The Flyers are not done yet…for one reason. Because they don’t believe they are finished.
It sounds simple, but it’s true. Backs against the wall, fans feeling like they can see the future, the city of Philadelphia is starting to turn to its other teams.
But the ice hockey players will not back down, as said by their pack leader Rick Tocchet.
“We’ve been dead before, and we’ve climbed out of the grave. We keep hearing we’re dead and dead, but the guys won’t give up.”
The Philadelphia Flyers find themselves down 0-2 in their round 2 series matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes. Besides seeing the past Ghost on their team and a former Flyers player turned coach, these two teams oddly have a lot in common. Carolina’s locker room is full of people who were once celebrated by the rough Philly fanbase. Despite the recent 2 away game losses, every match-up between these teams ended in OT or shootouts in the regular season, highlighting how tough they play each other. Not to mention, the 2 brick walls holding both the teams together, with each having upwards of a .929 save percentage.
Reignite the Fire
With Game 2 slipping out of the hands of the Philly wolf pack, they are going to come out on home ice at Xfinity Mobile Arena starving, and that’s exactly how fans can expect them to play. Players know that they need to win tonight to reignite the fire, and Philadelphia is the perfect place to light the match. The fans are going to help boost the Flyers while doing what they can to tear down Carolina. We saw how a lopsided series can quickly turn, even in the Round 1 rivalry with the Penguins.
Hockey players and fans know that a lot more than the final score goes into the 3+ periods played. Before Game 1, the Hurricanes had a full week of rest after sweeping Ottawa, while the Flyers only had 2 days off after defeating the Penguins in an OT Game 6. With the lack of sleep, the Flyers were running on fumes, playing an exhausted game, and it showed. However, facing that loss in Carolina fired up the team to come out strong in Game 2. They were up 2-0 for the majority of the game before losing in another tough OT battle. The only thing that fires up players with more than one loss is two losses.
The Brick Wall Showdown
Dan Vladar and Frederik Andersen are the stars of this matchup, each protecting their nets at an almost perfect percentage. Both goalies have had shutouts in the postseason, and both are over the 90 percent mark for saves. Vladar is being tested much more, with the Hurricanes outshooting the Flyers in both games so far. The Hurricanes' 5-man defensive structure is proving effective against the Flyers' 3-man scheme.
In Game 3, the Flyers need to step up defensively for their goalie early, not just throwing their bodies into the net when shots are fired. Although the bodies can stop a few shots, the defensive structure needs to be tightened and start closer to the blue line. Vladar and Andersen have both showcased impeccable saves, contorted their bodies always to find the puck, and one team has supported their goalie more than the other.
Bringing Home the W
The Philadelphia pack must lean into their strengths of youth, chemistry, and aggressiveness to bring home the win everyone is holding out for. In the words of Dan Vladar, “Good things happen to good people.” Philadelphia hopes to prove this true in Game 3 tonight on home ice.
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