The Flyers fought hard enough to make Philly proud.


Well, we’ll have to wait at least another year to witness the Philadelphia Flyers hoist Lord Stanley's Cup as they dropped Game 6 against the Chicago Blackhawks Wednesday night in overtime, 4-3, watching Chicago celebrate their first Stanley Cup since 1961.

And, as much as it hurt to watch Jonathan Toews carry the Stanley Cup on the Wachovia Center ice in person, I cannot be anything more than grateful for what the Flyers have accomplished this spring.

The Flyers weren’t even supposed to make the playoffs, but they found a way in; beating one of the game’s top goalies in a shootout on the season’s final day. They upset the No. 2 seeded New Jersey Devils with much thanks to great goaltending by their backup, Brian Boucher.

Then they completed one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, winning four straight games against the Boston Bruins after finding themselves down 0-3 in the series, and 0-3 in Game 7. And, they lost Boucher to injury in Game 5 against the Bruins, leading the way for Michael Leighton to take over the starting duties.

But none of that stopped them as they tossed aside the Montreal Canadiens in five games to win the Eastern Conference, and get the chance to play in the Cup Finals for the first time since 1997.

In the final chapter of what could have been one of the greatest storybook seasons in the history of the sport, the Flyers ran into an opponent too strong in the Blackhawks. A team that was atop the NHL for the majority of the regular season, a team that had six Olympians, including three Gold Medal winners.

A team that posed too big of a challenge for the ever so resilient Flyers.

Chicago, who entered the Finals as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, took the first two games of the series. The Flyers were facing another deficit coming back to Philadelphia, this time down 2-0 to the Hawks, but they proved once more that they don’t believe in quitting, winning the next two to even the series 2-2.

The Blackhawks had their way with the Flyers in Game 5 in Chicago, and carried the momentum into Game 6 in Philadelphia until the final 10 minutes of the third period when the Flyers finally woke up, forcing overtime when Scott Hartnell scored his second goal of the contest after a Ville Leino pass deflected off his stick.

In overtime, the Flyers run came to an end when Patrick Kane scored from an awful angle, beating Leighton to end Chicago’s 49 year championship drought. The tank was empty, but they didn’t go down without a fight.

While all I want to do is to rip Leighton a new one for letting that puck get by him in OT, allowing a very soft goal to Patrick Sharp in the second period and the few other weak ones he gave up against the Hawks or call out Chris Pronger for playing terrible in the final two games of the series, I can’t be disappointed in this team.

All I, and every other Flyers fan, can be is proud.

This Flyers team never gave up, never quit, and kept fighting. No matter how bad it got, they kept going, kept believing. They proved to kids what their parents and coaches preach to them everyday, never give up because anything is possible.

They earned respect for a franchise that was widely known around the league as a bunch of goons by changing their style of play once Peter Laviolette took over as coach. They brought respect to a fan base who have been behind them since day one.

Today, I’m proud to be a Flyers fan.
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Leino and the Flyers need only two wins for The Cup.


Ville Leino has been an unsung hero for the Flyers ever since entering the lineup as an injury replacement for Jeff Carter in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, and he penciled his name into the history books Friday night.

Leino scored his seventh goal of the postseason in the Flyers nail biting 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in Game Four of the Stanley Cup Finals to send the series back to the Windy City tied at two.

The 26-year-old rookie’s goal moved him into sole possession of the Flyers playoff rookie scoring record with 16 points, surpassing Brian Propp, who scored 15 points in the 1980 Stanley Cup playoffs.

“It was a special moment,” Leino said. “It was a fun game. It was a nice little moment. I will remember it always. Good win there too, so it was a great game.”

His story is an amazing one to follow considering how the Flyers acquired him, and what he has become from where he was at the start of the playoffs for the Orange ‘n’ Black.

The Flyers traded away defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and a fifth round draft choice to the Detroit Red Wings for Leino on Feb. 6th, a move that was going to provide Philadelphia with another scoring threat.

