Mandaou
Registered User
(HAP) Flyers’s GM not one to skirt controversy posted the following on the locker room walls after the team’s final game last night, “The Thrilla in Philly - RETRIBUTIONâ€. To the Sabres them are fighting words and they appear ready for round 2.
The Flyers’s who were also the 4th seed last year lost against the then 7th seeded Sabres in the conference final playoffs last year. The Sabres eventually went on to win the Stanley Cup. The teams meet again this year albeit in round 1, in which the Flyers have dubbed the series as “The Thrilla in Phillyâ€.
The Flyers coach believes that game 3 last year was the deciding factor. With the series tied at 1 games apiece, the Flyers lost 3-2 in overtime of game 3 despite outshooting the Sabres 40-24. Jocyln Thibeault stood on his head while Brent Johnson struggled as Eddie Belfour nursed a back injury. Eddie returned for game 4 but was never the same. In the final two losses, he gave up 10 goals and was pulled for Johnson in game 6.
Both teams are drastically different this year. The Flyers do have a core of players back but Redden, Yelle, Hunter, Sopel, Leetch and of course Martin Brodeur were not part of the series last year for Philadelphia. Key new faces on Buffalo include Jokinen, Yagr, Marleau and Ryan Miller.
“We’re very excited, our fan base is excited, the whole city is excited. The fans realize we were only 2 wins away last year from our firs Stanley Cup final appearance, so they have huge expectations this year, that’s why we went out and got players like Martin Brodeur even though we had to give away a significant part of our youth,†said the GM. “Those trades and all the moves since last year’s playoff loss will be judged on our success or failure this year. Our players are ready to work, fight, scratch and crawl to victory.â€
“We’re going to shake things up. Miller is a good young goalie but we want to see how he handles heavy traffic coming right at him and how he reacts if we accidentally knock him on his ass. The Sabres have what the league perceives as a lot of soft players, guys like Yagr, Zherdev, Gonchar and Frolov are all talented key players for them but have a reputation of shying away from the corners, so we’ll want to test their toughness. Hopefully for them they won’t be skating with their head down, as guys like Tootoo, Bertuzzi, White and Volchenkov will be looking to knock their block off.â€
The puck hasn’t even dropped and the intensity level is off the roof.
Let’s get ready to rummmmmmbllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Flyers’s who were also the 4th seed last year lost against the then 7th seeded Sabres in the conference final playoffs last year. The Sabres eventually went on to win the Stanley Cup. The teams meet again this year albeit in round 1, in which the Flyers have dubbed the series as “The Thrilla in Phillyâ€.
The Flyers coach believes that game 3 last year was the deciding factor. With the series tied at 1 games apiece, the Flyers lost 3-2 in overtime of game 3 despite outshooting the Sabres 40-24. Jocyln Thibeault stood on his head while Brent Johnson struggled as Eddie Belfour nursed a back injury. Eddie returned for game 4 but was never the same. In the final two losses, he gave up 10 goals and was pulled for Johnson in game 6.
Both teams are drastically different this year. The Flyers do have a core of players back but Redden, Yelle, Hunter, Sopel, Leetch and of course Martin Brodeur were not part of the series last year for Philadelphia. Key new faces on Buffalo include Jokinen, Yagr, Marleau and Ryan Miller.
“We’re very excited, our fan base is excited, the whole city is excited. The fans realize we were only 2 wins away last year from our firs Stanley Cup final appearance, so they have huge expectations this year, that’s why we went out and got players like Martin Brodeur even though we had to give away a significant part of our youth,†said the GM. “Those trades and all the moves since last year’s playoff loss will be judged on our success or failure this year. Our players are ready to work, fight, scratch and crawl to victory.â€
“We’re going to shake things up. Miller is a good young goalie but we want to see how he handles heavy traffic coming right at him and how he reacts if we accidentally knock him on his ass. The Sabres have what the league perceives as a lot of soft players, guys like Yagr, Zherdev, Gonchar and Frolov are all talented key players for them but have a reputation of shying away from the corners, so we’ll want to test their toughness. Hopefully for them they won’t be skating with their head down, as guys like Tootoo, Bertuzzi, White and Volchenkov will be looking to knock their block off.â€
The puck hasn’t even dropped and the intensity level is off the roof.
Let’s get ready to rummmmmmbllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
