How does one describe agony exactly? As Philadelphia fans, we should have that description on the tip of our collective tongues. But, alas, all good things must come to an end. Was there any real good that came from this past Flyers season though? Nothing that can fill up this article. As a fan, my heart was breaking with every passing second of the game clock. As a member of the media my season also ended. It was harder on me this year. I had a lot more vested in the team this year. Having been a Flyers faithful for that past 30 years I always felt it when they lost games like this. This year I had the pleasure of spending time with the team, getting to know the guys, not personally, but on another level.
I liked this group of guys. They seemed different than others that came before them here. They seemed to have all the components, the skill and talent that they needed to make a run.
More that any other time, my heart was not just symbolically with this group of players. It felt like someone shot my dog. As I watched them lose tonight it was like watching my best friends go down in flames. That being said, this is all I have to offer tonight.
I was appalled at the effort this team put out tonight, or did not put out as the case may be. They appeared to have given up before they even dropped the puck. There was no urgency. There was no desire or heart. They played like it was a pre-season game against the NY Islanders. (No offense to you Islander fans. ) Where was that talented line of rookies? Where was that phenomenal first line? What happened to the fore-check, the back check, the body check? And somebody please tell me what happened to the crowd at this game? In some small way they let this team down too. They gave them nothing to feed off of after the first period. Granted they may have been feeling slightly up in arms at the performance that their Flyboys were giving them as well. What they saw tonight was definitely not worth the price of admission.
Oh, there were a few players who refused to lie down and die. Take for instance, Mike Richards, who many, including myself, feel will be a captain in the NHL someday. There just is no quit in this kid. That is nothing more than a good sign for the future of this hockey club. Branko Radivojevic did score the only goal for the home team. Michal Handzus was, well, Michal Handzus. Peter Forsberg was a non-factor and Simon Gagne showed that when push comes to shove he will retreat into his shell. The defensemen, with the solitary exclusion of Freddy Meyer, were slower than slow. Coach Hitchcock was out coached from the start of this series to the final buzzer by Lindy Ruff. The two games that Philly played at home were a product of the team and its superstar, Forsberg, not coaching.
We all should be embarrassed. We all should be angry at the effort our team gave us tonight. Teams and players at this level who are playing for the most storied trophy in professional sports should die on the tip of the sword. This team curled up and died in a heartless, gutless heap for all of the Delaware Valley to see. They support this club gets year in and year out regardless of performance and finish is astounding. They should have stepped it up and reminded us of why love is blind.
There is no excuse for this team, any team, loaded to the hilt with talent to be this complacent. They stunk up the joint. And that comes from the bottom of my broken heart.
7 replies on “The Agony of Defeat- Again”
What about Buffalo? Could it be possible that they were simply outclassed by a better team? The Sabres absolutely skated rings around the Flyers for most of this series. I was honestly shocked that the Flyers made it to six games. They had a decent team this year (a hell of a lot better than mine), but their goaltending was shaky at best. Speaking of which, why did it have to be 5-0 before Niittymaki even got in the game? What was Hitchcock thinking by sticking with Esche this long? Niittymaki should have been starting by Game 3.
Give the Sabres some credit for being a much better team than the Flyers.
Spacing Spacing should be better. Try leaving a blank line or two between paragraphs. That tends to make it look nicer, and longer too. Hey, who doesn’t want it to look longer?
Flyers I tried to get angry at this team, I really did. But I can’t. This is a team that was bisieged by injuries and still managed to be in a fight for the division title at the end of the season. A team that never put the same team on the ice two nights in a row, yet managed to put together an impressive road trip in December.
The bright side to this season is that we have Forsberg for one more year, possibly three if he resigns, and our young guys are far more talented than we expected.
We should give credit to Buffalo for being a great team, because they definitely out played us the entire series. I also need to give credit to Daniel Brier for being a class act. I watched him stop and talk to each of the Flyers during the end of game handshake and he seemed truly interested in what he was saying. Good for him for being a stand up guy. However, I’m still voting for the Sens in the second round!
In the words of a Philly fan–there’s always next year!
thank you. thanks for the helpful hint. As a woman, I tend to get wordy at times I guess….just kidding.
again, thanks alot….
I agree thank you for the comment. I agree with ya dude.
The suns always shining in Philly isn’t it??
thanks hey, thanks for the comment. I agree with what you said. Buffalo, well they just flat out Buffaloed us!. They had the much better team, but, shhh. Don’t tell anyone I said that. They won’t let me back in the locker room for sure..
And as far as your team goes, I’m assuming you mean the Penguins, you have an alarmingly bright future with Sid. You must know that and take comfort in it…learn from us Philly fans. It can’t always be this bad.
you guys are the oddest philly fans I’ve met I absolutely hated this team. I thought they flat out quit in the elimination game. I wasn’t mad at the team that lost to Tampa Bay a couple years ago because they overachieved. I think this team, while not better put together in the “new” NHL, didn’t play with any heart.
It doesn’t matter. I vowed not to let the flyers get me down after they killed me in the ECF against the devils up 3-1… there goes that wound again.
Now the Eagles, on the other hand… those bastards kill me every year.