Instead, Leino had difficulties cracking Peter Laviolette’s lineup as it appeared that the coach and GM Paul Holmgren had different opinions about the Finnish winger, who had been a fourth liner for the Wings.

It took Leino nearly a month to play his first game with Philadelphia—not that bad if you account for the Olympic break—and couldn’t play with enough consistency to stay in the lineup for more than one or two games.

Simply put, he wasn’t showing anything to Laviolette to justify taking Arron Asham or Darroll Powe out of the lineup, who both play important roles for the Broad Street Bullies.

Leino scored only four points in 13 regular season games with the Flyers, and was an extra forward entering the opening round of the playoffs against the New Jersey Devils.

Despite playing in seven postseason games with Detroit, including the Cup Finals, Leino didn’t have a chance to play until center Jeff Carter broke his foot in Game Four versus the Devils, opening up a spot for the Savonlinna native.

With Carter out of the lineup, the Flyers needed Leino to put together some consistency while providing them with another scoring threat. They have received far more than what they were asking.

Leino has scored seven goals and nine assists in 17 games playing with Danny Briere and Scott Hartnell. In the Finals against Chicago, Leino has four points in four games.

It was his Game Three performance that informed the hockey world that he’s no joke, and pretty much guaranteed himself a spot on the Flyers second line next year.

Leino scored the game tying goal just seconds after Patrick Kane put Chicago up 3-2 with a 2-0 series lead in the third period, and led all forwards with 23:12 minutes of ice time, more than Mike Richards and Jonathan Toews.

Every championship team seems to have one guy who comes out of nowhere to step up his game, and it appears as if the Flyers have found their playoff hero in Ville Leino.
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James Van Riemsdyk is out to make room for Carcillo.



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Dan Carcillo should make a big impact in Game Two.


According to several Flyers beat writers, forward Danny Carcillo will be inserted back into the lineup for Game Two of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks Monday night at the United Center.

Carcillo has been a healthy scratch since Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals when Peter Laviolette took him out of the lineup for the return of Jeff Carter.

The decision to remove Carcillo from the lineup was one that I never understood because he’s an important piece to the puzzle with the energy he brings each night. But even forget his physical side -- he’s still a damn good hockey player.

When the Flyers traded away fan favorite Scottie Upshall along with a second round draft pick for Carcillo, it was immediately called a salary dump as Carcillo was another goon leading the NHL in penalty minutes.

Carcillo continued his bad rap by taking stupid penalty after stupid penalty, and running around looking for fights. He was a glorified Riley Cote.

Yet I kept hearing that he had some good hands along with some good hockey skills, but I couldn't believe it because every time I looked for him, he was sitting in the penalty box.

That is until he took a turn for the better in his first full season with the Flyers.

Carcillo has learned to play with an edge, but not to cross the line like he did way too often last year. He learned when to drop his gloves, and when to walk away. He learned how to get under the skin of others to draw a penalty.

And Carcillo showed to the city of Brotherly Love that he can do more than just fight and throw hits, that he has pretty good hands and can create scoring chances with a good forecheck.

Carcillo scored 10 goals playing mostly on the fourth line before getting first line minutes playing alongside Mike Richards and Simon Gagne late in the season.

He had chemistry with Richards and Gagne, and he stayed on their wing for the first two rounds of the playoffs. Carcillo has six points in 15 playoffs games this postseason, including an overtime winner against the Devils.

Scratching Carcillo was a tough decision for Laviolette, but he knows what buttons to push. It was a move that was doubted by many, but no one really said that Lavvy didn't know what he was doing.

When Carter and Ian Laperriere were returning from injury, the Flyers were playing well on all cylinders. You knew it was a tough move to take someone out of the lineup, Carcillo just happened to be the guy.

You can bet that Carcillo is going to come out on a mission Monday night as he wants to be a difference maker, he wants to contribute. Expect a very energized Carbomb against Chicago.

