Gut Wrenching and Heartbreaking: A Tale of Robbery

By: Patrice L. Leonard

Never have I experienced such an emotional roller coaster during a NHL game in my life. That included the record breaking 5 overtime game in the Flyers last appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The difference? Keith Primeau scored to end that game, giving the Flyers the win. Oh, how we miss him!

I can’t explain what I was feeling after last night’s loss to the Buffalo Sabres in game 1. I guess, like many of us, I was stunned. We battled back against a younger team with so much speed and what seemed like endless energy. The Flyers showed why they are one of the elite teams in the league, one to be reckoned with. And as far as all of the Esche snubbers? Well, I’ll let his game speak for itself. He almost broke the record for saves in a game by a Flyers goaltender.

What he provided us with is one of the top performances by a Flyer net minder in their history. We should never forget it. He deserved to win that game. His teammates did step it up in the overtimes. You can’t fault them for not giving a total effort. They were hungry for that win. They wanted and needed to do it for “Bubba”. When RJ Umberger went down with an apparent head injury, our boys were fired up. They went to his aid. Even quiet Jeff Carter did not hesitate to grab the Sabre who left his friend motionless on the ice.

I have to say that I was appalled at the fans and the people who run the HSBC Arena in Buffalo. They were cheering as Umberger lay on the ice. The hit was shown over and over again on the arena vision, further inducing their disgraceful behavior. We later found out that RJ was okay. A little worse for the wear, but okay. He is expected to play on Monday. That is the good news.

The bad news? The Flyers lost game one in this series. The pressure to win game two is overwhelming. You just can’t come back home down 2-0 in a playoff series and maintain any hope of winning the series. It has been done before to be sure, but the odds are stacked against you. Robert Esche was phenomenal, and that is an understatement. He comes away with the loss.

The Flyers scored two unanswered goals to force the overtime. They showed the resolve and fortitude that everyone was wondering if they even had. They were physical and protected each other. We saw the “classic” playoff version of Peter Forsberg. He was snarling and mean, throwing his body around like a human torpedo. He was vocal and nasty. He was a leader. They rest of the team seemed to follow suit. Feeding off his spirit. This should continue on through the rest of the series.

Derian Hatcher had one of his best games as a Flyer.

Mike Knuble, as usual, is more battle-scarred. Giving his body to the hockey gods. To see his face slightly bloodied is old hat now. There is no question as to his focus. Every player on this team showed up to play last night. It WAS a total team effort. A total team effort plus some. The outcome would have shaken others, made them want to quit. Not this group of men. They are more determined. In fact, if I was the Buffalo Sabres, I might even be a little scared. As Peter Forsberg put it after last night’s game, “This is what we play for.”