Flyers finally fall
Blackhawks 4, Flyers 3
Flyers finally fall
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
Thirty-five years. It is hard to believe sometimes that it has been that long since the Flyers hoisted the Stanley Cup. They just pushed us all to the brink with a playoff run that none of us will soon forget. It was thrilling, startling, indelible. But it is over, two games short of the goal.
Outplayed for much of the night but not out-efforted -- not last night, not for the last 8 weeks -- the Flyers’ dream run ended with a 4-3 defeat to the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. After reaching heights that no one predicted, maybe not even them, maybe not even in their hearts, the ending was so shockingly sudden.
Scott Hartnell tied the game at 16:01 of the third period with his second goal of the game, and the Wachovia Center exploded one more time after one more comeback from what seemed like inevitable defeat. But Patrick Kane won it for the Blackhawks at 4:10 of overtime on a weird goal, perfect in a way, as everyone was stuck for a few seconds of suspended animation before it was determined that the puck indeed got past Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton.
It was as if no one wanted to believe it was over.
Thirty-five years. Few will recall that it was Don Earle with the television call when the Flyers won their last Stanley Cup. Everyone remembers the year before, when Gene Hart said, his voice soaring, “Ladies and gentlemen, the Flyers are going to win the Stanley Cup!” Earle, though, had no such operatic aspirations.
And so, he said:
“Faceoff, won, it’s all over! The Flyers have won their second in a row! The Flyers have won their second consecutive Stanley Cup, and the whole Flyers bench is on the ice. I’ll tell you, they fought from adversity when they had to, and they won the big ones when they had to, and Bernie Parent was big tonight when he had to.”
It was May 27, 1975. No one then could have predicted how the voice would echo over the years and the decades and the empty canyons of a franchise’s memory.
Since then, all of this has happened: Leon Stickle. The jersey on Billy Penn. The “choking situation.” J.J. Daigneault. Ron Hextall and the Conn Smythe. Dave Poulin’s two-man shorthanded goal in Quebec. Ed Hospodar and the pre-game brawl in Montreal.
Now, this year has happened. It cannot help but be remembered fondly -- even as the details of the final game fade.
Somehow, the Flyers were tied at 1-1 at the end of a first period in which they were outshot 17-7 -- and it really wasn’t that close. All of the energy in the building at the start, from the singing of “God Bless America” on, meant nothing. The Blackhawks took the play to the Flyers early -- and goaltender Michael Leighton, who had been yanked out of Games 1 and 5, was very solid early.
As it turned out, each team scored a power play goal in the first. With Chris Pronger serving his second penalty of the period, it was Dustin Byfuglien in front, on a pass from Jonathan Toews, at 16:49. Then, at 19:33, with the Blackhawks’ Brent Sopel serving his second penalty of the period. it was Scott Hartnell getting knocked down in front, struggling to his feet, and deflecting in a shot from Danny Briere.
So, 1-1. For Chicago, the barrage continued in the second period but, to their everlasting credit, the Flyers hung around and then took a 2-1 lead on a beautiful goal, a great play by Ville Leino, knifing through the Chicago defense, holding on, and getting the puck over to Danny Briere -- who dismantled Blackhawks goaltender Antti Niemi, rifling the puck high and hard.
That was at 8:00. At 9:58, the Blackhawks tied it on a shot from the right circle by Patrick Sharp that sneaked through Leighton’s legs. It was not a great goal for Leighton, but it was still only 2-2, despite an overwhelming advantage in shots for Chicago.
But then Chicago took the 3-2 lead at 17:43 of the second on a fine deflection of a Niklas Hjalmarsson shot by Andrew Ladd. And that’s where it stood as the second period became the third period and the shot total kept rising in the Blackhawks’ favor; it was 27-13 after the second.
In the middle of the third period, though, the Flyers began to build one last round of momentum. The team that came from 3-0 down against Boston to win in seven games dominated the middle stretch of the third, and then then the final stretch. The breakthrough finally came on the Hartnell goal, and the building shook. It will be one more enduring memory, one among many.
But in the end, there was only silence. And then, a cheer of “Let’s go Flyers” before the Blackhawks received the Cup.
