Richards-Carter-? Line. Dan Carcillo is not that piece. I heard Bill Guerin’s still looking for a place to play.
- Lavvy also needs to work on the powerplay. 1 for 17 on the year with the talent the Flyers have is inexcusable.
- The Lightning are off to a 3-0-0 start and look pretty solid. Chances are they will be playing some playoff hockey this season.
- I really like Sean O’Donnell. He’s old-school: not flashy, not the best skater, but he gets the job done.
- Danny Briere led the Flyers with 5 SOG tonight.
- Kimmo Timonen led the Orange and Black with 25:40 TOI.
The Flyers are next in action when Sidney Crosby, Eric Tangradi, and the Pittsburgh Penguins come into town this Saturday. The start time for that game has been moved to 6 PM to accommodate Game One of the NLCS (7:57 PM first pitch), which will be taking place across the street.
Here’s the Gagne video from tonight:
…This is great news. I was a huge Gagne fan, and he was by far my dad’s favorite player so there’s always been a strong connection in my house to the former Flyer. I will be in attendance at the game tomorrow night against Tampa Bay and will be sure to post some pictures. As far as that special ticket offer is concerned, check it out. The game’s worth being in the building for. It’s going to be an emotional night on all accounts, but it’s important for the Flyers to realize the stark truth: a win is far more important than a former teammate. (That really pained me to type). Love and miss ya, Gags. Hope to see you back in Orange and Black sometime sooner rather than later.
NAME: Simon Gagne
POSITION: Left Wing
Regular Season Statistics: 58 Games Played – 17 Goals, 23 Assists, 40 Points. -1
Analysis: Another season, another set of injuries for Gagne. Hampered by the injury bug yet again, Gagne was limited to 58 games of action this year. As a result of injury concerns, Gagne, a Team Canada regular, was left off the Canadian roster for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Still, Gagne had a solid season, nearly reaching the 20 goal mark, despite missing almost 20+ games this season. His 17 goal total was a significant drop off from the 34 he put up last season, but it also needs to be taken into account that in 2009-’10 Gagne suited up for 21 less games – a considerable total. Injury concerns aside, when Gagne was in the line-up he still proved to be an invariable contributor to the Flyers’ Power Play and top offensive unit, spending most of his time paired up with Mike Richards. He seemed to regain his elite form as the season wound down, which spelled only good things for the Flyers heading into the postseason.
Postseason Statistics: 19 Games Played – 9 Goals, 3 Assists, 12 Points. -2
Analysis: A large part of the magical run the Flyers endured in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs was due to the wizardry of Gagne when in the line-up. After being unable to beat Martin Brodeur in the first round against New Jersey, Gagne suddenly was rendered useless when he broke his toe blocking a Brian Rolston slapshot in the later stages of Game Four. The injury caused the Flyers’ sniper to miss the series-clinching Game Five, as well as Games 1-3 of the Boston series, before returning in dramatic fashion to win Game Four in overtime and keep the Flyers’ season alive. From there, the majestic Gagne took over. The Flyers won the next six games they played with Gagne in the line-up, as the forward scored 6 goals in that span including the game winner capping off the Flyers’ 4-3 Game Seven victory against Boston that awarded them a spot in the history books.
FINAL GRADE: A-
Reasoning: Call me a softy, a homer, whatever you will. Gagne didn’t have a spectacular regular season by anyone’s standards, but he proved his worth when it mattered most: the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Coming back from a broken toe and keeping up with the pace of the playoffs is hard enough, but actually being a factor – and a gigantic one at that – is even more of a testament to the warrior that Simon truly is. He’ll be sorely missed in Philadelphia and questions abound as to how the Flyers will replace Simon both on the ice and in the locker room. It’s going to be difficult to assess how the Flyers do without him until all is said and done. In the meantime, Gagne likely will prosper with a talented group of studs in Tampa Bay.
I’m going to attempt to do something in this post that’s about as hard as I’ve ever done as a writer: say goodbye to one of my favorite Flyers in the history of the franchise.
Simon Gagne was more of a Flyer than any member of the current team, and only few in my lifetime represented the Flyers crest better than how Gagne did in his 10+ years in Philadelphia. And now, he is gone.
