If You Ask the Stars - It's Babcock

Please check out my latest post, written exclusively for Flyerdelphia.

Many thanks to Brian Startare and Kevin Durso!

Oh What A Night

The word "Tuesday" is derived from Old English and Middle English words meaning "Tiw's Day" - the day of Tiw, the god of single combat, victory, and heroic glory in Norse mythology.  

Seems fitting for what went down across the NHL last night!

Single combat?  I'm going with the massive right punch Ryan White landed on Eric Boulton's face in the first period last night.   

Victory?  Easy.  Our Flyers continue to play spoilers in thrilling fashion.  Even better:  the Senators.  Nothing could be more fun for a fan of the Orange and Black than seeing Fleury's dejected skate to the bench following Mark Stone's OT goal.

Or reading this from the article "Collapse Continues!" in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, about the Pens:

It was a pathetic performance by a team that doesn’t seem to have much interest in making the playoffs. The postseason is within reach. But this is a team that doesn’t appear greatly interested in reaching it.

Heroic glory?  Two words:  Brayden Schenn.  What a stunner. What a bad goal.  I almost felt sorry for Halak.  Almost, but not really. 

Putting aside that we won't be enjoying a post-season, the biggest loser in Philadelphia last night was Lynne Abraham. (Don't worry, she's ok.)

Some stats for your consideration:

Mark Streit has 51 points on the season.  Claude Giroux is the top ten for points (72) and assists (47). Jake Voracek is 3rd in the NHL with 81 points, and Steve Mason also sits in the 3rd with his .928 SV%.  Not to mention that Simmer was on pace for 30+ goals before breaking his leg on March 25th against the Hawks.  (And of course, B. Schenn stepped up his game to earn the NHL's second star for the week ending April 5th.)

As Sarah Baicker tweeted, the Flyers look like the best bad team ever.  If we keep all of this talent around and find a coach who clicks with players, I really believe we can make it to the playoffs next season.

But in the meantime, I'll be counting down to the Flyers/Senators match up on Saturday, though I'll be sad to see the season end.  

Do you think the Flyers should tank if it means keeping the Pens out of the playoffs?  

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. 

I Found Jeff Reese

Seriously.  It wasn't that difficult given the miracles of the Internet.  But it seems like I'm the only one looking for him.  

I understand that he said he would not comment further on his departure from the team, as did Hextall and Berube, but isn't it strange that hardly anyone attempted to track him down for further explanation?  Or that we haven't heard about him joining another team?  I seriously doubt he is sitting at home twiddling his thumbs.  

This is a man with a long hockey history, both playing and coaching, and he certainly isn't old enough to retire.  He is a very successful goalie coach and it seems that he wouldn't have a problem finding a new home in the NHL.

What kind of behind-the-scenes wrangling was going on in the days leading up to his departure?  Do you think we will see him back in the orange and black if (when!) Berube gets canned?

If you credit the reports that he left over the way Mason was being treated, then good for him.  I'd love to see Reese's return, because that kind of loyalty is the foundation of a strong relationship (Mase always praised Reese with helping to ease his mind), which is what our number one goalie needs to continue to excel in his position.  

Think about this:  the Flyers haven't talked about replacing Reese, either.  

Do you think he and Mase will reunite?  



"Jeff, call me, please."  Image courtesy of Lets Go Flyers.

The Magic Number - Welcome Back, Kimmo

Some numerology in honor of Kimmo Timonen's return to Philadelphia tonight:

Kimmo celebrated his 40th birthday a week ago.  I used his birth date to calculate his life path number.  Your life path "is the road you are traveling."  He is a 7, based on a 34.  

So where is Kimmo going?  Apparently, his life path is devoted to "finding the answers to the mysteries of life."  Obviously!  Hockey's ultimate prize has eluded him throughout his career and his recent move to Chicago (sob) was motivated by his singular desire to have his name engraved on Lord Stanley's Cup.

Kimmo is also "a warrior."  Tell us something we don't know:



Kimmo in Game Three of the 2010 NHL Stanley Final against the Blackhawks.  Image courtesy of 
Zimbio.

Finally, Kimmo will only get better with age, as he will "radiate refinement and wisdom."  I dare say he already does:


Image courtesy of Zimbio.

He might not be number 44 ("a visionary" with "great potential") for the Flyers anymore, but he will always have a place in the hearts of the fans who bleed orange and black.

All numerology information from decoz.com.

Three goals in three days

My daughter's "spring recess" this year is three days long, the same amount of time the Flyers have between their Twilight Zone loss to the Oilers on Saturday and their next game against the Blackhawks on Wednesday night in South Philly.  

During that time, my daughter is hoping to swim, spend quality time with her grandparents, and eat at least a hamburger a day.

What are the Flyers hoping to do?  I imagine:

(1)  Regroup.  Whatever was said at that players-only meeting will hopefully set in and resonate with the team.  I realize that with eight meaningless games left on the calendar it may be difficult to motivate.  But by all accounts the guys on this team are tightly-knit off the ice, and in spite of Craig Berube.  I'd like to see them regroup and play for pride, especially with Voracek in the hunt for the Art Ross trophy.

(2)  Relax.  In all honesty, no one on the team seems to be having much fun anymore.  There's been so much drama since they took off for Western Canada, am I right?  The beat reports sound more like Facebook posts from a sorority house than coverage of a professional hockey team.  

Anyway, it may sound hokey, but I was really sick this past weekend and was forced to watch the movie Million Dollar Arm.  The takeaway from the film was, even if a player has put in the training and practice hours, he cannot succeed without letting go.  That is, having fun.  Now is the time for the Flyers to relax, maybe stick it to a few teams in playoff contention, and end the season on a high note.  

(3)  Eat at least a hamburger a day.  (Just not off the ice after the game.) 

We are all looking forward to seeing Kimmo back in Philadelphia on Wednesday.  

The Magic Number of Claude Giroux

Not a lot to write about when the Flyers are tanking.  I must have read about the "tragic number 11" in at least 10 different articles this week.

So I decided to read up on numerology, hoping to find a magic number.  (What else am I supposed to do with 9 games left, a Cold War between Berube and Mason, and cryptic accounts of a players-only meeting that occurred about 30 games too late?)

For your consideration, I present a brief and admittedly amateur analysis of our captain Claude Giroux's Number 28, which seemed appropriate given the number of idiots wanting to rip the "C" off of his sweater.

We start, of course, with number 28, which apparently is the number 10, but with "more compassion and tolerance."  In turn, the number 10 "enhances all the qualities of the 1."  Slightly vague, but wait, stay with me:

A 10 is "a powerful leader, sharply focused, and streamlined for success.  It can be ruthless in the pursuit of its goals.  It can become a dominating tyrant."  

Sounds like a perfect captain to me!  

And it gets better, because the number 1 "is masculine, progressive, courageous, and rebellious in a constructive way."  

Wow!  We've seen that NUMBER 28 before, folks, and I surely hope to see him again.  G, please stay away from golf clubs and cop butts this off season:


Thanks to decoz.com and numerology.com for educating me.
YouTube video posted by GalNasty.