The Flyers aren't Flying so High:
The boys were a little disappointed after their loss in Pittsburgh. But who wouldn't be after the way they played?
"[The] Flyers deserved to lose last night... Pens didn't beat them, Flyers beat themselves," Mark Cisik, the CEO of Flyer's Daily Dosage newsletter, wrote. It was so true, it hurt.
From the inexplicable breakaway of Malkin's, to the lose of Kimmo Timonen to a blood clot in his foot, to the continued Gagne MIA, to Briere's continued complete lack of competency, the Flyer's weren't feeling the game. Their defense was sloppy, allowing the Pens to ambush poor Martin Biron. He had some great saves, but letting four goals by isn't helping his team, or his GAA.
"I don't think it's anything different then what we've seen," Briere remarked, when asked if the Pens had played any differently against them. "You just have games like that." He shrugged, but he looked hurt, saddened. His confidence in himself and his team, however, did not seem shattered. "As we get deeper and deeper in the series, emotions will start flying a little more... but it was very controlled. I think at this late in the year, no one wants to take stupid penalties." Which is arguable, after the hard hit on Umburger, leaving him stunned for a moment on the ice, and the incredible check that drew a penalty on Mike Richards. Briere is right; no one wants to draw stupid penalties, especially at so important a game.
But did they have to play like pansies?
For a team that has been called the Rebirth of the Broadstreet Bullies, there was no bullying from the Flyers last night. They pulled hits, trying to rely on their offensive game.
That has never worked for the Flyers in the past, why would it now? Even if Cote or Coburn had gotten a "stupid penalty" for fighting, hasn't it worked in the past to get the team ready to play? They Bullies are good at playing hard, but they played too soft against the Pens, leaving them with a two point deficit even after two beautiful points by the Flyer's Allstar man, Mike Richards.
But we are not without hope.
"The Philadelphia Flyers have been here before," reads an article in today's Flyers News on NHL.com. "After losing Game 1 against Washington, and doing the same in Montreal, the Flyers were able to respond in Game 2 and earn a split on the way back to games three and four at the Wachovia Center."
The Flyers seem to play at their A game, when they battle a team every other day. Biron is always at his best after a day of rest. They play poorly when playing two days in a row, but they also seem to lose not only speed but confidence after resting for a fews day as well.
The constant every other day schedule seems to do the Flyers some good, and everyone in Philadelphia is confident that the Bullies have it in them to play through to the Cup.
So what is Philly going to have to do to get there? Big hits, for one. Briere needs to pick his game back up, before our ten-million-dollar man starts to get booed during games again. This playoff period should be his time to shine, and, to be truthful, it has been, until last night. Biron needs a good solid defense, which may take some line juggling since the loss of Kimmo. The boys need to pay close attention to Malkin, even more than Crosby, because Malkin is the Pens Allstar, and for all I can see, he deserves it.
I'm looking forward to the next five games; I think that the Pens are a good match to our boys. Detroit has been playing lesser teams for so long, that either Pittsburgh or Philadelphia have a good chance against them if they play very, very hard, Bully style hockey.
A side note about Biron: Who the hell does this guy think he is?
"I made a bad play," Biron said in an interview after the game. "I heard Jason Smith calling for the puck, but I didn't know he was coming." It was a bad play; Biron should have been closer to the net, and not hanging out in the far corner. Biron should be doing far less puck-chasing then he has been doing. He is not DiPietro, and should not be puck-handling as much he has been.
However, for a man that would take no credit for pushing his team into the playoffs, why does he take all the blame onto himself? And the Flyers rode into Series 3 against the Pens on the back of their starting goalie, and all the boys know it.
"You always have to be on your toes around the net," Biron added.
Another side note: more than any other sport, hockey has some of the most attractive men I've ever seen. Between Martin Biron's beautiful eyes and fantastic, scruffy look and Chris Letang's dark-and-mysterious handsomeness, I was shocked. What is it that makes hockey players so attractive?
"They look like normal guys," at friend, Bailey, said once, sipping at her ice tea. We had been watching the game together at the local Fridays. "Basketball players are inhumanly tall, football and baseball players are built like their on steroids. Hockey players are in great shape, but they don't look like freaks of nature."
However, hockey has its uglies just as well as its pretties. From a note I wrote to Mark Cisik: "For one, I find it hilarious that people cling to Sidney Crosby like they do; the women at hockey games are especially bad. "I'd give a kidney to make out with Sidney," or, better yet, "Put it in my five hole, Sidney!" He's not even that attractive, to be honest; if I were a Penguins fan, I’d be far more inclined to proposition Letang. I’ve always found “Cindy” to be kind of doofy looking, and not even in a cute kind of way, like Alex Ovechkin.
"But regardless of looks, the Penguins always seem to play better when they bench Crosby; it could be his incessant puck-hogging. I’ve never seen anyone hold onto the puck and play with it as long as Crosby does. Sidney seems to play for the name on the back, instead of the Penguin on the front. Also, Sidney has proven himself especially whiny, crying to the refs on a fairly regular basis.
"I think Sidney Crosby has improved a lot from his rookie, veteran-bashing self (you think he would have known better then to pick on Peter Forsburg, though). He’s grown up a little, and his game has grown with him. If it weren’t for his selfish playstyle, his constant aura of self-importance, and his fans and team only spoiling him and making it worse, Sidney would be a very likable player. But he needs to cut some of the peacock attitude, and play some hockey. He didn’t even make the AllStar game this year, but you don’t see Gunchar or Malkin parading around like Crosby does."
Keep your fingers crossed, Flyers fans; I think this next game will be one to remember.
Mina
Last Hockey Post: Never
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