Never again will we hear Lou Nolan belt over the PA System at the Wachovia (Wells Fargo) Center, “Flyers goal scored by number twelve, SEEEEEEEMOAN GAAAHNNNNYAAAAYYYYY!!!” Never again will Gagne score for a case of TastyCakes. Never again will there be an assistant captain wearing the number 12 in Orange and Black (at least, there better not be).
But, perhaps most importantly, never again will Simon Gagne be a member of the Philadelphia Flyers’ on-ice product. And that, quite frankly, is heart breaking.
Instead, Gagne and his ten years of service to the Flyers are headed South – way South – to Tampa Bay and joining the Lightning. He’ll go from playing with Jeff Carter and Mike Richards to Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos. The trade-off for Gagne isn’t all that bad.
The Flyers? Well, they just about took the equivalent of a Walk of Shame in this deal. They traded away Gagne, who’s been a face of this franchise for the past decade, has worn an “A” on his sweater, and has always competed despite being slowed by injuries at times in recent years. They traded Gagne and got nothing.
Gagne will be missed forever in Philadelphia
Matt Walker, a defenseman who has done little to nothing in his five-plus years of service in the National Hockey League is what comes back to the Orange and Black. A defenseman. On a team that already had 7 under contract that were more than capable of handling the NHL play. And now there are 8 of them. For six spots.
Did I mention they also received a 4th round pick in the deal?
It’s not a good situation, Flyers fans. Not at all. Paul Holmgren was treading water in the deep end for a while, but its safe to say at this point that the consensus in Flyerdom is that he is officially drowning. Perhaps the saddest part of all this is that he is the only person capable of performing the rescue.
In the end, they’ll call Simon Gagne being dealt to Tampa Bay a cap-clearing deal. The sad part is that is exactly what it was. The even more pathetic part is that the deal was a direct result of the Flyers’ own doing. Sure, we all know they were close to the cap – it seems to be a yearly occurence. Still, this situation could have been avoided. Why sign Jody Shelley, why re-sign Dan Carcillo? What do those two men bring to the table that is so important it ended up ultimately being a deciding factor in the cap that sent Gagne packing? Is Nik Zherdev the answer on a one-year contract – precisely the amount of time Gagne had left in his deal?
#12 has given Flyers fans many great moments
There are plenty of questions, and very few answers. What we know right now is this: the Flyers still have a solid nucleus of fowards, but are missing perhaps their most important one. Their defense is as good as ever, but perhaps too deep, if that’s even possible. Their goaltending? Well, Michael Leighton and Brian Boucher or Johan Backlund isn’t exactly a combination that will make fans exhale. The team will be good, but it’s hard to say if they’ll be better.
Fans in Philadelphia were just starting to put their hearts back into place after having them ripped out by Patrick Kane in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. Now, just as everything was seemingly returned to normal, one of our own, Paul Holmgren, has taken our hearts from us again in the form of dealing Simon Gagne.
It wasn’t Homer’s fault, but it was his doing. Simon Gagne was meant to be a Flyer for life, and every day he is in a different uniform will be a difficult one for many in South Philadelphia. He’ll have a great year in Tampa Bay, too, playing alongside names like Lecavalier, Stamkos, and St. Louis.
Deep down, I’ll be happy for him. It just hurts to see him gone.
Au Revoir, Simon. Bon Chance.
If there’s one thing that Paul Holmgren and the Philadelphia Flyers have shown to be an unlikely characteristic of themselves during recent NHL off-seasons, it’s their apparent fetish for snooping around the KHL for lost jewels.
That search, at least over the last two summers, has landed eyes of the Orange and Black’s front office on one organization in particular: Atlant Mytishchi. Last year, the Flyers thought they had found their franchise goaltender in former Ottawa Senator cast-off and notorious National Hockey League bad-boy Ray Emery. Razor was 26 when he signed his contract in Philadelphia – a one-year deal worth $1.5 million. However, due to an onslaught of injuries that overshadowed what was otherwise a very strong start, the Emery Project was a miserable failure. Ray Emery is now 27, and unemployed. He still drives a white Lamborghini.
