ORANGE C.R.USHER

I hate the freaking Devils. Look. How hard is it to beat the Rangers? The Flyers have done it twice in a week. Devils: you beat the Flyers regularly. They beat the Rangers. Logically, it follows that you beat the Rangers. What is this losing to the Rags 3-2 business?

What irritates me most is that not only did the Devils not beat the Rangers last night, and they have gone, what, 0-4-1 in their last five, yet will still probably beat the Flyers tonight.

I hope that they don't, of course. But I usually try to be realistic in my expectations. I don't have any orange and black glasses. (Otherwise, all I would see is the Stanley Cup, parading up Broad Street...) The Devils seem to come out of nowhere for the Flyers, and the Flyers seem not to believe that they can actually beat that team. Especially not in New Jersey. Maybe tonight changes all that. I'll find out later, after I have watched the Phantoms vs. Senators at the Wachovia Spectrum. Go Philadelphia!!

(Flyers are back in position #8 since the stupid Rags beat the stupid Devils and the stupid Bruins beat the stupid Leafs.)

This blog recently had its 2000th visitor. This viewer came from an ISP in New Braunfels, TX and found it by the search terms "Josh Gratton's teeth."

Interesting. Speaking of Josh Gratton, I got to see him play again last weekend, and he even scored a goal against the Phantoms, which disgusted me. He got into a fight in which he did not fare well, as I recall. He was not my favorite, when he was a Phantom, but I did appreciate his getting things going in that awesome comeback game in the playoffs in 2005.

I will summarize recent events briefly, because 1) I don’t have much time to devote these days (alas! Work has actually been occupying my days, and my evenings are almost always of the non-sitting-around variety) and 2) there is a lot to cover; see 1).

I will start with last weekend.

Phantoms game vs. the Hartford Wolfpack at the Wachovia Spectrum. While the big clubs were playing across the parking lot, these two teams had a rematch of the game they played midweek (which the Wolfpack won). Martin Houle started, was decent, and made an outstanding highlight-reel save in the first period and unfortunately injured himself in the process. Scott Munroe came in, who was only coming off injury himself. The Phantoms had things under control, leading 3-1 going into the third period. I recall thinking that I wished the game had ended after 2, because 20 minutes is a long time for things to happen. And they did. The game ended up 4-4 at the end of regulation, and went through OT without a score. I hate the shootout, but the Phantoms won it. Why do they have to make things difficult?

While at the game, we were updated as to the progress of the Flyers vs. Rangers. We were told it was 2-0 in the third, and the people in front of us then got a call from some people they knew at the Flyers game. Suddenly – it was only brief minutes later – it was 2-2 with five to go. What the hell? I cried. I hate the Flyers. I actually hate them. As our Phantoms game went back and forth, so did the Flyers game. It ended up 3-3 after regulation and the shootout. We left the Phantoms game and did not get an update until later, while we ate at the diner waiting for traffic to disperse, from J., who informed us the Flyers had won in a shootout. What the? That happens so rarely as to say that it never happens. But, you know what? Good news. Interesting parallels between the games that night. Over the following few days I watched the Flyers game, which I had recorded. Mike Richards scored a beautiful goal on a breakaway, beating Valiquette prettily. Danny Briere scored another beautiful goal to make it 2-0, and he also scored in the third to keep the game going. And in the shootout, it was Richie and Jeff Carter doing the good. Biron had only one save to make, on Nigel Dawes (something of an unexpected shootout specialist), since Shanahan completely missed the net. It was 2 points I did not expect the Flyers to get; a good way to start out the final stretch of all-divisional matchups.

Sunday’s Flyers game against the Islanders was attended in person, sitting in row 14 in section 204. This was an excellent, excellent game. The Flyers played everything about as well as I have seen them play this year. The Isles never really had a chance. They play clumsy and sloppy hockey (K. can’t understand how they can play so badly yet consistently beat the Devils). They make mistakes that the Flyers pounced on. Plus, Biron was outstanding. The games I saw vs. the Islanders last year were boring and frustrating; the home opener was too much of a nail-biter and there was too much of a question about what I was going to see, because it was so early in the season. This was much, much better. But I have to wonder: if it had been Scottie Upshall mouthing off to the ref with 6 or so minutes left in the game rather than Jim Dowd, being nailed with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty (I guess he told the ref what he could do, using a choice four-letter word), what do you think the chances of Upshall playing on Tuesday would have been? The Flyers spent almost the last 6 minutes of the game on the PK. They had a 4-0 game until Dowd’s double minor; the Isles scored (it was Satan…scoring on Easter) and erased Biron’s shutout. If I were Biron, I’d be making Dowd buy me some dinner or something for giving the Isles the power play opportunity to screw my chances at the shutout. Oh well. The Islanders in no way were able to make any more of a dent in the Flyers’ lead and the game was done 4-1, another divisional 2 points.

Tuesday, I watched the Flyers vs. Rangers on Vs. This was a game that was interesting, then boring, then interesting again. The middle period I could have done without. The Flyers struggled but Biron was solid and kept them in the game, despite being down 1-0. It was frustrating that they were not really getting their chances, as Lundqvist made some saves and the Rangers battled. In the third period, the Flyers came out a different team than the one that played in the first and second (I wish they would just be that team the whole game … ) and Danny Briere tied it on an absolutely amazing play between him and Prospal – I doubt they even looked at each other, the puck just went from one to the other and Briere beat Lundqvist and tied the game. Extremely impressive, and an argument for attempting to keep Prospal after the season is over. Clearly these guys have a good rapport and similar feel for the game and each other; it’s been working. The game went into OT.

Briere’s goal was sweet, but the best part of the game happened in the overtime. Sean Avery mistimed a pass around center ice – it found its way to a Flyer, who passed it up to Richards, who had himself a minibreakaway. He was dogged by two Rangers, one harassing him the whole way down the middle. Richards’ shot was weak, looking like a last-ditch effort to get a chance before he was ridden away from the puck and goal. Lundqvist was there, but the puck had other things in mind: it flipped right over Lundqvist’s glove and into the net. I jumped up off the couch, dumping my cat Peter to the floor (oops!), and shouted, “RICHIE! WOOOO!” Yeah, it was 10:30 p.m. But I don’t have neighbors on the one side of the house anymore. So who cares? I wouldn’t have even if someone lived there.

The Flyers won.

One of the best sights, besides, of course, the one of Richie and his teammates celebrating as the others came boiling off the bench, was the quick camera shot to Jaromir Jagr (who had scored the Rangers’ only goal). He thrust his lower lip out, sitting on the bench, and ducked his chin. Awwwww. Talk about a pout. The other best sight came Wednesday morning, while I was looking at pictures from the game.



I must say that I love that the game-winning goal came from a bad play made by that obscenity known as Sean Avery.

Because the game went to OT, the Rangers picked up a point, and with that win, the Flyers are one point behind the Rangers, still in 7th place. 6th place is easily reachable. All that has to happen in the next couple days is:

1) Rangers must lose in regulation to the Devils tonight and
2) Flyers must beat the Devils Friday.

Then we will see going forward. In a 24-hr time span I will cheer for the Devils (gag) and then boo them.

The Phantoms lost on Saturday to Hershey 3-1; since Wilkes-Barre/Scranton lost last night the Phantoms still hold a tenuous #1 spot in the division. Goaltending is a big question right now. I’m nervous. Tomorrow it’s the Phantoms vs. Binhamton (sic) and then Sunday vs. Hamilton.

I know there was more I wanted to write about hockey, but this is all I have got for now. I will add on as things come back to me. Additionally, I want to get a post about my visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame … perhaps this weekend. Too bad writing about hockey isn’t my job.

Well, it’s been a busy week in the land of Crusher, but now with a little time to breathe I shall entertain you with some stories about some hockey that I have seen and read about since last I wrote a week ago.

1) While I was in Toronto, I was made envious of the enormous amount of air time hockey gets on sports channels. Obviously, I was in Canada, and this was to be expected, but next to what seemed like non-stop curling action, hockey took top billing and I saw highlights and lowlights over and over again from every game that was going on. This included the game against Boston that the Flyers blew last Saturday. It seems to have been your classic Flyers-about-to-win-then-give-up-a-goal-with-a-minute-or-less-to-go situation, with the Bruins forcing an OT in which they won the game. I sat on the edge of the hotel bed and stared grimly at Biron through the TV screen, watching him on his knees and allowing the winning goal to pass him – from the freaking blue line. Flyers picked up a point, but – correct me if I remember incorrectly – they could have passed Boston in the standings with an outright regulation win that day, no?

