The Agony of Defeat, Again

By: Patrice L. Leonard

How does one describe agony exactly? As Philadelphia fans, we should have that description on the tip of our collective tongues. But, alas, all good things must come to an end. Was there any real good that came from this past Flyers season though? Nothing that can fill up this article.

As a fan, my heart was breaking with every passing second of the game clock. As a member of the media my season also ended. It was harder on me this year. I had a lot more vested in the team this year. Having been a Flyers faithful for that past 30 years I always felt it when they lost games like this. This year I had the pleasure of spending time with the team, getting to know the guys, not personally, but on another level.

I liked this group of guys. They seemed different than others that came before them here. They seemed to have all the components, the skill and talent that they needed to make a run.

More that any other time, my heart was not just symbolically with this group of players. It felt like someone shot my dog. As I watched them lose tonight it was like watching my best friends go down in flames. That being said, this is all I have to offer tonight.

I was appalled at the effort this team put out tonight, or did not put out as the case may be. They appeared to have given up before they even dropped the puck. There was no urgency. There was no desire or heart. They played like it was a pre-season game against the NY Islanders. (No offense to you Islander fans. ) Where was that talented line of rookies? Where was that phenomenal first line? What happened to the fore-check, the back check, the body check? And somebody please tell me what happened to the crowd at this game? In some small way they let this team down too. They gave them nothing to feed off of after the first period. Granted they may have been feeling slightly up in arms at the performance that their Flyboys were giving them as well. What they saw tonight was definitely not worth the price of admission.

Oh, there were a few players who refused to lie down and die. Take for instance, Mike Richards, who many, including myself, feel will be a captain in the NHL someday. There just is no quit in this kid. That is nothing more than a good sign for the future of this hockey club. Branko Radivojevic did score the only goal for the home team. Michal Handzus was, well, Michal Handzus. Peter Forsberg was a non-factor and Simon Gagne showed that when push comes to shove he will retreat into his shell. The defensemen, with the solitary exclusion of Freddy Meyer, were slower than slow. Coach Hitchcock was out coached from the start of this series to the final buzzer by Lindy Ruff. The two games that Philly played at home were a product of the team and its superstar, Forsberg, not coaching.

We all should be embarrassed. We all should be angry at the effort our team gave us tonight. Teams and players at this level who are playing for the most storied trophy in professional sports should die on the tip of the sword. This team curled up and died in a heartless, gutless heap for all of the Delaware Valley to see. They support this club gets year in and year out regardless of performance and finish is astounding. They should have stepped it up and reminded us of why love is blind.

There is no excuse for this team, any team, loaded to the hilt with talent to be this complacent. They stunk up the joint. And that comes from the bottom of my broken heart.