A 69 Is All Right Before Valentine's Day

(Originally published as a Broad Street Hockey FanPost)

The Philadelphia Flyers are going through a rough patch. You know this. I know this. Anyone watching the games knows this. Anyone looking at the box scores knows this. It is nothing in comparison to some teams have gone through this year, but for a Flyer team that has achieved more than was to be expected in August 2011, it is a rough spot, nonetheless. As with all rough spots, some panic has emerged. From some coming to a conclusion the Flyers are not the best team in the East, to panic about the Flyers chances at making the playoffs, there has been no shortage of various of reactions to the Flyers' latest slump. A slump is just that. A slump. Teams go through them all the time in the NHL. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find an NHL team that has not gone through some sort of slump this season. It's only nature.

But while the Flyers may be slumping, some perspective is important. It is February 11, 2011 and the Flyers have banked a grand total of 69 points. I was playing around on NHL.com and discovered a nifty feature. You can go back on time and see how the standings looked any day since the start of the 2008-2009 season. Choose any day , and NHL.com has what the standings looked like on that day. So with that in mind, I wondered if 69 points on February 11 is historically a good thing? Seeing as similar teams may not have 69 points exactly, I am expanding this by one to both sides. Included in this list are teams with 69 points, 68 points, and 70 points. This should create a bigger sample without diluting the pool so much that it destroys the conclusion. Seeing as the lockout introduced the now infamous Bettman Point, inflating a team's overall point total in comparison to the pre-lockout era, I am cutting this list off at the lockout. 69 points on February 11 now is not the same as it was before the lockout. Seeing as the NHL goes with an uneven and unbalanced schedule, I will also be providing the number of games played as proper context. The 2011-2012 Flyers have compiled their 69 points in 55 games.

2010-2011 season
Detroit Red Wings: 70 points. 54 games. Made playoffs as #3 seed in the West.
Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins: 69 points. 54 games. Made playoffs as #3 seed.
Washington Capitals: 68 points. 55 games. Made playoffs as #1 seed.
Teams above this threshold to miss the playoffs: No one
Teams below this threshold to make the playoffs: Washington Capitals (68), Montreal Canadiens (66), San Jose Sharks (66), Nashville Predators (65), Phoenix Coyotes (65), Anaheim Ducks (64), New York Rangers (62), Los Angeles Kings (61), Chicago Blackhawks (60), Buffalo Sabres (57)

2009-2010 season
Nashville Predators: 69 points. 59 games. Made playoffs as #7 seed.
Teams above this threshold to miss the playoffs: No one
Teams below this threshold to make the playoffs: Detroit Red Wings (65), Montreal Canadiens (64), Philadelphia Flyers (63), Boston Bruins (61)
It is important to note that because of the Olympic Break, teams had played more games by this point than in a normal year, therefore, there were more teams with 69 points by this date in the season. All 11 of these teams made the playoffs.

2008-2009 season
No teams on February 11 had 68-70 points.
Teams above this threshold to miss the playoffs: No one.
Teams below this threshold to make the playoffs: Calgary Flames (66), Chicago Blackhawks (66), Philadelphia Flyers (65), Montreal Canadiens (64), New York Rangers (63), Carolina Hurricanes (59), Anaheim Ducks (59), Vancouver Canucks (58), Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins (57), Columbus Blue Jackets (57), St. Louis Blues (50).

In case it has not become painfully obvious, the Philadelphia Flyers are in an all right position at the moment, even when you consider their slump and bad defense. The 2011 Stanley Cup Boston Bruins had 69 points on this day last year, though granted with one less game played. The 2009 Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins had 57 points racked in this time three years ago with exactly 55 games played. If you thought the Flyers, had it rough, imagine how Penguins fans felt then. 57 points. 55 games. 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. And they won. And here we are stressing about how a 69 point team with the same number of games played are not even going to be able to qualify for the playoffs. At this point, such fears are more than just a tad silly.

