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MELTZER'S MUSINGS: MAY 4, 2016
1) The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's President Cup Final opens tonight with Game One between the host Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and the Shawinigan Cataractes. Game time is 7:00 p.m. EDT. A webcast of the game is available via QMJHL Live at a cost of $6.99 U.S.; alternatively, web access for the entire series can be purchased for $25.99 (archived replays of games included). Radio feeds from the Huskies and Cataractes broadcasters are available for free but the broadcasts are in French.
2) The KHL rights for Flyers 2015 seventh-round pick Ivan Fedotov have been traded from Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk to HC Salavat Yulaev Ufa. The 19-year-old netminder is still eligible for another season of MHL (Russian junior league) hockey. He has seen some KHL backup duty for Neftekhimik in each of the last two seasons but only made one appearance so far and did not play in a KHL game in 2015-16.
3) It struck me this morning when I was writing the May 4th installment of "Today in Flyers History" for the Flyers' 50th Anniversary season just how different it feels to watch a playoff game, especially one that goes overtime, when one has a rooting interest in the game versus when watches with no horse in the race.
May 4 is the date that three of the biggest OT playoff wins in Flyers franchise history took place:
* the Game 1 comeback win at the Spectrum against Montreal in the 1987 Wales Conference Final capped off by Ilkka Sinisalo's second goal of the game.
* the five-OT Game 4 epic in Pittsburgh during the 2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals, ended by Keith Primeau's picturesque goal from the right circle against Ron Tugnutt to tie the series at two games apiece.
* the series-ending road OT goal by Jeremy Roenick against former Chicago teammate Ed Belfour in Game 6 of the Flyers' 2004 Eastern Conference Semifinal series against Toronto. The OT frame was one of non-stop back-and-forth action, including Sami Kapanen's stagger back to the bench after getting steamrolled by Darcy Tucker, culminating with Roenick turning the Air Canada Centre from raucous to dead silent as if a giant switch has been thrown.
May 4 is also the date of a memorable playoff game from my childhood, as LCB left winger Bill Barber tore apart the Minnesota North Stars for four goals in a 5-3 win in Game 3 of the 1980 Stanley Cup semifinals.
I commented to my wife this morning that I could scarcely remember what happened in last night's Dallas Stars against St. Louis game apart from the final score but I can vividly recall the details of each of those aforementioned Flyers games of yesteryear.
I remember nervously pacing back and forth in front of the TV, driving everyone else nuts and being irritable when anyone spoke to me while the game was ongoing.
With the Primeau game, during which time I was living in an apartment in West Chester, PA, I probably woke up some sleeping neighbors with my wee-hours shout of joy as the puck was deposited under the crossbar. Afterwards, I was too excited to even attempt to sleep.
That was also the first year that i was credentialed to cover several playoff games in Philadelphia, where I quietly agonized to myself as they lost Game 2 to Pittsburgh and Games 5 and 7 to New Jersey. There's no cheering in the press box, of course.
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