will we ever win?

Hockey gods, why have you forsaken us?

So on Easter Sunday they rolled away the rock that opens the tomb known as the Flyers locker room and the corpse that is the Flyers team was still in there, ready to play the last 3 periods of the 06-07 season before it can finally be laid to rest. Permanently.

Flyers played with some heart throughout which was a surprise. I suppose you could say they were playing for pride while the Sabres were playing for nothing at all. Sabres took the lead in the first thanks to a play the Flyers have perfected this year -- the turnover at the offensive zone blue line. Two quick passes and Vanek had a semi-breakaway followed by a weak effort by Biron and the Sabres were up 1-0. Knuble quickly answered by making a perfect pass from deep in his own zone to Gagne at the Sabres blue line which led to him having a semi-breakaway and a really nice goal of his own. The announcers barely gave any credit at all to Knuble on his great pass, one of the best I've seen all year.

Early in the second Ruzicka made a real quick move from backhand to forehand at the side of the net to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead. Flyers were playing well and had the upper hand but you knew a breakdown or some sort was coming soon probably along with a bad bounce. Well the breakdown happened followed by Pitkanen (who sucks) clearing the rebound off a Sabre into his own goal. (did i mention that Pitkanen sucks?) The Sabres then took the lead with 10 seconds left in the period on a weak all around effort by the Flyers as they watched Derek Roy walk in front and then get his own rebound for the goal. Weak.

You want to know why the Flyers are the worst team in hockey this year and for the first time in their history? After 2 periods the turnovers were 4 for the Sabres and 14 for the Flyers. The Flyers are the champions of the dumb play. Sometimes they do things that make you think they'd never seen a hockey game before let alone played in one. The only thing they're missing is choking up on the hockey stick and taking shots like they're teeing off. I don't know if this problem is a lack of discipline and/or bad coaching or just plain stupidity. In Pitkanen's case I guarantee you it's stupidity. I think the guy is dumb as a rock. How many times does he make the wrong decision in a game? Anyway, this is one thing the Flyers really need to turnaround or it's going to be the same horror show next year.

So the third period starts and things look bleak. So far this season the Flyers have only won 1 game all year when trailing going into the third. How pathetic is that? But could today be #2? Knuble, who had a really good game, tied it up with a quick wristshot off a faceoff and a bad save by the Sabres scrub backup goalie. Then you felt things might work out this game when the Flyers took the lead on the power play. Too bad this was an NBC game otherwise the McDonald's powerplay payoff winner could have bought their own island. And the goal was just as surprising. It was one where they just went to the net, Knuble on a stuffer, and jammed the puck in the goal, Richards on the rebound, while the Sabres watched. Usually it's the other way around. The rest of the period the Flyers played well but blew chance after chance of taking the mythical (to them) 2 goal lead that would ensure them the victory. How many times this year have they blown a 1 goal lead in the last 2 minutes of the game and then go on to lose in OT or the stupid, gimmicky shootout? Today though that wasn't going to happen, although the Sabres had their chances, and the Flyers held on for the 4-3 victory over the team that you could say triggered their slide into oblivion. Hopefully we'll see a resurrection next year.

Other notes: Pitkanen sucks. Get him out of here. He is never going to be the player people think he should be. Who else should go? York definitely. Esche can go along with the worst mask and pads ever. Sanderson, who played like crap after his injury? Umberger, even though he's young? He had a brutal year defensively, putting up a -30 for the year. Rathje, Gautier, Picard? Who will they get in free agency? And finally, the Flyers did have one winner on their team this season -- Ben Eager, penalty minutes leader. Congratulations champ, you earned it.