Granted, this is still a small sample size and granted, the Boston Red Sox a 9-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in September, a deficit that had never been overcome before. Flukes happen, collapses happen, the improbable becomes possible in sports. However, we have to assess the data that we have and look at the trends. This data is not perfect. Points through a date are not the best way to assess a team. The sample size is admittedly very small. But, when one takes a look at the above data, to conclude that the 2011-2012 Philadelphia Flyers have no chance of making the playoffs is verging on ridiculous. Let's wait for an actual extended losing streak combined with a significant drop in play before pressing the panic button.

Is it possible the Flyers miss out on the playoffs this year? Of course it is possible. They have not yet clinched a playoff berth, therefore, there is definitely a chance. But saying such a collapse is likely or even predicting one at this point reeks of over-reactive irrationality at best and blatant stupidity at worst. Sometimes, a little perspective is a good thing. And in this case, Lady Perspective is smiling down on the Flyers.

Being An Idiot Has A Price, Folks

Helpful tip:  If you see a post on Facebook searching for people who committed a crime, don't respond saying you did it.

This concept sounds so obvious and so simple.  If you actually did do it and you confess, then you are an idiot. If you didn't do it, but instead just trying to be "funny," then you are an idiot.  Under no circumstances do you come out looking good.  Either you just gave yourself up on the internet for everyone to see and will be fined and do some time, or you are going to be highly inconvenienced by the police and have your false confession show up every time someone Googles your name.  And possibly get fined in the process.  This is simple.  Don't admit to doing something that is a crime on the internet.  I just wasted a paragraph on something a concept a 3rd grader would understand.  You know this.  I know this.

But amazingly enough, Edward Neary does not know this.  For if he did, he would not have responded to a Broad Street Hockey post searching for people who assaulted Rangers fans outside of Geno's Steaks following Monday's Winter Classic.  He has since deleted his posts, but thanks to the magic of screenshots, are still available online for all to see. You have to read this to believe it.

Edward Neary has spoken to the police.  He has since denied all involvement.  Someone who went to high school with Edward Neary tweeted to me that this is something he would do because he finds it "funny."  In case you have not yet figured out, at best, Edward Neary is guilty of being one of Philadelphia's dumbest people.  At worst, he is one of Philadelphia's dumbest criminals.  Because innocent and just trying to be "funny," or not, this has been on the internet and the top hits when you Google "Edward Neary".  Employers know what Google is.  His future employment may or may not have a few roadblocks in the future.

As for the Rangers fan that got beat up?  The Purple Heart recipient and off-duty cop has been released from the hospital after suffering bruises and a concussion.

The stupidity of humanity never ceases to amaze me, though by this point, it really should.

Top 10 Philadelphia Sports Games In 2011

Last year, I debuted my now annual end of year Top 10 list for best Philadelphia sports games of the year.  Even though there was so much less excitement and great games this year, the list is back this year, anyway!  Last year, I felt the ordering of the games, including what was the number one game, was very clear cut.  This year, not so much.  But I will make an attempt at it anyway.  With all the sadness, scandal, and shame this year has wrought on many a people in the area, perhaps looking back at the year's higher moments will be a plus for everyone involved and a good way to end a shitty year on a high note.  Just like last year, I will start with some honorable mentions.

Honorable Mentions

Union comeback verse New England Revolution:  Usually I try to only post wins on here.  After all, what is worth celebrating about a game that is not a win?  Well, in soccer there are draws, and when you have a 3-goal comeback in dramatic fashion, even if the match ends in a 4-4 draw, it is still pretty noteworthy.  And thus was the exact case when the Philadelphia Union hosted the New England Revolution on September 7, 2011.  New England Revolution 4, Philadelphia Union 4



The Kids Are Alright: Following a 2nd round playoff exit to Boston that saw numerous goalie changes, Ed Snider demanded a ridiculously overpay for a position not worth a ridiculous overpay.  In order to fit that overpay in, Paul Holmgren had no choice but to blow up the team, trading the previous faces of the franchise away for youth and draft picks.  Low and behold, the Flyers first game of the season immediately followed a 15-hour banner raising at Boston.  With many fearing a rocky year, the kids played a great game and the Flyers defeated the Bruins. Flyers 2, Bruins 1



Someone From Philadelphia Wins A Trophy!:  The New Mexico Bowl.  Yes, this is the kind of year that was.  A boring New Mexico Bowl makes the list. Temple 37, Wyoming 15.

