Flyers should cover their face in shame

by Eric Schwartz

Wednesday December 16, 2009 

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Why does it seem like the Flyers are getting a free pas right now?

This is Philadelphia — a city that buries the Eagles when they lose two straight games and questions the Phillies when the win two out of three games of a series instead of recording a sweep. Fans demand the best.

Yet the Flyers sudden and shocking fall from Stanley Cup contenders, to a sub .500 squad has been pushed under the rug a bit.

I know Allen Iverson is back in town. I know Roy Halladay is now a Philly. And I know the Eagles are closing in on an NFC Championship.

But come on!

Watching the Flyers take on the Penguins last night had the feel of a varsity vs. JV high school scrimmage. At no point did it look like the Flyers stood a chance to win the game and the only question was how high the senior level team would run it up.

How has it come to this?

It was just a few months ago that The Hockey News came out and projected the Flyers as Stanley Cup Champions. That anointment put high expectations on a team already full of them.

Instead of rising to meet those expectation, fans have been forced to endure watching the team collapse into irrelevancy. Last night with the Flyers trailing the Pens 2-1, one of the Versus announcers commented on how impressed he was that the Flyers were able to hang with the Penguins. Since when did the Flyers “hanging” with a team become acceptable?

Right now the Flyers don’t score, only defend once in a while and look lifeless. Watching the Flyers play Tuesday night a fan could have been tricked into thinking they were playing their third game in as many days against a non-conference opponent, instead of coming off a day’s rest to take on an arch rival.

Injuries and a coaching change have certainly done their part to disrupt the team’s chemistry. Obviously, no one expected Brian Boucher to be an everyday goalie.

However hockey players and their fans are expected to be tough. That means no excuses, only results.

Right now, the results aren’t coming, and sooner or later, the fans frustrations are going to boil over. If the Flyers don’t show better in Thursday’s rematch against Pittsburgh, that time may arrive.

Filed Under Flyers

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