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Philadelphia Flyers
There is one word to describe the team last year: DRAMA.
There was personal drama: 3 players got divorces (Danny Briere, Scott Hartnell, Riley Cote)
Goalie drama: I don’t have the energy to spell this out, but we had 7 goalie changes due to injuries
Locker room drama: Supposed battle between Mike Richards (Richie) and Chris Pronger
to be the alpha male
Media drama: Richie’s feud with the media (Philly media can be particularly difficult and he let it get the better of him)
Coaching drama: Coach John Stevens was apparently fired for not controlling his team’s partying ways (no confirmation on this)
League drama: In the off-season, the league added a new penalty (major and game
misconduct) based on Richie’s hit on David Booth, and another hit by some guy across
the state on Marc Savard.
With all this drama, the season itself was a roller coaster of highs and lows. But the team came together when it mattered the most. Last game of the season, shootout with the dreaded rival NY Rangers, winner goes to the playoffs, loser goes to the golf course.
Snipers Briere and Claude Giroux scored their goals and Brian Boucher came up with the stop of the season, sending the Rangers packing.
The Playoffs
In the beginning of the season, the Flyers were picked by some media outlets to make it to the Stanley Cup. How they would get there, no one could have guessed. The team was lucky to have a first round match up with the Devils who they owned in the regular season. They finished them off in 5 games; however, they lost Jeff Carter, Simon Gagne and Ian Laperriere to injuries.
Unless you were living under a rock, most people remember the history making series
with the Boston Bruins. As the team battled back from down 3 games and down 3 goals, they won the hearts of many. Side note: I was actually on a plane when game 7 took place. The score right before we took off was Bruins 3-0. I prayed the whole flight. When we landed I checked the score and saw the Flyers won. I just started
screaming on the plane. I think everyone thought I was nuts.
Note: Coach Lavy jumping in the air at :20 seconds, priceless.
What do I remember most about the Eastern Conference Finals with the Montreal
Canadiens: SANDGATE!!! Really, we were grateful for the Canadiens picking off the
Capitals and Penguins, 2 teams the Flyers probably wouldn’t have beaten. Aside from game 3, the Flyers dominated this series and finished the team off in 5 games, led by Richie who showed all the qualities of a great captain. By the way, Richie had no problem grabbing the Prince of Wales trophy.
I was actually at this game in the 7th row. This goal happened right in front of me, still gives me chills.
Stanley Cup Final
I’ll be honest, most of us knew that the Chicago Blackhawks were the better team. But many thought the Flyers were a team of destiny, so our hopes were high. Since this was the hardest series to watch from my perspective, I’ll keep it brief. The Flyers lost both games in Chicago, but only by one goal each.
Then there was this hit. Worthy of a laugh, even from a Flyers fan.
They then tied up the series with 2 wins at home, but were dominated in game 5. Both Richie and Pronger were running out of juice and I suspected Pronger was injured, which was confirmed in the off season. Game 6: Ugh, sad, sad, sad. Down one goal in the third, I started to prepare myself for the inevitable, but then Hartnell gave us hope. They played great in OT, but Carts missed practically an open net and Michael Leighton’s 5 hole was wide open for Patrick Kane to seal the win. Game over. Season over.
Going into the playoffs, no one expected us to get as far as we did. Despite playing a better team in the Hawks, I think the Flyers held their own and represented our city well. No fan of the team can be anything but proud of them.
How will they fare this season? Time will tell. The Flyers now have one of the best defenses in the league thanks to some off season moves. In addition, there are several players on contract years, most notably Carter, Giroux, Ville Leino and Nikolai Zherdev, who they will all be trying to prove they deserve raises. Can the team handle more drama this season? Well, last year despite the drama, they were two wins away from winning the Cup. So, yes, in my opinion they can handle more drama. "Mr. Pronger, meet Mr. Zherdev." Cue ominous organ music.
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General Manager: Paul Holmgren (Homer)
Coach: the fantastic Peter Laviolette (don't get this guy mad)
Team Captain: Mike Richards
Note: Richie stretches a lot due to a previous groin injury much to the delight of his female fans. Stretch on Richie.
Players everyone should love: Claude Giroux – the man has amazing puck handling
skills and for some reason, I just want to pinch his cheeks (I actually wrote this before reading last year’s write up. Funny how that girl wrote the same thing). Also, there is FB fan page devoted to this man's orange beard, no joke.
Danny Briere – Mr. Playoffs, he should have won the Conn Smythe in my opinion.
Laperriere (Lappy) - how can you not like this guy, he stopped not one but two pucks
with his face last year.
And who can forget Richie – great all around player, what’s not
to love.
Players we don’t love: I really love the whole team, but at times Dan Carcillo frustrates me. Too much diving, agitating, not enough playing. When he does play, he is actually quite good. Also, if he is not on your team most people hate Pronger, especially Adam Burish.
