I've been wondering for a couple of days now what it's like in Mike Richards world. No, not being rich beyond belief at age 23, but having to deal with his first, genuine crisis as a captain and having no experience at it.
"Richie" as they call him, is a very guarded fellow. He choose his words very carefully. His responses to questions elicit one of those hidden, 'I don't really trust you' kind of vibes, like you see from Dexter every week on Showtime. Except Richie isn't hacking anyone apart with forensic knives.
So, I've been wondering how rough it's been on Richards this past week. When he walks out of the Skate Zone, does he walk away wondering if he's forgotten some message because now he's the captain and not just a player and this mess the Flyers are in falls upon him?
I asked Richards that question today and he gave a rather frank answer.
“It makes you sleep a little easier at night when it’s not all on you,” he said.
The Flyers better pick up four point in their next THREE games or heads are going to roll. I feel a trade coming - at the very least. Richards said he is grateful he has a wealth of people to draw upon, some of whom have worn the "C" elsewhere and know what he's going through.
BTW: Andreas Nodl not only got a call-up from the Phantoms, but he's playing on Jeff Carter's line with Scottie Upshall.
Here's a longer look at the Richards' captaincy right now, appearing on Comcast SportsNet.com:
Click Here
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