Who Let These Guys In? The 2014 Flyers

Because it's the Cup.

The NHL keeps telling me this. It's the greatest playoffs in American sports "Because it's the Cup."

But there's another reason why the NHL can boast the best playoffs. It's because the competition is all so balanced. There's a true chance of an 8 seed upsetting a 1 seed in either conference. These teams have played against each other and fought hard all year. In the NHL playoffs it is the cream, and only the cream, that rises to the top. This means every game is a fight to the end. Every game is a battle that can be one by anyone. Anyone that is, except the Philadelphia Flyers.

I know, I know. They won Game 2 so clearly they can beat someone. But that was a fluke. I think Ray Emory must have snuck in some of that Super water from Space Jam and blocked 29 shots at the end of the game. But even with his super water induced body, he still let in 2 early goals! And don't even get me started on Games 1 and 3.


Now, admittedly, I'm not that much of a hockey game. I love the sport and I watch and read about it as often as I can, but the season wears on me. Probably because I'm a Flyers fan and we know how that goes. So if I get anything horrendously wrong here or if I "just don't understand how wicked awesome this awesome game is you moron!" please let me know, or forgive me for the time being.

As long as I can remember, the Flyers can't settle an offense. They have some good pieces in Giroux and Simmonds and Schenn(s) but they haven't been able to put together a successful offense in some time. Even when they were in the finals a couple of years ago, they only succeeded in scoring by centering the puck and having 3 guys crash on net.

Watching the Rangers pummel the Flyers is painful. Because my team is getting pummeled, for one thing, and they probably will be one and done in this year's playoffs. But also because it is clear that the Rangers are the better team. It's clear, in this the Stanley Cup Playoffs (where any team can upset anybody), that the Rangers will easily beat the Flyers. That the Flyers don't stand a chance.

The Tampa Bay Lightening just got swept so maybe they suck even more butt than the Flyers. The LA Kings are 0-3 in their series so maybe they suck butt too (though they've won the Cup at some point in the past 38 years so maybe not too). But just watching the way the Flyers play. They look like they couldn't care less. They look flat and weak and they aren't showing any signs of life. Maybe they can turn it around in tonight's game 4 match up and turn the whole series around, but I really don't think it's going to happen.

They're upsetting the fans. They're upsetting the city of Philadelphia. They're not upsetting the New York Rangers. And they're upsetting the beautiful balance that is the Stanley Cup Playoffs.