Sometimes you just have to let your frustrations go, and vent a little.
The Flyers did just that to the Alexander Ovechkin-less Washington Capitals on Friday night, enduring a 7-0 demolishing before deciding to demolish some opposing player faces. This was one of those games that grew feistier as it continued, and was universally frowned upon by that ever lovable anti-Flyers crowd. When you have Pat Sajak of Wheel of Fortune fame dismissing your antics as primitive on twitter, then you know you had a wild ride of a game.
This had all the makings of a great bounce back game for the Flyers. Team without its goal scoring machine Captain? Check. Team that’s also in a state of flux? Check. This was a gift wrapped venture, and looking at the score, I fully expected before the game began that it would be the other way around.
New acquisition Steve Downie made his presence felt almost immediately with a near miss of a goal on a brilliant feed by Vincent Lecavalier, and that was about it. I spoke of optimism in my prior piece, and it is still there, simply because the chemistry between Downie and Lecavalier didn’t take long to gel. What transpired later in the game gave myself and Flyers fans a lot less optimism, however.
Anyone could expect Niklas Baskstrom to score, but giving up a hat trick to a guy who couldn’t find his way out of a public men’s stall a couple months ago is a little embarrassing to say the least. The Flyers did their usual skating in quicksand impression, and allowed the dirty goal crew to walk all over them. Skate all over them. Then walk it dry. Mikhail Grabovski, Joel Ward and Jason Chimera looked like they were participating in goal scoring drills at a practice, all at Philly’s expense. The fans, I mean, not the team. That is the worst part about witnessing events such as this, you think to yourself “Just when the Flyers couldn’t do anything more terrible than what I’ve seen so far…”, they manage to do exactly that. Up the stakes. Want to see your goalies, the backbone of your team impersonate Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury during the 2012 playoffs? Got ya covered. Want to see a team give up a crazy amount of goals after at least being defensively stifling to a degree? We’re throwing some of that in, too. Want to see not one, but two Flyers injured during fights? Who doesn’t love depleted lineups?!?!
That is what we are treated to now, a tough as nails person like Steve Downie actually going no mas in a fight trying to fire up his teammates. The other big deal, Vincent Lecavalier losing teeth during a line brawl after the score ran up to 7-0, and Ray Emery’s mask was knocked off. The first line will probably resemble the ginger haired hope trio Philly had faith in to start the season now, because Vincent and Steve will not be available.
I’m finally beginning to come around on whether this club has enough passion, even though I am among the fanbase now that thinks Claude Giroux isn’t making the most of his Captaincy. While the bare knuckle ice boxing tourney went down, Giroux was nowhere to be found. Former Captain Mike Richards had no issues with fisticuffs, and it often provided positive results for the Flyers. Giroux just doesn’t have that edge to his game, and comes off as a bit aloof during post game interviews, something I’m weary of now. Put a little hot sauce on it, Claude, fire it up a bit.
Realistically, this season so far, and I’m quite certain most Flyers fans will agree, is a case of wondering what could happen next, only to be countered with something much worse or disappointing than the incident that made us mutter that remark in the first place. For those who don’t understand hockey or appreciate it nearly enough to comprehend why the line brawl was necessary, all teams have done this, not just the Flyers, and it’s usually a wake up call of sorts. A team getting the anxiety of a downward spiral or a bad stretch out of themselves. An exorcism of sorts. I’ll continue to remain optimistic because frankly speaking, I’d have to stop watching this club if I weren’t.
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