2004 Flyers

[jgrossman]

My God. I was just watching Game 6 vs Tampa in 2004. My God did the Flyers come close to the Cup Finals. For all you Philly fans, what do you think Flyers management could have done differently to help the Flyers beat Tampa and possibly win the Cup in 2004?

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[Hollywood Cannon]

Not have every defenseman known to man get hurt.

 

[The Couturier Effect]

I was kinda young at the time, but IIRC there were so many injuries that Sami Kapanen had to play defense. If they're healthy, they're in the finals.

 

[King Forsberg]

I was kinda young at the time, but IIRC there were so many injuries that Sami Kapanen had to play defense. If they're healthy, they're in the finals.

I think they easily beat the flames.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

2004 & 2000 were two really great opportunities for the Flyers to come away with a Cup despite not being in the finals but ultimately they fell short, 2000 was frustrating because they were up 3-1 in the series & choked to the Debbie's.

Who know's what would have happened with the 2004-2005 team the next year with Clarke going all in with Forsberg, Rathje, & Hatcher that summer?

 

[YMCMBYOLO]

I think they easily beat the flames.

I wouldn't say easily, Tampa had a tough time against the Flames.

But i guess with the Flames roster, they could have beaten them pretty easily. Not being sarcastic either

 

[sobrien]

2000 and 2004 really launched me into Flyer fandom. Crushing, devastating playoff losses.

 

[jgrossman]

Also, they never should have traded Fedotenko. I understand they wanted to get Pitkanen, but Fedotenko was great in Philly. He was the reason the Senators didn't sweep in 2002.

 

[Sawdalite]

Not only were there injuries but the depth was greatly depleted when the injuries did happen because GM Clarke decided to trade Weinrich and Therien during the season as a favor to them towards the end of their careers to move to teams where they could play and that would be a favorable team for them... Clarke was being nice, but he shot himself... and the Flyers... in the foot. Kapanin had to be moved to D, where he did better than an admirable job and stayed there over the AHL depth D-men... However moving him there also took away a trusty and key winger... The team fought as hard as they could and rode on the shoulders of their Captain Primeau who had a career Playoffs and willed them as far as they went... as the rest of the team reached back and gave it all they had... Roenick, Recchi, Gagne, Esche, etal greatly contributed... Ultimately the team was gassed, and after the Game Six miraculous late game Primeau heroics and Gagne OT winner the team had nothing left as they went back to Tampa and couldn't pull it off... no matter how much they gave, as they had nothing at that point to give.

That's the story as I recall... and I'm sticking to it.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Also, they never should have traded Fedotenko. I understand they wanted to get Pitkanen, but Fedotenko was great in Philly. He was the reason the Senators didn't sweep in 2002.

Ah I always liked Rusty, he was a solid second/third line tweener but that's not one to harp on. If he was so good he wouldn't have bounced around as much as he did.

 

[Larry44]

I have always blamed Jeremy Roenick. Not sure which game it was (it's a long time ago), but he had the puck one foot from the Flyers' blueline unchallenged and, instead of just making a smart play and getting it out he turned to go back in the zone to wind up on a rush. He coughed up the puck and Modin took a slapper that broke Ragnarsson's wrist. With all the other injuries, that was basically it. Bye bye Lord Stanley. Rags had been playing stalwart D and got knocked out of the series because of one stupid, selfish play by JR.

 

[Winston Wolf]

I've always blamed the Weinrich trade. Therien wasn't a huge loss, but Weinrich could've still played a large role with so many injuries on the backend.

 

[zarley zelepukin]

Yeah, all our defensemen got hurt, and we traded away a couple guys as favors who would have been able to help in the end. Not only were some guys out because of injuries, but Kim Johnsson was playing with a broken hand.

And on the other hand, Tampa's road to that series was a comparative cakewalk. They got the first seed in the conference because they played in a crap division, and got to play the Isles who were the weakest of the 16 playoff teams imo. They got Montreal in the second round after they upset Boston (I believe MTL had been down 3 games to 1) and that was just a good matchup for them since the Habs were basically a finesse team like Tampa except not as good. Meanwhile we had to play the damn Maple Leafs who basically made it a mission to wear us down as much as possible. We just ran out of gas.