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Talk about the game in our Flyers forum Comments (192)
Leighton and his soft goals cost this team the Cup. Get a real goalie next year and keep Boucher as a backup.— Mike977- That's 6 straight trips to the Stanley Cup Finals for the Flyers that ended in a loss. 76,80,85,87,97,10.— borncynic
- Leighton was sooooo weak in the finals. What a horrible OT goal to give up. Good season Flyers! Let's get a better goalie.— eaglebeef
FLyers...thanks for a fantastic playoff run! Enough said.— kjuggs77- The Best team won...Congrats Blackhawks....you earned and deserved the Cup.....— BlueBlood
- I'll remember how excited the Blackhawks looked when they won.— nicolefink
- How the so called leaders of the Flyers (Richards, Carter, and Pronger) let us down. Thank you Hartnell, Giroux, Leino.— Liberty4All
- Put this one on the shelf with all the other "almost" titles we've got. This team isn't built for the long term, this was more than likely a one shot deal, and now its gone.— WindyCityEagle
- Down 0-3 in game 7 at boston defines this team.— San Diego Nat
- As well as Leighton played in stretches, he was a letdown and their weakest link in the finals. I can only wonder what would have happened if they had a little more solid goaltending in the series.— camtheman
Comment removed.- Given all the team's been through, the Flyers have nothing to be ashamed of. Just stunned about how it ended and I know it takes a lot to just put on those skates next year and start over again without sipping from the cup.— vejjev
- And now all the pathetic haters show up.— camtheman
- Flyer Fans - you are a CLASS act! I am a bandwagon Blackhawks fan. And I want to congratulate you Philly fans on being so classy at the end of the game. Seriously. I turned to my 12 year old and told him - "Now THAT is serious sportmanslike conduct." I hardly saw a fan head for the exit. You stayed and gave the Blackhawks their due. I wish all fans were as classy as you.— gruntsar
- proud of the flyers— thinkdontspew
- Funny thing is, the Flyers were sworming before the fluke final goal with Chicago finally starting to look a bit rattled. Just a weird, anticlimatic way to loss.— phillyfury
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- The Flyers need major changes for the 2011 season. We need speedy defensemen, a new captain, a new goalie (for certain). I am embarrassed to be a Flyers fan tonight. By the time the Flyers win another cup, I will be collecting my social security check, not. You guys stink. You disgrace the "Broad Street Bullies" Legacy.— flyers stink
- all right negativists....forget the goalie...he was part of the collective effort that got the TEAM to the brink and took our hearts along for a great sports ride. Winning and losing is not everything...winners beat their chests, but the play was even in 6 games, the effort relentless...all you can ask. I remember the '64 Phillies and think of them as fondly as I do the '80 and '08 teams. Leave Leighton alone...without him, they don't get to overtime in game 6. Go yell at your wife— retzlaff
- Congratulations Blackhawks, You beat the best TEAM in the NHL. Thank you FLYERS. Most incredible post-season I've ever seen. Great job by Laviolette. Incredible efforts from Richards, Pronger, Brierre, Lappy, Leighton, Leino, Kimmo, Coburn, and all the guys. Even Hartnell who I cursed at on more than one occasion. Sorry you didn't get to hoist the cup yourselves, but no regrets. Cheers.— jjfggg
- You can't forget the boston series, but Leighton's bad goals in games 1, 5 and 6 are what I'll be thinking about all summer...— jgreenberg
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- Goalie let the team down, not being ready or set for that last/OT goal. It went under the entire length of his body, what was he thinking? The team deserved a better effort from him!— lerze77
- It was a heck of a run but the better team won. But our Flyers were warriors throughout the playoffs. Granted we caught some breaks along the way, especially with the Great 8 Ovechkin and great Crosby and the Caps and Penguins getting upset. If not for that, we probably aren't here anyway, but we did what we had to and did the city proud. We may not have the superstars like Washington and Pittsburgh but you have to like the character of this team moving forward if they can keep in together. From barely making the playoffs to being 2 games away from the Cup...wow...thanks for the ride!— brendanflyer
- Hey gruntsar and other Chicago fans, go away. Go enjoy your victory and leave us Flyers fans alone. Doesn't your city paper have a comment page where you can gloat? As for the Flyers' bright notes, Leino has quietly become a dominant player for this team. That he couldn't get ice time just a few months ago, is shocking.— phillyfury
- What a pathetic group of Flyers fans here to bash the team and guys like Richards and Leighton. Every player gave every ounce they had. Leighton wasn't good enough in this series but he is a guy who was out of the league when the year began. The better team won, simple as that. I still couldn't be prouder of the Orange and Black. Can't for camp in September!— Gigs1777
- A 7th seed with two backup goaltenders and they came one goal and one win from hoisting the cup. This team actually showed heart and it was one hell of a ride. Re-sign Leino, tweak Leighton's approach and we have a great shot at winning the cup. Briere earned his money and Richie acted like a captain. A ton of positives to build on. It sucks that the season is over...crap...its now baseball season and the phils cant hit!— ConservativePatriot22
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- Thanks for showing up Captain Mike. Give the C to Pronger next season.— Gmilst1
- REALLY Flyers?? Leighton you gave up some VERY soft goals in this series...think they need to evaluate your goal tending! Hartnell I love you! Maybe next yr?? On to the Phillies...STILL a Philadelphia Fan by injection! LOL!— jbasho
- Hey "grunstar"...the main reason that people stuck around was to see The Cup, it's perhaps a once in a lifetime chance. As someone else mentioned, congrats to the Blackhawks, the better team won. You can blame Leighton all you want for some soft goals, but teams win this thing, not individuals.— aisaac
- That was a terrible goal. Its backbreaking to lose on a softie when the Flyers were dominating the OT. As good as Leighton was the entire playoffs I think he weaknesses were exploited by the Hawks. He sits too far back in the crease on perimeter shots and he doesn't hug the posts well. Carter should be traded to make room for Giroux as the full time 2nd line center. Carter doesn't work well on the wing. Neither does Briere. They both have to play center to be effective which means we have 4 top line centers (Richards, Giroux, Carter, Briere) Yes, I'm bitter. If it takes another 13 years to get back to this point I might just lose my mind.— LouB
- The last time we won was the last time we had a great Goalie!!!— sawgrass
- It would have been hard to win with two back-up goaltenders and only four viable defensemen, but the Flyers gave it their best. They have nothing to be ashamed of -- now it's up to Holmgren to fill the holes for another run next spring.— Dano04631
- Yeah, all the haters have fallen off the bandwagon. Thanks Flyers for an AMAZING series and an unforgettable run.— NYFlyersFan
- Congrats to the Blackhawks. They were just a little bit better. Thank you, Flyers, for an unforgettable two-month ride!— socalphillyguy
- Flyers fans: Go to Hell! Boo this!— pwstir
- The Flyers exceeded expectations and seeing them in the finals was a bonus considering how the regular season went. The regular season is why there needs to be serious changes on the 1st line and in net if they want to have a shot at a rematch.— n34blackadder
- HAWKS WIN!! Good team the Flyers are you guys, Hawks just better guys.— HawksWin
- I will remember how at the end of the game all the fans chanted "Lets Go Flyers" to show their appreciation for the team. No one can say Philly fans don't have class...it took a lot for them to stay and watch another team celebrate on their home ice.— dd421
"That's 6 straight trips to the Stanley Cup Finals for the Flyers that ended in a loss" Perfect for a town full of loser fans. Philly fans the most classless in sports.- Congrats to t Chicago!! Hey Ed spend some money on a Goalie and some Defense. Also I would Trade Carter, He was real soft in the finals!! I know you didn't notice but he was playing!!— sawgrass
- This team had a great ride. But....Leighton was extremely week in the finals. Call it what it is....A great run by a team that showed guts and glory...being down 3-0 games and winning. You can't script this stuff. I was disappointed in Leighton, but will die with the FLYERS!!!— Flockey_Hockey
- "No one can say Philly fans don't have class...it took a lot for them to stay and watch another team celebrate on their home ice." I can: Philly fans don't have class. There.
