OK, now we're in trouble.

Wednesday May 14, 2008 @ 09:47 AM EDT

David currently plays FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth on the FOX drama Bones. Though he was born in Buffalo, David will be following his Philadelphia Flyers throughout Stanley Cup Playoffs.


Go ahead Sid, rub some more salt in the wound…


So I was watching the game last night and everything I see from the players, to the mood of the coaching staff, is that they’re just trying so hard to overcome the injuries to their defense but it just isn’t happening. It’s tough when you don’t have that backside help, especially someone as important as Kimmo has been to this team.


This time of year, the playoffs, it doesn’t bode well with the players, that lack of confidence. We’re down 0-3, and at the best of times, that would be an almost insurmountable lead; there have only been two teams to come back from that hole, as a matter of fact.


And it’s an even big mountain to climb when you’re looking up at Crosby and Malkin standing at the top.


They’re confident and they’re tight defensively. The way they’re checking and controlling the neutral zone has been impressive to watch. Gonchar has been playing unreal; he made one heck of a poke check on Richards on a shorthanded chance that really changed the outlook of the game. He’s a special player, and that was a special play.


They’re clicking. I’m really impressed with their defense and Gonchar especially.


But we need to focus on the positive. Last night things started well, the forwards were moving and it seemed like the players were feeding off the energy of the building…but then the Hatcher penalty, and next thing you know there’s a goal and the Orange Crush is out of it.


And when they’re out, it’s a major blow to Philly because they need that extra momentum.


The forwards, after that, looked sluggish and not at all confident. They weren’t getting rebound chances, they weren’t driving the net like they had been, they looked like they were ‘hoping’ to score.


It’s not like they can’t compete with Pitt, they did it in the regular season, but the injuries have them at a supreme disadvantage. The only thing they can do is go to Game 4 and make it real difficult for them, beat them up around the edges, take one shift at a time, and hopefully get on a roll and try to steal one in Pittsburgh.


After that, who knows?


For that to happen though, the play of our forwards has to be better. Briere’s line played a little better – still not great – and not nearly good enough for the win.


I feel bad for the team because they’re working so hard, and they want to win so badly, but the players, I watch them, I see them in the interviews, and they just look like the tank is empty.


And Steve Downie, the poor kid, he can’t make that kind of a pass. You have to get that deep. You just knew right off the bat when he passed it that it was a bad play, and then all of a sudden they’re rushing on Biron (who else but Malkin?), and a 2-1 deficit is now a 3-1 deficit and things just fell apart.


Steve, I love you and you’re going to be a big part of this team, but you just picked a bad time to make a rookie mistake.


So I’m actually heading to New York tonight, and I’ll be watching tomorrow in NY. Hopefully I’ll have something to talk about on Friday, on into early next week.


Sid still has his horrible mustache, so he must not be reading.


Anyway, for now it’s looking pretty bleak, but the guys are going to come out and play hard. It’s not about competition – they’re all competing – they just don’t have the manpower to compete and propel them to the next round. It’ll take a miracle…


A Mike Richards miracle, perhaps?


That guy is almost singlehandedly winning this series. If we had one more of him, I daresay we’d be up 3-0 in this series.


Until then.


DB

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