I also got to see a lot of commentary about Chris Pronger’s suspension of eight whole games for his stomp on Ryan Kesler’s leg in a game recently. Initially the league wasn’t going to suspend him at all because there wasn’t any good footage of the act, but mysteriously a rather good quality recording of it turned up and then the league couldn’t ignore it any more. It’s quite clear. Kesler was down, tried to tie up Pronger’s feet (a dirty move in itself, but not the issue) and Pronger freed himself, then brought his skate back down onto Kesler’s leg. Some felt he was just in a moment of imbalance and it wasn’t malicious – you know, like the stomp that garnered Chris Simon 30 games. My view says Pronger had maybe a moment of imbalance, but the stomp was not part of it. It was not quite as ruthless as Simon’s slewfoot-stomp, but it can’t have been anything but intentional, which means I am appalled (though not surprised) that the league gave him so few games. The dude was suspended seven times before! Twice in a week last playoffs for two vicious elbows (for which he was not suspended nearly long enough, either). How the hell does the league decide he deserves only eight games for an act that could have brutally injured Kesler?

OOOOOOH, right, how stupid of me. He’s Chris Freaking Pronger. You can’t suspend someone like him an amount of games that might remove him from the Ducks’ roster for any portion of the playoffs!! Eight games allows him to rest up nice and tidy to come back for the Ducks’ last regular season game and go into the playoffs fresh as can be.

What a joke. Colin Campbell is an out and out idiot. Chris Simon has, rightly (in my opinion), openly questioned the ruling. Perhaps I am inclined to feel harshly toward the NHL’s disciplinary czar after the charades that have already gone on this season re: other teams’ non-suspensions and shorter suspensions for acts Flyers got hammered for, and perhaps it makes me feel vengeful, but if I were Chris Simon, I’d be considering some sort of formal action. No, I don’t think Chris Pronger should have gotten the same 30 games Simon got, but I think 20 might have been appropriate, given the disgusting nature of a skate stomp and Pronger’s lengthy and dirty history of suspensions. Colin Campbell has merely proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that he is a complete ass and wholly incompetent at effectively and fairly executing his job.

2) K. and I took the subway down to the Air Canada Centre on Saturday evening to watch the Maple Leafs embarrass themselves against the Sabres. We were up in a corner, looking down on the business from the end where the Sabres shot twice.



The Leafs seemed bent on doing the exact opposite of what I asked them to do last week: a) lose to the Flyers and b) beat the Sabres. Instead, they beat the Flyers twice and then never really gave the Sabres much trouble. It’s true they didn’t have Sundin, which was disappointing (you have expensive tickets, you travel a long way, you want to see one of the best players in the game, right?), but they didn’t have Sundin for two periods when they played the Flyers, either, and they still had that game under control. It didn’t seem like it was going to be a 6-2 disaster. The Sabres scored first, then a while later the Leafs scored; it was Ian White, who was featured on the tickets we had. The Sabres then scored twice more to close out the period, and it was looking grim. In the third period, though, Jiri Tlusty put in a rebound and it was 3-2. Given that the period wasn’t even half over, a tying goal seemed like a possibility; the Leafs even seemed to put out a little more effort, but it drained away as the Sabres scored a few minutes later, and then another two times to end the game. It was actually a little bit like watching the Flyers play, except without a single good hit. Good grief the Leafs are a soft team. I mean, Darcy Tucker didn’t even do much out there and I couldn’t believe it. And you know what? I didn’t like Jason Blake even when I was cheering for his team. They all played pretty badly and it was seriously disappointing. The Sabres didn’t even have to really try that hard.

Still, it was incredibly exciting to be at a hockey game in Canada, in the Leafs Nation. As a one-time Leafs fan, I felt a little privileged to be there, seeing my old favorite team in their house (I saw them twice in Philly and I booed them – just not the same). I liked how the crowd sings along with their national anthem – I wish that this would happen here, though I find myself at Flyers games mesmerized by Lauren Hart’s flawless and powerful renditions of ours, and maybe I don’t want a bunch of tone-deaf schmoes interfering with it. It seemed rather dim in the upper sections where we were, and there was standing room only up against the ceiling behind them. Mike Meyers was in attendance. The nachos were bad, but the ice cream was good. The kid behind me kept putting his knees into my shoulders until I finally couldn’t stand it any more and he was asked to knock it off. It was noisy at times, but the poor play collected some boos and quieted everyone. I bought a souvenir hockey stick; while I liked a few of the t-shirts in the gear shop, I know that I wouldn’t wear them around here except perhaps in my own house, and I have enough t-shirts to wear around the house without spending $20 CDN on another one that says MAPLE LEAFS. And I already have two Leafs hockey pucks, so the stick seemed like a safe souvenir. I felt a little strange wearing my Leafs jersey, as it is only the second time in … more than four years that I have worn it. And it’s old – I think I got it in 1996 or 1997, it has a badge on the hem proclaiming the Western Conference, so you know it’s not fresh. But I fit in.

I wanted the Leafs to win while I was there simply because I was there to cheer on the Leafs, but I really wanted the Leafs to win in order to deny Buffalo another two points. Alas. The Sabres still hadn’t caught the Flyers, and are still on the outside of the playoff picture, but that two points put them far too uncomfortably close.

3) I was doing a last bit of sight-seeing in Toronto and starting home while the Flyers got their game going against Pittsburgh. I avoided looking at any of the scores so that when we got back to my house at 10:30 p.m., we could put the game on while letting the house warm back up a bit, watch a little Flyers/Penguins hockey. I wish that I had not, though, because I ended up going to bed really mad. It was a complete cluster[beep] as far as the Flyers were concerned. I was sitting there confused as to why Stevens was doing what he was going (i.e. putting who he was putting out when he was putting them out there). Look, here’s the deal: I’ve learned a lot about hockey, but I don’t know everything about hockey. There are subtleties that I miss all the time and I admit that there are a lot of things that go on that I am oblivious to. So if I am noticing what he is doing wrong, then my god, what he is doing wrong is so monstrously wrong that … that … there are no words to describe. As I’m sitting there wondering what the hell Stevens is doing with his roster, Eddie Olcyzk comments that Stevens is mismatching his lines. [Olcyzk also echoed a question K. and I had asked a minute or two before: at one point, Knuble was playing the puck out against the walls, and we wondered why he wasn’t crashing the top of the crease and hanging out “in his office”, as they say. Olczyk wondered the same thing. (I don’t want to say great minds think alike, though, because that would imply Olczyk is as smart as we are, and I doubt that. I suppose that’s not very nice, but that dude can barely find it in his heart to say anything good about the Flyers. I doubt NBC could find anyone more partisan than him to do color commentary for their games. Pierre Maguire’s nonstop slobbering over the Penguins is bad enough without Olczyk’s completely unbalanced commentary. On national TV.)

Anyway, I was fuming as I watched the Pens score 1, 2, 3, 4 goals, and after the fourth goal, I said, “I’m not watching any more of this crap” and started fast-forwarding through the game. Seconds later, in sped-up TV time, the Pens scored #5, then there was a #6, and oh my god a #7. The Flyers lost 7-1. It was worse than watching a game from last year, because last year, this was how they played all the time. This year, there is no damn excuse.

The list of problems and mistakes in that game is too long to go over, but I want to ask another non-rhetorical question of the coach: what gives? We all know that Biron is shaky in the second game of a back-to-back, and normally Stevens addressed that by putting Niitty in for one of a back-to-back. But last week he started Biron back-to-back twice. I was surprised Biron started Wednesday against the Leafs, and, well, he lost. So imagine my surprise when he started against the Pens. Niitty should have started. That is not to say that the Penguins would not have won the game – given the thousand other things that went wrong Sunday afternoon, they likely would have. But at least a fresh goalie would have given them some hope. Or at least I’d like to think so. Niitty sure let in a lot of goals while he was relieving Biron, too, so who knows.

I half-expected to wake up Monday morning to read that Stevens had been fired, but all signs seem to indicate that he will at least be given the rest of the season to prove himself worthy of keeping.