The Flyers' Way To Combat Tampa's 1-3-1: Troll The High Hell Out Of It

It sucked that the Flyers ultimately lost to the Lightning in overtime today, but this from the Flyers today should forever be remembered as one of the greatest troll jobs in hockey history.  Behold, the Flyers attack of a 1-3-1  where the forward remains in the neutral zone!



Awesome. Amazing. Orgasmic. Hilarious. All adequate words to describe an effective trolling job. And yes, the Flyers do use the 1-3-1 at times, but at least when they use this rather less palatable defensive strategy, they at least have their forward employ some semblance of a forecheck. Brilliantly done by the Flyers. Brilliantly done. Such a shame they lost in overtime. This troll job needed to be complete with a Flyers win at the end. Oh well. Sometimes the trolling alone is enough of a win for one game. Epic.

Jaromir Jagr's 1st Goal As A Flyer

This is almost surreal.  Amazingly, surreal.



As I am watching early regular season games, I don't scream frequently.  As soon as the puck went in, I screamed.  And then the salute afterwards.  Beautiful.

2011 World Series Game 2 Live Blog

I'm going to be starting this early for the big early season Capitals-Flyers game.  Also tonight, one of the most important games in the 2011 MLS Season on ESPN2 as the Philadelphia Union take on the New York Red Bulls.

Game 2: Rangers vs. Cardinals 7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

Tomas Vokoun's Contract Perfectly Illustrates The Flyers' Follies

For the past 20 or so years, there was a long held organizational belief in the Flyers that you do not need the best goaltending in the world to win the Stanley Cup. For the past 20 or so years, there has been pushing from the a large part of the fanbase that yes, goaltending is necessary to succeed in the NHL. Obviously, these are two very different philosophies, and while it is difficult to say one is completely the way to go, there is one thing that should not have been done. And that is exactly what the Flyers did this off-season. They gave Ilya Bryzgalov a 9-year, $51M contract.

This is not going to be a post about how much I miss Richards and Carter. Those are changes I can accept. This is not going to even be a post largely centered around the salary cap, although inevitably, it will be mentioned.

What this post aims to do is to talk about goaltending, its importance in hockey, and just how good some goalies really are. And just how wrong the Flyers were to pay Ilya Bryzgalov what they did.

Since the 2011 Stanley Cup, when Tim Thomas won it, everyone has been saying how this proved once and for all you need goaltending to win the Stanley Cup. There is no denying it. Tim Thomas is a fabulous goaltender. He is by far the best goalie in the NHL today, and with good reason. But it is worth mentioning that even though he shattered numerous save percentage records, the Bruins still needed to win three Game 7s to advance and were one unfortunate bounce away from being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

In the post lockout era, Tim Thomas is not the rule. He is the exception to it. Of the six starting goalies to win the Stanley Cup since the lockout, only two of them can so much as say they are above league average. While those goalies, Thomas and Giguere, are very good goalies, to mention them first is to bury the lead. Four teams won the Stanley Cup on below average to average goaltending. I have talked about this before on here so I will not go into it again, but here is more on Tim Thomas and the Stanley Cup winning goalies in the post-lockout era if you missed the post a month ago.

It is a belief the Flyers have not had good goaltending in twenty years. That falsehood is often linked to the Flyers 35-year Cup drought as evidence that the Flyers need goaltending to win. What many may not realize is that in the past 10 years alone, the Flyers have had capable goaltending numerous goaltending.

Example number 1: Roman Cechmanek. Now people despise Cechmanek because he became such a headcase, but if you look at it, the guy was a great goaltender. Not only was he a Vezina nominee, but his career even strength save percentage is .931. That's very good. Cechmanek was an elite NHL goaltender. But unfortunately, his headcase-iness cost him a very productive career in the NHL.

