Joel Farabee
Alain Vigneault addressed the media on Monday for the first time since the Flyers lost Game 7 to the Islanders nine days ago. His comments focused on a bright future ahead. “I believe that we’re on the right track as far as moving forward to win a Stanley Cup,” Vigneault said.
This is what is so hard about this Flyers loss. It’s not that it’s the end of the season. This happens for 15 other teams in the playoffs without a reward. Only one team comes away with the Stanley Cup. What’s so hard is having to once again hear “there’s always next year,”… and not knowing when next year really is.
Following a 270-day period where he was diagnosed, went through chemotherapy and made his road to recovery, Oskar Lindblom was back in a game for the Flyers in Game 6 on Thursday night. “This guy’s heart, you have to see it to believe it,” Claude Giroux said.
In a wild, back-and-forth tilt, both teams showed the qualities and identity that they have established. This series has been as hard-fought as they come. Neither team quits. Ever. And it showed in Game 6 as both sides assumed control at different points and as the game drug on into the night.
Just like in Game 2, when the Flyers let another 3-1 lead in the third period get away, they had the answer in overtime. It took over 12 minutes, but the Flyers remain alive in the series with a deflection goal by Scott Laughton. 5 takeaways from Game 5.
The Flyers are in a must-win position in Game 4, as they get right back at it on Sunday night. A win evens the series and sets the Flyers up for a best-of-three to decide the winner of the series. A loss puts their backs against the wall with three games for the Islanders to finish off the series.
The Flyers need more from these players, especially if they are to see this playoff run go any further. They need their top scorers. They need their best performers. They need the guys who get the most ice time to really earn it. They need their leadership group to step up on the ice. 5 takeaways from Flyers-Islanders Game 3.
The Flyers found a way to finish the job in Game 2 and even the series, but now they face another tough task in Game 3. With questions about who will start in goal, what lineup changes are made and the overall approach to the game, the Flyers need to come out ready to play, because it was clear once again that the Islanders look for any sign of life and momentum and run with it.
After letting a 3-0 lead slip away, Phil Myers fired a shot past Thomas Greiss to finish off a 4-3 Flyers win in overtime, evening the series with the Islanders at one game apiece.
Both the Flyers and Canadiens will be without key players in Friday’s Game 6, and it should be an energetic affair that fits the mold of playoff hockey at its finest. Game 6 is set for 7 p.m.
