The Sunshine State

I know a lot of people are either on spring break this week or at least dreaming of warmer climes, so I thought I'd recap a Panthers/ Flyers game I attended with my mom over Thanksgiving 2013.  

We were visiting family in Florida and I bought tickets for Club Red at the BB&T Center.  They were so cheap at the time, the Panthers were pretty terrible, and the Flyers were coming off a 6-0-1 run where they scored 27 goals.  (Seems unbelievable now!)

Anyway, the Flyers lost 3-1 with Wayne Simmonds scoring the lone goal for the Orange and Black.  

I will never forget how many Flyers fans were there - likely transplants or folks visiting for the holiday - and how empty the seats were - they even put tarps over a whole section in an attempt to downplay the lack of bodies in the seats.

Also - there were cheerleaders and a loud cat roar every time the home team scored a goal.  Could you imagine cheerleaders in the stands in South Philly?  They barely held on to the Ice Girls this season!

Fast forward to today where the Panthers were more in the hunt for a wildcard spot than the Flyers - and now our team is merely "playing for pride" ... Sigh.

Overall it was a fun experience going to Sunrise but it's always strange watching a game in enemy territory.  Nothing as bad as MSG though - stay tuned.

Looking for a breakout game for Jake tonight against the Pens.  Jeez, I hate Pittsburgh. 

Sucker Punch

Welp.  Could be the only thing worse than the Flyers losing to the Bruins is them losing to the Bruins in overtime, especially when getting the loser point seems inconsequential.  An OT loss, as any hockey fan knows, is just like a sucker punch to the gut:  unexpected, and it completely knocks the wind out of you.

The officiating has been killing the Flyers lately.  I understand that they need to score more even strength goals and that it is their fault they are in this position so late in the season given their failure to beat lesser teams, but still:

Yesterday, the Bruins were on a power play at the end of all three periods, leading to both of their goals in regulation.  So during both intermissions, the Flyers had to focus on the penalty kill, rather than the attack, which fundamentally changes the players' mentality, focus, and momentum.  

Worse was the call on March 3 against the Flames when Nick Schultz's goal was disallowed after being called a goal on the ice.  After the officials huddled and reversed the call, Toronto deemed the play unreviewable.  Huh?  

If that hadn't happened, the Flyers likely would have picked up 2 points.  And, if they held on for another 14 seconds yesterday after the highly questionable tripping call on Wayne Simmonds, they would have picked up another 2, and today would have all but closed the gap on a wild card spot.

That penalty call against Simmonds, in such a critical game, and after the Bruins already had 3 power plays to the Flyers 2?  Officiating (make that bad officiating) does make a difference.

P.S. Does anyone else think Dougie is a silly name for an adult professional hockey player?  Just sayin'.

Rising to the Occasion

What to make of a Flyers team that loses to the "bottom feeders" but defeats the leading teams in the NHL?

It's not the best way to make it into the playoffs.  But, if they make it, isn't it exactly what you want this team to do?

In other words, they are going to have to beat the "best" teams if they want to make any sort of a deep playoff run.  And, based on their performance in the regular season, it looks like they can rise to the occasion.  The Flyers have recently beaten (in no particular order) the Blues, Rangers, Predators, and Lightning.

I read an article on NHL.com pegging the Blues as Stanley Cup contenders the day before the Flyers scored three unanswered goals on them in the third period last night to win.  So what does anyone really, really know about the Flyers this season?   

They just have to make it to the playoffs.  The game tomorrow in Boston is HUGE.

But I don't need to tell you that.

Here's the NHL.com article referenced:  http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=756606

Talismans

So we can all agree that Saturday night's game against the Rags was amazing.  I mean, a shorthanded GWG from MDZ against his former team?  Sick.  I'm sorry to have missed it.  My family has been ill for weeks and we just couldn't get there, though it was easier than usual to unload our season tickets.

Apparently there was an explosive atmosphere at the Well.  Twitter was rife with accounts of Rangers fans misbehaving and getting kicked out, including a bunch of Rangers fans ("men") who heckled a little kid:

@nickpiccone rangers fans were taunting a little 5 year old earlier. They're getting kicked out left and right #LetsGoFlyers

You stay classy, New York.

P.S.  I believe all of the accounts.  I was at MSG for Game 7 of the Flyers/Rangers playoff series last year.  Those "hockey fans" are gross.  (Subject of a later post.)

But on to talismans.  Most Flyers fans I know have some sort of a good luck charm that they are convinced wins games for the team.  When I was growing up, there was a puck on top of the television in our basement.  It sat in a precise spot during the 1986-87 season.  I accidentally moved the puck and to this day my family blames me for the Flyers losing to the Oilers in the '87 Stanley Cup Finals.

This year, I have the shoe.  Ever since I put it on my desk the Flyers have gone on an amazing run, as they try to make their way into the playoffs.

What is your talisman? 

Keep Calm and Watch More Hockey

Take a deep breath.  The Flyers are still four points behind the Bruins in the wild card race.

Yes, it was an abysmal loss last night to the 'Canes.  Yes, the team loses to bottom-feeders.  Yes, everyone is starting to panic.

Don't.  Instead, accept that this is just the way the Flyers are playing this season.  Blame it on Berube, blame it on the rain.  You may never find an explanation and I certainly can't offer one.

But I can tell you to keep the faith.  I hated the loss last night but the team is still 4-2-4 over the last ten games.  Not too shabby, and still in the hunt.  We'll see what Thursday brings.

Improbable or Probably? - The Playoffs

According to an Inquirer reader poll taken a little over a week ago, Flyers fans were split nearly 50/50 over whether the team would make the playoffs this season.

Following an exhilarating weekend at the Wells Fargo Center, where the Flyers picked up a precious four points, the playoffs are tantalizingly in reach.  What seemed improbable months ago has moved into the realm of . . . probably (?)

True, the Bruins didn't do the Flyers any favors on Hockey Day in America, as their freefall came to a resounding halt with a 6-2 rout of the Blackhawks.  The Panthers continue to pester and remain one point ahead.  BREAKING NEWS:  Emery is injured, leaving the team with Zepp and Stolarz to tend the twine.  (Note that this may not be a bad thing, refer to the 2010 playoffs.  Subject of a later post.)

Despite all of that, there is something new in the air, floating ever so cautiously around the recently woeful world of Philadelphia sports:  Hope.  Anticipation.  A maybe, just maybe, this team could make it to the post-season, where anything can happen.

Stay tuned.