So, what did the Flyers do this off-season?
They found their way through Russia and back to the Atlant organization. However, instead of searching for someone who will stop goals from being scored, the men of the Flying P had turned their hunt to an individual who could put the black biscuits in the basket. And plenty of them.
Flyers fans, Nikolai Zherdev. At your service.
Zherdev could be a great pick-up in Philadelphia
Before you continue the panic that has set in within the gates of Flyerdom this past week since Zherdev becoming a Flyer was made official, hear me out. First of all, I don’t think I need to tell you the main implication of Zherdev becoming a Flyer, but I will anyway. Obviously, it makes the Salary Cap line that the Flyers are currently dwindling on even slimmer, which likely means a trade or (GASP!) a waive of a big-time Flyer in the coming days, weeks, or even months. Many have said it should be Jeff Carter, many have said Danny Briere. Not a whole lot have said Simon Gagne, but, unfortunately, that seems to be the route the Flyers are looking to take. Gagne, if/when traded, will be sorely missed in South Philadelphia, and it truly will not be the same without the longest current tenured Flyer calling the Wells Fargo (Wachovia) Center home this season. However, given the Salary Cap predicament, and Gagne’s expiring contract that will bring him into his 30′s, it kind of makes sense.
All of this, of course, is to make room for Zherdev, the one-time 4th overall pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets (2003 Entry Draft) who has spent five seasons in the National Hockey League. When it comes to Zherdev, the skill set has never been in question. There is a reason he was a top-five pick, and he is a guy who has scored 20+ goals three times in his career, as well as having reached the 50+ point plateau thrice. However, when speaking of Zherdev the one aspect that does come into question consistently is his focus. How a guy that can look so incredibly good for one, two, even three games, can suddenly look like a guy that has no place playing in the NHL, let alone the AHL is the most puzzling characteristic that could be put to Zherdev’s name. There’s reason to be a little thrown back by this signing, and a helluva large reason to question Zherdev’s commitment – I wouldn’t blame you and I don’t think many other Flyers fans would. After all, it is simply a one year deal for $2 million – it’s not like Zherdev was looking for anything long term here, right? While that all may be true, and while there certainly aren’t many reasons to believe it isn’t true, allow me to try and sway your mindset.
When the Flyers signed Nik Zherdev, I honestly had one thought about it: “Wow, our team as a backchecking unit is going to absolutely suck this year.” Zherdev, coupled with the likes of Jeff Carter, Scott Hartnell, and Danny Briere among others, did not seem like a great group as far as two-way hockey was concerned. However, in his introductory teleconference with the Philadelphia media earlier today, it was like Zherdev had read my mind.
“I’m changing my style and trying to play more defensive zone. I think, right now, I’m two-way player.”
In past years, Nikolai Zherdev and two-way player went together about as well as The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Stanley Cup. However, today, it seemed to me like there could be truth to the statement. NO, not the Leafs and the Cup, of course. Zherdev and two-way hockey. To be honest, Zherdev will have to play two-way hockey and he will have to play hard every night to succeed in this town. Of course, he’ll have to score as well, but that doesn’t concern me. Zherdev’s skills will be there, and the Flyers have their pick of centers (Richards, Carter, Briere, Giroux) that they can team up with him to generate some seriously strong offensive numbers. However, if Zherdev was thinking he was going to come here and give it the “old try”, deciding to show up some nights and take others as just a night-time skate, he was going to be sorely mistaken. Not on this team, a team where Chris Pronger will get in your face the second your focus is off the game; a team where two of the head honchos in Bob Clarke and Paul Holmgren won’t be the friendliest men towards someone who isn’t committed on a consistent basis. It would be hard for me to believe that Zherdev signed here and did not realize all this. So, I will choose to believe that he’s fully aware of what he’s entered into by putting pen to paper and signing with the Flyers.
Zherdev played four seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, never making the playoffs. He played his final season of NHL action before his one-year hiatus to the KHL in 2008-’09 with the New York Rangers. He fell out of favor in New York, although he did play for the Broadway Blueshirts as the Rangers took the Washington Capitals to 7 games in the first round. Now, however, Zherdev joins the defending Eastern Conference Champions. A team with high hopes, and even higher expectations than anything he’s ever seen in the NHL before.
