One day after being labeled most reviled character in the NHL today by almost all walks of life, Ray Emery decided to demonstrate his other, and more important skill set: making saves.
Psychobabble about suspensions and in one case, someone getting all Sgt. Joe Friday with the NHL rule book (Article 8 dash Paragraph 42 dash Section 2.3 dash Line 19) ruled the blogosphere, where commentary streamed in droves across all media platforms over Ray’s transgressions.
While the media, hockey fans, and people who watch hockey enough to know players names called Emery out for his one sided beatdown of Capitals goalie Braden Holtby, he merely took his actions in stride, explaining what transpired between them as inevitable, kindly informing Holtby to protect himself. Today, he was the protector, keeping the back of the net out of harm’s way as the Flyers and Devils played out a penalty laden much ado about nothing contest.
Fourteen saves may be nothing to boast about, but it was all it took for Emery to land his first win of the season while spelling starter Steve Mason, and there were a couple of golden opportunities for the Devils, so things weren’t as simple as they appeared to be. Michael Ryder had what was the most dangerous shot on goal for the Devils, and it came late in the game, a moment the Flyers usually succumb to, but Emery made a dazzling save instead. This was a rare occasion, normally said shot would have translated into a goal, and of course an eventual Flyers collapse, but Ray reversed that trend, a good sign if anything.
There weren’t a host of highlights, as is usually the case with such a low scoring affair, but the best element may have been the kind words shared between one time Flyer Jaromir Jagr and former linemates Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell, something that was needed after the evening before. This made for a friendlier game, and thankfully a cleaner one despite the rash of penalties. It’s hard to say what to take out of this game except that the Flyers, after hitting rock bottom, may have an upward swing to look forward to. I personally won’t put too much faith in that until Giroux finally scores a goal, or Hartnell for that matter, but perhaps a statement that the Capitals game was an aberration, and things may be back to a more normal state.
For the record, while Emery beating Holtby was vilified, I found it a bit necessary. This team needed something, anything, to get the demons out and restore a little order. The Capitals were sore winners, and did a few things that a team running up the score on home team do not do. They don’t celebrate in an opposing goalie’s crease after 5th, 6th, and 7th goals, they don’t physically dust up said goalie after that, and they don’t send out their 6’4″ 210 pound hack out to deal with a frustrated 170 pound agitator. For those who ignored all the signs, and choose to act in an ironic fashion concerning the Caps antics while winning the game, then I’m left to wonder who was actually paying attention. That and watching a game aren’t quite the same thing, apparently.
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