- Weak not week....a typo! Not as bad as the hacks at P.COM— Flockey_Hockey
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- a lot of heart and the fact that bad goaltending killed them!!!— sawgrass
- CARTER BLOWS... TWO POST SEASONS AND HIS SECOND SOFT POST SEASON. NOT A FLYER PERIOD— PHAN2
- Wrigley's a dump, Oprah's fat, and Obama's the worst president in our history. Enjoy the parade, Chitown.— 5280philly
- Hey "aisaac", I wasn't gloating. I was CONGRATULATING you all for being classy fans. Don't ruin it.— gruntsar
- Thank you Team. Thank you fans for applauding the Cup. Thank you Lavi and his team. Leino, Hartnell, Timonen, Pronger, thanks for making this fun. Great for the city, great for the region, great for hockey. Too bad it was also great for Chicago.— BlairW
- I do hate to say this, because I was hoping we could overcome our problem in the nets and win the Cup, but I told you so about Leighton. At least he won't be on the roster next year, and maybe we'll get a true No. 1 goalie (who can stay healthy, unlike Emery). But we all know opportunities like the one that just slipped away are rare...— eagle1971
- I was really hoping to change my name.— Flyers1975
- Are you kidding me wih these "we'll get em next year and thanks for a great season." That means nothing. Nobody cares who came in second. This was a major gag by two noteworthy players: Leighton and Carter. 36 years since they won a cup and some of you people are happy with just getting there; mind boggling. What's even worse is people saying we wouldn't be there without Leighton. That's right; without him, the Flyers may be hoisting the Cup instead of having that sickening feeling of watching that horrible goal go in. Second place is for losers.— cjkfive
- Thanks Flyers for an AWESOME run!— TripleOption
- you hate to see it end on home ice but aside from Leighton being a weak link.. I the second weakest link was Carter... Him missing a point blank shot pretty much was the story of how he missed countless oportunities to at least get one meaningful goal.. Nevertheless, im still proud of this team... they have given us a great season and fought to the very end... GO FLYERS— nixman101
- ENDING A SEASON ON A SOFT GOAL LIKE THAT MAKES ME SICK... IM SURE THE EAGLES LOVE IT THO— PHAN2
- In short, a great run by the Flyers. Yeah, some players didn't perform the way we wanted them to but it says a lot that this team made it that far. If anything, the way Kane scored did us a favor...it will spare us all the highlights and "flashback" commercials and clips. That wasn't a pretty way to win the cup but, hey, Chicago earned it. As much as everyone will blame Leighton, Carter, Gagne, and perhaps Richards, I won't remember their shortcomings as much as I'll remember the emergence of Leino and the rebirth of Briere and Hartnell. Way to go Flyers! Once the sting wears off, I'll be able to sit back and smile at the run that was the Flyers 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs!— phillyfaninstpete
- Whoops - I meant "Phillyfury" - not "aisaac". For whatever reason fans stayed - I still think they set the standard. Wish more people were like them.— gruntsar
- "Almost" doesn't count except in Horseshoes & Hand grenades....so disappointed! A typical Philly Team..can get there and that's it! UGH! Maybe choose a new team to cheer for :(— jbasho
I'm proud as hell of this team, and the guts and heart they displayed for the last two months. Battling and clawing and fighting to within a hairs breadth of winning it all. But it's going to be a while before I get over the awful, depressing, sinking feeling I got when I saw an enemy team raise the cup on our ice. I hope I get the chance to see the Flyers do the same thing before I leave this earth. I'm just worn out. What a run. I love the Flyers.- That had to be one of the weakest OT winners in Stanley Cup history— Flyers1975
Great playoff run by our Flyers. This will be long remembered in Philly sports history. Thanks for the memories. This team should be set for years, with a nice Top 6, good solid D; we're only missing the stud goalie. Go Flyers!- Sure it was a numbing end and it's easy to blame it on Leighton, but c'mon we had Niemi face down and an open net twice in the 3rd and couldn't get the puck six inches off the ice to win it. They may not have won the cup, but this team put on a great performance throughout the playoffs overcoming the odds time and again. We've got the fightin' Phil's and these are damn sure fightin Flyers. Hopefully the guys playing at the Linc watched and learned. If they showed have the hustle and as much heart as these boys we'd probably have had a Superbowl by now. Congratulations Flyers-can't wait to see you next season.— gbeagles27
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- "Almost" doesn't count except in Horseshoes & Hand grenades....so disappointed! A typical Philly Team..can get there and that's it! UGH! Maybe choose a new team to cheer for :(— jbasho
- billhickslives - you're wrong! i guarantee that one reason they stayed was because it was Chicago - a team that had an even longer drought than ours - if were the Penguins or Red Wings, AGAIN, they likely wouldn't have...just ask Mario Lemieux how much class we have.— uncle meat
- Ah, if only Ray Emery had stayed healthy. Heck of a year, though. One to remember.— sf_flyerfan
35 YEARS— primo- What a season! We came together at the end and will move forward next year! 2011 is ours! Congatulations to the fine Chicago team this year!— John S.