Example number 2: Martin Biron. Would you believe it if I told you the Flyers had a goalie whose numbers were equivalent to those of Martin Brodeur? Well, they did. And his name was Martin Biron. Before you completely blast this as sensationalized bullshit, consider the following. Martin Brodeur and Martin Biron have the same even strength save percentage, the same penalty kill percentage, and almost the same total save percentage (h/t Geoff Detweiler). So why will Martin Brodeur go down as one of the best goaltenders to ever play and Martin Biron will struggle with being remembered five years when his playing days are done? The answer is Brodeur's longevity and the fact that the New Jersey Devils teams Martin Brodeur has played on all have been really fucking good. All Brodeur needs to do is be his above average self, and a real good defensive team turns into one of the most vaunted defensive teams in recent league history. Biron has not had such good fortune. Make no mistake about it, Brodeur's longevity separates him from the pack. But make no mistake about it, if you isolate individual performances, Biron is on Brodeur's level.

We saw last year what a good defensive team can do regardless of who is goalie last year when the Flyers carried Michael Leighton's five-hole all the way to Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. We saw this year what a complete team breakdown can do to a team in the post-season. The Flyers got above average goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky and Brian Boucher all through the season, but come playoff time with one of their 2-way forwards injured (Carter) and their best defender (Pronger) injured, even Tim Thomas would have been made to look like a sieve with that team in front of him.

When the off-season came around, the Flyers (namely Ed Snider) decided he had had enough of "mediocre goaltending" (even though as I showed above, there were times when it was far better than mediocre) and he persuaded Paul Holmgren to do whatever he could to sign Bryzgalov. And sadly, he did just that.

Why the Flyers did what they did I have no idea. They waited before the market was set last year and overpaid Michael Leighton on a 2-year, $3.1M contract. As it turned out, better goalies went for less as the off-season went on. The Flyers jumped the gun, and in doing so, overpaid a guy they had absolutely zero business overpaying.

The same thing happened this year, only on a far more extreme level. The Flyers signed Bryzgalov to a long-term deal at a cap hit of $5,666,667. The Washington Capitals signed Tomas Vokoun, a better goaltender, for a $1,500,000 cap hit. That is a difference of $4,166,667. That is just unexcuseable on the part of the Flyers. There is no market for goalies. They could have waited it out and gotten their man for a very, very, very cheap price. But no. They jumped the gun. And they will pay for it dearly in the next nine years. Even if the Flyers win a Cup with Bryzgalov between the pipes, that contract will still be a glaring mark of negativity. The Flyers had options. They could have orchestrated a trade for Semyon Varlamov, who I would have loved on the Flyers. They could have signed Tomas Vokoun for pennies. But instead, they payed Ilya Bryzgalov every penny he wanted. And now they are stuck with him. Likely for the next nine years. The only way this signing is not a mistake is if Bryzgalov does for the next 9 years what Tim Thomas did last year in Boston. And that is all but impossible. Bryzgalov is a good goalie, but there are those in the NHL better than him. And Bryzgalov does not deserve to be paid that money.

Especially when one of those goalies better than him is making $4,166,667 less.

Goodbye, Richards And Carter

The Future

I'll start off by saying this. Do not blame that playoff run on the goaltending. I don't care who you play. Whether it's a QMJHL team, an ECHL team, an AHL team, much less an NHL team, when you play as poorly as the Flyers as a whole played against the Bruins, a 7-3 loss at home, a 3-2 overtime loss at home, two 5-1 losses on the road, you ain't gonna beat anybody I just talked about. Anybody. All right? And that was a disgraceful performance in my opinion. We threw that series. We gave it away by doing that. We gave 'em the freakin' series. In my opinion that sucked. You can't play like that and expect to win a series. Holy crap I do not know who the hell we think we are when we do something like that. Unbelievable. 3 blowouts. We scored seven goals all series. That might be an NHL record. That's pitiful. I mean it's absolutely pitiful to perform like that. Aboslutely pitiful.

