Orange and Black are Back
October 14, 2007
| By Mike Santa Barbara
| 
Discuss
Phils done, Eagles lackluster, Sixers no promise, time to jump on the Flyers bandwagon.
The NHL may be in the infant stage of its season but the Philadelphia Flyers have said “Hey look over here, we’re back.” After last years last place finish the Flyers have walked into 2007-2008 with high expectations. So far they are meeting those expectations with impressive performances in each of their first three games even though one was a loss. The Flyers started the season off with an impressive win at Calgary even after blowing a 2-0 lead late in the game. Next, They faced off against Alberta’s other team the Edmonton Oilers where they lost a heartbreaker 5-3. They capped off their opening trip to Canada with an 8-2 bashing of the Vancouver Canucks.
Now just how significant are the Flyers performances in these three game? And how in the world can you gage how a team will play throughout an 82-game season just by what they did in the first three? Well, First off what most people don’t understand who aren’t hockey nuts is that playing in Calgary or Edmonton especially on opening night aren’t the easiest places in the league to play in. Playing an opening game in Calgary is hard enough having to play a couple nights later in Edmonton is even tougher. The Flyers handled an average Calgary team well even after letting them back in the game late. In Edmonton although it was a loss there were some positives to take out of it. At one point the Flyers had a lead and before the Flyers took the lead the Oilers were flying all around the ice producing scoring chance after scoring chance. The Oilers got a goal that bounced off of the Flyers Mike Knuble late and also that fifth goal was an empty netter. So take those two goals away and you have a 3-3 game.
After all of that they have to travel to Vancouver to face the Canucks, one of the Western Conferences best teams. Not to mention they may have perhaps the best goaltender in the game in Roberto Luongo. The Flyers marched into Vancouver and played their first “complete” game of the season winning 8-2. The belief is that if they had played a “complete” three periods of hockey the first two games that the scores would be decidedly different. The Flyers controlled the play all night long chasing Vancouver’s netminder out in the 1st period. The Flyers showed they could dominate the NHL’s best not only offensively but defensively as well.
What’s the major difference this season? Is it Briere? How about Timonen or Hartnell or Jason Smith? Sure all the Flyers off-season acquisitions have played well and contributed. However, The major difference is the all around team speed and the ability to fore-check. There are very few holes on this team, which leaves opponents with very little room for error. The Flyers have blown right through the gelling period after two games and the end product may be what you saw in Vancouver. If so the NHL is in a lot of trouble because the Orange and Black are back.
Pictures courtesy Yahoo.com
Contact Mike Santa Barbara at MikeSBPhillyPurge@yahoo.com
