Contrary to what Jill is had mentioned in her most recent entry, I am happy we shipped Vandermeer out for Zhamnov. What did the Blackhawks have a need for Zhamnov for? So they can let a great player like him waste his time on a team thats digging themselves out of the whole that they are in? He has a lot of depth in center, and although is injury plagued, I feel as if he will make a wonderful addition. If Primeau comes back(I kinda know JR wont, then with Zhamnov, we will have a lot of bases covered. For once, I can say that Bob Clarke made a levelheaded decision. Im hoping that Brashear and Fedorek make it back soon, because thier "influence" is much needed back on the ice.
As easy as it is as a Flyers fan to point fingers at Sean Burke for the 3 straight losses, we as Flyers fans,(Not saying everyone is...lol) seem to neglect to see that our DEFENSE has not been stopping the offense from clearing the zone as well as they were. I dont know if its the injuries setting them back, the trades shaking them up, or WHAT, but the defense is more at fault then Burke. I almost feel bad about picking on Sean. :( I am aware that Eric Desjardins is out of the lineup with his broken arm, but my God, he isnt the only defenseman we have! And weve been winning without him in the lineup for almost over a month now! Defense has not been doing the job. In retrospect, Ive been seeing more effort from Burke. Did you see some of those awesome saves in the game against the Bruins last night? Three losses aside, I can see Burke is starting to turn himself around. I can tell his alertness is more there. He seems to make more of an effort with stopping the puck, and is covering the crease better. But that does not mean anything unless you win. Excuses are just that, excuses. But where were the players that Burke relies on to keep the puck away from him? Where was Kim Johnnson? What about Chris Therien, was he even there trying? And you can talk all you want about how Joni Pitkanen tops NHL rookies this year in plus/minus stats, but where is he stopping the puck form getting into the opponent's territory? Show me his defensive stats. And Im doubting if Marcus Ragnersson is even in the game. Maybe he is just ghosting around the ice. In conclusion, I do not blame Sean Burke as much.
The Philly area sports announcers try to sugar coat the losing streak with talk about how John LeClair is at his best so far this year. They talk about how Patrick Sharp had a recent two goal game. How Simon Gagne is like the hottest player on the team and he has the most gorgeous eyes and a body that is...oh wait *embarrassed face* That is my commentary ;)
Accept reality, Philly announcers! If the Flyers are in a losing streak, deal with it. If the fans can accept it, then dont feed me this sugar coated shit. A loss is a loss. And for the record, I can not wait for Desjardins to get well. He is the defenseman on the team who I feel is the most effective. Nothing against the other defensemen. Not saying Desjardins will make the defense do a 180 and give us a 10 game win streak, but "Rico" has been around for awhile now, and I feel as the underrated defenseman he is, that he would make the defensive lines a little more secure and strong.
I did not become a hockey fan and pick the team with the most money, the best stars, or the best record. I am not a bandwagoner. I didnt know a minor or major penalty from a hole in my head. I picked the Flyers because I was new to hockey and wanted to root for the home team. I didnt know what a plus/minus was. "High sticking","Icing", and "boarding" seemed like a foreign language. But I was curious. I had a friend in CA who is a Sharks fan and was bitten by the curiousity bug.
I got my mom into the sport as well, and together we lived game to game to see LeClair,Brind'Amour,Richardson,Therien,Desjardins,Hextall, Langkow,McCarthy,McGillis, and Renberg. We were bummed at the loss of the chance to hoist the Stanley Cup when we got swept by the Detroit Red Wings. We cried over the loss of Dimitri Tertyshny(Rookie defenseman in 1998-1999, #5) in July of 1999, after he died in a boating accident off the coast of Nova Scotia. I said goodbye to many players I liked such as Niiniimaa,Gratton,Sillinger, and Boucher. I became more than just a fan. I am a lifelong supporter. Im a true fan, through the thick and thin.
I live an hour from Philly, so I hear all the jokes. You know, the jokes about how every Philly team chokes whenever a championship is at stake. True as it may be, I do not care. Let me rephrase that. I care, but I don't. I care because I do not like seeing my team lose. It stings like a bee, and feels like a stomach punch. But it does not bother me, because as the saying goes, "There's always next year". And you never know what next year will bring.
Win,lose, or tie, Im a Flyers fan till I breathe my last breath. My team loyalty is worn on my sleeve. And you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way!
DA2KOKIB!
Julie