What's that? THE FUTURE? Don't talk about...THE FUTURE! You kidding me? We want to sign a goalie with a seven million dollar cap hit and you want to talk about THE FUTURE?!?!?!? I just hope this does not burden the franchise for the next decade!

Please Say No To Bryzgalov's Contract

Ilya Bryzgalov is a great goalie, but let’s face facts, players who spent last season in the AHL cannot and will not replicate the production of any and all players rumored to be on the trading block and/or definitely will not return if Bryzgalov gets his wish. These players: Coburn, Carle, Carter, Hartnell, Leino, and/or Zherdev, etc. The only two players on this list who I would not mind not being on the Flyers next season are Hartnell and Leino. Leino wants a lot of money and his production can be replaced easily for cheap, and call me biased but I have never been a Scott Hartnell fan.

After the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup, many articles went up saying that Thomas proves you still need good goaltending to win the Cup. Tim Thomas is the exception to this rule, not the rule itself. Of the 6 Cup winning goalies in the post lockout era, only 2 are above average (J.S. Giguere and Tim Thomas) and Tim Thomas’s past season was damn near super human. He had a .947 ESS% in the season, and .949 ESS% in the playoffs. Given that league average (depending on who you count and do not count) is between .917 and .921, I doubt that what Tim Thomas did will ever be replicated by someone not named Tim Thomas. The other 4 goalies to win the Stanley Cup (Cam Ward, Marc-Andre Fleury, Chris Osgood, and Antti Niemi) are average to below average NHL goaltenders. Their career ESS% at the moment they won the cup: Ward .898, Osgood .915, Fleury .919, Niemi .914. Of course, J.S. Giguere won the Cup and at the time he had a .926 ESS% for his career. As mentioned, him and Tim Thomas are the only ones thus far to have above average career numbers and win the Stanley Cup.

Bryzgalov wants over $5M a year for 6 to 8 years. On the other hand, Tomas Vokoun, an alternative who not only is marginally better than Bryzgalov, but cheaper and not looking for as many years, may end up settling for around the $4M range. I still would not be completely giddy about spending $4M on one goaltender, but if it means avoiding Ilya Bryzgalov's contract while getting a great goaltender on the relative cheap side, I think I'd be able to bite my tongue on that one, provided of course Homer does not follow it up with an unnecessary salary dump that makes the team worse than it was last year, which is a very real possibility if the Flyers decide to go for the big name goalie, even if that goalie is the better and cheaper Vokoun.

I'm Not Okay (I Promise)

(Originally published as a fanpost at Broad Street Hockey)

Saturday, May 22, 2004.

The Philadelphia Flyers were one win away from the Stanley Cup Finals. One win away from the Calgary Flames. One win away from the Stanley Cup itself.

As a sports fan, there are certain inevitable truths that however unfounded they may be, I hold near and dear to my heart. One of them is the Flyers would not lose that series against Calgary. There was just no way. That was the year. That was the team. I know it. I'll always know it. Even if I never got a chance to see it.

We all know what happened that day. There is no need to run through the events. The overly drawn out narrative of Dave Andreychuk. The cruel torturous hope provided by Kim Johnsson. We all know how it ended. And it's too depressing to think about.

Yet I can't help but dwell on it. So what if the Phillies, who I love just as much as the Flyers, won a World Series since then. So what if after the direct kick to the junk the Panthers gave the Eagles in January 2004, they would finally make the Super Bowl one year later? So what if the Flyers have gotten over the Eastern Conference Finals hurdle?

That feeling of lost opportunity from 2004. Primeau. Gagne. Roenick. Kapanen. LeClair. Recchi. Markov. Johnsson. Radivojevic.

I could go on. Those were the guys. That was the team. The over-achievements of the 2010 team, as fun as they were to watch and celebrate in, do not and cannot replace the emptiness of 2004. They can't take back the tears I cried. They can't replace the nights I spent thinking "what if.....what if......."

A Year Ago Today

What I remember most about this game (other than one of the greatest goals I've ever seen): Jumping up and down in my mother's arms with tears in my eyes after Jeff Carter notched home the game-clinching empty net goal.

