Carry a Big Stick

By: Patrice L. Leonard

Having just watched our Flyers defeat the hated Rangers many fans are witnessing a re-birth of sorts. One of renewed confidence and spirit.

One of unwavering courage and desire. These are our warriors. They left everything out on the ice tonight. A worthy opponent skated off the ice scratching their heads.

These last two games should have left an impression. Just when everyone was talking of slumps and downward spirals this team had other things in mind. They have won 4 of the last 5 games. They scored 3 power play goals on the number 1 penalty killing team at home. Whatever the cure for the ailing power play was, they seem to have found it.

The only question I had throughout the whole game was, “Why isn’t anyone nailing Jagr to the boards?” It is common knowledge that Jarimir Jagr can not play his game when he is being physically “assaulted”. Once they get that kink worked out, they will have no problems with those pesky Rangers.

The pure power of this sport was quite evident tonight as well. Everything we love hockey for was there for our eyes to feast on. Denis Gauthier, Donald Brashear, and Mike Richards were sacrificing their bodies. R.J. Umberger was sacrificing his face. From a blatant dirt hit I may add. The combination of that Knuble, Forsberg, and Gagne line is a thing of beauty. The scorers were scoring and the “enforcers” were enforcing.

Esche, while not having a stellar game, he let in 3 on only 23 shots, was still standing on his head from time to time. Fore-checking and cycling were done almost every time the puck was in the Rangers zone. This team is back and it is healthy. Healthy enough that Coach Hitchcock had to make coaching decisions on the scratches because he had too many able bodies. I do wonder why Branko Radivojevic has been off the roster the past two games. He’s another one of those players that can get physical if he has to and can score on occasion. Hitch knows best so I rarely question him.

It felt like a playoff game atmosphere. In many ways all the remaining games on the Flyers schedule are playoff games. They can ill afford to lose many games. They need to regain their stature in the NHL. Some respect for them had been lost, I’d imagine, by other teams. They do have something to prove here. Right now they are taking one game at a time. One hurdle at a time. They are a tight group. They hold an enormous amount of respect for one another. They are beginning to trust one another on the ice.

They will keep their heads down and keep plugging away. They know what they have to do. They have their eyes on the prize. This season, more than any other, has the makings of a historic one. One that ends with a group of men, playing on the frozen surface in South Philly carrying around a big, silver cup.

As the saying goes, ‘Speak softly, but carry a big stick’, so goes the rest of the Flyers season.