I've seen more than my fair share of unusual things in hockey and other sports since 1971 when I first starting covering sports for a newspaper.
I was telling Peter Laviolette today on my phone that his club is playing better as true underdogs with a depleted roster than they were when healthy.
When some of the players suggested early last week and it was back by Lavy who said, "we should go out and be loose because we have nothing to lose," the team seemed to take it to heart.
As one injury after another mounted, particularly on the blue line, the Flyers level of "compete" and "heart" has taken off. This team NOW reminds of what Flyer clubs of past were made of: determination. It's not the name on back of the sweater that matters, but the crest on the front.
Suddenly, the Flyers are playing a stretch of hockey none of us felt possible given their losses throughout the line.
No reason to beat Boston. Absolutely no reason to beat Montreal and come from behind, either. And a two-goal deficit against Washington? You know how rare it is in the NHL to come back from 2 goals in the 3rd period?
It's almost like they've discovered an inner self-preservation now that the odds are stacked against them and have risen to the occasion.
What continues to work against them is that they need some help in the standings to get to the 8th seed. Unless they win all but two of their remaining games, as Kimmo Timonen said last night.
The injuries on defense is going to give us a nice, long look at Oliver Lauridsen playing in pressure games. I agree with Bill Meltzer that Bruno Gervias' has picked up his game. The Flyers like what they see of Lauridsen but wonder whether they can have another stay-at-home big guy on the third pair.
I don't see why not. Lauridsen skates pretty good for a big guy. And when he reaches over with that long stick, I swear it reminds me of Chris Pronger's reach. As Anton Thun, the agent for Lauridsen told me, if his client had a couple ounces of Pronger's meanness, he'd be a whole, different player.
Speaking of Thun, he represents newly-acquired goalie Steve Mason. I understand the need for a backup but I think the Flyers should have tried to find someone who is not refurbishing his game. The last thing you need in Philly is a goalie trying to get h is act together and that is what Mason faces here.
There is still the very real possibility that the Flyers amnesty Ilya Bryzgalov this summer and go after another guy to be their No. 1 - like Jonathan Bernier. There remains a divide within the Flyers themselves, as an organization, whether Bryz is worth the money and cap hit.
Bryz has been worn into the ice because the Flyers could not spell him with a backup they trusted. But here's the thing. Given the BIG bucks he is making, it's very easy to make a case that he has been GOOD but not GREAT for that kind of money and you can get GOOD for a lot less.
The owner, Ed Snider, really does like Bryzgalov. For GM Paul Holmgren to amnesty Bryz, Snider has to be convinced by others that is the right course of action.
The better Bryzgalov plays at the end, the better chances of him staying.
One thing is certain. The Flyers need an extra $5-6million this summer to fix the defense. It can only come from either Bryzgalov or Danny Briere or both because the holes on defense have gotten larger as Andrej Meszaros future as an every day blue liner is very much in doubt at this point.
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