- Why would Blackhawk fans feel it necessary to come to a Philly site to talk smack? Internet a-holes -- show some class and celebrate on the Sun-Times or Tribune sites (I'm talking to you BillHicks)— Dano04631
- I would like to say how proud I am of the leino-briere-hartnell line for busting it when the 1st line decided to quit after the opening faceoff. Jeff carter should be ashamed of his entire stanley cup performance, he was useless out there and should have just stayed hurt. Mike Richards showed some life, but overall was awful in the finals. Pronger was solid minus a couple of penalties. Matt Carle had a terrible game 6 but was solid overall. Michael Leighton's performance in game 6 just cost him his job in philly. The better team won, they played harder, they wanted it more, and they did what they had to do in order to win. Sadly, I cannot say that the flyers did all they could, they looked lost, lazy, and slow in the 1st 45 minutes of the game and shouldn't have been surprised by the outcome. I hope Jeff Carter spends his summer thinking about how wide open that net was with a minute to go and how he just rolled the puck to the goalie. For as great as the Briere line played the Richards line played awful and they chose game 6 to play their worst— shrager16
- Players that showed up: Lieno, Pronger, Briere, hartnell, carle, coburn... everyone else i didnt see you out there.— PHAN2
Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks, 2010 Stanley Cup Champions. You sure earned it, and it wasn't easy. Thank you to my team, the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers for an unforgettably tense but awesome ride. In my heart you will always be the winners for your grit and drive. It just didn't go our way this time, but there will be more chances in the years to come, and we'll get there. I'm sure of it. LET'S GO FLYERS!!!- Another 2nd place finish in a lifetime of woulda coulda shouldas for this city. Rooting for Philly teams is like a lap dance. Thrilling exciting, smoking hot. But in the end zero pay off. You go home to a cold shower or your 2 hands. Story of our lives— klew
- All of you who are bashing, do you realize what the Flyers acheived? None of us ever would have thought they would get this far. Look at all the injuries, and getting to the Final with a back up and third string goalie! You're morons. This hurts bad but you cant help be proud of our Flyers. I will remember this run as long as I live. The Flyers have EARNED alot of respect with people....even Chicago fans who call us classless and wont admit that they were scared.— Lintltj5
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- I'm sorry - 2 of our core players came up very small. Carter was a huge disappointment and injury or not - he is not an elite player. Richards is all heart, short on the skill unfortunately in comparison to other teams' stars. We'll need more changes next year - Chicago's youthful legs show that in a long series, young aggressive talent will win out. Giroux, Leino, Carle are the real bright spots of this team.— SidGM
- Congratulations from a lifelong Flyers fan! I smiled when Jonathan Toews got the cup. I'm happy for Kane, Sharp, Eager and all you 'hawks fans. We lost to a better team, period. No one likes to see their favorite team lose, but, you guys deserved it. Congrats again, enjoy your parade!— lukebonbon
- Great run for the Flyers. The most pleasant surprise of the playoffs for me was the emergence of Ville Leino. That guy can play.— PhillyfaninChicago
- The winning goal was so horrible. I don't know what else to say. Poor positioning. Where did he think the net was? The crossbar was above his head. It was a great run, but almost doesn't bring the cup. The Flyers are almost too often. The Hawks are the better team. They solved the Flyers once crippling defense and stone-wall-mystery goalie and made them look like a small, tired children.— love park
How does someone lament the rarity of getting to the finals complain about the goalie who helped get there? The Flyers were LOSING their series with Boston when Leighton came in, remember? TRADE JEFF CARTER!— icarus- Hey BillHicksLivesInHisParentsBasement your team just won the Cup and you are sitting online posting nonsense on a Philly website? What a waste of life.— Lintltj5
- So many positives, such a run, it was almost a given that tonight was going to continue into Friday. I can not believe how sturdy Hartnell was with the puck , Giroux's undeniable talent and burning desire, Briere had such great will to make play after play even when only an inch of daylight was available to him, not to mention Leino's obvious talent and ability to rise to the occasion. I am confused as to why our Captain could not put it together this series. Sometimes you try too hard, sometimes things just don't work out. I have to say that Chicago was extremely talented but the Flyers answered with determination almost every time. Would have loved to see Carter join in the fun but usually was disappointed in his effort and general hockey IQ. Very depressed but I can't deny what happened over the last 8 weeks. Thank you Flyers.— Dtownfan
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- gruntsar. Thanks for the heartfelt compliment. It may be the first time an opposing fan complimented the Philly fan base but the loss still hurts. It was more than the goalie. The Blackhawks definitely the better passing team but the Flyers showed a lot of heart. Go Phillies— cupper
- That Palin puck dropping right wingnut Snyder does not deserve a Cup. Too bad the Flyers have such a scumbag owner. I hope he never sees another Cup run the rest of his life.— JonKap
- The old cliche is that you need your goalie to steal a game, maybe two, to win it all. Thanks to Leighton for taking us this far, but the Fly-boys still are in need of a true playoff-calibre goalie.— bobmal15
- Thanks for the Great Ride Flyers! - Coming back from down 3-0 in games and 3-0 down in Game 7 against the Bruins was the Greatest come back I have ever seen - I think they finally just run out of gas with all the coming from behind - The Playoffs were a Gas despite the outcome - See you next year!— phillydude
- Flyers fans, your team played a hell of a game/series and a memorable playoff run. I was holding my breath at the end of this one.— stan mikita
- camtheman, odds are that any non-Flyers (or non-Blackhawks) fan coming back here to talk smack are not really Chicago Fans and probably never have been. Their true fans will be too grateful and magnanimous to talk smack at this point. If they do leave any more comments, I'm sure it will be limited to a gracious and magnanimous message. Thanks again to the 2010 Flyers. I'm sure the organization will waste no time in addressing the places where the Flyers need improvement, but right now our guys need a well deserved rest and recuperation for wherever the future takes them (and us).
