Look, I don’t want to diminish any fan’s feelings about the state of things in Philadelphia hockey. But any fan expecting a win going into last night’s (Jan 6) Flyers game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, was deluding themselves. No, I’m not saying the Orange & Black didn’t have a chance against their hated rival. In all honesty though, they really didn’t.
Pittsburgh came in as the hottest team in the NHL, having won their previous 9 games. Their top line is arguably the best in hockey right now. Centered by a rejuvenated Crosby, Brian Rust had 6 goals in the previous 3 games. Jake Guentzel had 8 goals in the previous 6 games. That line is flat out clicking. As a team, they were only missing one player (can’t count Malkin because he’s been out for far too long) and had just finished an emotional comeback against St. Louis.
We all know that hockey is as much a game of emotion as it is a game of speed & skill. It’s what makes it the best sport on the planet. Getting “fired up” for fans is what we hope to get from watching the games. For the players, far too few of us can actually relate to the energy they feel and thrive on.
History has shown that you don’t want to play against an energized and pissed off Sidney Crosby, and the Blues really pissed him off the night before. After getting bloodied by a crosscheck to the face, he led them to come back from down 2 goals and win by 2. With less than 24 hrs heading into the Flyers matchup, the Penguins were still riding the emotional high and for them they were basically still playing the game from the night before.
For the Flyers, who were under-manned by injury and more significantly by the league’s Covid protocols, this game was more than an uphill battle.
Sure, there was a 10-game losing streak that feels like we are still perpetually in the middle of…a 10-game losing streak that ultimately cost AV his job. And yes, there was a slight correction to the norm with the 7-game point streak, to be followed by a 3-game losing streak comprised of more upheaval, thanks to positive covid tests, that snapped us back into the dreadful feelings of a season lost and to many a decade lost.
But this is where you have to put yourself in the players’ shoes, or actually their psyche. I know it’s hard given the “these guys make millions to play a game so what do they have to be upset about.” But they are human. Yes, human.
Just look to a few days ago where Carter Hart essentially skewered the NHL for the policies that are in place. Yeah, yeah, I get it that all teams are dealing with it. Heck, I know firsthand (can’t reveal how) what players are saying to their trusted circle. They aren’t happy. And just like all of us, it wears on you to be continually hit with unhappiness.
This is where I want to remind you that I don’t want to diminish someone’s feelings. I get how down fandom is with the franchise. I’ve been a fan since the Flyers won the cup. Yeah, I’m old. It’s okay to be down and longing for the good stuff to return. So please know that I’m writing this in hopes of helping you not get lost in the current frustration – it’s some self-therapy for me as well.
So, let’s get back to the beat-down of a game that just re-ignited those emotions that probably have many of the bag-heads ready to burn the bags and start watching the Bachelor or some other train wreck other than the Flyers.
Even with a full roster, the Flyers were already a likely underdog at home the way that Pitt has been playing. A full roster would have made expectations of a “chance” at winning the more reasonable thought. But the Flyers don’t have a full roster especially thank to the latest results of the protocols. The team was closer to a Phantoms roster than a Flyers playoff roster. Hell, they depleted the Phantoms roster so much that their next games were all cancelled.
This is where the NHL should have stepped in. The game in Philly Thursday night should never have been played. Previous other league games were cancelled for less Covid-protocol roster impacts. But instead the Flyers had to play. The players had to put all of that aside and play the game. They had to say to themselves it didn’t matter that half the roster was a borderline AHL roster. (To any players that might come across this, I’m not knocking the talent of those guys either. These are the top 1500 players in the world. They’ve got skill.)
Losses aren’t fun. Losses to hated rivals are even less fun.
Seeing your hated rival riding a hot streak while you’re riding a season of hell is even less fun than all of that. But let’s remind ourselves that heading into this season, the Flyers weren’t a cup team. We all knew it was going to be a tough road to make the playoffs. But Fletcher pulls off a mini-rebuild in the offseason and suddenly fans forget to temper expectations.
Let’s all exhale and channel Joel Farabee’s emotional release in the tunnel after his powerplay shift from hell. Let’s all mentally smash some sticks and hope that the collective energy propels the team to a win this weekend. Because that shift and emotional explosion sums up the season, the game, and how everyone is feeling.
Joel Farabee is a MOOD pic.twitter.com/JJYiQAAZ8X
— Ryan Gilbert (@RGilbertSOP) January 7, 2022
Hoooooozaaaaahhhh…..stick smashes all around my fellow Flyers fans.
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