Just an Illusion
By: Patrice L. Leonard
Yes, the Philadelphia Flyers have won a few games now. Therefore, you can take two different approaches to this. Is this a sign of good things to come? Is this team finally playing to potential? On the other hand, is this just a lucky patch? Did they run into the opposition at a bad time? Did the Ducks play down to the Flyers level and just get burned? The only real question is, which side of the fence am I on? I will tell you, I’m going to play the devil’s advocate. What a surprise, eh?
I will admit though, they have been a much more exciting team to watch lately. Goals are finally going in and the players that are relied on to score have been doing so. The physical aspect of the game seems to have returned as well. Derian Hatcher seems to have found a comfort zone on taking the body as he continues to move his way up the all-time leading hitters list of active players. Moreover, he is doing it without taking penalties, which is of utmost importance.
So after staying up for an eternity watching the Sharks tear the Flyers apart limb from limb, I actually thought about a few things. Most importantly, I am actually okay with them failing right now. The fact that they were winning for a very short while made me, well, uncomfortable to say the least. I mean there is a certain comfort zone obtained when failure is oft and imminent right? You no longer have to live up to expectations and when you pull one out it’s like getting an extra scoop of Rocky Road instead of Vanilla.
I am a cynic and that is obvious, but let us look at what I mean here. You have two goalies that cannot get their stuff together. Antero Niittymaki was supposed to be our savior and lead us at least further than the first round of the playoffs. He has floundered more than the cast of Spongebob Squarepants between takes. (I have kids okay?) Robert Esche, who I am a HUGE fan of, does not get the support he needs in front of him. He is a fragile mind who needs to be stroked and the best way to stroke, him is by winning. He’s getting screwed lately. If he’s going to get a trade so he can be a certain number one somewhere, he needs help displaying his talents.
The Flyer defense has improved somewhat. They are not as bloody awful as they started out to be. Freddy “Molasses” Meyer has stepped it up as of late and for that, I am stunned and slightly taken aback. However, this a good sign no less. Joni Pitkanen continues to kill us with his lack luster defending of the blue line, most particularly during a power play. I just cannot comprehend how the most fundamental aspects of the game are lost to him. Don’t they teach that stuff during Mites Hockey? But, that goes hand-in-hand with the ridiculous amount of off sides and too many men on the ice calls they are drawing. Come’on my five year old even picks up on it now. Why can’t a bunch of highly paid, over coddled athletes?
Now, I spend a lot of time at the Wachovia Center watching this team. I also notice the empty seats seem to become greater in quantity every game. Is everyone feeling the same as me? You used to not be able to get a ticket to a Flyers game. Now, I overhear things like, “Yeah, he had a soccer banquet tonight so he gave me the seats.” A freakin’ soccer banquet!!!! We should all be ashamed for that guy. I know we are living in a football crazy town and that’s okay. I like our small family of hockey faithful. We sit at the kids table during the big Philly holiday dinner.
If you look at all the shortcomings of this team, it’s not all bad, deep down. If any other team had the same problems we’d all be saying, it’s gonna be a long year, but what do you expect? Nevertheless, this is a team with Peter Forsberg as its captain. This team should not be failing at this magnitude. The fall would not have been so hard if the expectations had not been so high. We are living in a state of shock and we do not know what to think. Well, I will tell you what I think. I am going to enjoy this little comfort zone I have built up around myself. You have to roll with the punches and see what happens. I have to admit; from a writer’s standpoint, this has been somewhat fun. Where else can I poke fun at grown men without one of them throwing their hair gel at me?