4) This past Tuesday, the Flyers played Atlanta in Philadelphia, game four of a four game series against the Thrashers. We all know that the Flyers have a solid record against that team, and the Trash are struggling, so it seemed like the Flyers were looking at two easy points. There is no putting anything past this team, though – I have gone from expecting them to win to expecting them to blow it, meaning I have absolutely no faith in them whatsoever any more. (It makes me sad.) K. got tickets for the game, and his brother and sister-in-law went with us. We were in section 223, in row 15 – that is, the very last row, with the wall at my back and when I stood and stretched my arms up, I could touch the ceiling. This is absolutely as far back as I have sat in a game before, and, well, I don’t like it any better than sitting in row 13, or row 8. However, no kid behind you can put his knees into your shoulder.

I was terribly afraid in this game. Niittymaki started, and I so did not want his no-loss record against Lehtonen to be broken because the Flyers have forgotten how to play hockey. I wasn’t given much hope to cling to that it wouldn’t be, when the Thrashers scored at 58 seconds into the game. It was a [bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep]ing ridiculous goal. Yeah, a tiny bit deflected, but give me a break! Niittymaki didn’t look like he even moved as the puck slid by his glove, down low. I don’t think he was screened. It was not a rocket. My jaw dropped and I shouted, “What the hell was that, Niitty?” (I wasn’t the only one.) I sat back ready to watch a nightmare unfold … and for a few minutes, they struggled, ugh ugh ugh! But the Flyers did not fold! They did not collapse! In fact, after that few minutes, they tightened up and played as awesome a game as I have seen, wholly dominating until about 19:00 of the third period. I will get to that; let me first comment briefly on the goals that were scored.

a) Mike Richards, potting an opportunist’s goal. There was a scramble at the net as Lehtonen made a save or two, and Richards came around from behind the net to basically just poke the puck in. Very nice, and the score was tied. This was in the first period.

b) The Flyers had a power play at the end of the second period. The Thrasher’s penalty came at 19:01 so the PP would be split between periods. The Flyers had had a good PP (though no goal scored) and a very bad PP in the first period, and this was the only PP they got in the second. They looked pretty good, but it was looking like they were going to wind out the second period without a goal, because it got down to 19:55 and nothing. But then Kimmo Timonen (whose birthday it was) decided to sort of hail-mary it through traffic from the center of the zone at the blue line. He fired it. It deflected off Jeff Carter (though it was going so fast that I didn’t realize it was deflected at all) and into the net. A go-ahead goal at 19:57 of the period? This is something the Flyers give up, not do for themselves. It was nothing short of exhilarating.

c) The third period was all Flyers, who were outshooting Atlanta by an mammoth margin (at game’s end, 47 PHI to 19 ATL). The third goal was scored by Vinny Prospal and assisted by Briere and Hartnell, but it was all Ryan Parent’s fault. He neatly snagged a turnover at the Philly blue line and passed it forward, Hartnell to Briere, who slid it across to Prospal as they approached the goal. Prospal’s 31st gave us all cause to stand up and roar, celebrating Philadelphia’s dominance of Atlanta (in hockey at least).

However, it is a testament to the state of Flyers hockey at this point in time that I did not feel comfortable with a 2-goal lead. I don’t care that the ice was all tilted in the Flyers’ favor that night; I know what kinds of sudden meltdowns the Flyers are prone to. And they did not disappoint, in that respect. With a minute to go, Atlanta pulled Lehtonen (who had been pulled briefly to fix an equipment issue, replaced by Hedberg, who held down the fort until Lehtonen returned). With six skaters, they swarmed the Philadelphia zone. Naturally, they scored, and not only that, but it was Kovalchuk – his fiftieth. Another happy milestone for someone else against the Flyers. Way to go. The game was 3-2. And even though there were only 30 seconds remaining in the game, I still knew that it was far from over, and that the Flyers were perfectly capable of giving the game away. Atlanta must know it too, and were made bold by it, because they pulled Lehtonen while the puck was still in their zone. They had possession of it, but still – Lehtonen came out as they started to move back up the ice.

Seconds ticked down, the action was all in Philadelphia’s zone, and it came closer and closer to looking like the Flyers were actually going to be able to close out a game in regulation, when somehow (god knows?) Kovalchuk was all alone only a few feet out from the goal. All alone. And he was passed the puck.

He shot the puck.

I saw him all alone, and my heart I swear it stopped. I think I even stopped breathing. Because I knew that I was seeing it again. I knew I was seeing the Flyers blow a two goal lead in the last minute of the game and there would be overtime. I knew it, K. knew it, every single person in the arena knew it, and everyone out there watching the game on Vs. knew it too.

Niittymaki dropped.

The puck hit his pads with the loudest BOOOOOM I think I have ever heard in a hockey game, rebounding out and away. Kovalchuk fell to the ice in shock.

The game was over.

It is alarming that the Flyers so consistently fall apart in the waning seconds of a game. They played so tough for what, 55 minutes? Only to practically hand the tying goals to their opponents with so little time left to go. Their struggles to close out games is puzzling. At least they managed to do it on Tuesday, though, preserving Niittymaki’s professional win streak against Kari Lehtonen and collecting two incredibly important points (Buffalo won Wednesday night, and the Capitals, also hot on the heels of the 8th spot, lost Wednesday).

In the car in the parking lot, I turned on 610 WIP to listen to the post-game show. They replayed the audio broadcast for Niitty’s last, great save. I rather miss listening to Tim Saunders, I realized, as his wild voice rose and rose to a high-piched howl of despair when he saw Kovalchuk all alone. It went something like this (I don’t remember it exactly):

“KOVALCHUK IS ALL ALONE, HE SHOOTS OOOH NOOOOOOO OHHH NIITTYMAKI MAKES THE SAVE”

“OOOH NOOOOOO” sums up that second exactly.

I have now seen the Flyers win four times. All this season and three within a month.

-----------------------

In my absence the Phantoms played two games at home: Friday vs. Hershey and Sunday vs. Portland. Friday they lost 3-5; Sunday they won 2-1. In between was a loss at Bridgeport. And Wednesday this week they lost at Hartford. I don’t know what’s happening to the Phantoms with this slide. Is it generally related to personnel absences (rather significant in Boucher, Picard, Parent, Downie)? They are now a mere one point up on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the East division standings and four up on Albany. No real danger of the Phantoms not making the playoffs at this point, but to go out of #1 after sitting there all year would be disappointing. Plus the ice advantage in the playoffs. Well, still twelve games left in the Phantoms’ season, with nine matches against divisional opponents. The Phantoms can beat anyone. They just have to do it.

So was my view of last night’s loss to Toronto (Maple Leafs 3, Flyers 2).

Mostly unconnected thoughts to follow.

A) The Flyers need to do something about their defense. Please. Now. PLEASE. Ok, the Leafs were “limited” to 30-some shots on goal (rather than the 50+ they hammered at the Flyers the last two games). Defensive breakdowns lead to goals against. I saw it happen last night. Modry got burned, again. And I don’t understand the hot-and-cold out of the goalie. Biron made a handful of awesome saves only to have a flub go in. Sure, it tipped Randy Jones’s stick, but come on, that was in no way unstoppable. Can’t fault him for everything, can’t fault him for the loss, but … that was sad.

B) Sundin’s out for two thirds of the game and the Flyers still could not take the two points. The mind boggles. (I hope Sundin’s back Saturday. I will be bummed to be in Toronto, watching these Leafs play Buffalo, and not get to see Sundin.)

C) Who was it that iced the puck with less than a minute to go? I thought it was Briere, but my brain wants to tell me that my eyes deceived me. He was on the ice, according to the play-by-play, but would Briere actually do something that ridiculous? Well, whoever it was: Great! Now you can’t pull the goalie! EXCELLENT DECISION MAKING SKILLS. Otherwise, Briere played a great game … which is why I can’t believe it was him.*

D) Two letters I have written:

1.
Dear John Stevens,

How dare you call out Scottie Upshall twice in two nights when you have a perfectly good Randy Jones to throw under a bus? Three goals in two nights that [censored] “defenseman” was directly involved in, and you pick on Scottie Freaking Upshall to drape with the blame? The Leafs didn’t even score on the too-many-men penalty Upshall was supposedly responsible for. And what’s with putting Hatcher and Smith out together – ugh, just ugh. What were you thinking? Finally, how can you stand there post-game and say “We gotta block shots” while you force Lasse Kukkonen to sit? REALLY. How can you stand there and say that, knowing you will scratch Kukkonen again, and again, and again?

