Look to last year for hope in Philly
By Brian A. Shactman
ESPN.com
Flyers fans, media -- and even the players -- are so accustomed to postseason disappointment the last few years that the doom-and-gloom meter is about a nine out of a possible 10.
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PHILLY STAT PACK
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0-for-10 on the power play (9-28 in Round 1) .
1-8 series record when trailing 2-0 in a a best-of-7 series.
Outshot Pens 73-39 in first two games.
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Granted, the Flyers lost two in a row at home to a team they've dominated, especially this season. In addition, Philly steamrolled the NHL the last few weeks of the season to earn the East's top seed, and handled the Sabres -- a team that went to the finals last season -- with relative ease in the first round.
But perhaps, a look back at least year's playoffs can serve as a beacon of hope for the Flyers.
In the 1999 postseason, the then-defending Cup champ Detroit Red Wings traveled to Denver for a conference semifinal matchup with the Avalanche. The Avs had home-ice advantage but lost both games to Detroit. Colorado went back to Detroit down 2-0 to the most successful team in the NHL. But the Avs shocked everyone and won both games in Detroit en route to winning the series in six games. That's right. Colorado won four in a row against a team that won the previous two Stanley Cups.
And one thing is clear when comparing this tale to the Flyers-Penguins series: The Penguins are far from the defending Cup champs. But that begs the question whether the Flyers are as good as last season's Avs -- who didn't even make it to the Cup finals. (Editor's note: Answer to be determined.)
Game 3 is the key because a Flyers win changes the entire feel of the series. The aura of invincibility would be off Pens goalie Ron Tugnutt, and Philly could recapture confidence. Going into Game 4, it would be Pittsburgh with the pressure because another loss would even the series, handing the home-ice advantage back to Philly. Don't think that fact will escape the minds of the Penguins.
A Flyers loss in Game 3? Well, you know the drill. Comebacks from 3-0 deficits just don't happen too often.
From the Philly fantasy/nightmare department
| |  | | | Lindros |
It's too bad Eric Lindros isn't closer to returning to the lineup. Now would be a most excellent time for L'enfant Terrible to come back: On the road after two consecutive losses and the Flyers punchless on offense.
All along, it's been difficult to argue with people not wanting Lindros to come back. To politely paraphrase "Bull Durham" lead character Crash Davis, "Don't 'mess' with a winning streak."
But there's no winning streak. But rather diminishing confidence and reduced chances at advancing in the playoffs. If Lindros was in shape and symptom free from his bout with post-concussion syndrome -- as well as contrite enough to gain his teammates' acceptance -- he would be a perfect spark. Also, it would take a lot of pressure off John LeClair and Keith Primeau who seem to be pressing a bit -- and seemingly hitting Tugnutt in the chest with shots more often than not.
Just a thought.
Frozen ponderings
No sport seems to catch swears on camera more than hockey. Almost every time play is halted by a whistle and there's a close-up of a player, he can be seen uttering the F-bomb at someone. There's nothing the broadcast crew can do -- unless they eliminate up-close shots. Makes for good television. ... Watching Dallas, Colorado and Detroit play postseason hockey for two weeks makes one wonder if any team in the East has a chance in the finals. ... With virtually no fighting in the playoffs, players develop a pattern of post-whistle scrums. Punches are downgraded to face rakes, and fights reduced to glove-wearing tangos. ... The NHL has more faux falls than in the old days. To draw a penalty -- and an advantage -- players seem more inclined to take a dive than fight through the nasty stuff. The behavior is reminiscent to what happens in international and professional soccer. Could the European influence on the NHL be a reason for this behavior?
Brian A. Shactman is the NHL Editor for ESPN.com. |