The Flyers can ill-afford a Ray Emery, part-deux. That’s why they simply won’t get one with Zherdev. He has the potential to be quite a steal, and, given the fact that he’ll actually be playing with the deepest lineup talent-wise he’s ever been a part of in his NHL career, I think he can live up to that potential. Holmgren and Co. would not have gone in on this deal if they didn’t feel it was necessary to add a quality skill guy like Zherdev. They certainly wouldn’t have gone so out of the box to sign a Russian player to a team that rarely sports one if they didn’t feel Zherdev was going to help them this season.
So, let’s shed our tears when Simon (likely) departs from us, but not hold it against Zherdev. Instead embrace a guy that could simply be what so many teams set out for each and every off-season.
The Ultimate Steal.
I read this yesterday morning on the great European Flyers blog, EuroFlyers, as Teemu made note of the fact that Paul Holmgren had reached out to Peter Forsberg late this season when Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne were each battling injuries and the team was on the verge of missing the playoffs. Thankfully, Foppa declined Homer’s offer – citing a series of health issues – and no one had heard a thing about the ordeal. I didn’t think much of it after reading it, but apparently some bigger news sources – such as this article from TSN – deemed it worthy enough to make headline news. So, I suppose I’ll weigh in on it.
Peter Forsberg almost re-joined the Flyers in March for the stretch run
Of course, if you don’t know already, I am still a little bitter to Forsberg for how he treated the Flyers when he made his comeback to the NHL in 2008, spurning their offer to return to his more famous home of Colorado to play for the Avalanche. With that being said, he was one of my favorite Flyers ever – despite his stay in Philadelphia being brief – and I will always remember his incredible skill and playmaking ability on the ice. Obviously, 2008 didn’t work out for the Avs too well, and the Flyers made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Final that year, so I don’t have much room to complain about Forsberg not being a Flyer at that time. Still, that move by Foppa has bothered me to this day. There were few people more excited than me when the Flyers inked Forsberg out of the lockout. He was still in the last stages of his prime, and had long since been considered one of the best players – and regarded as the best when healthy – in the world. Forsberg’s years with the Flyers didn’t amount to much, and the former top prospect that was dealt to Quebec in the Eric Lindros deal was traded away again by the Flyers, this time to Nashville during the ’06-’07 season – when the Flyers finished with the worst record in the National Hockey League.
Foppa Captained the Orange and Black in 2006-'07
In 2007-’08 he could’ve returned to the Orange and Black. He opted not to. It appears that in 2009-’10, Forsberg once again had the opportunity and turned Philadelphia down. Some may say I’m crazy for being glad he turned it down, but, seriously, an injury riddled Forsberg added to a team that is struggling enough as is at that point? Trust me on this: I saw the guy compete for Team Sweden in Vancouver, and he’s slow. The game has slowed him down; he’s a step behind every play and the puck – which once seemed to find its way to him – suddenly seems to be as far away as possible. Don’t get me wrong here: Peter Forsberg will go down as one of the greatest hockey players not only in my lifetime, but in the history of the sport. However, as far as this season was concerned, I’m pretty sure even if the Flyers had missed out on the playoffs I would have the same feelings towards the idea of bringing him on board at the end. His ankle/foot will never be the same after all the surgical procedures he’s undergone and I don’t think it would’ve been worth it to bring him back for the stretch run this year.
Now, as far as next season is concerned…
The incredible run of the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers came to a crushing halt Wednesday night on the Wachovia Center ice. Patrick Kane slipped an overtime marker past Michael Leighton and the Blackhawks claimed their first Stanley Cup since 1961 – leaving the Flyers 0 for their last 6 in Stanley Cup Final appearances. It’s a tough pill to swallow for the Flyers and their fans, and while the wound is still fresh today, it is healing slightly a little better than it was yesterday. The Flyers enjoyed a remarkable ride en route to the franchise’s first Cup Final appearance since 1997. As a seven seed, they knocked off the two-seeded New Jersey Devils in five games in round one, made history when they came back to eliminate the Boston Bruins in seven games in round two, and dispatched the Montreal Canadiens in five games in the Eastern Conference Final to claim hold of their first Prince of Wales trophy in 13 years. This was a team that was 14th in the Eastern Conference at one point this season, and made a coaching switch midway through the year that started with the team losing seven of it’s first nine under Peter Laviolette. However, they bought into his system, they kept believing, and now they are going to be able to raise a banner at the Wachovia Center next season. Although it may not be the ultimate goal, I think we can all agree that “2010 Eastern Conference Champions” is pretty sweet.
