Clock approaching midnight for Cinderella Flyers
He knew what he wanted to do, as he had done it several times before; stick-handle, deke in tight to the backhand, and slip the puck between the goaltender’s legs.
Taking a running start from deep in his own end, Olli Jokinen represented the final glimmer of hope for the New York Rangers’ 2009-10 season. Down 2-1 in the shootout, Jokinen was the final shooter in a game where the NHL’s lone remaining playoff spot hung desperately in the balance.
Whether he anticipated the move or just got plain lucky, Philadelphia Flyers netminder Brian Boucher kept his five-hole shut, denying the puck a pathway to the goal line and sending the Flyers to the post-season.
From that moment on, they haven’t look back.
Knowing how lucky they were to have been granted a ticket to the post-season dance, the Flyers’ never-say-die attitude has brought them all way to the finals, where they are a mere two wins away from hoisting the Stanley Cup.
Though, more importantly at this point, is the fact that they are just one loss away from seeing their Cinderella run coming to a crashing halt. Whether it be tonight at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or Friday night at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, if the Blackhawks are able to end their 49-year championship drought, for the Flyers, all will have been for naught.
Sure, as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, not many predicted Philadelphia to get past round one – save for The Good Point’s own John Matisz – so to have gone as far as they have is a remarkable feat in and of itself. However, when coming so close that they could almost taste it, to come up short would simply be a miserably bitter pill to be forced to swallow.
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From round one’s upset over the second-seeded New Jersey Devils – which seemed to come almost too easily – to round two’s epic rally against the Boston Bruins, to Michael Leighton’s superhero-like emergence versus the Montreal Canadiens in round three, this playoff run has been one for the books. It would be to spit destiny in the face to not have these Flyers raise hockey’s grail when all is said and done.
Destiny, however, has a mind of its own.
Rewind to paragraph three.
Suppose Boucher doesn’t get the old five-hole shut and Jokinen sneaks the rubber disc through the goalie’s pillows and into the back of the net. Then, let’s say, I don’t know, Jeff Carter is on deck, and he comes in on Henrik Lundqvist, is about make his move when his stick snaps in half and the puck slides safely into the Ranger keeper’s awaiting trapper. Now, say, Chris Drury is up to bat; he comes in on Boucher, does a nice, little head fake and roofs the puck into the top shelf, leaving Boucher frozen in disbelief and sending the Flyers packing.
The Rangers earn the eighth seed in the East, and the 2010 playoffs as we know them are altered significantly – at least in the Eastern Conference anyway.
Montreal squares off with the Devils – a team that has had their number for longer than most Habs fans would like to admit – and are disposed of by Martin Brodeur and company with relative ease. That’s right, the Canadiens, who enjoyed a wondrous Cinderalla run of their own, go no further than round one – a far cry from their Eastern Conference Final showing, which marked the first time they had found their way out of round two since winning the Cup in ’93.
New York squares off with Washington, and while an exciting series, there is no Jaroslav Halak to do his brick wall impersonation, and the President’s Trophy winners advance to round two.
One would assume that the Buffalo-Boston and Pittsburgh-Ottawa series would play out the same in this alternate reality, thus pitting Washington with Boston and New Jersey versus Pittsburgh.
Considering that the Bruins self-destructed in round two, it’s safe to place the Alex Ovechkin-led Capitals in the Eastern Conference Final. As well, in view of the fact that it was stellar goaltending that did in the defending champions, and the fact that Brodeur had a less-than-stellar outing in round one, we’ll give the other matchup to Sidney Crosby’s Penguins.
What we’re left with, for the second year in a row, is Crosby versus Ovechkin – though this time, for the Eastern Conference title. The Penguins use their poise and experience to dispose of both the Caps and ‘Hawks, and claim Stanley’s Cup for the second consecutive year.
Seriously, how boring is that?
From Montreal’s incredulous run to Philly’s astounding defeat over Boston, as hockey fans, it would seem as though we were much better off with the script that was actually written for the 2010 playoffs.
And for that, who do we have to thank? The Philadelphia Flyers, that’s who. So, whether you’ve realized it or not, these Flyers have done a lot of good this spring.
Now, one can’t help but wonder how far momentum can take Philadelphia. They have done nothing the conventional way, so why start now? The question is, though, do they have enough left to give that final push? That, quite simply will be the difference between victory and defeat.
Do they have enough left in the tank, or will they falter like so many Cinderella clubs before them? Whether it be the ’91 North Stars or the ’94 Canucks or, more recently, the ’03 Mighty Ducks or ’06 Oilers, the 2010 Flyers wouldn’t be the first Cinderella team to fall short of the ultimate prize, and they certainly won’t be the last.
For the Philadelphia Flyers, it’s officially time to put up or shut up. The clock is quickly approaching midnight, and the last thing Flyers fans want to see is their team turning into a pumpkin.
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