Photo Credit: FNG’s Rob Windfelder
Flyers Fans are recognized throughout the league for their knowledge of the sport. Players have said if you end up playing for Philly you can never take a night off. They fans will know what you are up to and they will let you hear about it. As a Flyers Fan that makes me proud. I’m also really proud of the way the fans treated our hockey team during yet another disappointing season. Philly Fans know the game well enough to see that this group was working as hard as they possibly could to stay competitive in an impossible situation. Flyers Fans had every reason to be frustrated but were smart enough not to take it out on the players. At the same time you made enough noise to cause a major shake up of the entire organization.
It starts at the top
The mistakes that made this season a mess came from the top down over a number of years. The guys who were playing for the team this year were being asked to carry the weight of a ton of bad decisions all of which they had absolutely nothing to do with. There was no amount of hard work or determination that was ever going to take this collection of guys over the top. This group was asked to do the improbable almost every single night and they gave it their very best shot. They were perpetual underdogs that refused to roll over.
Die Hards
The Flyers final home game of the 2022-23 season was a really unique event. Just before game time the stadium parking lots were a sea of red, white, and blue. No it wasn’t those Rangers fans again. Spring had sprung on Broad Street and Phillies Fans were on their way to the ball park across the street. Flyers tickets were selling at a big discount on the third party ticket sights right up until game time. This was not an affair for band wagon jumpers or fair weather fans. This event was for die hard Flyers Fans and the energy in the building totally reflected that. Everyone was there because they really wanted to be.
“Shoot the puck”
The game started out in a really frustrating pattern. The Flyers were passing way too much over and over again in an attempt to set up the perfect shot. The Blue Jackets on the other hand would bring the puck down to the Flyers end, just throw it at the net, and it would go in. John Tortorella has spoke often this season about the need to “score by committee”. I think what he meant is that everyone is going to need to chip in a few goals. Not that every single player on the ice needs to touch the puck before someone finally takes a shot.
The human aspect
Before the first period was over the Flyers shook it off and scored a couple goals. The one that tied the score was James van Riemsdyk’s 300th NHL goal. He was smiling from ear to ear as his team was celebrating his goal. It had to be strange for JVR to play most of this season listening to trade rumors even though he had to know they would be coming. Nobody expected him to be here after the trade deadline. You gotta remember these guys are human beings with families and personal lives. It’s the nature of the beast but it must be really hard sometimes living with that kind of uncertainty always hanging over your head. Seeing JVR score his 300th at home in a Flyers jersey fit right in with the running theme of things. The whole night was kind of bitter sweet.
The energy in the building was bubbling over as the clock was ticking down in regulation with the score tied. The scoreboard spotlighted Steve Coates in the booth as they drew attention to this being the very last home broadcast of his long career. The crowd gave Coatsey the standing ovation he deserved. He graciously pointed back at the fans. They zoomed in on a World War II vet who was at the game and the place went nuts. The sound system was blasting that horribly wonderful “Hocus Pocus” song by Focus and the less than capacity crowd was as loud as could be. When Owen Tippett scored the game winning goal in overtime the roof blew off. Fans stayed on their feet clapping and yelling as the Flyers came onto the ice sticks raised in the air in a salute to the fans. The Flyers final season home game was everything it should have been.
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An uncertain future
It was an opportunity for Flyers Fans to show appreciation to their team and vice versa. Most of these players could have fit in just fine working half as hard on teams that will be on their way to the playoffs next week. Some of these guys will be Flyers next year many of them may not. This team is going to go through some major changes. It needs to. The entire organization is already restructuring from the top down. This particular group of players ended up holding the bag as the whole thing came crashing down around them. Through it all they gave it everything they had and rightfully earned the respect of every hockey fan who was paying attention.
Flyers vs Blackhawks in Chicago Thursday April 13th 8:30 PM
