BRING ON THE BIG BOYS !

The Philadelphia Flyers are in the franchise doldrums, having amassed just 23 wins and the second worst GAA in the entire NHL (3.66).  This is a club that will miss the playoffs for the second year in a row for the first time since 93-94.   When Cam Atkinson is your leading point getter with just 50 points, you know GM Chuck Fletcher has a huge job over the coming off-season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs on the other hand were 10-1-1, with a team record 50 wins and solid hold on the second seed in the Atlantic and the home ice advantage that comes with it.  Out for a second game were Auston Mathews and Jake Muzzin.  Jack Campbell was in between the pipes.  Leafs Nation’s concern may be the mentality that team might be thinking more toward an upcoming 3 game road swing through Tampa (Thursday), Florida (Saturday) and Washington (Sunday).

The “Blender”, also known as Toronto Coach Sheldon got to work early with forward line combos it took HOH 10 minutes to figure out.  Near as I can tell, he had Tavares with Mikaev and Blackwell, Abruzuze centering Marner and Bunting, Kerfoot with Nylander and Engvall and then Spezza centering Kampf and Simmonds.  The biggest WOW there was David Kampf dropping to the 4^th line.  The (AHL) Flyers put up a gallant effort in the first, but like colour man Ray Ferraro said, “there’s not really a stat that legitimizes the Flyers as an NHL team”.  (1-0 Jays at this point BTW).

Timothy Liljgren started the Leafs scoring with a nice snipe off a Kerfoot feed less than 2 minutes in.  I guess the Hockey Gods didn’t tell the Flyers that they were supposed to lie down and rollover because they continued to out play and out shoot the Leafs throughout the middle of period two.  James Van Riemsdyk had 1-2-3 whacks on a goal mouth scramble to tie things up.  William Nylander scored his career high 32^nd on a PP –  his 8^th goal in his last 10 and then the veterans got together on a F—ing beauty.  Simmons to Spezza to Giordano to Spezza finished the period with a rather undeserving 3-1 Leaf lead.

Toronto picked up some garbage off a good forecheck when Lyubushkin sent one in from the point that David Krampf tipped in.  Newly arrived Ronnie Attard came off the point for Philly to make it interesting before Ilya Mickaev scored an empty netter to make the final 5-2 Leafs.

HOPPER NOTES:  Hats off to the Flyers who really didn’t deserve to be in this game – they outshot the Leafs 38-29 and never gave up…wonder if that was JVR’s last game in Tranna…Morgan Frost got in his first NHL game for Philly tonight…he’s a smallish 5’11” forward who was a first rounder that has shown some promise in the AHL…a lot of you will recognize his surname as being that of his legendary, broadcaster Father and ACC House announcer Andy Frost…being with the same Corporate family for a number of years, I had the pleasure of meeting Andy on a number of occasions – just a great guy and MAN do I miss Psychedelic Sundays ! …I’m still a little surprised at David Kampf being moved the 4^th line – was it, A) to help rest him with 4^th line minutes or B) a relegation due to lack of offensive productivity lately ? …guys I wish I had on my team: Kevin Hayes…

CHEERS !  Be the one who guards over your loved ones – comments welcome.