- outplayed on our home ice. carter blows.— PHAN2
- Heartbreaking loss, and a heartbreaking way to lose. But this team has nothing to be ashamed of. It's fair enough to bash Leighton for the OT goal, but remember that he came out of nowhere and carried this team for the better part of the playoffs. Pronger's an absolute warrior, as is Richards, despite his lack of offense in the finals. Same goes for Leino, Coburn, Timonnen, Hartnell, Briere and quite a few others. This team was as resilient as any I've seen in years, and they treated us to one of the more enjoyable Stanley Cup finals in recent memory. I wish they were able to muster one more miracle and send it back to Chicago. But we can't fault them for lack of effort. Hats off, gentlemen, for a great run.— Victor_Yuschenko
- y'all are out of your minds on Leighton...we would have lost that game 8-2 if it wasn't for him...our defense thought it was the offseason for long stretches of several of the finals games...THAT was the difference.
- Great series. There were no flukes. Blackhawks were the better team, but great effort from both teams. Flyers took the Hawks to their absolute limit, and almost stole that one tonight.— 26cheesesteaks
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- Here here...stop the bashing. This Flyers team set the bar for true grit this playoff run. And give credit to the difference maker for the Hawks. Niemi made some ridiculous saves this series. Any other goal keeper in net and the Flyers walk away with the cup in 4 or 5. Let's Go Flyers-bring it home in '11— gbeagles27
- when the Flyers were down 0-3 to the Bruins and the resilient comeback they made. WOW!! If they win the Stanley Cup, I might be in Asia, Africa, or somewhere. Still a great season and I hope nothing changes with the team!— frasprec
- Heck of a run! Tough, I'm not looking forward to the sports world giving the short shrift to Philadelphia like always, and paint how the "Flyers blew it" and not how the "Blackhawks won".— crboyle1
- Right, here go the hATERS , Flyers reprsented well and I am proud of them . Yea the goal was soft but where would have been without Leighton, not only after Boucher went down , but also during the season........... Where Would We Be ???? So to Leighton and the rest FLYERS, Thanks For The Season AND KEEP your Heads he Majority of us are VERY LERY SQUAD— PhillyfanNohio
- proud to be a Flyers fan, and a great unexpected run. Other than that final goal, everything about this season was great. Congrats to real Chicago fans, not the phonies that started showing up recently.— cnova000
- this team is amazing and resilient. it's made history. it's been an incredible and exciting ride. i'm really proud to be a fan. i do note that the flyers were picked by many before the season started to go to the scfs with chicago. then again, the flyers had a lot of injuries. now please go out and get a stud goalie and other pieces. i wonder what could could have been if we had home ice advantage.— liberty_bell
Our IDIOT coach cost us HUGE...this man has NO clue on how to run a team or manage lines or who to put on the ice when. Coburn CRAPPED the bed and was the #3 cause (behind Laviolette and useless goaltending) of our loss. What an IDIOTIC penalty after the Briere goal...killed ALL of our momentum, then Leighton let's in that softie while it's 4 on 4 with Coburn in the box...back to the clown we call coach. Leino was your BEST player in the playoffs, why was he a HEALTHY SCRATCH so much??? Stonehands Powe...in the line-up EVERY game...NO POINTS and NO chance of him scoring with those cement mitts. Ya he kills penalties, but so does Lappy, Gagne, Richy, Claude & Betts. Why not dress Carcillo, at least he can score and cause havoc. Why was Richy pulled off the PP? We had a KILLER PP last year with him back there...Chicago used Sharp as a Dman...using up Kimmo & Prongs on the 1st unit together then having to put out Coburn and Carle who CAN'T hit the net EVER...confusing...this man has NO idea. He's USELESS!!! That's why we lost.- Trade Carter for a bag of pucks!!!!— shrager16
- I'll remember this season as being the season that I became a hockey fan. So start making accommidations for us spanish speaking folks. Cause I'm bringing the whole family!! LOL I love the Flyers!! Lets Go Flyers, Lets Go!!!!— AngelsWord
- from injuries on the lineups, to shootout on the last game of the season to 4-3/4-3 against bruins to this SC series. they did an awesome job and did we really PREDICTED that they'd go far? 7th seeded? I didn't eventhough I'm heartbroken right now, again, they MADE a history (or maybe two if you insist) this season we'll always remember. always.— cmbfarrell
- Stop jumping all over Leighton and show a little gratitude, folks. Yes, he let up a bad goal. Yes, he had a weak series. But would the team have made it this far without him? Doubtful. He went from being a minor league goalie in the beginning of the year to stepping in and helping us make history against Boston, only to follow that up with 3 shutouts against Montreal. I, for one, am darn proud of both him and this team. It was one heck of a run. Looking forward to next season. Go Flyers!— Ltown215
- flyers fan writing from chicago- fans here know they were in a tough series, unlike their first three rounds. flyers earned a lot of respect, and will be remembered forever for the 3-0 3-0 comeback vs boston. philly truly has one of the best records getting to finals, but boy is it painful to come up just short....this team, though, is maybe my favorite after the cup teams...— stopbooing
- Great series, great two teams. My mother grew up in Philadelphia in the 1930s (she always insisted that only out-of-towners called it Philly!), and I love your city. I sure wish we had Mummers in Chicago to help us celebrate our victory.