Now, onto my series recap. Obviously, all the points here will be Flyers related, so when my Series MVP isn’t a ‘Hawk, don’t get all crazy on me. I know this, and I did it purposely. I’ve broken it up into three categories: 1) Series MVP, 2) Series Turning Point, 3) Why the Flyers Lost. I left out the “What has to change for the next series” category, because, well, there is no ‘next series’. That is, until, next postseason….
1) SERIES MVP: Danny Briere, Right Wing.
Many will argue Ville Leino should be here, and many others will say Scott Hartnell was more deserving. However, in my opinion, it was the third part of that line that was easily the most important – and certainly the most valuable. Danny Briere finished the postseason as the leading point scorer in all of the National Hockey League. He had twelve points in the six game series against Chicago – easily making him the highest scoring player in the series, and finished the playoffs with 12 goals and 18 assists. While many – myself included – look for more from Briere in the regular season because of his gigantic contract, there’s certainly no denying that he earns his paycheck when the year matters most: the playoffs. His speed and skill were heavily on display throughout the entire postseason, and I think that despite his regular season struggles, Briere has completely endured himself to the Flyers’ fan base with his postseason performance. He made the most of his first career appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, and let’s hope it’s in the cards for him to make a few more return trips there in the Orange and Black.
2) SERIES TURNING POINT: Game Four’s Final Minutes.
I understand the reasoning as to why Game Five may be many people’s turning point for this series, but it was not. Instead, this series took a turn for the worst for the Flyers with less than ten minutes remaining in the Flyers’ 5-3 Game Four victory over Chicago. Sure, the Flyers won the game, and ultimately evened up the series at two games a piece, but that wasn’t the bigger story. The more important, and far more telling fact of Game Four was that in the period’s final minutes, ‘Hawks coach Joel Quenneville switched up his lines, and Chicago absolutely dominated the play. The Flyers couldn’t clear the puck from the defensive zone if their lives depended on it, and Chicago smelled blood with their newfound momentum. They carried that same strategy that came up just short in Game Four into Game Five, and ran the Flyers literally out of Chicago and on the next flight back to Philadelphia. It was certainly a much tighter game in Game Six – hence the score being tied after sixty minutes and heading into overtime – but with their new line combinations, Chicago still dominated heavily and controlled the play for long durations of the game. The new lines gave Chicago new life, and ultimately a Stanley Cup. We can thank the furious push from the ‘Hawks in Game Four for re-installing the confidence needed to be successful in the playoffs and tight situations. It’s the reason there’s a parade in Chicago today.
3) WHY THE FLYERS LOST: Antti Niemi was (slightly) better than Michael Leigthon/Brian Boucher.
Game One: 5 goals, Game Two: 1 goal, Game Three: 4 goals, Game Four: 5 goals, Game Five 4 goals, Game Six: 3 goals. Antti Niemi was not magnificent. In fact, most of the time – aside from Game Two – he wasn’t even consistently all that good. However, he managed to somehow be just a little bit better than the Flyers goaltenders Michael Leighton and Brian Boucher. Boosh relieved Leighton twice in tight, high scoring games in Chicago (1 & 5), but took home the loss in each contest. Niemi was never pulled, although no one would have questioned Quenneville had he done it at specific points in the series. Instead, the Finnish Fortress was just simply OK. And, with how the goaltending went in this series, OK was “good enough”. Niemi made two critical stops in Game Six to Leighton’s one. Leighton’s toe save on Jonathan Toews with under six minutes to go paved the way for Scott Hartnell’s goal that tied the game in regulation. However, Niemi’s breakaway save on Simon Gagne early in the second, and his acrobatic flop to stop Jeff Carter in the waning minutes of the third period were truly the game savers. In the end, I must reluctantly say, it was Niemi>Leighton/Boucher.
