WIP Blog By Joseph Santoliquito- Why Not The Flyers? Why Not Now?
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I know a number of people in New York. Sports fans, some who work in the media. Some avid Giants’ fans. Some just football fans. They started to see the pieces come together, but never foresaw the whole picture, even when it was unfolding in front of their eyes. When the explosion did come, when the Giants shocked the world and beat the unbeatable New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, they, Giants’ fans, weren’t as completely shocked as the rest of us were.
They sensed something was coming. They saw Eli Manning maturing, becoming the leader they expected him to be. They saw a defense start shoving everyone around like ragdolls. They began seeing their team become a force.
I broach the Giants, because the Flyers are in a similar situation. These last three weeks they’ve done things not many expected them to do—save for the guys “in the room.”
We witnessed glimpses during the regular season that this team could be special—like the Giants. Hey, this is Philly, where pessimism reigns and no one is ready to believe anything. Now all the pieces seem to be fitting. All of coach John Stevens’ maneuvering now makes sense.
Who thought they could go up 3-1 against what had been the hottest team in the NHL up to that point—the Washington Capitals? Who thought when they lost that 3-1 lead that they would win a Game 7—on Joffrey Lupul’s overtime goal?
I didn’t. Did you?
Who thought, after getting jobbed in Game 1 in Montreal, the Flyers would soar back to win four straight—clinching the Eastern Conference semifinals in Montreal?
Think about it. The Flyers went from being the worst team in the NHL last year—and worst in franchise history—to being on the brink of reaching the Stanley Cup finals. They endured a 10-game losing streak. They trudged into the playoffs not exactly knowing what they would get out of their goaltender, Marty Biron, because he had no point of reference himself, never having played in an NHL playoff game.
I understand disbelief had to be knocked off with a sledge hammer.
This team did it.
So why not? Why can’t the Flyers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins and “Flop King” Sidney Crosby? Why can’t they shut down Evgeni Malkin, or Marian Hossa?
They shut down the Caps’ Alex Ovechkin. They stymied the vaunted Montreal powerplay (well, a little stretch, since the Habs outshot the Flyers in four of five games, and if not for Biron standing on his head, catching everything freakin’ thing that came at him, we wouldn’t be having this discussion).
Hey, the Flyers beat a team no one really thought they could beat—and not just beat them, stomped them in five games—which no one predicted.
So why not the Flyers? Why not think big? Why not want everything? Why not demand it?
Jeff Carter and Mike Richards have been fantastic. Danny Briere is looking light years from the bust many thought he was during parts of the regular season—once Vinny Prospal was acquired.
The Flyers are just like the Giants, where everything imaginable is going right at the right time. Let’s just hope they continue this run—like the Giants—and thaw out this champion-craved city.
Even with what defenseman Kimmo Timonen is going through—out for the playoffs against Pittsburgh with a blood clot in his left foot, suffered in Game 4 against Montreal in the conference semifinals.
It speaks volumes about the verve of this team. The man was seriously hurt and he still played in the clinching Game 5 Saturday night.
So it could happen.
Why not the Flyers, why not now?
Joseph Santoliquito is an Emmy Award-nominated writer based in the Philadelphia area who can be contacted at Jsantoliquito@yahoo.com.
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WIP Blog By Joseph Santoliquito- Why Not The Flyers? Why Not Now?
I know a number of people in New York. Sports fans, some who work in the media. Some avid Giants’ fans. Some just football fans. They started to see the pieces come together, but never foresaw the whole picture, even when it was unfolding in front of their eyes. Read More...
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WIPblog By Joseph Santoliquito- The Flyers Aren`t Playing By The Script
We’re all familiar with the pratfalls, the acrobatics, fake chair slams and the faux punches of pro wrestling. At some time or another in your life, you watched.
You watched knowing the scripted ending would come. You hoped against hope that the bad guy wouldn’t pull out the foreign object and gouge the poor good guy in the head while the ref plays along and watches the good guy get pinned. Read More...
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WIP Blog By Joseph Santoliquito- Flyers In Six
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WIP Blog By Joseph Santoliquito- Taking Something Positive From Monday?s Ashes
Tom Gordon nodded his head a few times as one of the Phillies PR people whispered to him briefly in front of his corner locker in the Phillies clubhouse Monday afternoon. Gordon nodded again ashe began walking towards the horde there waiting for him, a phalanx of protruding notepads, pens, microphones, cameras, klieg lights and tape recorders. Read More...
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WIP Blog By Joseph Santoliquito- The Phils Can Snap The Championship Drought
The team with the best chance of winning a world championship in this title-starved city begins playing for real on Monday. What also begins is a golden era for Phillies baseball, rivaling another golden time in this team’s past in the late-1970s, early-’80s, when Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, Larry Bowa, Pete Rose, Garry Maddox, ect., ect. were winning NL East title after NL East title—finally resulting in the franchise’s only World Series championship—in 1980. Read More...
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WIP Blog By Joe Santoliquito- They Do It All
The topics were interesting: Politics and prostitution. Call them old bed fellows, pun implied. But the subjects discussing the topic were two major sports stars, and a few other major pro athletes, all there checking out a few, well,tempting indulgences themselves while enjoying a big fight weekend in Vegas. Read More...
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