Hockeyholic
Registered User
A Flyers fan may argue this is the most painful series loss in their history. But, what led to the Devils coming back?
Without question, Jason Arnott's winning goal against the Dallas Stars in the finals has its special place in Devils history. But it was coach Larry Robinson's dressing room tirade after the Devils went down three games to one against the Flyers in the Eastern Conference finals that lit a fire and ultimately led to Arnott's glory.
Indeed, it was Robinson kicking the trash can in the Devils' dressing room that was recalled by several players as the 2000 team was honored at the Prudential Center.
"He had a great meeting at the end of the game when we got down, 3-1," goalie Martin Brodeur recalled Tuesday. "Knowing Larry, he's not a guy who reacts like that a lot. So I think everybody kind of felt how much he cared about it.
"I think the biggest thing he said was, 'You guys tried it your way for a while. Now, I'm telling you what to do and do it. You'll be good.' It was a pretty impressive speech. It came from the heart. You could see he was upset about the situation and we responded real well."
Robinson rarely raised his voice.
"Larry absolutely snapped," New Jersey forward Petr Sykora recalled to the Devils website in February. "I've never seen anything like it. … The rant was unexpected but really got us going."
New Jersey won Game 1 against Philadelphia before losing three in a row, and Robinson took out his frustration on a locker room receptacle after Game 4.
"I don't think it's something you can do every night," Robinson said in the book "Tales from the New Jersey Devils Locker Room." "It just happened. The timing was right and I think I caught them by surprise. They don't normally hear things like that coming from me."
How would a hypothetical Dallas-Philly final have gone down in 2000, with or without Lindros?
Carl Lindros said on the weekend that there are no plans to take legal action against the Flyers or their medical staff. But it isn't known if that could change in light of the Flyers' move yesterday. Lindros will become a restricted free agent on July 1, and Clarke said he will make the required qualifying offer of a 10-per-cent raise on Lindros's current $8.5-million (U.S.) salary to retain his rights.
It is expected that Clarke will either attempt to trade the 27-year-old superstar or decline to match a contract offer from another club and take the five first-round draft picks required as compensation under the collective agreement.
When I watched this video last year, I had completely forgot it happened. In a parallel world where there's an extra second left on the clock, maybe the Flyers win in 6.
I really don't know other than the Devils were a better team overall. Part of it comes down to this though: Prior to Game 5 there was the announcement that Lindros would be back for Game 6. They were just completely flat in Game 5. Almost as if they felt their "saviour" was coming back and they could relax up 3-1 in the series. Then Game 6 was horrible, they had 13 shots on net and lost 2-1. Lindros got a goal with 30 seconds left in the game but it was too late. Then he lasted 4 shifts in Game 7 before Stevens essentially ended his career, or at least Flyers career.
Here is the painful part. This is the only time in NHL history a team has blown a 3-1 series lead in the semi finals onward aside from the 1942 Maple Leafs beating the Red Wings in the Cup final coming back from 3-0. Teams just simply do not lose, or ever have until then, when they are in the semi finals. But the Flyers did.
How would a hypothetical Dallas-Philly final have gone down in 2000, with or without Lindros?
At the time, I thought I was watching the coming out party of the next great NHL goaltender (Brian Boucher). It's so strange how his career turned out after that playoff run.
When I watched this video last year, I had completely forgot it happened. In a parallel world where there's an extra second left on the clock, maybe the Flyers win in 6.
Had the Flyers lost one of those OT games in the second round to Pittsburgh and they get knocked out in round 2, what happens with Lindros if he doesn't get THAT Scott Stevens hit?
Had the Flyers lost one of those OT games in the second round to Pittsburgh and they get knocked out in round 2, what happens with Lindros if he doesn't get THAT Scott Stevens hit?
Lindros would not have returned to the Flyers. Things were terribly bad between him and Bob Clarke at that point.
How do you know that for sure?
Maybe winning the cup would of brought them closer together, like a family again.
How do you know that for sure?
Maybe winning the cup would of brought them closer together, like a family again.
At that point, the feud between Lindros and Clarke was at the boiling point. Things have gotten so bad that Clarke stripped Lindros of the captaincy and gave it to Eric Desjardins. The Flyers were winning in spite of Lindros not because of him.