(pic added mid-game)
Just a few words before we get the game started tonight. I've already said most of what's on my mind before the series begins, but there are few things I think we're all wondering about.
In the hours leading up to the puck drop, I've been wondering what John Stevens will be saying to his players—your players—before they take the ice. They already know they can beat the Pens. They also know they've lost to some good teams they could have beaten and some weak teams they should have beaten. So what's the difference-making speech that gets them to come out fired up instead of flat? Does he call them out, one by one, and tell them what he needs from them? Does he remind them of what the Pens did in the Eastern Conference Finals, maybe show a video of the guys in gold and black celebrating while the Flyers skate off the ice with their heads down?
I have no idea.
But this team is not built of grizzled playoff veterans and mercs who have done this year in and year out. The core is pretty young, and the late-round experience of the vets is limited. Coach Stevens' ability to get them past their inexperience and come out confident they will win really could be the key to game 1.
Mike Richards has started getting a lot of praise from the national media for his abilities as a leader, and rightfully so. But now it's time to really prove it, face-to-face with a captain cut from a completely different cloth—Sidney Crosby. I'm not going to get into the Crosbashing before the games have even started (aside from including this gif that Digi created). If he pulls any crap, we'll obviously be ready with the bullhorn. But right now I'm not nearly as concerned with his diving or personal time with the refs—I just want the Flyers to shut him down. Captaincy is about leading your team to victory, and Richie still needs to prove he's better than Crosby in that regard. We know he has it in him.
Even though I've seen it far more than I'd prefer in the regular season, I'll be shocked if the Flyers come out flat tonight. If there is one team that can get them riled up before they even leave the locker room, it's the Pens. Plus, this is the first time all season they've really felt their feet in the fire. They've been above the playoff Mendoza line for months, perhaps to their detriment. While the Flyers got comfortable, the Penguins got scared, sitting in 10th place and worrying about the embarrassment of missing the playoffs.
But it's all equal now. Both teams have just as much to lose, and just as much hate for the opponent. This isn't the Islanders or the Panthers. It's the goddamn cross-state rivalry we can't hear the end of.
Aside from motivation, it's all about Marty Biron. The firepower is deep enough that even if a line goes cold, the next group can pick up the slack and put goals on the board. Can Marty repeat the magic of last year's first two rounds? If so, and he gets decent support from Kimmo's crew, the Flyers will win this game. See you in the comments.
LET'S GO FLYERS!
Original Story:
http://www.the700level.com/2009/04/fl...