365 days later, the Canucks, a team who has gone a longer time since their last Stanley Cup Finals appearance, have a chance to re-live the same experience.

The Philadelphia Flyers: Cathartic Ramblings Written After Game 3 That I Never Added On To

(After the Flyers lost Game 3, I decided I would write a season retrospective on the Flyers, conceding that the chances the Flyers had of coming back were likely minimal at best. I had a part of it written with the attempt to add more to it, but once everything ended, even though nothing changed, I could not think of anything else to write. So here is a half-completed 2010-2011 Flyers retrospective that I wrote for catharsis after Game 3. Enjoy it, if such things are to be enjoyed.)

Fatigue

Fatigue. Mental fatigue. Physical fatigue.

Exhaustion. Mental exhaustion. Physical fatigue.

It is the most reasonable explanation there is. After dominating the Buffalo Sabres in a 7-game series that saw the Sabres get a lot of luck, the Flyers got thoroughly manhandled by the Boston Bruins, who thoroughly manhandled the Flyers in 3 out of 4 games. Of course, the only game the Bruins did not dominate, Tim Thomas transformed himself into a brick wall that stopped everything in sight.

But let's go back and see what the Flyers have been through.

May 2010: Flyers comeback from 0-3 down to eliminate the Bruins.
June 2010: Flyers play a 6-game Stanley Cup Finals.
October 2010: Regular season starts after an abbreviated off-season for a team that had not been in the Stanley Cup Finals since 1997.
Late Winter 2011: Flyers hit a slump that almost costs them their division lead.
April 2011: Flyers need Game 82 to clinch the Atlantic Division. No regular season game could be used for rest.
Late April 2011: The Flyers play a 7-game series with the Buffalo Sabres that saw multiple comeback attempts, thanks in large part to some boneheaded decision making by Peter Laviolette.
May 2011: Flyers bow out to Boston in a sweep
May 2010-May 2011: Peter Laviolette works his team tirelessly in practice, perhaps more so than most coaches.

And when it is the playoffs and everyone plays in spite of the minor injuries, it is a recipe for disaster. And disaster is certainly one way to describe that series against the Bruins. When a team is physically and mentally drained like the Flyers were, and you are facing a good team with a good goalie, you could see the disaster coming a mile away. I did, I had hopelessly hoped that my feelings were deceiving me, but I had seen this loss coming. And sure enough, it did. The Bruins are hungry. The Flyers had no room left to store their food. It is not that they quit, or lacked Heart, or did not "want it," they simply had nothing left to give.

If Wishes Were Fishes, The World Would Be An Ocean

"If the Flyers would have gotten a franchise goalie, they would have won the Stanley Cup!"

This is a statement that you will likely see a lot of in the upcoming days.  Whether it be from frustrated fans or members of the mainstream media looking to expand upon their narrative.  But it is also something that you, no matter how certain of it you are in your mind, you cannot say in an intelligent discussion and still be taken seriously.

The above statement is what is known as a counter-factual argument.  "If the Capitals had fired Bruce Boudreau last season, they would have eliminated the Lightning."  "If the Flyers would have traded their 2011 1st round draft pick for Vokoun instead of Versteeg, they would still be playing hockey now."  "If Peter Laviolette played match-ups better, the Flyers would have won this series easily."

The answer to all of those is simple:  But they didn't.  If the Flyers got a franchise goalie...but they didn't.  If the Capitals fired Boudreau last year....but they didn't.  If the Flyers got Vokoun instead of Versteeg....but they didn't.  If Laviolette played match-ups better....but he didn't.

You can say the Flyers do not have elite goaltenders, but the problem comes not when you make that statement, but when you make the jump from that statement to saying that elite goaltending would have put them over the top this year.  It is something you do not know, it is something you cannot go back and fix to see if you are right, and therefore, it is an argument that holds no ground.  Is it a possibility that if the Flyers traded for Vokoun instead of Versteeg that they make the Stanley Cup?  Yes it is.  Is it a possibility that if the Flyers traded for Vokoun instead of Versteeg, they would have had a different playoff match-up, for better or worse?  Yes it is.  These are all possibilities, they are not givens.  It is possible that without Kris Versteeg, the Flyers do not beat Buffalo.  It is possible that with Vokoun they would have win the Stanley Cup.  It is possible they would have gotten Vokoun, he gets injured, and the Flyers are without a 2011 draft pick, an elite goaltender, and Kris Versteeg.  But just because something is possible, does not mean it would happen under a given set of conditions when that given set of conditions never materialized.

