So This Is What It Is Like To Be A Capitals Or Penguins Fan

There are frustrating ways to lose hockey games, and then there was losing that Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Flyers had chance after chance after chance after chance to even the ledger in the 3rd period but failed to do so because of the great goaltending of Niemi, and as a result, the Blackhawks stole a game in Chicago.

The game-winning goal ended up being a relatively soft goal scored by Ben Eager on Michael Leighton. But I would hesitate to blame Leighton for this loss. He made some big saves when he needed to, but in the end, the game came down to one man: Antti Niemi. Niemi played stellar in net and was the difference in a hockey game in which the Flyers otherwise dominated. The Flyers were not stellar out the gate, but were kept in the game thanks to great defense. As much crap as the Flyers defense got for their Game 1 performance, they were stellar in Game 2. Bartulis in for Parent was a move that needed to be made a long time ago and Bartulis proved why tonight. He did the job a 5-6 defenseman is supposed to do.

I said at the start of this series that the Flyers would be well served to take 1 of the first 2 games in Chicago in order to set themselves up well for the rest of the series. The Flyers have obviously not done so, but, losing the 1st 2 games on the road is never the end of any series. Look at the Penguins last year. They lost their 1st 2 games on the road at Detroit and still ended up taking the Stanley Cup. That being said, the pressure is now on the Flyers to win both games in Philadelphia. Each game is equally as important as the next one. The Blackhawks are not the Bruins. This is not a team that you can afford to go down 3-0 or 3-1 against and expect to come all the way back to win it. The team and the city are too hungry for that.

Why is this loss so frustrating? It is frustrating for the simple reason that at the start of the series, everybody and their mothers who were not named Buccigross, Burnside, and Beninati were picking the Blackhawks to beat the Flyers, some even suggesting it would be a 5-game series or a sweep. The implication there being that the Flyers are no-match for the Blackhawks. Yet that could not be further from the truth. The Flyers have not been out-matched by the Blackhawks. The Flyers have had answers for the Byfuglien-Toews-Kane line. The Flyers have gotten quality chances against the Blackhawks defense and Niemi. Tonight, the Flyers defensive corps was clearly superior to that of the Blackhawks. All things everyone thought would not happen. And yet what do the Flyers have to show for it? The same cotdamn result everyone thought going into this series. Game 1 was a complete clusterfuck on both ends that anyone could have won, but today's game was an instance of where you can do everything right, but still be wrong. The Flyers had answers for the Blackhawks. But a guy named Niemi between the pipes stopped everything in sight time after time after time again. And in doing so, he proves everyone who predicted the aforementioned things right, even if nothing could be further from the truth. Reasoning aside, the only thing that matters for them is a Blackhawks win. And the Blackhawks won. Twice.

One day I'll look back at this year and appreciate how great and improbable a run this has been for the Flyers, win or lose against the Blackhawks. Until then, I am beyond frustrated and feeling exactly like Washington and Pittsburgh felt against Montreal and San Jose felt against this very same Blackhawks team.

In case you missed it or want to relive the action, here are the highlights from Game 2.