Last night's game between the Flyers and Capitals could hardly have been uglier for Peter Laviolette and the Flyers. You can count on the fingers of one hand the number of Flyers players who came out an competed last night -- and it was almost entirely comprised of the role players.

The Flyers didn't skate very well, didn't create many chances, didn't do anything to earn power plays, didn't kill penalties, didn't get any clutch saves (or even some routine ones). In short, they richly deserved to be on the wrong end of that 8-2 score.

As for the nine-minute disadvantage, the last one I recall happened during Game 5 of the Flyers-Lightning playoff series in 1996. Shawn Antoski kicked a Tampa player in a scrum after the whistle and got a match penalty and two minors.

On last night's play, it looked like Matt Bradley got his stick up on Dan Carcillo along the boards, causing Carcillo to drill Bradley with a pair of cross-checks and then rough him until Bradley dropped the gloves just in time to get kayoed by a single punch by Carcillo. While Carcillo deserved each and every penalty he received, it was a joke for Stephane Auger to essentially reward Bradley and the Caps because he got knocked out with one punch. Bradley was a willing participant in the fight and it was on him to be set when he dropped the gloves.

At absolute minimum, Bradley should have gotten an unsportsmanlike conduct minor. More appropriately, Washington should have had a four-minute power play on canceling fighting majors plus the minors on Carcillo.

Join the Discussion: » Comments » Post New Comment

» Phantoms Take Game 1 vs. WBS, Farabee to Worlds

» Flyers Re-Sign Fedotov to Two-Year Contract

» Musings and Quick Hits: Flyers Power Play, Phantoms vs WBS Preview

» Quick Hits: Flyers Daily, Phantoms, TIFH

» Quick Hits: Phantoms Playoff Series Set