May 6 Playoffs Live Blog

It's due or die time for the Flyers. Just don't get swept, okay guys?

Game 4: Sharks @ Red Wings 7:00 (Versus - John Forslund and Daryl Reaugh, ItG: Joe Micheletti) (TSN - Chris Cuthbert, ItG: Ray Ferraro)

Game 3: Bulls @ Hawks 7:00 (ESPN - Mike Tirico and Hubie Brown, SR: Heather Cox)

Game 4: Flyers @ Bruins 8:00 (Versus - JIP) (CBC - Bob Cole and Garry Galley, SR: Elliotte Friedman)

Game 3: Lakers @ Mavericks 9:30 (ESPN - Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy, SR: Lisa Salters)

The 2010-2011 Philadelphia Flyers: A Team With No Heart

(Originally posted as a fanpost at Broad Street Hockey)

I, your loyal and humble presenter, Justin F., present to you The 2010-2011 Philadelphia Flyers: A Team With No Heart

May 4 Playoffs Live Blog

This won't be easy to watch, now will it. Carter in, Pronger out. LET'S GO FLY-ERS!

Game 4: Capitals @ Lightning 7:00 (NHL Network) (TSN - Gord Miller, ItG: Pierre McGuire)

Game 3: Flyers @ Bruins 7:00 (Versus - Mike Emrick and Eddie Olczyk, ItG: Darren Pang) (CBC - Bob Cole and Garry Galley, SR Elliotte Friedman)

Game 3: Sharks @ Red Wings 8:00 (Versus - JIP) (TSN2 - Chris Cuthbert, ItG: Ray Ferraro)

Game 2: Hawks @ Bulls 8:00 (TNT - Dick Stockton and Mike Fratello, SR: David Aldridge)

Game 2: Mavericks @ Lakers 10:30 (TNT - Marv Albert and Steve Kerr, SR: Cheryl Miller)

CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIVE BLOG!

Philadelphia Patriotism FTW

It really is hard to watch these videos and not get goosebumps and/or teary-eyed.

May 2 Playoffs Live Blog

If you are watching Versus at 7:30 tonight, may I suggest having a few tissues near by?

Game 2: Bruins @ Flyers 7:30 (Versus - Kenny Albert and Eddie Olczyk, ItG: Joe Micheletti) (TSN - Gord Miller, ItG: Pierre McGuire)

Game 1: Hawks @ Bulls 8:00 (TNT - Dick Stockton and Mike Fratello, SR: David Aldridge)

Game 1: Mavericks @ Lakers 10:30 (TNT - Marv Albert and Steve Kerr, SR: Cheryl Miller)

April 30 Playoffs Live Blog

The Flyers will finally begin their Conference Semifinal series against the Boston Bruins. Also, NFL Draft.

Game 1: Bruins @ Flyers 3:00 (NBC - Mike Emrick and Eddie Olczyk, ItG: Pierre McGuire) (CBC - Bob Cole and Garry Galley, SR: Elliotte Friedman)

Game 2: Predators @ Canucks 9:00 (Versus - John Forslund and Daryl Reaugh, ItG: Brian Engblom) (CBC - Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson, ItG: Glenn Healy, SR: Scott Oake)

2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Semifinal Schedule

After taking seven games to finally put down the inferior Buffalo Sabres, the Philadelphia Flyers find themselves facing the same team in this year's Conference Semifinals as they did in last year's Conference Semifinals, the Boston Bruins. Last year was great and all, but since that time, both teams have gotten better. Tim Thomas has been absolutely ridiculous season, and if I am being honest, the Bruins are the team I least wanted to face in the playoffs. After what was league-wide one of the greatest first rounds ever, we move on to the 2nd round where each conference has the 1 seed, 2 seed, 3 seed, and 5 seed still alive and competing for Lord Stanley's Cup. Without further ado, here is this year's Conference Semifinal schedule. (all times ET)