- Chicago's goaltender was much worse if you could believe that. Chicago was more talented and had more firepower - they toyed with the flyers - the flyers relied on dumb luck to get a victory. Luck ran out and talent won for a change.— phillyfrunce
- just home from the game. tough loss, but great season. thanks, boys! so on a heter note, i know the goal was soft, but if i'm going to blame anyone, for me it's all on lavy... Someone please explain to me WTH were powe, asham and jvr out there for AT ALL in OT???!!!?!? chicago wanted the win, so they rotated 3 lines and got the #1 kane line out against our 4th. and with last change at home, that's even more inexcusable. our coach (who got us here with some great moves) came up smallest in the biggest game.— phi11yguy19
- no one remembers the runner-up— shrager16
- Leighton was almost in the net when that fluky goalline shot somehow went in.Shame I really thought the FLyers had it. We need an upgrade in goal, another quick D man & sniper scorer. Gagne was invisible as was Carter & Richards except for some hits. What a playoff for Hartnell of all people! The McCracken team won, but Flyers mgmt need to upgrade here & there in the offseason.— BVPHIL
- Phillyfrunce - at least I am getting laid tonight and you are home in mommy's basement- loser.— gob1234
- Too bad, so sad Philly.... This one's gotta hurt. For me? Well, I have a big smile on my face as I'm sipping a cold one and smoking a big fat cigar. Go Blackhawks!— itzscott
- Thanks Leino, Briere, Hartnell, Giroux!! Dan Carcillo, sorry you had to sit and watch the utterly ineffective play of Carter, Gagne, JVR. We definately needed Carcillo. Pronger - I was wrong, that actually was a nice fitting skirt. All-in-all - I had fun pulling my air out and screaming at the TV all season. Thanks!— GOOMBY
- This was an insane ride. From the start riding high, to the middle riding so low as being 14th to in the conference, and ending the regular season with a shootout win to squeak in. We saw some great efforts at times, and seemingly new stars emerge like Giroux and Leino. We saw why Briere is paid so much to be clutch in the playoffs. We saw Pronger beat and mash the opposition into a MVP level of playoffs. We all know this is going to hurt for a while, probably 13 weeks or so until the Flyers preseason starts up again. In the end, the fans said it all after the final whistle... LET'S GO FLYERS!— jsgdmbnhl
- Leighton was limited in what talent he had and a lot of goals he gave up would have been stopped by an average goaltender. We had two quality goaltenders last year that just needed improoved defense and some so called Flyers fans couldn't wait to run them out of town. I think Holmgren thought this would be a rebuilding year defensively, and surprise, we get to the finals.— Richardgozinya
- in the chicago series carter was a -6 and richards was a -7, way to go top line! I'm proud of the rest of the team though! You 2 can go to hell— shrager16
- Mike Leighton is the new Mitch Williams.— St.Patrick33
- Fantastic, epic, run that will live in FLYER lore for years to come. As for the future, obviously the Flyers need a goaltender. Unfortunately, the Flyers will have to give up a ton to get somebody who is really just mediocre. I'm not impressed by Turco or Price, who doesn't even qualify as a 'has been'. He's more of a 'never was'. Hopefully we can get somebody for some $$$ and Gagne, who is a great two-way player but is just hurt too often.— NYFootballGIANTS
- i honestly don't know how ritchie was so bad in the +/-. thought he played hard all series and had some big hits and goals. probably had more to do with gagne and carter being COMPLETELY INVISIBLE! Carter's been rough most of the year and probably needs to go, but gagne ineffectiveness was a big surprise. Even JVR (who was benched) still played better than C/G (two of our highest paid players).— phi11yguy19
- Another "choking" situation. Yeah, I'm proud of the way they played this postseason, but at the end of the day, they lost their 6th Finals Series in a row. I hope it's not another 13 years before they get back.— KDH
- what a horrible worthless goal to end the season. was he on the blackhawks payroll? \— Ouwachon
- first off as a team I love the way they fought and dug in throughout the entire playoff run. I have been hard core with the organization for 18 years and never been so impressed with the guts that one team showed when you need guts the most. second- i can only imagine leighton will get better with the 5 hole and getting into the butterfly quicker if only for the fact that he now has experienced the worst consequence of his worst quality. third- the philly fans tonight were absolute class act. They were refused the stanley cup on their own ice but instead of acting like boston or montreal they sucked it up and gave the most appropriate reaction possible and congradulated the blackhawks. NOW hopefully that will shut the mouths of the media and the haters outside of our humble city. I don't know what the future holds for our boys in black and orange but I can't wait to see them come October LETS GO FLYERS!!!— Phillyaddicted
- Go Blackhawks!— RandomX856
- Lol....I told you clowns not to get your hopes up high for the flyers...they were only going to let you down. And they did. Blackhawks played at a high level the entire year and had more talent than the Flyers. It was an easy pick. So there was no need to get your hopes up. Live in depression for the next few months and learn when you have a legitmate championship team....— THEBULLYMAN
- It wasn't good enough. The Nike ad so long ago was right; second place is the first loser. This was their chance, and now it's gone. No draft picks in the amateur draft. Salary cap problems. The window of opportunity has slammed shut for most of the next half-decade. And F the Hawks; enjoy your cup; your next one won't be until 2059.— PHJR2010
- Leighton's double "five hole" on the last goal was the absolute stunner. I think the goal judge couldn;t believe it went in either (no horn LOL)!I agree that we have wasted time on so called core players Carter & Richards that we still need a legit sniper, more mobile D (how many times the D went back behind the goal instead of breaking up the ice-cmon!) and Homer to scout European players like Leino. Homer has to be smart we let Sharp go (I hated the trade) and he was one of the main reasons besides Kane that they have the Cup there not here. Go Phils, Go Flyers, Go Eagles - we need a champion- second place is not good enough!— BVPHIL