These are not rhetorical questions. I want answers.

Sincerely,
Crusher

2.
Dear Officials,

When one team gets a 5-on-3 man advantage, it does not mean that you must even the calls up some time later at any cost. Also, Lupul’s cross-check in the third was a pathetic call. If you were going to call that, then you should have called McCabe for his 10-rated dive.

Yours Truly,
Crusher

E) About that, generally I hate when the refs call both the penalty and the dive, but McCabe definitely sold that one. Apparently, quite successfully. Maybe he can retire early with the returns from that sale.

F) Because it’s bad for the heart to constantly see only the bad side of things, let’s look at the good side: Jeff Carter scored his 28th goal of the season and Vesa Toskala was completely incapable of stopping it. It went at least 200 mph through the five-hole and Toskala was caught looking down at his knees while the puck was already rattling around the twine. Carter was in the right place to pounce on a Toronto miscue and made it count. At the time, it tied the game, and it was a celebration. Also, the Flyers made a 5-on-3 power play count, when Kimmo Timonen collected the dregs of a pass that was meant to go from Briere to Knuble, and the puck went in on his shot (apparently grazing Knuble on the way in). This retied the game at that point and my voice hurt a little bit, I was screaming for such happiness. These moments are so wonderful. And they should happen so much more often, because the Flyers really are better than they played last night – they have shown themselves to be.

G) The score really should have been something like 5-1, seeing as the Flyers had a handful more chances than goals they scored, but the puck just bounced wrong or somehow – and honest to God I have no idea how – the puck just didn’t go in. And two of Toronto’s goals should never, ever, ever have happened.

H) At least Buffalo lost last night too. I know it was to Pittsburgh and I feel dirty and cheap hoping for a Penguins win. But their two points don’t do much to affect the Flyers’ chances of staying in the playoffs – Buffalo picking up points could. So any points the Sabres don’t get is OK with me. Saturday: Go Leafs!

Right, so I’m off to Toronto tonight and I will be back Sunday night. Two Flyers games this weekend (Saturday vs. Boston, Sunday vs. Pittsburgh) and three Phantoms games as well (tomorrow night vs. Hershey, Saturday night vs. Bridgeport, and Sunday night vs. Portland). That’s a lot of Philadelphia hockey. I pray to the hockey gods that I read some good news.



*It was Danny Briere, according to Bill Meltzer’s blog today.

Let’s face it, when the Phantoms play like they did last night there will be no team that they can’t beat. For the most part:

Their passing: crisp and precise.
Their goal-scoring: sweeeet!!!
Their goal-tending: fantastic
Their defense: rather stifling (Ads had 22 shots on goal, many coming on a handful of power plays – 3 SOG in the first, 10 in the second, 9 in the third), bailed out Munroe when necessary, moved the puck.
Ruzicka: what the hell, man? Where is the game you played last night on most other nights?

Blanking the Admirals 3-0 isn’t an amazing feat in itself, but the above facets were true and if they can be put together against any other team, the Phantoms will go far. It was like a different team playing than the one that played last week Tuesday. This team deserved every goal, and deserved the two points they got. The Admirals simply could not get anything going, their passing was atrocious, and Denis, in spite of wearing Lightning-colored pads, did not really look like a goalie who has played in the NHL.

A very enjoyable game with little to complain about. Jonsson had a decent game last night (though it seemed, as K. said, that just about every puck that could go past him did, now to be known as Jonsson’s Law). Ruzicka, as I noted, was playing like a man possessed, actually passing the puck with clear intent, nothing really lazy about him at all. Grant took a stupid penalty late in the game that even I could not blame on an official’s poor eyesight, and I am pretty good at deflecting the blame from a Phantom and asking the stripes to watch the game with their good eyes. Otherwise, a well-executed game that will be good to remember. It seemed on all three goals that I could envision them happening a split second before they did – they were all set up so nicely, and Denis failed on the saves so spectacularly. Not a single garbage goal last night. Ross from Guenin. Zingoni from Kane. Greentree from Fitzpatrick.

I’m sorry that I won’t be in Philadelphia for the two weekend games, but that’s the way it goes. I hope they come together in those matches the way they did last night. They were so good. [gushing over]

Now, I got home and had these two games being recorded on my DVR: Flyers/Leafs and Devils/Canadiens. At the game they had let us know that the Flyers were winning 1-0 in the first, but after that I didn’t hear anything. I turned on the TV and the Flyers game was still going on, with 5 minutes left. The score was 3-2. Interesting. Well, K. was around and he wanted to know what was up with this Devils/Canadiens game (seeing as he is, um, a Devils fan), so we watched that game instead. Devils.... LOL. The Devils really turned up the suck last night. It was sort of like watching an NHL version of the Phantoms game we’d seen, with the Devils giving up goals and not scoring any of their own, not knitting anything together very successfully, and Montreal just having their way with the game. The Debbies ended up losing 4-0. I can’t say that I can find it in my heart to feel bad for them, but I don’t really like the Canadiens, either, so this was really a no-win situation as far as I am concerned. If the Flyers stay in 8th place and these two flip-flop for the top spot in the East, it’s an unwelcome match for the playoffs no matter which one settles in first at the end of the regular season. And then I went to bed without having unearthed the result of the Flyers’ game. But I got told what it was.

The Flyers blew a 3-0 game in the third to end up losing in OT.

I have read about the collapse, and the usual cry of poor officiating, and I didn’t see any of it so I can’t judge any of it for myself. All I’m going to say is that if I see anything like what was reported to have happened in the third period at the game I am going to tonight, I will jump on the ice (from the mezzanine!!) and riot. There is no excuse for a third period meltdown that allows three goals to be scored; and if Randy Jones makes the mistakes he made last night again, I will at long last remove his signature from my scarf.

Leafs had 55 shots on goal. Why do the Flyers allow that?

Really, it’s not a rhetorical question.

Ok, so, yeah, I’m going to the game tonight, and will be somewhere up in the nosebleeds again. GO FLYERS! Don’t let the Leafs spoil this. Three out of four points is decent (even if they really should have had four).

I’ve read that Lupul will be returning to the lineup tonight. I hope that he really is ready to return, and not being rushed back, because the Flyers can always use his hat-tricking, goal-scoring bad self from this point on. I mean, they really could use some new and effective defensemen, but you have to work with what you have at this point, people.

Sorry, ok? Last Thursday’s game was excellent. I had great seats and the explicit honor of watching the Flyers at long last beat Tampa Bay at home again. It didn’t start out looking as though they were going to – it started out looking like it was going to be just another loss to the Lightning, when newcomer Jussi Jokinen scored after only 30 seconds had gone by. (This proved to be the only goal scored in front of us; all others happened at the other end of the ice.) But the Flyers persevered.

We arrived after the Flyers had completed the warm-up, so I did not see that Danny Briere had dressed for the game until the Flyers were skating out to start it. All things I had read to that point indicated he would likely sit it out because of his shoulder, leading me to feel bummed that I had paid $100 to not see most of the star Flyers. Hard enough to accept that Richie wasn’t going to be playing, and Lupul hadn’t been playing for some time, and now Briere, too? It thrilled me to see him come out, and my excitement at his inclusion in the lineup was justified when he tied the game with an excellent goal going up on Mike Smith (former Iowa Star goalie!). If the shoulder was any impediment, it didn’t show on that shot. The opportunity came from R. J. Umberger, who collected the puck at center ice and skated into the zone, with Briere following him. He tapped it for a short, sweet pass back to Danny, who scored. The tie score revitalized the team, and revitalized me, too.

Jeff Carter made things more exciting when he scored a couple minutes later. He moved into the offensive zone with the puck on his own, the puck going forehand to backhand, and fooled the goalie as he shot. Another goal scored high on Smith. 2-1 Flyers.