The Chicago Blackhawks knew that if they had to come back to Philadelphia down 3-2 in the 2010 Stanley Cup Final, their chances of a comeback were slim to none. Instead, the ‘Hawks played like their lives depended on it and destroyed the Flyers in Game Five by a final score of 7-4.
Chicago celebrates Kris Versteeg's first period goal
Much like the 5-3 final of Game Four that went in the Flyers’ favor, the three goal cushion the Blackhawks had when this game went final didn’t even do their total domination justice. Antti Niemi was very ordinary tonight in goal for Chicago, but fortunately for him Michael Leighton was the recipient of some bad bounces, and Brian Boucher couldn’t hold down the fort. The forwards and defense for Chicago completely wanted it more, and battled hard all game long as a result. The Flyers were tentative – they let the Blackhawks dictate the play early on and that set the tone for a domination by the ‘Hawks as the game continued to wear down. The Flyers got it to two goals twice: down 3-1 in the first minute of the second period, and down 6-4 with a little less than ten minutes to play in the third. Still, that was more a factor of Niemi not being very good more than it was the Flyers actually generating serious offense.
The Blackhawks came out flying in the first period, scoring three unanswered goals, and controlling the shots by a margin of 13-7. Many Flyers said that after the game the first period they had just played in was one of the worst periods – if not the worst – this team has played the entire season, let alone playoffs. The scary thing is that it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Brent Seabrook got the scoring started on a goal that has become creepily typical of Blackhawk goals this series – a deflection. A Seabrook wrister unfortunately deflected off of Chris Pronger’s skate – who was trying to block the shot – and snuck into a tiny hole that had opened up when the puck changed direction past Michael Leighton’s right pad at 12:17 of the first period on the power play. The ‘Hawks weren’t done, however, as just three minutes later, another crazy carom saw the puck go from Dave Bolland’s stick behind the net to the back of Leighton’s skate and into the net for a goal that made the score 2-0 Chicago. In a period that Chicago dominated, the ‘Hawks were not yet done, as Kris Versteeg found the back of the net through a screen and under Leighton’s glove to give the Blackhawks what seemed like an insurmountable 3-0 lead. It was just that.
JVR beats Niemi to make it 5-3 Chicago in the third
The second period opened with a glimmer of hope for the Flyers and their fans, as Scott Hartnell picked up a loose puck in the crease to make it 3-1 Flyers just 32 seconds into the frame. Brian Boucher also entered the game for Leighton, who was pulled after giving up three goals in the first. The Flyers started to control the play a bit in the beginning of the period and there was reason to think that a comeback was entirely possible. That was, of course, until Danny Briere did not pick up his man – Patrick Kane – who got a beautiful back-door pass from Andrew Ladd to break the Flyers’ backs and make the score 4-1 Chicago. The goal proved even that much more crucial when Kimmo Timonen roofed a rebound in front to cut the Blackhawks’ lead to 4-2 just a minute and a half later. The Flyers chances then began to mount, but failed opportunities in front of a wide open net from Ville Leino and Mike Richards proved even more costly, when Dustin Byfuglien scored his first of the game on the powerplay to make it 5-2 Chicago and, for all extensive purposes, put this game out of reach.
The Flyers showed a little fight in the third period, as James van Riemsdyk scored his first goal of the Stanley Cup Final on another bad rebound from Niemi and made the score 5-3, but, like the Orange and Black did in Philadelphia, it was the Blackhawks that answered back in a big way Sunday night, as Patrick Sharp beat Brian Boucher to make the score back to a three goal margin, now at 6-3. Simon Gagne got one back for the Flyers, as Ville Leino – really the only forward that gave a complete effort tonight – made a great individual play to get the puck to Gagne who was wide open to put the puck in the empty net. At 6-4 with less than three minutes left, there was hope, but not much. All that hope was diminished when Dustin Byfuglien buried an empty netter for his second of the game and locked up a 7-4 Game Five victory for the ‘Hawks as well as a 3-2 series lead.
