Whoa, Canada - Tuesday, April 29, 2008
538 Views :: 0 Comments ::  :: Michael Bradley It's getting a little stale at this point, kind of like a cup of Molson that has been sitting out in the sun at a barbecue. No matter what happens in the Canadiens-Flyers series, the Habs try to make it sound like any success Philadelphia has is due to mistakes by Montreal. Monday, the Flyers jumped out to a 3-0 lead, chased Montreal goalie Carey Price to the bench and then withstood a furious Canadien third-period charge to earn the victory and the one-game edge in the series. It was pretty impressive stuff -- except for the 17-2 shot disparity in the final stanza -- and showed why the Flyers have been successful thus far. They're getting excellent goaltending, timely scoring, a little bit of luck and tremendous effort. That sounds like a pretty good recipe for playoff success. Meanwhile, the Habs can't get their boy-wonder goalie to play consistently, aren't converting on the power play and keep falling into early holes. That's a losing formula if there ever was one. So, how does Montreal respond to its latest defeat? By belittling the Flyers and their fans. Face it, fellas, had Philadelphia not wilted in the final minute of game one, you'd be in danger of being swept and being met at Trudeau International Airport by a mob brandishing fondue sticks and flaming torches. The Habs and their media partners rage on about the nasty Philly fans, conveniently forgetting that nobody from America "celebrated" a first-round playoff win by lighting cars on fire. Guess that's what happens when you lose your baseball team and haven't had much hockey success in a while. Game four looms large Wednesday night, and the Flyers can bet the Canadiens will be charging hard in the first period, the better to avoid sinking into the mire of another early disadvantage. The best way to answer is to put huge pressure on Price early, let the fans get involved and stop taking so many penalties. (Are you listening, Derian Hatcher?) Another top-shelf effort, and the Flyers could be heading north of the border with a great cushion. And, no doubt, the whining and complaining of an entire nation waiting to greet them. |