Tampa Bay tied the game in the second with a goal by Michel Ouellet, capitalizing on Flyers mistakes. And the game stayed 2-2 for nearly the duration. We were settling in facing an OT, as the Flyers’ defense actually manage to stymie the Lightning (holding them to two shots on goal the whole third period in spite of seeming to spend the entire time in front of us, i.e. in the Flyers’ defensive zone), but Jeff Carter had something else in mind. He got past Tampa Bay’s men and lifted a wrist shot that blew into the goal – over Mike Smith. (It’s been a long time since I really watched Mike Smith play, which was in Iowa, having not really seen him play for Dallas. I don’t remember him being so vulnerable up high, but then, all I can really see in my mind when I think goaltending for Iowa is Dan Ellis wandering out of the crease, or Tobias Stephan falling apart after letting in a softie.) When that goal went in, I leapt up and screamed for joy. At that moment, it looked like I was going to see my third Flyers victory, two on consecutive Thursdays! There were just under two minutes left to play, but the Flyers hammered down on the Lightning and did not do what they are so good at doing – they did not give up a goal in crucial last seconds, and won the game.

The win broke an at-home losing streak to the Lightning dating back to the 2003-2004 season. It’s amazing how one team can so thoroughly own another. Even now, the Lightning are still 13-3-0 against the Flyers since that season.

Other notables from the game: Alex Picard played, and played well. I inadvertently booed him when scratches and additions to the Tampa Bay lineup were being announced. Out of habit, I boo all names. I felt a little bad, because, well, I like Alex Picard. If I can’t cheer for him anymore because he plays for an enemy squad, I can at least not boo him, right? Same goes for Junior Lessard, who was also in the lineup and played Thursday night. (Tonight the Phantoms play Norfolk – I don’t see that they have been sent back down so I won’t have to cheer against them.) As J. noted, there were two Stars and a Phantom playing against us that night. It was a little odd to see Junior Lessard in the Wachovia Center (and saddening to see Picard in some other uniform).

In the first period, Riley Cote fought Andre Roy. It was a somewhat protracted fight, with some hugging going on, and blows went either way. I’m not sure who I’d give the edge to, as Roy ended up taking Cote down – but Cote didn’t go down easily. I think it’s pretty unfair that Roy pulls his arm out of his jersey on purpose; I don’t see much different between that and not having it tied down properly, which would normally carry with it a game misconduct and a toss. He did it again when the two fought early in the second period as well. But Roy didn’t fare nearly so well this time. After pulling his arm out of his sleeve when Cote grabbed it, he tried to get his other arm up; no chance though as Cote pounded him once, twice, and Roy went down having not landed a single punch. The crowd laaaaaughed. Late in the third period (maybe 4:45 left) the jumbotron showed the “Wachovia Check of the Game” as this hit, with the announcer calling it the “hit of the game”. Over and over from every possible angle they showed it, Cote hitting Roy and Roy going down. Cote hitting Roy and Roy going down. Cote hitting Roy and Roy going down. Seriously, it seemed like they showed it twenty times in quick succession, and suddenly there was a near riot going on near the benches as Roy was shouting at the Flyers bench, visibly enraged, being restrained by the officials. You don’t have to be an expert lip-reader to understand what he was saying. I didn’t see it, but apparently he made a throat-slashing gesture at the Flyers, some of whom were standing and obviously hassling him (I could only see their backs). Tampa Bay’s coach had to grab him and force him to sit down; the linesmen all watched him warily. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a single player go so nuts without having just been hit or bumped or something. I’m sure the howls of derision from the fans while watching the hit being replayed over and over again was humiliating, and surely set him off, but still. In the days since this incident, it has come out that he was sent home while the Lightning continued their road trip and Roy has been suspended from the team. No doubt acting in such a way that forces a coach to physically restrain you himself leads to such repercussions, but I have to wonder if the gesture he made at the Flyers bench played into it too. Making a throat-slashing gesture really crosses a line. (I saw a goalie do that to Niittymaki during the Calder Cup playoffs in 2005 – I think it was Andy Chiodo.)

Tampa Bay have no hope at the playoffs, so beating them didn’t do anything but give the Flyers two nice points to put a little more distance between them and the Sabres, who were idle that night, for the eighth spot in the conference.

Over the weekend, I did not get to see the Flyers/Islanders game on Saturday, because the power went out at my house. I left before it came back on, to go to a friend’s, so I didn’t get a chance to set the DVR to record it. And it sounds like I missed a good one, with the Flyers scoring four power play goals to win the game 4-1. Goals came from Briere, Carter (his 26th of the season) and two from Hartnell. Freddy freaking Meyer scored the lone goal for the Islanders against one of his former teams. The Flyers have a pretty poor record against half the division this year, but the Islanders and the Penguins have kept them from losing all the time.

Buffalo lost in OT to Carolina Saturday night, so the Flyers went another point up on them in the standings, remaining eighth. Last night, the Sabres and the Rangers played on TV. I watched most of the third period, at which point the game was already tied 2-2. Of course, the Rangers couldn’t score on Miller in regulation to win the game, but at least Lundqvist didn’t suddenly turn cold and allow the Sabres another goal, either. I was ticked that it went to OT, because that’s just one more point the Sabres picked up. I couldn’t make K. understand that I cared more about the Sabres not getting points than I did about the Rangers getting points (they are ahead of the Flyers in the standings already). Any points the Sabres did not get, that was cool with me. And one point was all they were going to get, because the Rangers won in the shootout, Gomez beating Miller in almost the same way that Briere did a couple weeks ago, eking the puck into the net in a miniscule space between skate and post – only on the opposite side. A fraction of a second later and Miller would have had the space closed. Boohoo, Buffalo.

Tonight the Flyers play in Toronto, the first of a home-and-home against the Maple Leafs. The Leafs are thirteenth in the conference, eight points behind the Flyers, and are a long, long shot from the playoffs – but these four points between them can be significant. The Flyers must get as many out of the two games as they can, preferably all four. And preferably two tomorrow night, because I will be at that game! The problem with Toronto is, as was mentioned in the papers today, that you never know what kind of game they are going to throw at you. In January, they peppered Niittymaki with 56 shots. Somehow the Flyers managed to win that one, even with losing Lupul to the freak train accident at center ice with Engine #2 (Hatcher) and Sami Kapanen when he took a friendly puck to the face. I’m not a rabid Leafs-hater, but I wouldn’t mind seeing them stomped tonight and tomorrow.

(That might get them fired up for the game against the Sabres in Toronto on Saturday. I’m sure I don’t have to go into detail about why I want the Leafs to simply crush the Sabres this weekend while I am there at the Air Canada Centre to see it.)

----------------

If the playoffs started today, the Flyers would face the Devils in the first round.

Let’s hope that things shift around a little bit before the end of the season (as long as the shifting involves the Flyers staying in the top 8). The Devils play the Canandiens tonight, game being shown on Vs. Top spot is up for grabs. I can’t say as I really want the Flyers to face the Habs in the first round, either. I hate to see Pittsburgh win – ever – but it might play out better to face them rather than either the Debbies or the Habs. 13 games left; that’s still a lot of hockey to be decided.

---------

Last Friday the Phantoms lost an away game to Norfolk, but they face them at home tonight and honestly there is no excuse to lose to the Admirals. They’ve got some good rest in, having not played over the weekend. Munroe should be sharper than he was the last couple games. Looking forward to seeing a good game this evening. Only three points now separate them from the River Rats, so they have to keep rolling in the 2-point nights in order to hold them off.

The Iowa Stars, the only team in the West under 0.500, also play tonight (Lake Erie). Sunday, the Stars lost 4-3 to Rockford in OT; last Friday they won 4-3 over Chicago in a shootout. They are a lot of points out of playoff contention at this time. I’m sure I should just give up hoping. I don’t have the time or the heart to do the math to see if it’s even possible at this point, or what incredible scenarios would have to come to pass in order for them to make it.

Grrrr. "Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff, speaking to reporters Wednesday, discussed Philadelphia Flyers coach John Stevens' complaints about Derek Roy's five-on-four goal Tuesday. ‘I realized that Derek had left early,’ Ruff said. ‘There was no doubt. We all knew on the bench. The whining and complaining about that is no different than Jason Pominville hitting the glass in our building against Philly and giving them a power-play goal. If we're going to go back and whine about [how] the play changed the game, I can whine about the officiating. I can find something to whine about every night. ... I thought we outplayed them in the third period and deserved to win. Did we get a break? Yeah.’"

1) Scott Hartnell suspects the play was set. I suspect the same. You all knew on the bench that Roy left early? You’re a bunch of cheaters.

2) “Did we get a break? Yeah.” There is a difference between getting a break (see next point) and cheating. You just didn’t get caught at it.