 

[Sawdalite]

I have always blamed Jeremy Roenick. Not sure which game it was (it's a long time ago), but he had the puck one foot from the Flyers' blueline unchallenged and, instead of just making a smart play and getting it out he turned to go back in the zone to wind up on a rush. He coughed up the puck and Modin took a slapper that broke Ragnarsson's wrist. With all the other injuries, that was basically it. Bye bye Lord Stanley. Rags had been playing stalwart D and got knocked out of the series because of one stupid, selfish play by JR.

On the other hand, had Roenick not scored the OT Goal in Toronto in the up and down action -- that Kapanin allowed to keep going after being literally concussed and all but down and out but staggered to the bench where Primeau hooked him in with his stick -- There very well may not have been even a Conference Finals series for the Flyers to be in... Toronto was applying great pressure.

Roenick was certainly a good soldier who gave them much more chances to win than than he allowed chances to lose, IMO... But, yeah, that certainly didn't help matters.

 

[Sawdalite]

I've always blamed the Weinrich trade. Therien wasn't a huge loss, but Weinrich could've still played a large role with so many injuries on the backend.

Therien would have been a big veteran body who could have allowed Kappy to go back to wing.

 

[Jtown]

Losing Therien hurt.

However I blame Leclair for not making the cup that year. He was absolutely dog **** in the playoffs. Had he just played as well as he had during the regular season I think we could have won.

 

[jgrossman]

One thing I never understood about Booby C. was why ded he trade all those playes for draft picks. For example, I was shocked when he traded Cechmanek for only a 2nd round draft pick and Weinrich for 4th or 6th pick. I felt he could have gotten so much in return than what he got for them.

 

[Dirty but Good]

Ah Game 6 was a beauty. Watching my hockey idol score the OT goal, great memory.

 

[Sniped]

Ah Game 6 was a beauty. Watching my hockey idol score the OT goal, great memory.

Same. My brother has a framed, signed picture of the goal celebration. So sick.

 

[Sawdalite]

It didn't look like Gags would get a chance to win in in OT as the Bolts were in control of the clinching game very late... hope seemed all but gone... Our seats were in perfect location to see Primeau come down the Left and send a pass across the crease, dart behind the net and retrieve his own pass and score the Game knotter. The Captain was a beast the entire PostSeason and continued in that OT. IIRC Gagne was on Keith's line as they applied pressure and Gags got the clutch winner.

The Center was almost as loud as the Spectrum was back when the Flyers force Game Seven against the Oilers in '87... the Spectrum was just a louder place to begin with... That TB game reminded me of the Oiler one... they are two of the most memorable games I have seen in over Forty years of attending Flyers games.

 

[RJ8812*]

It's funny because Gagne had a wide open net and would have missed the net completely if it didnt go in off of the goalie

 

[jgrossman]

Lol. Yeah, I know. And it makes me wonder what would have happened if BC never traded Fedotenko, Williams, or Weinrich. And he should have gotten more compensation for Cechmanek than just a 2nd round pick.

 

[SaveHextall]

I've always blamed the Weinrich trade. Therien wasn't a huge loss, but Weinrich could've still played a large role with so many injuries on the backend.

Agreed

Moving Weinrich probably cost us the Cup.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

2004 & 2000 were two really great opportunities for the Flyers to come away with a Cup despite not being in the finals but ultimately they fell short, 2000 was frustrating because they were up 3-1 in the series & choked to the Debbie's.

Who know's what would have happened with the 2004-2005 team the next year with Clarke going all in with Forsberg, Rathje, & Hatcher that summer?

should of waited until after the ECF to bring back Lindros.
nobody will change my mind about that.

 

[jgrossman]

should of waited until after the ECF to bring back Lindros.
nobody will change my mind about that.

Lindros shouldn't have come back at all. Even if the Flyers made the Cup Finals against the Stars, they would have been better without Lindros, who would have disrupted the chemistry.