Guy LaBriere
Larry Robinsononen
16 games…one goal, five assists, -4…no wins in three series
40 games…13-24-37, -1
No games…no wins…no saves…nothing.
The playoff career results of three Flyers before this year. One is being remade into the image of Larry Robinson on the blue line, the other Guy Lafleur on the front line, and finally, one in the image of Ken Dryden.
One hasn’t been on the ice for a goal against, another is tied for second in points-per-game in the playoffs, and the last has a shutout among his two wins (despite rather pedestrian save percentage numbers).
We’re being made to believe the Caps are playing the 1978 Montreal Canadiens.
They’re playing a team that won fewer games (42 to 43).
They’re playing a team that gave up more goals (233 to 231).
They’re playing a team that had a 10-game winless streak less than two months ago.
Crash Davis, in the movie, “Bull Durham,” remarked that you had to be “cocky and arrogant, even when you're getting beat. That's the secret. You gotta play this game with fear and arrogance.”
Being down two games to one should be enough to instill, at this point, a hint of fear…of failure. But the Caps also need to exhibit some of the arrogance they exhibited in coming back from 15th place to grab a playoff spot, of the sort that had them winning 11 of 12 games in the stretch, when most pundits were writing them off.
Flyers want to play chippy?...screw ‘em. You know how to play winning hard-nosed hockey?!...
YOU PLAY LIKE A GODDAMN WILDMAN! NO! LIKE A GODDAMN RAMPAGING BEAST! YOU GO OUT THERE! YOU TEAR THEIR F*CKING HEADS OFF, AND YOU SH*T DOWN THEIR NECKS!*
It’s one thing to respect an opponent…it is another to show deference to that opponent (def: respectful submission to, or yielding to the will of another). The Caps have exhibited too much of the latter in this series. These are not the 1978 Canadiens…that’s Martin Biron, not Ken Dryden…Kimmo Timonen, not Larry Robinson…Daniel Briere, not Guy LaFleur.
Caps 3 - Flyers 2
* We're paraphrasing a line uttered by Robert Loggia -- or perhaps growled is the more accurate verb -- in the immortal film, "Necessary Roughness."
These posts have been excellent down the stretch and into the playoffs.
ReplyDeleteWhat rationale is there for picking the Caps? Honestly?
ReplyDeleteBlow out tonight.
Flyers 8, Caps 2.
ben,
ReplyDeleteTPP never choses the opponent.
if you were a regular reader, you would know that ;)
I'm so glad they are over confident.
ReplyDeleteIf there was a playoff for bloggers, you would be in the finals for sure.
ReplyDeleteAnd I would love to crap down briere's neck. does that make me a philly fan?
deference - that's the Canadian spelling for defense, right?
ReplyDelete