3) A bad call leading to a goal happens all the time; you all benefited from that when the ref decided to call icing on the Flyers with a handful of seconds left in the game, didn’t you? It is not the same as a goal scored with too many men on the ice. That should never be allowed to stand. Maybe you just can’t see the difference with your squinty eyes.

4) Anyone else laughing at the enormity of Lindy Ruff telling someone to quit whining? Lindy Ruff is the Queen of Whiners. “I can find something to whine about every night…”?? I’m pretty sure you do.


The Sabres have been flying a little under the radar this season because other teams have been storming the top of the NHL. I have been able to ignore them for most of the season, and so they haven’t really stirred my NHL hate much. Well, it’s stirred back up. I’m remembering why the Sabres are one of the teams I hate the most. I’m not a rabid Leafs fan, but on the 15th when I am in Toronto watching them play the Sabres, I’m going to cheer myself hoarse if the Leafs manage to beat them. (Long shot? Maybe. It is the Leafs. But a girl can hope.)

-----------

From the preview for tonight’s Flyers/Lightning game: “The Lightning are 13-2-0 against the Flyers since the beginning of 2003-04, including a 2-1-0 mark this season.”

That’s pretty ugly. Well, once again, a girl can hope. Look for me tonight behind the Flyers bench in section 124, row 10!

I failed to remember to set the DVR last night before leaving for the Phantoms game, so I have not had a chance to watch the Flyers lose to Buffalo.

I did get to watch the Phantoms lose to the Penguins, though. I was grumpy through most of the game, in spite of the Phantoms’ scoring first, because the rest of it was poorly played and the outcome was negative (obviously, reflecting the poor play). The first Penguins goal was a fluke, no doubt about it. A Phantom actually scored it; the puck deflected off of a man in white big time, past Munroe, who can’t possibly have been expecting anything like that. It was tied with that. The Penguins were all celebrating like they’d just done Teh Awesome, but the fact is they hadn’t done jack but get lucky. The Phantoms seemed to unravel a bit, and that was the game.

1) The power play leaves much to be desired without Alex Picard. Sure, he made positional mistakes, and sometimes baffling decisions with the puck, but in general, his presence on the point(s) made a difference, which is noticeable now that he’s gone. The current wearer of #8 doesn’t cut it.

2) I was surprised that Stefan Ruzicka saw any ice time in the third period after the way he “played” in the second. He got called for hooking in the offensive zone while he rushed in near the inside boards. I am not sure how he got called for hooking when he was the one that ostensibly had the puck, but the truth is that I couldn’t quite see because of the Phantoms’ bench and the glass down that way. All the same, he went into the box. And he had barely been out – what, forty seconds or so? – when he got called for hooking again, in the defensive zone. It was admittedly a somewhat ticky-tacky call, but the truth is his stick was up parallel to the ice, next to the Penguin’s torso, albeit very briefly. It was an extremely bad time to take a penalty, because Nate Guenin was in the box for cross-checking (an infraction I had not seen). The Phantoms were down two men at that point, and naturally, the Penguins scored and took the lead. If Ruzicka had not taken such a flaming lazy penalty, it would have remained 5-on-4 and the Phantoms probably would have killed it. If causing the conditions for that goal were not enough, Ruzicka was at it again later in the second. The Penguins were in the zone, passing and getting themselves set up. Ruzicka was above the hash marks, a little toward the near boards. These were my thoughts as the play unfolded:

Gee, Rosie, could you at least appear to be more interested? [one, two seconds pass] Um, how about you cover that guy? [one, two seconds pass] Ffffffffffffffudge.

These were K.s’ thoughts (reported to me later and paraphrased here):

Huh, Rosie, how about playing the puck? [one, two seconds pass] No? Ok, how about playing that man? [one, two seconds pass] Huh, Penguins scored.

He said to me, “Strangely, I blame Ruzicka for that one.” Strangely, so did I. And Denis Gauthier skated past him on the ice, his mouth running, looking supremely ticked, and Ruzicka’s mouth ran, f-bombing in reply, at Gauthier’s back as he skated away. So maybe Gauthier’s thought process had been similar to ours.

Munroe was pulled, though I don’t blame him at all. The first goal? Off a teammate. Bad luck. On the second goal, you know, the two-man-down one, a mistake left a Penguin with a clear shot at a basically open goal, because Munroe was down on his belly on the other side and no Phantom in the way. The third one seemed soft, but softies can happen when the guys in front of you stand around. When Rosie scored in the third to make it 3-2, I didn’t think it redeemed anything. The Phantoms could have been winning 2-1 at that point, without his lazy play and all other things remaining equal. A few solid chances that they didn’t convert and the game ended in regulation 3-2.

I admit that I was nervous and had no confidence in Houle, but he kept the puck out of the net over the five shots he saw.

I think the Phantoms got what they deserved last night, as they did not play as though they should win the game. Maybe they were tired, as it was the fourth game in five days. But so had it also been for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

During the game, they posted out-of-town AHL scores. Only two other games were going on, out west, Houston/Providence and Quad City/Peoria. They showed numbers that were supposedly first period scores, and we were boggled by what we saw! Quad City/Peoria was something like 7-3, and Providence/Houston was 6-6. Hot damn! We were at the wrong game, what with our boring 3-1, 3-2 business. I was flabbergasted that Houston could score 6 goals against Providence – in one period!! What, had Tim Thomas been sent down to play for the Baby Bs? Goalie meltdown in the AHL west! However, when I went to see how these games rounded out, this morning I found the following results:

Quad City 1, Peoria 2
Providence 2, Houston 3

Huh? Someone made a massive mistake last night with the scoreboard; maybe they were posting shots on goal, because not a single goal was scored in either of those games in the first period (the results of which they were supposedly showing).

The only thing that changed last night as a result of the Phantoms losing was that Wilkes-Barre jumped a point head of Hershey in the East to sit at third place, still ten points behind the Phantoms; Philadelphia failed to open a slightly larger lead over Albany (with 74 points to the Phantoms’ 81).

Won’t see the Phantoms play again until next week Tuesday. I had been mistaken thinking they played at home on Friday, but they are away at Norfolk, and have the weekend off.

---------

The fans were relentless in hassling Bonvie last night. Some of it was funny, even if only mildly so ("Down in front, lady! That means you, Bonvie!"), but the constant howling of "YOU SUCK, BONVIE!" got old. And for your information, the people down the row from us substitued "a pansy" for "Bonvie" in their "You skate like Bonvie!" heckle. And one of their little kids -- maybe 6 or 7 years old? -- screeched it like a banshee, shockingly loud for such a squee-ing sound, and made my eyes round out in surprise. Gee. Anyway, Bonvie seems not to be too ruffled by the fans' vitriol. He stands there and jaws back. And squirts his water bottle at people. He was otherwise pretty much a non-factor. He didn't score a goal. He didn't start or get into a fight (indeed, no fights at all last night). He didn't really throw himself around that much, either. You might not have known he was there if not for all the YOU SUCKs that were being tossed his way.


-------------


So, this Flyers game I did not see. Briere didn’t play with a sore shoulder, which was injured in the Rangers game; I saw him go down, but he played the rest of that game, so perhaps it isn’t particularly serious. One can only hope. I certainly do; I have tickets to tomorrow’s game and it will sadden me to be at a game where not only are Lupul and Richards still out, but Briere too?? This is not one that I have paid only $25 to see. While we were at the Phantoms game, we were updated on the Flyers’ progress. J. texted to say 2-1 Buffalo with a goal by Upshall, who had just knocked Tallinder into next week. Later, the jumbotron announced a 2-2 tie. Then, J. came in with bad news in the third, 5-2 Buffalo with a complete meltdown by the Flyers. BAH! When I was driving back to Wilmington, I listened to the very end of the game, and that is how it concluded.

This morning, I have read all about the missed too-many-men call on Buffalo, the one that would have directly prevented Derek Roy from scoring the go-ahead goal.

I just can’t stand it. The Flyers may still have lost the game (there are still two other goals to be accounted for) but it certainly would have changed the momentum. How could it not? Eighteen seconds after that missed call, Buffalo scored again, while the Flyers were likely reeling from a play that should not have happened. That goal probably wouldn’t have happened either. Can only speculate what might have otherwise happened, but the truth is, that missed call really hurt things.