- I am a Blackhawks fan. I know how hard it is to watch your team lose, but the Flyers and their fans were terrific. Every hockey fan watching the series so how hard and well the Flyers played, and what great sportsmen they were. The fans were also great: in what other sport would you possibly see fans staying and cheering the other side as they are awarded the championship. Good luck next year!— jeffreye
- To say nothing about Washington and Pittsburgh trading the conference title back and forth, sadly for the foreseeable future.— PHJR2010
- YEah, Chicago is the superior city all right seeing as people have nothing better to do than to post on the Philly forums. Great job to the Flyers, a very great run. For the people who are bashing Leighton, Pronger, et al..after game 4 you were the same people praising them. We wouldnt have been here w/o them. As for next year, someone said above that this team really isnt built for the long run and they are correct. They need a new goalie, no disrespect to Leights or Bouch but truthfully finding the next Roy or Brodur (sp) is a needle in a haystack, and most goalies are like most closers..they might have a great year but most of the time they revert to being nothing the next. And to all the Flyers fans who are tired fo seeing the BHawks posters on here, jsut remember that they still have the Cubs.— ESFjellin
- Sorry iron balls whatever, sorry phillyBOY, told you this would happen - your magic came to an end, but your guys played great hockey - we were on the edges of our seats in Chitown for this whole series - no real losers when it's the greatest sport in the world.— hockeygirl11
- Deep Dish pizza is overated, as the BlackHawk Trolls, and Oprah, and Obama, do we have to list more from ChiTown? Homer do your homework, trade away some $$ guys, put the right pieces together, some upgrades needed in O & D & Goal! GO FLYERS HOIST THE CUP NEXT YEAR!!!— BVPHIL
- Real classy Philadelphia. Booing the team that raises the cup??!!! Youshould be so lucky to be at the game where the Stanley Cup is raised. City of sore losers.— MCrowley
- For all those who wanna point fingers at the leaders of the team or at Leighton.... The same guys you people are blaming are also the same guys that got us this far. Did anyone of you even think this team was gonna make it to the finals a few months ago? No one is to blame. There were simply beaten by a better team. Leighton's flaws were often covered up by the great defense in front of him but he kept us in games. He also had 3 shutouts against Montreal for God sake. Goaltending was not the issue because believe me Neimi wasnt all that impressive to me either. He's a mediocre goalie on a very good team and like the Flyers did for Leighton, Chicago was a good enough team to cover up Neimi's mediocre goaltending. Pronger was great for most of the playoffs so dont even blame him. He made Byfugly pretty much non-existant in all but 1 game and his presence as a leadership and catalyst for this team was clearly evident during the playoffs. We need a goalie but stud goalies dont grow on trees. And the Hawks showed that you dont necessarily need a great goalie to win the Cup. Sure it helps but Neimi is an average goalie on an above average team. The Flyers made it to the finals with Leighton so it can be done. Most if not all of this team is back next year. And who knows.. if Ville Leino is for real we may have just found another star on this team for the future. This team has some very good young players. Leino is 26 but is a rookie and hopefully he will come into his own next year. Giroux, JVR, Richards, Carter. They're all so young. Timonen, Pronger, etc. They're all gonna be here for a while. This team is gonna be contending for awhile. And now it looks like we have the right coach to lead this team.— philliekev04
- gob1234 - I hope you and your boyfriend have a nice night!!— phillyfrunce
- damnnnnnnn.....The flyers are good. They certainly know how to play the Blackhawks with their physical play. I really thought that once the Flers tied up the game they would win it. All of Philly should be proud of the Flyers. I know I am. Even though I am a Blackhawks fan I am proud of the flyers and all the excitement they have provided for me and everyone one else. Good game/series guys. Go Blackhawks!!!!!— Intruudir
- Awwwwwwwwwww. Look at that. My posts were removed from this site. I guess you pathetic Philadelphia fans aren't so tough after all. You can't take a little ribbing. You have to remove my posts to prevent yourself from getting offended.— HawksHoistCup
- This was the best Philadelphia Flyers team I have ever seen.— Hexy4GM
- Sing with me........We are the Champions my friends!!!!— HawksHoistCup
- From Chicago --- What a great Championship Series, Congratulations to the Flyers who played beyond what anyone expected. The series was hard fought and I came to love your players, Prongo, Richards, Carter and Leighton. Prongo could just as easily be a Blackhawks bruiser. Would love to have him. Losing 6 straight is tough, but having a shot when all other teams have hung up the skates is worth appreciating. Honestly, one of the best played Championship series in a long time. The cup was not won without a battle! Kudos and lets do this again next year... May the best team win!— ChicagoHawk010
oof, that was hard to take. Still trying to stomach that weird goal. A lot of 'what if's'. Oh well. It was a great ride anyhow...and seriously guys, of course the fans boo, the opposing team won. That's what you're supposed to do. I'm 100% certain Chicago, and any other city would of booed to. You cheer the home team, and boo the opposing team.- From Chicago --- What a great Championship Series, Congratulations to the Flyers who played beyond what anyone expected. The series was hard fought and I came to love your players, Prongo, Richards, Carter and Leighton. Prongo could just as easily be a Blackhawks bruiser. Would love to have him. Losing 6 straight is tough, but having a shot when all other teams have hung up the skates is worth appreciating. Honestly, one of the best played Championship series in a long time. The cup was not won without a battle! Kudos and lets do this again next year... May the best team win!— ChicagoHawk010
- HawksHoistCup, your making yourself look foolish. It's hours after the game is over, and your still on the opposing teams' site trying to pick an argument...To the real Hawks fans on here, thanks for the words.
