The Flyers Finally Avenge '97 Finals By Screwing The Shit Out Of Red Wings' Playoffs Hopes
Minas Panagiotakis. Getty Images.The Detroit Red Wings were fighting like hell to keep their playoffs hopes alive. This is a franchise that once went to the playoffs every season for 25 straight years from 1991-2016. But they haven't been back to the playoffs since that streak ended. 7 straight years of playoff-less hockey in Detroit heading into this season.
So with the regular season coming to an end, this team needed to do everything in its power to grab that 2nd and final wild card spot. They had back-to-back games against the Canadiens to close out the year. If they lost either of those games, they could kiss those hopes goodbye. But with just over a minute left to play in the 3rd period down 4-3 on Monday night, Lucas Raymond got the Red Wings on the board to force overtime. Then Lucas Raymond scored again in the overtime period to get a massive 2 points for Detroit.
Then we get into last night. The Red Wings have another game against the Habs. The Washington Capitals have a game against the Flyers. The Red Wings needed to get a win against Montreal AND for the Caps to lose to Philly to get in. The Flyers needed to get a win in regulation against the Caps AND for the Red Wings to lose in regulation to get in. The Capitals simply needed to beat the Flyers to get in and then nothing else mattered.
That's where the Flyers come into the mix and really fuck things up.
Al Bello. Getty Images.Now I don't know if this was the Hockey Gods coming back to give Philly at least some retribution for the 1997 Stanley Cup Final. I think because they had the chance to screw up Detroit's season and Patrick Kane's as well, it's hard to discredit the Hockey Gods on this one. Both are responsible for delivering the two most devastating death blows to this franchise over the past 30 years.
But as you heard above, the Flyers desperately needed to win in regulation against Washington to keep their hopes alive. Which meant that if the game were tied in regulation, they would need to sell out and pull the goalie. In the dying moments of the Red Wings vs Canadiens game, Detroit was down 4-3 in the final minute of the game. At that same time, the Flyers and Caps were tied 1-1 with just over 3 minutes to go. It looked like Detroit was seconds away from losing, and that the Flyers would have to pull their goalie to go for the regulation win against Washington.
BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!
3 seconds left on the season and David Perron unloads one from the point to makes its way through to the back of the net. All the Red Wings had to do last night was make it to overtime in order to end the Flyers' season. So once that goal was scored, there was no need for the Flyers to pull the goalie to try to win in regulation. Their season was already over. But nobody told them that. And just a few minutes later…
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Detroit found a way to stay alive Monday night in the final minute of the game. They found a way to stay alive Tuesday night in the final seconds of the game. And then…the Flyers…just gave away a free win to Washington with a TJ Oshie empty netter to put the Caps in the playoffs and end the Red Wings' season. Didn't even put up a fight, just gave that goal up for free.
Washington locked up that 2nd and final wild card spot. So not only did the Flyers sepuku themselves, but they took the Red Wings and Penguins down with them. And ya know what?
I've been alive to see the Flyers lose 2 Cup Finals in my life. One by the hands of Detroit, one by the mitts of Patrick Kane. Nothing brings me greater pleasure than seeing time run up for the Penguins' core and for that team to have to start over from scratch. So the fact that the Flyers could ruin the season for all of them makes that loss a little easier to swallow. Plus they would have got their shit stomped in the first round, so a win last night would just be delaying the inevitable.
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A really shitty end to the season for such a great year of overachieving. The Flyers rebuild is in a much better spot right now than we thought it would be heading into the season, but clearly they're still a couple years away from actually contending. Nothing matters until Michkov gets his crazy Russian ass over here.