Now, if Biron could only make a save on a flaming breakaway the missed call wouldn’t have mattered. If I were on this team I would insist that we spend extra time practicing breakaways and shootouts. Biron and Niittymaki (he doesn’t get a pass on this) both have severe difficulty in these situations, and the Flyers offense also have severe difficulty putting the puck away when they are on breakaways and in the shootout.

Anything else about the game, I cannot comment, haven’t seen it, whatever. I read about some bad non-play(s) by Modry, Smith… But if the Flyers miss the playoffs by two points, we can all look to this game and eat our bitterly dashed hopes and curse the four zebras who somehow, NONE OF THEM, saw too many men – for an alleged 9+ seconds. That’s at least two games this year against the Sabres that the referees have blown a major call, leading directly to goals, and lost games. It’s a complete disgrace to miss that, and things are too close for that kind of mistake to be made. Who knows where you go if that had been called. I can’t stand it.

Now I can just cross my fingers for the following: 1) Briere’s shoulder feels better tomorrow and 2) Tampa Bay come out flat after being shut out last night and/or the Flyers come out, well, flying. The Flyers need these points.

A curious thing J. said last night: Maybe the Flyers missed me being in the stands, and that’s why they lost. The jinx has reversed itself? They lose if I am not there? I suppose a one-game sample since last Thursday isn’t scientifically significant. (As though there is any science in this to begin with … )

---------------

Forsberg played last night for the Avs, and by all accounts sounds like he hasn’t missed a step. I can barely read about it, because while I can’t wish bad things for Forsberg – will always be one of my favorite players – it only yields resentment. This guy could have helped the Flyers, but went to Colorado instead. I get it, but I don’t like resentment.

Sidney Crosby played last night again, after his long tenure away healing up his ankle. While I hate that they have taken over the lead in the East, it amuuuuuses me that they did it sans the NHL’s favorite sweetheart. Obviously, he is not everything. Expendable, even? Crosby. Bah. A hex on the Penguins.

In honor of having been named the NHL's second star of the week ending March 2, Bruins goalie Tim Thomas allows seven goals against the Capitals and is pulled from the game -- twice.

10-2 ... 10 to 2. In those dark days when the Flyers were getting beat by Buffalo 9-1, I just crossed my fingers and prayed that Buffalo wouldn't get a tenth. Because somehow 10 is so much more embarrassing than 9. Double digits are anathema. 10-2 is a baseball score. Ten to two. Ok, so you can bend your brain around Alex Ovechkin getting a hat trick -- but in the first period alone? Before sixteen minutes had even passed? And it would have been a natural hat trick, but, as K. said, that jerk Matt Bradley had to go and score one in between goal numbers two and three. But really, you know you've been completely flushed down the drain when Donald Brashear scores on you (only his fifth of the season).

What happened, Boston?

The total goals scored in the other two games last night (fourteen) was only two more than in that game alone.

Nice job reaching #50, Ovechkin ... and #51, and #52.

Mike Knuble was named third star of last week for his three goals and five assists. Wooohooo Mike!

Jaroslav Modry isn't playing with a torn labrum, as reported. Just a "mild rotator cuff strain". Still, how do you play an injured (even slightly) Modry over a completely healthy Lasse Kukkonen? (And while we are on this "why do you play X over Y" spiel again, why play Boulerice over Downie? What does Boulerice bring to the NHL table? His fists? Anything else? No? I thought so. Cote could have fought Orr, provided the same benefit, and Downie could have, you know, played. Instead, Boulerice wastes a roster spot.)

A two-way Philadelphia hockey night tonight: Philadelphia Flyers vs. Buffalo Sabres in an extremely important points match, at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. Across the parking lot, I will be watching the Philadelphia Phantoms vs. the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, in a less important points match, but still-important divisional game. I wonder how the people down the row from us will adjust their standard taunting, which goes:

Heckler 1: Hey, [Opposing Player Chosen for Heckling], you're ugly!
Heckler 2: Your mama dresses you funny!
Heckler 3 (kid): You skate like Bonvie!
All of them: Ya pansy!

I mean, do you yell at Bonvie that he skates like Bonvie?

Good times in section 201.

Thursday, February 28, 2008. Ottawa Senators at Philadelphia Flyers. K. and I arrived plenty early; I bought a t-shirt from the kiosk in the foyer on the Broad Street side of the Wachovia Center and once we took our seats (in section 210A, row 13 – again, two rows from the ceiling and just where the curve starts at the end of the arena), I stuffed the bag under my chair and promptly forgot about it. I’d never sat in this position in the arena before; it was an interesting view. Somehow it felt less creepy to be up so high than it did last night, which was perhaps a result of it not being the first time I’ve been up there, and also since the curve was directly to my left, I had a better sense of other people being around. The same drawbacks were present though: the guys seem to be a lot slower from such a distance and this is a little bit of a downer.

But that’s about the only thing I can find to complain about Thursday’s game. It was my thirteenth live Flyers game, and for Lucky 13 they played one of the best games I’ve ever seen – live, on TV, whatever. With the exception of some B.S. refereeing, putting them on needless PKs, the Flyers controlled this game. They had so many chances against Ray Emery, but the puck was bouncing and they just couldn’t put it into the net. Usually, this kind of bad luck comes back to bite the Flyers hard in the ass, but Ottawa couldn’t put anything away, either. Biron was solid, and the first period ended 0-0. I kept saying how the Flyers were playing so awesomely, though every time I did I regretted the possible jinx. It was just so hard to keep quiet about it. I was thoroughly enjoying myself – at a Flyers game -- almost no disgust, almost no frustration, lots of excitement, faith, hope!

But then the second period got going and Jim Dowd went into the box for what I consider to be an extremely borderline goalie interference call (he had nowhere to go, completely unintentional, not his fault?). The Senators scored. Jason Spezza deflected the puck into the net. Back came the disgust, this time with the referees, and the sinking feeling that now I was going to see what I always see; unlucky bounces for the Flyers, the inability to score to save their lives, while their opponents get break after break. Jason Spezza celebrated at the top of the crease, and I fumed.

And then Marty Biron had had enough, and he shoved Spezza in the back.

Spezza turned around and faced Marty, who shoved him again.

A crowd gathered, and when the smoke cleared, they were announcing that Jason Spezza was assessed a 5-minute major for butt-ending and was subsequently tossed from the game. Biron got a 2-minute minor for roughing. And all the jumbotron kept showing was the goal, Spezza’s celebration, and Marty shoving him. We couldn’t figure out why Marty had shoved him; the replay didn’t seem to show Spezza doing anything. So we were scratching our heads at the game. Obviously Spezza had done something, but we couldn’t figure out when, and what the heck had driven Biron to shove him?? Later, of course, I read that it was Coburn that had been butt-ended and it happened in the crowd after Marty had done the shoving.

“Plain and simple, he is in our building and celebrating at the top of my crease,” said Biron of what ended up being a turning point in the game. “And celebrating for one-one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand by himself, just showing me up in front of everybody. I did not like it, and I was not going to accept that.”

Other sources quote him as saying he thought about Ron Hextall slashing opponents on the backs of the legs, but rather than doing that, he just shoved. I don’t remember if he mentioned it or not, but I speculate also that he was recalling the way Spezza ran him a couple times in the last meeting between the Flyers and Senators. I was surprised to see him lash out, but luckily for the Flyers, Spezza reacted even worse during the scrum. If Spezza had kept his cool, the Senators would have had a second power play, and with the momentum they had picked up from that first goal, it’s possible they might have scored again. Instead, a component of their top line got himself tossed. And it’s not a secret that the Sens have trouble scoring when their top line isn’t completely present and accounted for. Spezza out? La la la! The Sens don’t score again. The Flyers didn’t score on the three minutes of power-play time they had, but it set the tone for the rest of the game. The Flyers were going to command the action.

As for Jim Dowd? After the Sens’ goal came with him sitting in the box, he redeemed himself, if you will, by scoring the tying goal. It happened on a perfect play, with Kimmo Timonen passing the puck up from deep in the Flyers’ zone to Riley Cote, who then fed Dowd who was skating up the left side. He held onto the puck, then fired a hard shot that went past Emery, who was out and too far to the side. Jimmy Dowd! (Perhaps the camera sitting on him during the Buffalo game when Vanbiesbrouck commented “I wouldn’t want to face the great shooters of the NHL” was merely foreshadowing.)

