Game 4: Ducks 3 - Flyers 2 (SO)

It's been nearly unanimous among journalists this offseason that the top four teams in the East are likely to be Boston, Philly, Piitsburgh, and Washington. We will play 6 games against those 4 teams (2 each for Boston and Pittsburgh, 1 for Philadelphia and Washington) and we've already taken wins on 2.

Also, we're also officially on a win streak. Granted, it's the smallest possible win streak right now (2 games! Hooray for us!), but it still counts, dammit.

Honestly, it wasn't our best game of the nascent season - passing was a little loose again, and we did the dump-and-chase dance a little too often considering how much we seemed to be relaxing on the "chase" part - but it was solid overall. Chris Pronger scored his first goal as a Philadelphia Flyer against his former teammates, which was a bummer, but it was to no avail. Teemu Selanne (I love that guy) was ablaze from the third period on, potting 2 goals on his only two registered shots and firing the only successful shootout goal.

And what was running through my head through the last 10 minutes of the game, when the Ducks clearly got their passion back and decided to close a 2-goal defecit?



Never give up. Never surrender.

(I never said I wasn't a geek...)

Ray Emery was almost as good as he was lucky; how did he manage to stop all of those little chips and jams thrown at him if not a touch of luck?

Jonas Hiller looked much tighter than he did against Boston, and that's saying something. He might have lucked out a little on the shootout, as all three shooters for the Flyers (Danny Briere, Mike Richards, and Simon Gagne; Scott Hartnell and his awesome mullet remained on the bench*) made the same move. For Briere it's acceptable, and I'll cut Mike Richards a pass becuse he's Mike Richards, but did Simon Gagne really think to himself "Sure, Hiller stopped that shot twice already, but when I do the exact same thing once again it will totally catch him by surprise!!!"

Did he then steeple his fingers and cackle like a B-movie evil genius?


Ultimately, it matters not. What matters is that the Ducks notch one more victory on this road trip, and the Rangers were always the easiest target. Hopefully, the complacent exhaustion that the team has to be feeling won't get in the way of that victory.


Oh yeah: Just so I can't be accused of not saying so, Chris Pronger was a class act in this game. I was afraid before the puck dropped that he might feel compelled to do some gooning and send a message (though I don't know what that message would be apart from "see you in June!"), but instead he went out and did the Pronger thing. A+, Mr. Pronger.


Until next time...
-The Raving Duck

*Not really relevant, but I had to get in a mention of Scott Hartnell and his awesome mullet. Also, Riley Cote sucks.