The Blackhawks celebrate their Game Five win
This game was not about any one player in particular, although many other articles you’ll read will want to make it seem that way. In short, the Blackhawks as a team wanted this game a helluva lot more than the Flyers. As a deserving result, Chicago is now just one win away from a date with Lord Stanley. That could happen Wednesday night in Philadelphia, where I’ll be in attendance. However, if the Flyers get their way, all eyes and bodies will be back in Chicago for a decisive Game Seven.
It’s a pretty simple equation for the Flyers at this point: win two games and a row and you are the 2010 Stanley Cup Champions. Lose a game before you win two, and it’s all over. Let’s hope the first option is the reality come Friday night. Get the ball rolling Wednesday, boys.
Who could blame you right now if you’re doubting the Philadelphia Flyers?
Really, who could blame you? Who could say that your thought process was either “way off” or “discombobulated”? Who could tell you that this current series is by no means over?
Who could make you believe?
How about the Flyers themselves?
Remember back to game 82 of the long and grueling regular season that comes along with participation in the National Hockey League. The Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers squared off in a “Win and You’re In” game at the Wachovia Center. The Rangers scored first, and looked in control early. If your thought process involved the Flyers sinking into an abyss, and faltering at that point in time, who could’ve blamed you? However, the Flyers kept working. The Orange and Black proved to live up to their season mantra, for perhaps the first time all season, sustaining a “Relentless” attack against the Rangers and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. In the third period, when the hope was likely the dimmest for many Flyers fans, the Flyers shined light heavily back into the equation. Matt Carle roofed a rebound off his backhand and into the net to even the game at 1-1. The Flyers had always believed, and now the fans had reason to again. Still, a 1-1 draw ended up remaining on the scoreboard until the game headed into overtime. In an overtime filled with tension and anticipation, heart rates climbed when the only buzzer that sounded during the frame was that signaling a trip to a shootout.
A shootout; placing the entirety of your playoff hopes against arguably the best goaltender in the league today. The Rangers had Lundqvist, the Flyers had Woonsocket, Rhode Island native Brian Boucher. Who could’ve blamed the majority of the Flyer faithful for having their doubts? Danny Briere certainly couldn’t have. Yet he helped ease the suspense when he sent Lundqvist’s jockstrap somewhere onto I-76 on a deke as the first shooter to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the shootout. Still, why was there any reason to believe in Brian Boucher and his ability to stop at least two breakaways at that point to send the Flyers to the postseason? There wasn’t much of a reason at all, to be honest. But Boucher stood tall in his first attempt, a stop on try from Erik Christensen.
Boosh played hero in Game 82
And then, when Claude Giroux scored in the third round to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead in the shootout (P.A. Parenteau had beaten Boucher in round two), there still couldn’t have been many who believed in Boosh to stop sniper Olli Jokinen and save the game and the season for Philadelphia. However, that’s just what he did, and they Flyers earned the trip to the postseason that had come so hard, but felt so rewarding. Brian Boucher believed the Flyers could do it, and so did his teammates.
Next up came a showdown in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the second-seeded New Jersey Devils. And after hanging on by a thread to win Game One, the Flyers were defeated late in Game Two, as New Jersey evened up the series. Who would blame you for doubting the Flyers then? The Devils had Ilya Kovalchuk and seemingly new life in a series they were favored to win. Who could’ve blamed the Flyers for folding and taking solace in the fact that they’d just been fortunate enough to make the playoffs in the first place? Anyone but the Flyers themselves, it seemed. Of course, the rest is Flyers history. Danny Carcillo was the overtime hero in Game Three to get the series back in Philadelphia’s favor. The Devils never won another game.
Simon Gagne silenced the Boston crowd with his PP goal in Game 7
Then came a semi-final series with the Boston Bruins. The Flyers quickly fell into an 0-3 hole, and also fell behind 1-0 in Game Four. Why was there reason to believe that this Flyers team could come back? How could Michael Leighton, ice cold and coming off a high ankle sprain, fill in strongly in place of Brian Boucher, who went down with a pair of sprained knees in Game Five? How were the fans, and even the Flyers themselves, able treat an 0-3 deficit as if it were a 3-3 deadlock for four consecutive games? It would’ve been easy to keel over and die then, it really would’ve. Instead, the Flyers decided they’d rather make history. Simon Gagne decided he’d come back early from a broken toe and join them. The Orange and Black took four straight from the Black and Gold to join the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and 1975 New York Islanders as the only NHL teams to win a series after being down 0-3.
