It's been a while. Someone remind me how a team that lost the first 3 was able to win 4 straight. What did they do differently in the last 4 games oppose to the first 3?
All 3 of those first 3 games were close hard fought games the Flyers lost. That and they caught some breaks( no pun intended) along the way. the Flyers probably never felt they were down 0-3 because how hard fought those first 3 games were.
The turning point was when Krejci went down injured. At that point, Boston's already weak forward group had been totally neutered. Down the middle they had Bergeron, Sobotka, Begin and Whitfield -- one of whom belonged in the NHL playoffs. They were leaning heavily on '90s superstars Mark Recchi and Miro Satan for offense.
It was one thing when they still had Krejci and Bergeron playing well down the middle, but the second half of the series the Bruins simply couldn't move the puck up the ice. The Flyers were the better team, easily, and the fact that Boston was even in those games is a testament to what Claude Julien conservative play will do for a crappy roster. A lot is made of the Game 7 breakdown, but honestly that group of players had no business being ahead of the Flyers in the first place.
Or you could ask Briere who had 30 points in 23 games and was a + 9. Or Giroux with 21 points in 23 games with + 7. Nope, it was the Flyers fault for trading away there 2 best players. Richards with 23 points in 23 games and still managed a -1 or Gagne with his breathtaking 12 points in 19 games and a -2.
Or you could ask Briere who had 30 points in 23 games and was a + 9. Or Giroux with 21 points in 23 games with + 7. Nope, it was the Flyers fault for trading away there 2 best players. Richards with 23 points in 23 games and still managed a -1 or Gagne with his breathtaking 12 points in 19 games and a -2.
Three years ago, If you lost the first 3 games, it would be a miracle just to take the series too game 6. Two years ago, the Flyers actually made the comeback. And Detroit and Chicago forces game 7 last year, Chicago losing in OT. However, the Coyotes are outclassed and have zero chance of pulling off a comeback.
was gonna say...Gagne, Carter, Richards were all there. Guess whose side they are on
Well Gagne isn't going to be playing anytime soon for the Kings and Carter never played in the Boston series... Richards+Gagne were fantastic in 2010 though.
Even if Philly had kept Richards, Carter and Gagne (I still hate that we traded Gagne) the Flyers don't have a goalie like Quick and without Pronger have nobody close to Doughty or the defense that LA has. The acquisition of Richards+Carter definitely pushed LA to elite status though. That's why they made those trades and it's not like Philly traded them for youth/picks to have immediate succes, right? No reason to rub in the fact that you guys are having success, especially when all Philly fans should be happy for Richards and Carter! Go Kings!
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Anyway, as it's been stated the loss of Krejci for Boston and the return of Gagne along with the Flyers mentality to never quit thanks to heros like Gagne, Richards, Giroux, Briere, etc. spurned that comeback. I still kinda think it was a major Bruins collapse combined with a lot of heart from Philly that allowed it to happen.
When Kings went up 3-0 against Vancouver, I immediately thought of the Flyers in 2010 because the Nucks never stopped fighting. Had Daniel Sedin scored on that breakaway in game 5, I felt a real concern that they could win 4 straight. St. Louis didn't scare me as they lacked the offensive skill to mount that kind of comeback and Phoenix just looks done. They had 9 shots on goal in the final 50 minutes of the game tonight.
What Philly did was special because they had special players & a never say die addititude. Phoenix has had a nice run but it looks like its about to come to an end.
Or you could ask Briere who had 30 points in 23 games and was a + 9. Or Giroux with 21 points in 23 games with + 7. Nope, it was the Flyers fault for trading away there 2 best players. Richards with 23 points in 23 games and still managed a -1 or Gagne with his breathtaking 12 points in 19 games and a -2.
