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Showing posts with label Hockey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hockey. Show all posts
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Publication Note
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Just Not Good Enough
That is the sad verdict handed down upon the Philadelphia Flyers tonight. I'm disappointed, but the plain truth is they lost to a better team, and they got much further into the playoffs than I ever imagined they would back in February or March.
Early in the playoffs, my evaluation of the Flyers went like this: they need two more impact players, one on defense, one on offense, and they need to solidify their goaltending before they can legitimately contend. The team got within two games of the Cup, but I still think that analysis holds. Adding Pronger was not enough for their blue line; clearly, they need one more big, preferably fast defenseman to make their D rock solid. Can they get more out of the front line with maturation by young players like Leino and van Riemsdyk? Or do they really need to add another scorer? Not sure about that at this point, and I suppose it will have to wait to see who is available in the off-season via free agency or trade.
The goaltending is also a matter for deep thought. Clearly, neither Leighton nor Boucher is going to be the answer there, despite this year's success. Both were exposed against Chicago. They still have Emery (I think), and perhaps he can come back next season and be a solid number one goalie the whole way through. Perhaps.
Then again...perhaps the most galling part of this result lies in the fact that my two favorite teams went out in successive rounds to the same team. First the local team, the Sharks, laid an egg against Chicago, then the Flyers, the team of my youth, couldn't measure up to the Blackhawks. It's worth noting that Nabokov will be a free agent this summer. While he has taken a lot of heat around here for the Sharks' playoff failure, the plain fact is he's a cut above both Leighton and Boucher right now; Nabokov didn't give up 5 or 7 goals to the Blackhawks in any of those four games.
It's very possible, then, that the Flyers will go after Nabokov this summer. Would they have won the Cup with their current team, had Nabokov been in the net? There's no way of knowing, of course, but it is a scenario worth pondering. We will see what we will see.
So congratulations to Chicago, and thanks to the Flyers for a terrific run. I already can't wait for October.
Early in the playoffs, my evaluation of the Flyers went like this: they need two more impact players, one on defense, one on offense, and they need to solidify their goaltending before they can legitimately contend. The team got within two games of the Cup, but I still think that analysis holds. Adding Pronger was not enough for their blue line; clearly, they need one more big, preferably fast defenseman to make their D rock solid. Can they get more out of the front line with maturation by young players like Leino and van Riemsdyk? Or do they really need to add another scorer? Not sure about that at this point, and I suppose it will have to wait to see who is available in the off-season via free agency or trade.
The goaltending is also a matter for deep thought. Clearly, neither Leighton nor Boucher is going to be the answer there, despite this year's success. Both were exposed against Chicago. They still have Emery (I think), and perhaps he can come back next season and be a solid number one goalie the whole way through. Perhaps.
Then again...perhaps the most galling part of this result lies in the fact that my two favorite teams went out in successive rounds to the same team. First the local team, the Sharks, laid an egg against Chicago, then the Flyers, the team of my youth, couldn't measure up to the Blackhawks. It's worth noting that Nabokov will be a free agent this summer. While he has taken a lot of heat around here for the Sharks' playoff failure, the plain fact is he's a cut above both Leighton and Boucher right now; Nabokov didn't give up 5 or 7 goals to the Blackhawks in any of those four games.
It's very possible, then, that the Flyers will go after Nabokov this summer. Would they have won the Cup with their current team, had Nabokov been in the net? There's no way of knowing, of course, but it is a scenario worth pondering. We will see what we will see.
So congratulations to Chicago, and thanks to the Flyers for a terrific run. I already can't wait for October.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Tough Situation
So, the Flyers are now down 0-2 to the Blackhawks in the Finals. Not a happy circumstance. Yet, I still feel vaguely hopeful. Chicago has certainly not blown out the Flyers by any stretch of the imagination. It is very easy to envision the next two games, nudged just slightly in the other direction by a home-ice boost in energy and confidence, going to Philadelphia. And I will be much more satisfied if that happens than I feel right now. Still, I feel mostly prepared for anything, come what may. The Flyers have already gotten way further down the road than I ever hoped they would this season, and winning the Cup would be a dream come true. Let's just hope they get it together and remember some dreams of their own.
Now if we can only teach the Phillies how to hit again. Yeesh.
Now if we can only teach the Phillies how to hit again. Yeesh.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Tasty
Around 3:45 this afternoon I ran over to Yo! Philly's to pick up a cheesesteak, and a package of Tastykake chocolate cup cakes, in anticipation of tonight's Game 7 between the Flyers and Bruins. It was delicious, except for the fact that the Flyers were down 3-0 by the time I finished my sandwich. Yet, I never panicked, and neither apparently did the Flyers, since it was 3-3 by the end of the second period. And now I just finished watching them complete the comeback and win 4-3, both game and series. Talk about a tasty treat indeed!
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