While Carcillo enters the lineup, no one knows who will be exit as a couple reporters have heard difference names. Anthony SanFilippo heard it's Ryan Parent while John Boruk hears it's Darroll Powe.

Do the Flyers scratch Parent, and go with 13 forwards against the Blackhawks or do they replace a forward with Carcillo? And if it's the latter, who do you take out of the lineup?

I think the Flyers have to get Parent out of the lineup whether you dress 13 forwards or you replace him with Oskars Bartulis or Danny Syvret. All I know is that he cannot play another game in the Finals.

Parent played 41 seconds in Game One, and was responsible for Chicago's first goal. He didn't take another shift after the Troy Brouwer tally.

In other news, the Flyers will start Michael Leighton for Game Two against the Blackhawks after allowing five goals on 20 shots in Game One.
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Flyers must remain focused on one goal: The Cup.


It has been 13 years since the Philadelphia Flyers have last skated in the Stanley Cup Finals, and it’s been even longer since they’ve last hoisted Lord’s Stanley Cup; 35 years to be exact.

So, when the 2010 Cup Finals begin this Saturday night at the United Center in Chicago, the Flyers will take nothing for granted as they know that this could be their last chance ever to win a championship.

Take Simon Gagne for example.

Gagne is the longest tenured Flyer on the roster, and has been to four Conference Finals, no Stanley Cups in nine years with Philadelphia. He wants his younger teammates to know that this is their shot.

“I’m 30 years old now, and I was there when I was 19 [in a conference final],” Gagne said. “I want to tell them what I went through in my 10 years in Philly. This might be the only chance for those guys, too.”

Then you have Chris Pronger, who will be playing in his third Stanley Cup in the past five seasons, but he’s the only guy who has played in June on the Flyers roster.

Take a quick glance at the Flyers, and you’ll see that they’re a very young team. Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, Philly’s two best forwards, are 25 years old while you have Claude Giroux (22) and James van Riemsdyk (21).

For the Flyers youngsters, they have to listen to what Gagne’s preaching.

During the next two weeks, it’s going to be a wild ride for the Flyers from all the media coverage surrounding the Finals to actually playing in the games, it’s important they keep a level head.

It’s easy to get caught up in all the magic, but the Flyers have to keep their focus, they have to take it game-by-game. If they want a parade down Broad Street, they cannot believe that they’re a team of destiny.
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This trip to the Stanley Cup Finals is long overdue.


After a regular season that left much to be desired, two head coaches, about two dozen goalies, and one of the best postseasons ever put together by a professional sports team, the Philadelphia Flyers are headed into the series that will decide who takes home the Stanley Cup.

For the Flyers, it's the first time since 1997 they've made it this far, and it could be the first time since 1975 they've won the whole thing. However, in order to do that, they'll have to face a Chicago Blackhawks team that's probably more talented and has a city aching for a championship as much as Philadelphia.

For the Blackhawks, beating the Flyers would be their first Stanley Cup victory since 1961.

It's likely the Blackhawks will be heavily favored to beat the Flyers, but given the run the orange and black are on it will be very difficult to bet against them.

For those of you who also follow the NFL, this series is reminiscent of the 2007 Super Bowl when the surging New York Giants faced off against a superior New England Patriots team that had just gone undefeated in the regular season and was sitting at 18-0 heading into the Super Bowl.

However, there is a huge difference: the Pats had won three Super Bowls in that very same decade, whereas the Blackhawks are fighting for their first title in nearly 50 years.

I just hope the Flyers understand that it's now Stanley Cup or bust. The city has been touting their hockey team ever since they won their second game against the Bruins and began this impossible run, so anything less than an image of Mike Richards kissing The Cup will be nothing short of a disaster.

The Sixers are a couple seasons away from competing, the Eagles' offseason has barely even started, and the Phillies aren't even a third of the way through, so it's all Flyers right now.

The only thing left to do now is stay hot, beat the Blackhawks, and start casting calls for the movie based on this improbable 2010 season.
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