It's Been a Good Year...So Far

The Flyers went on a mini-tear for a bit, dispatching Vancouver and Anaheim (in a shootout) before losing (in a shootout) to Los Angeles - a game which they should have won because they didn't finish between a half and dozen good chances.

Now, they come back from the Western part of the road trip even more beaten up than before. Half the team has some kind of injury which may keep them out for more games than they have missed already. Still, heading into Washington to face a charged-up Capitals squad on Tuesday, I hate to say it, but I wouldn't be upset if they lose. They've done so much already to go from last to first that a blip on the radar because of injuries and travel is permissible at this point.

Of course, if the Flyers lose, it'll be under the microscope here and under the magnifying glass in DC. Washington has clearly played the best hockey overall in the Southeast Division and it shows by their comfortable position in first place.

However, with Ovechkin's star power, even a win over their playoff tormentors in early January might get some people predicting a meteoric rise, when all it is, is an injury-plagued team at the end of a road trip playing a healthy one which had the benefit of being at home for several days.


The second annual Winter Classic in Wrigley was a success, and I missed it all.

Due to the pressures of my job, which is a 40-hour-plus deluge of college and pro sports each week, I elected to have fun all New Year's Day. Still, my eyes bulged with delight at the box score and pictures from the game.

In general, I figure that either the coaches or league representatives go out and tell their players not to embarrass the club/coaches/league in front of a national audience in these games. Last year, there was a TON riding on the contest at Ralph Wilson Stadium and I don't think it was a surprise or coincidence that the Pens and Sabres battled to a 1-1 draw through overtime with Crosby getting the winner in the shootout.

This year, I was pleased that the Red Wings and Blackhawks opened things up a bit. Great to see Chicago up 3-1 after one, then the defending Cup champs rally back with five straight goals before a 6-4 decision in their favor. It was more like hockey should be, with everyone giving their all, not concerned so much with obsessive line matching as they are with style points and scoring.

As for Montreal having a game before the end of the season at Olympic Stadium...You have your 100th year of the great Canadiens franchise. You have the All-Star Game at Bell Centre. You have a zillion players voted in thanks to slightly fraudulent practices. Why did you have to get greedy and try to schedule an outdoor game months after this one was in the works?

I'm all for a Montreal-Toronto game with the roof off...NEXT January. I'll hold off my requests for the Pittsburgh-Philadelphia game at State College for Canada to get its shot. But the Canadiens fans and the franchise itself has to relearn how to stand in line and wait their turn. There's no reason to try and force another game, especially in the decrepit conditions at little-used Olympic.

Here are the possible games I'd like to see in the future:
Flyers-Penguins at Beaver Stadium
Rangers-Bruins at Fenway Park
Canadiens-Maple Leafs at Olympic/Molson Stadium
Flames/Oilers-Senators at Winnipeg's CFL stadium
Sabres-Maple Leafs at Hamilton, Ontario
Wild-Blackhawks at Lambeau Field