Two NHL posts in one day? We’re on a roll I guess.
Speaking of rolls, are the good people of Philadelphia gripping their hoagies a little tighter today? And does the phrase “gripping their hoagies” make you sick?
The answers are likely yes and yes. The Fightin’ Phils dropped one to the Rays last night in the WS and, in case nobody noticed, the Flyers are winless six games into the season.
Ok, so maybe it’s not quite time to hit the panic button. The Phils are coming back to the City of Brotherly Love even in the series after taking Game 1 in Tampa and have every reason to feel good about their chances.
The Flyers might be in a little more trouble however.
The 0-3-3 team visits Marty Brodeur and the Devils tonight after losing 7-6 to San Jose on Wednesday. The loss to the Sharks was entertaining, if you like high-scoring affairs (who says there aren’t enough goals in the NHL?), but highlighted the startling lack of defense on the Flyers.
I wouldn’t expect tonight’s matchup in New Jersey to be quite as loose defensively. Philly’s gonna have to jump on the Devils early in this one and shut things down in their own end if they want to get off the schneid.
The pressure is on, and if they drop tonight’s game in Jersey it could all come to a head when the two teams play again Saturday in Philadelphia.
If they show up winless and lay an egg at home Saturday, I’d look for some changes. This is a team with impatient management and tough fans who would have no problem booing their own mothers for failing to convert on a 5-on-3, and would certainly lay a verbal smackdown on a winless team showing little signs of life.
The Flyers have already dug themselves into a hole in the standings in what figures to be a tough Atlantic Division. And that hole may only get deeper.
With the Phillies’ World Series run, the Flyers have been lucky to be out of the spotlight but that all ends within the next week. For the Flyers’ sake they need some Ws before that time comes.
Incidentally, tonight’s game is live & free on Yahoo! at 7 p.m. for those of us who are watching the bank account and going without the Center Ice package this year. Should be a good one.