Michael DeNicola
3/17/10
Hey. HEY! YOU! Put down your March Madness bracket for a moment and listen up!
The Philadelphia Flyers went down last night in an overtime shootout with the Nashville Predators, 4 - 3. Ugh, I sit here writing this article with less enthusiasm than a man on death row. Blah blah blah, Flyers need to do something, blah blah blah. It sounds like I've been saying this to anyone who's been listening for the past 6 months.
"Oh, but Mike, the Flyers got a point out of the game!" I want wins, damnit. Not this sissy crap where we gain a pitty point! We're better than that!
Last night's game started off with a bang when Jeff Carter put one up for the Flyers early in the first. It was almost a relief since (going into this game) the Flyers are/were 30-8-4 after scoring the first goal of a game against the opponent.
It wasn't soon after that that Predators left winger, Steve Sullivan, put the puck in net tying the game up. From then on in it was all Nashville. Talk about a team that bounces back off of a deficit.
They lit the score board up with 3 goals to none after the Flyers took a 1 - 0 lead.
Flyers goaltender, Michael Leighton, left the ice after a leg injury occurred in the end of the first period. Just seconds later, back up goalie, Brian Boucher, gave up a goal. Of course this wasn't his fault. The defense (as usual) seemed to chase the wrong man and puck in our crease while some sniper gains control of the play.
I could go into more detail about our faulty defense, but that would be like describing the geometry of a rubik's cube to Liza Minnellli; useless and boring. (I had to google that crazy chick's name)
However, Daniel Carcillo continues to show promise while in a scantiness situation. He explodes in every corner of the ice trying his hardest to gain control of the puck and his opponent. Last night, "Carbomb" Carcillo managed to keep the puck in Predators' ice while the rest of the team changed lines. I cannot explain more how valuable Daniel Carcillo is to this team, and under Peter Laviolette's offensive system. His roots keep on spreading and he's been the single reason why I hang hope on this Philadelphia team. Make fun of me all you want, but I appreciate the simpler variables to a game.
After the most boring second period known to man, the Flyers cameback in the last 5 minutes of the third to tie the game up, 3 - 3. Both teams spent their five minutes of overtime playing ping pong on ice and the game went into a shoot out.
Not one...I say again....not one Flyer scored in the shootout, instead, left it up to Pred's right winger, Martin Erat, to trigger the rubber for the game winning goal.
Look, it's the end of the season and the Flyers are fighting for position in the playoffs so it's time to make crazy decisions. If I were coach (and thank God I'm not or else I would have thrown many of my players' heads through the water cooler) I would think about switching up lines.......AGAIN!
Perhaps.....now stay with me, here......perhaps a line involving Richards and Giroux at wings, and Carter centering could do the trick. Richie seemed to do very well at the winger position during the Olympic break, and Giroux is THE best passing player on that team. Combine those two with Carter (who is the best scoring forward for Philly) and we might have a 4 point, 5 point scoring line per game!
Hey, call me stupid, but I realize our team is trying to make it by the skin of their teeth, and sacrifices must be made.
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