What if Ian didn’t believe in sacrifice? What if Broad Street didn’t fight back?
The Eastern Conference Finals were a whirlwind in themselves, with the Flyers seemingly coasting to wins in Games One and Two. But after the scene shifted to Montreal and the Habs blew the doors off the Flyers in the process en route to a 5-1 rout in Game Three, who would ever have expected the Flyers to come out and dominate in the fashion they did on their way to a 3-0 shutout and a 3-1 series lead in Game Four? Ian Laperriere and Jeff Carter did. And so did the teammates and coaches they returned to join in Game Four after missing the previous three games of the Conference Finals and the entire Semi Finals series with what had previously been thought to have been season ending injuries (Broken orbital bone and brain contusion, and a broken foot, respectively).
What if, when the series shifted to Philadelphia, Mike Richards took a chance to close the series and snatch a certain Prince of Wales at home for granted? What if he didn’t rekindle images of the determination of Bobby Clarke when he tossed Tomas Plekanec out of the way en route to setting up a Jeff Carter empty-netter to send the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Final?
What if the Flyers, a team burdened with the expectations of bringing a Stanley Cup to Philadelphia, simply wrote this season off as “not being our year”? What if they faltered in the limelight of the Stanley Cup Final, and fell to the Chicago Blackhawks convincingly?
Far from it. The Flyers arguably could have a 2-0 lead in this series going into tomorrow night’s Game Three at Wachovia Center. Instead their down 0-2 to the Blackhawks, and face a must win situation in Game Three to keep their Stanley Cup hopes alive. Who would blame any Flyers fan right now for having his or her doubts? Most wouldn’t.
I would.
Mike Richards and the Flyers can get right back into this series tomorrow night
This Flyers team knows they could be up 2-0 in this series right now. The Blackhawks know they could be down 0-2 in this series. The Flyers know they let two winnable games slip away in Chicago, so who’s to say that they won’t win two winnable games here in Philadelphia? And if they win Game Three, how much of a confidence boost will it give this franchise and this city, which collectively haven’t seen a victory in a Stanley Cup Final game since 1987? If you doubt the Philadelphia Flyers’ ability to do the unthinkable now, then shame on you. If you will be at the Wachovia Center tomorrow night and intend on sitting on your hands in nervous anticipation, don’t go and make a fortune selling your tickets. There are so many Flyers fans right now that would die at the opportunity to be inside the Orange Crush of the Wachovia Center tomorrow night. I’ll be there. I’ll be loud. And anyone else in Orange better be right there beside me. Chicago’s strutted their stuff on home ice. They’ve brought the series to Philly needing two wins to the Flyers’ four to win the Cup.
I don’t give a crap. All I care about is tomorrow night and the Flyers getting back into this series. I care about that sea of Orange that will be so loud and boisterous, your television sets likely won’t do it justice because (as is the norm at the Wachovia Center in the playoffs) they’ll have to turn down crowd volume so you can hear the announcers. I care about Lauren Hart, and the great Kate Smith singing a certain song to make the roof shake on top of the Wachovia Center. I care about a strong first period – one that sets the tone and one that lets the Chicago Blackhawks know that there is absolutely no chance they are going to win a game in our building.
Most importantly, I care about a win.
The Flyers have been sporting orange tee-shirts in their dressing room this series that show a picture of the Stanley Cup and simply state: “Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough”.
Let’s be real here – to the Flyers, with everything that’s happened to this team this year and all they’ve had to overcome both off and on the ice, there’s only one phrase that’s related to the one on their shirts that is even remotely justifiable:
“Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get the Cup”
Do I Believe?
You had better believe it.
Alex Cohen
Ian Stancato
Josh Getzoff
Stephen Watson
Zach Field