- I was there when Chicago was swept by the Penguins in 1992. We didn't boo, we cheered and congratulated the Pittsburgh team with Mario and Jagr. Your hockey fans have no class. No class. Was Santa Claus on the ice too?— MCrowley
- It would have been nice to win at home and avoid the boos (part of sports right) but leaving the door open for a 7th game with the Flyers (based on their ability to overcome adversity) would have been a gut check.— ChicagoHawk010
- MCrowley, go tell it to someone who cares...
- Reality Speaks, I can't hear you. I have Stanley Cup rings in my ears. What did you say?— MCrowley
- Now 95% of the city can return to knowing nothing about the sport or the team. Be careful jumping off the wagon!
- grunstar--Who are you kidding? The fans were classLESS, booing when the trophies were being given.— walworth
- MCrowley doesn't speak for Chicago. Real BH fans appreciated the challenge and enjoyed the series. Obviously we're glad we won. I can see both teams being back at this next year based on the youth and coaches. Qville will probably lose an assistant coach. The Flyers will regroup no doubt. Again congrats, gudnight— ChicagoHawk010
- Seriously, MCrowley? That's your comeback? If you wanna keep it going, I'll be here...you're too near me not to hear me.
- Reality Speaks, I AM a real Hawks fan, Baby. As die-hard as they come. I'm shoving it down your throat tough guy. Suck it up.— HawksHoistCup
- and honestly MCrowley, I really can't understand what you're saying- "I have Stanley Cup rings in my ears"? I guess you're trying to say you are wearing earrings. Well good for you, I'm sure they're pretty.
- you guys are pathetic. seriously dont jump the bandwagon next time. leighton faced 41 shots, had 37 saves. blackhawks goalie had 24 shots and 21 saves. grow the eff up already. the blackhawks were a better team and bernie parent in his prime would not have gotten this team to victory today— tremo12
- HawksHoistCup, suck it up? Are you having some hockey fantasies you would like to tell us about...ya do talk a tough game behind your computer though, "real Hawks fan".
- Good game...bad goal....but what do you expect??? Philly city of heartbreaks....wait to football season....think this was sad.— joebill
- Take care, ChicagoHawk010.
A valiant run unfortunately it got Leight early in OT...as for the classy display after the game, it's nice to see someone paying attention to the thousands of good people at these games but sadly it'll be the one drunk moron who will make it on Sports Center and represent 'Typical Philly Fans'- Epic run, gfy, losers...you all suck, and deserve you sad fate...— ursad&pathetic
- Well thank you, ursad&pathetic. Coming from you, we'll take that as a compliment. By the way, love the username you chose. It fits you to a T.
- One of the greatest playoff runs in Flyers history. Thank you Flyers! And congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks and their fans who've waited longer than we have for another cup. The best team won, you deserve it.— Paul1954
- Enjoy your perpetual mediocrity, Philadelphia. No non-natives respect your city or even care to visit. Seriously...why would anyone, if forced to live in the extremely crowded cesspool that is the upper east coast, choose Philly? What a dump. At least live somewhere with something to offer, like NY or Boston. You're even outdone on your own sandwich elsewhere. Cheez Whiz? Really? REALLY?!— sc33
- Congrats to Chicago. They were truly the better team the last 2 games. The Flyers should keep their heads up, and as the initial pain subsides look forward to great things to come. As good as Leighton and Boucher were, they are clearly not good enough. While they made some nice saves, it was ultimately some pretty weak goals in the last 2 games that doomed us. Get us a real stud, shut-down goalie, and we a right back in it next year and win it.— cf144
- sc33, what is with the Philly envy? Amazing you would come on here in such a low class fashion for no good reason. What happened to you son? This might be your opportunity to let it all out. Actual normal people know what a great Philly city is. I could, if I was bitter in life, come up w/ a ton of derogatory things to say about Chicago as to make it look bad, but just like Philly, it's for the most part a great city...Again, tell us the root of your bitterness. We're hear to help.
- *here (just don't ask me for help w/ spelling)
- Philadelphia - LOSERS Just like in 1777 Philadelphia surrendered to the British 50% fled the city 50% collaborated with the British - LOSERS— CISCOKID
- So CISCOKID, you must really be rooting against England in the World Cup.
- Your right here go the Haters, Yes The clinching goal was soft , but were would the Flyers have been without Leighton, not only in the playoffs when Boucher got hurt , but also during the seaon when we had no other goalie, he steped in and stood out going 16 - 5 so tell me .....Where Would Have Been ???? I for for , am very proud of the FLYERS and LEIGHTON and the way they represented, SO to them I say STAND TALL AND KEEP YOUR HEAD UP, I AM Proud to be A FLYER FAN and Proud of this teams Stanley Cup Run— PhillyfanNohio
- Comment removed.
- I know why it was tied 1-1 at the end of the first...a couple of phantom penalties. Oh well Hawks won, the Broad Street broads lost and all is right with the world. eat a D ick Philly.— It will be over soon
- reality I guess that means you will be rooting for England— CISCOKID
- Not necessarily, I don't follow soccer. If I did, I would root for Philadelphia.