Right away in the third period, the Flyers scored again to go up 2-1. Mike Knuble was in the right place at the right time to tip in a shot that Jason Smith took. It was a bit of a fluke, but whatever. For a change, the bounce went our way, and it was the other team that looked disorganized and frantic, unable to control the puck to get anything going, while the Flyers had the game in hand. I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to be at a Flyers game where they were actually playing and playing well. I kept hoping for another goal for insurance, because I 1) hadn’t given up on the sense that the Flyers will let me down when I am there and 2) the Flyers have a history of letting me down anyway (cf. so many goals in the waning seconds of games). And they gave it to me. Another fluky goal – Scottie Upshall tried a shot, but it was blocked; the puck stayed in the crease, getting tangled up in some skates. Knuble poked at it, but the puck really was carried in by Emery and the Senator that slid into the goal with him. It counts. Knuble said it’s almost embarrassing to have those kinds of goals, but the score sheet only says that Mike Knuble scored, not that it was helped out by Wade Redden sliding over the goal line. The Flyers were 3-1 over the Senators, though there was a lot of time left in the game. Kimmo Timonen played a nearly flawless game with two assists on the night. This guy really impresses me.

The Wachovia Center is so much better a place to be when the Flyers play the game well. And I leapt up and I cheered and felt a little bit like crying when I finally got to see my favorite team win in person, for only the second time ever. My record is now 2-11. I’ve a long way to go to hit 0.500 but for now I will simply continue to savor the fantastic game I got to see. Not only did I get to see them win, but I got to see them play well, and that matters a lot.

At 6:30 the following morning, I woke up and realized that I had left the t-shirt I bought under my seat. This was maddening and I was very disappointed with myself for forgetting, but as sacrifices go, it was an easy one to accept. If it took me leaving a $25 t-shirt under my chair to help the hockey gods give my Flyers a great win for me to see, then I will deal with that.

I’m not going to do that every game I go to from here on out, though.

Friday night, the Phantoms faced the Binghamton Senators, and I hoped for a Philadelphia sweep of the Ottawa organization. The scoring followed the previous night’s game, what with the first period going scoreless and the Sens scoring first in the second. Lars Jonsson scored at 43 seconds into the third period to tie it, and a few minutes later, Kyle Greentree scored his seventeenth of the season to take the Phantoms up 2-1. The Phantoms played a decent all-around game, but the Senators were just that much better, I am reluctant to admit. Binghamton tied it late in the third period, less than two minutes to go. I sat back in my seat, disliking the familiar bitter taste of disappointment. The game then went through OT scoreless, leading to a shootout.

When the Phantoms hit the shootout, I actually feel they have a chance. It’s not like with the Flyers, where I feel 99% sure that the game is lost. The shootout went to seven rounds, and this time, Kyle Greentree didn’t save the Phantoms’ bacon. Binghamton ended up winning 3-2.

Saturday’s game was the Flyers vs. the Islanders, in New York. Like Thursday’s game, this was on that the Flyers kept in hand for most of the game. It’s such a joy to watch them move the puck with confidence and the guys are coming back strong and big after that awful 10-game winless streak. Jeff Carter scored a big goal in the first to put the Flyers up, then he set up a goal by Knuble by accident – Knuble was readying to leave the crease area, said he felt something rattle his stick, and only realized that “he” had scored when he saw the Islanders react negatively. This was a shorthanded goal, too. The Flyers simply played an excellent game, though the Islanders didn’t roll over and give it to them. In the second period, Kukkonen went into the box on a tripping call and the Islanders scored on the PP given to them. But then Braydon Coburn, taking a pass from Danny Briere, scored a huge goal on the Flyers’ only power play of the game, restoring the lead. Then in the third came Knuble’s shortie, and late in the third, with DiPietro pulled, Scottie Upshall scored on the empty net to seal the game, 4-1 Flyers.

I have to say that I very much like this Upshall-Carter-Knuble line. Seven points on Saturday, three goals.

Three in a row for the Flyers, who were looking outstanding.

The Phantoms won a game against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins that night, too. 3-1. Munroe started in that game, Ryan Potulny scored twice, and Rory Fitzpatrick (!) scored the third goal in the win. I always love to have the Phantoms beat the Penguins, and I hope that on Tuesday, when the Phantoms play their next home game (and their fourth game in five days), I get to see it happen in person.

Sunday’s Flyers game was at noon-thirty and while they played well, it was obvious which team had done the most work in recent days. The Rangers had that much more jump on them, but the Flyers were never out of that game. The first period was “wild and woolly” (to use a phrase that Pierre McGuire did at one point), with goals being traded incessantly, ending the first 20 minutes at 3-3. The Flyers scored first, with Vinny Prospal tallying his first in his return to the Flyers. It was an opportunist’s goal. Lundqvist had made a save, and the puck was hanging out at the post. Lundqvist was on the other side of the net, but Prospal was in position to tap it in past the goalie’s skate as he went by. It only had to trickle across. Nice! Unfortunately, the Rangers tied it a few short minutes later with a similar goal, poking it past Niittymaki. Coburn scored another bomber (when did he discover he’s a scoring stud? Just in time, I think.), and Jeff Carter sizzled another one, while 4-on-4, at the end of the first period to make it 3-3. I think I actually took a deep breath of relief for the break when the period ended.

When the second started, Lundqvist was removed, and Valiquette was in. This disappointed me, because Valiquette obviously has this recent history with the Flyers. (To be honest, I was surprised that Lundqvist started.) Niittymaki was still in the goal, but only for another 1:51, when another one of the Rangers’ recently-acquired AHLers scored to put the Rags up 4-3. Biron came in and things actually did settle down with the two new netminders. The game went end-to-end, it was great hockey; I never felt the Flyers were out of the game, and this is a good feeling. The pressure was pretty intense on both sides. Just past mid-way in the third, the situation on the ice was 4-on-4. Jeff Carter was out there. I thought, now they can score again, the way they did in the first period. And Jeff Carter didn’t disappoint. Scoring his 23rd of the season (tying his career record), the Flyers were now 4-4. These guys stepping up in the absence of the usual suspects has been amazing in the last handful of games.

The game stayed 4-4 through OT. And then all the good feelings about the Flyers never being out of it went away. And the Flyers didn’t disappoint me in that sense; they didn’t score once in the shootout and the Rangers won the skills contest. 5-4 Rags.

It annoys me that the Flyers could play so well and end up shooting themselves in the foot over and over again in the shootout. Still, I cannot complain too badly about picking up 3 out of 4 points in the division (and since the Sabres didn’t do so well, the Flyers are still up on them 3 points with a game in hand, 8th spot in the conference) and looking very strong in the process.

Now, they’ve got three more games this week; only one is against a divisional opponent, but Tuesday’s game against Buffalo is going to matter quite a lot. Thursday’s game against Tampa Bay matters somewhat less, but the points are going to be big. Saturday will be against the Islanders again, another big game. Every game from here on out should feel like a playoff game; every single minute of every single game is loaded. If the Flyers can play from this point on the way they did last Thursday, the way they did Saturday, and how they did yesterday – like they deserve to be in the playoffs, like they deserve to win games, like they can -- then it’s not going to be a problem.

But this is a lot of games in a short period of time. I hope they don’t get too tired and too banged up. Thursday’s game against Tampa Bay, when I am in the arena again, will be their fifth game since (and including) Ottawa last week, and two days after that they will play again. But they should get used to holding up and holding together under an intense schedule. The playoffs aren’t easy, right?

The Phantoms lost last night to Albany, but even though they are divisional rivals and second to Philadelphia, the point difference is still pretty big (seven). Munroe started in his third in a row. I wonder if they were trying to test him, to see if he could go the stretch, or if they really, really are afraid of starting Houle. I guess we’ll see on Tuesday who gets the nod. P.S. I hear that Zingo played again, with a full face shield. Good to have him back!

A few other tidbits: my Iowa Stars had a good weekend, going 6-0 against Hamilton on Friday (excellent!), 5-4 in a shootout against Toronto (excellent!!!), but losing 5-3 to Rochester on Sunday (huh?). Beat one of the top three teams in the AHL one night and lose to the worst team the next? Hot and cold, these Stars. And they are still the bottom feeders of the West division, six points away from the next place (Flames), eight points out of playoff contention.

I just want to say once more that I saw the Flyers win in person on Thursday! WOOO!.