Who they got: Homer was busy in the off season – Nikolai Zherdev, Andrej Meszaros, Sean O’Donnell (a John LeClair look alike), Jody Shelley (basically to fight the Rangers), and Matt Walker. No sign of a #1 goalie as of yet.
Who they lost: Due to some cap management issues, the Flyers were forced to part ways with Simon Gagne, who should have retired with the Flyers. We also lost Ryan Parent and at this point, Arron Asham is unsigned, so he will likely go elsewhere.
Located at: Formerly Wachovia Center, now the Wells Fargo Center – “Welcome to the Well,” sounds catchy to me
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Hotness Level: 8
This team has something for everyone. Pretty boy: Jeff Carter (Carts).
Classically handsome: Mike Richards. Cutie: Claude Giroux. All around good guy:
Danny Briere. Tough guy: Dan Carcillo. Even some of the older guys like Kimmo
Timonen aren’t bad to look at.
The Flyers also have one of the best bromances in all of hockey, which of course would be Richie and Carts (see date night). I can't imagine what would happen if these 2 were on different teams, so we'll hope Homer finds a way to keep Carts when his contract is up this season.
Finally, this team loves to party, which makes them fun to watch, on and off the ice. All in all, the Flyers are most definitely HOT!
11 comments:
Uhh, I may be biased but I think their hotness number should be much lower. Chris Pronger and Danny Brier look like ugly lesbians, Van Riemsdyk is awkward in a not-so-cute was and then there are Scott Hartnell and Daniel Carcillo, who are in a league of their own when it comes to looks.
@Leah Marie - Right said, Fred! :)
I know I've been bitching about some stingy hotness scores with these One-A-Day things (although of late the hot/nothot scorecards have been bingo on the $$$) but this particular hotness scorecard smells like cheesesteak bribery to me. I'm not suggesting it's necessarily WRONG to allow oneself to be bought by an authentic Philly cheesesteak. But still. 8 outta 10? Despite the turbo himbo trifecta of Richards, Carter and Briere, I would have Carcillo'd, Hartnell'd & Van Riemsdyk'd that popsicle down to a solid 6.
Pittsburgh better be a perfect Greg Louganis 10, goyls!!! Or no JetPuffs for you!!! I stole a truckload from Gary Roberts...
Didn't some of the drama involve "Carts" banging Hartnell's wife or something? Funny stuff.
And I don't know much about him off the ice, but I've always felt that Danny Briere was a legitimately nice guy. I really hope I'm right about that, he being the only Flyer I can tolerate.
I too expect to see the Pens hit a solid 10. There really isn't enough fug on that team to knock down the hot.
Danny Briere needs a new team! And yeah, he should have won le maudit Conn Smythe... He's got a certain McCartney sumpin sumpin going on. Wings. Flyers. Right? ;)
No love for Philly, shocker!
Anyway, I feel the need to explain my "8" hot rating, since most of you think it is too high. If you are going on appearances alone, I would agree with MouthGuard that they are probably a "6" - with Richie and Carts carrying the team in that department, IMO.
But, I included bonus points. The bromance gave them an additional point. And the teams off ice activities gave them another point - some players work hard to keep the ladies of the tri-state area entertained. So, there you have it, a 6 plus 2 bonus points.
Grace, when you explain your hot/nothot logic - namely, the bromance equation - your points formulation system suddenly makes perfect sense. In this case, though, it's not even about the hot/nothot. It's more like "wit/witout." Well done, woman!
Great write up Grace!! It was me who wrote it up last year... was going to submit, but was busy with some other things... glad to see I'm not the only one who finds Giroux "pinch-able."
I have to admit that I fell in love with Carcillo last year after writing up that he was the player not to like. The guy is hillarious and doesn't seem to mind that he is not that good looking (especially with the no front teeth). He plays up the whole ladies man thing. Plus, under Lavy's system, he has seemed to thrive and his discipline came around 10-fold.
As for who I'm not a big fan of, that person would be Hartnell. I swear he is on his hands and knees more than he is on his skates and he just makes the stupidest desicions. The hair is not cool and just makes him more of a dooche. If the rumors were true about Carter banging his wife, well then I really can't blame her!! LMAO
The other word to describe this group would be our motto for the year... Relentless. Who would have thunked that it this one word would encompass this team's season? Completely Crazy!!
As for the nickname of the center... it's the WFC (World Fucking Champion's) thanks to a certain World Series speech given by the God Among Men from across the street at Citizen's Bank Park (Sir Chase Utley).
Is it hockey season yet?!!
Thanks HockeyFireChick. I was starting to think no one liked it, although I did get the thumbs up from my hubby.
After the SCF, he thought I'd forget about hockey. But I've basically been pacing around the house counting down the days until the season. Almost here!
I'm not much of a Flyers fan, but this was a very entertaining write up. Well done, Grace !
there is no way in hell that the flyers deserve an 8. i've seen these guys up close people, take my word for it. i am still actually laughing out loud at richards being described as classically handsome. the flyers haven't been sexy since joffrey lupul and scottie upshall went out west. oh how we miss those boys....
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