Eastern Conference Semifinals

#5 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. #1 Washington Capitals

Game 1: April 29: Lightning @ Capitals 7:00 (Versus) (TSN)
Game 2: May 1: Lightning @ Capitals 7:00 (Versus - Mike Emrick and Eddie Olczyk, ItG: Pierre McGuire) (CBC)
Game 3: May 3: Capitals @ Lightning 6:30 (Versus) (TSN)
Game 4: May 4: Capitals @ Lightning 7:00 (TSN)
Game 5: May 7: Lightning @ Capitals 12:30 (NBC) (TSN)
Game 6: May 9: Capitals @ Lightning TBD (Versus) (TSN)
Game 7: May 11: Lightning @ Capitals TBD (Versus) (TSN)

#3 Boston Bruins vs. #2 Philadelphia Flyers

Game 1: April 30: Bruins @ Flyers 3:00 (NBC - Mike Emrick and Eddie Olczyk, ItG: Pierre McGuire) (CBC - Bob Cole and Garry Galley, SR: Elliotte Friedman)
Game 2: May 2: Bruins @ Flyers 7:30 (Versus) (TSN)
Game 3: May 4: Flyers @ Bruins 7:00 (Versus) (CBC - Bob Cole and Garry Galley, SR Elliotte Friedman)
Game 4: May 6: Flyers @ Bruins 8:00 (Versus - JIP) (CBC - Bob Cole and Garry Galley, SR: Elliotte Friedman)
Game 5: May 8: Bruins @ Flyers 3:00 (NBC) (CBC - Bob Cole and Garry Galley, SR: Elliotte Friedman)
Game 6: May 10: Flyers @ Bruins TBD (Versus) (CBC - Bob Cole and Garry Galley, SR: Elliotte Friedman)
Game 7: May 12: Bruins @ Flyers TBD (Versus) (CBC - Bob Cole and Garry Galley, SR: Elliotte Friedman)

Western Conference Semifinals

#5 Nashville Predators vs. #1 Vancouver Canucks

Game 1: April 28: Predators @ Canucks 9:00 (Versus) (CBC - Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson, ItG: Glenn Healy, SR: Scott Oake)
Game 2: April 30: Predators @ Canucks 9:00 (Versus) (CBC - Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson, ItG: Glenn Healy, SR: Scott Oake)
Game 3: May 3: Canucks @ Predators TBD (Versus) (CBC - Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson, ItG: Glenn Healy, SR: Scott Oake)
Game 4: May 5: Canucks @ Predators TBD (Versus) (CBC - Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson, ItG: Glenn Healy, SR: Scott Oake)
Game 5: May 7: Predators @ Canucks 8:00 (Versus) (CBC - Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson, ItG: Glenn Healy, SR: Scott Oake)
Game 6: May 9: Canucks @ Predators TBD (Versus) (CBC - Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson, ItG: Glenn Healy, SR: Scott Oake)
Game 7: May 11: Predators @ Canucks TBD (Versus) (CBC - Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson, ItG: Glenn Healy, SR: Scott Oake)

#3 Detroit Red Wings vs. #2 San Jose Sharks

Game 1: April 29: Red Wings @ Sharks 10:00 (Versus) (TSN)
Game 2: May 1: Red Wings @ Sharks 3:00 (NBC - Dave Strader and Joe Micheletti, ItG: Darren Pang) (TSN)
Game 3: May 4: Sharks @ Red Wings 8:00 (Versus - JIP) (TSN)
Game 4: May 6: Sharks @ Red Wings 7:00 (Versus) (TSN)
Game 5: May 8: Red Wings @ Sharks 8:00 (Versus) (TSN)
Game 6: May 10: Sharks @ Red Wings TBD (Versus) (TSN)
Game 7: May 12: Red Wings @ Sharks TBD (Versus) (TSN)