Last Dance

Flyers @ Ducks, Dec 31, 2010

Evidently this was the last game of 2010.  It certainly felt like a last something, leaving the Pond after the game.  As the Flyers filed off the ice looking all dejected (well, mostly just a little grumpy, but dejected sounds better) I thought “wait! Now they go away and it could be ages before I see them play again?”  Also I began to wonder how long it would take to change my nail polish color from orange to teal for tomorrow.

Then I started craving pudding.  Chocolate or butterscotch or even tapioca would do.  But there would be no pudding for me.  It was never about pudding.  I really really missed Leights tonight.

Last night after the Kings game, my cousin said he was glad that he at least got to see some scoring.  Then he said “well, I didn’t really see it, but at least they scored.”  I said “Seeing goals in hockey is like seeing baby deer born.  You know it happens but you hardly ever get to see it.”

Much to my chagrin, I got to see at least four of them tonight, in live-action slow-mo, clear as day.  For the wrong team.

So I missed Leights.  I know he played yesterday, and I said he was not brilliant, but sometimes he was really very good and he was so good handling the puck.  Hence the missing in tonight’s game.  Bob needs to just stay put.  No pudding for me?  No roving for Bob.

The Flyers had some brilliant moments tonight.  Carter was beautiful, quite describably so, all in 3-D live technicolor, doing good things instead of not.  Carcillo fought, which I hoped he would not do- the Ducks’ fighters are very large.  I guess he gets valiance points for that, though I would have preferred he not take them.  The Flyers did get a lot of SOG and they spent a lot of time at Hiller’s end.

But when they were bad they were so so bad.  When Leino lost an edge in the Ducks’ zone and went down, letting a Duck skate away with the puck, I thought “hey, you’re still wonderful and all but SNAP OUT OF IT!”

Give aways, botched passes, leaving Bob all alone with the big scary Ducks… okay, the Flyers saved Bob’s fanny more than once when he got lost in the wilderness, but other times… Yes, Bob should have been able to stop about three of those shots.  But he didn’t.  Once you realize he won’t be doing that tonight, you need to start protecting him like an empty net, or else relieve him.

Oh well.  Can’t wait to see who plays in Detroit.

Maybe they were tired.  Losing to the Ducks is pretty embarrassing but Anaheim does have some very talented players, not the least of which is their goalie.  37 shots on goal just isn’t enough to beat Hiller, not once you let your guard down with Selanne and Koivu.  So sure, the Flyers should have been able to beat the Ducks, tired or not, but they had to wake up to do it.

Oh well, bye bye 2010.  On to 2011.  The Year of the Tiger is winding down, but it isn’t over yet.  Off to Detroit for the Flyers who are all still magnificent.

And now the Sharks are in town too!  I suddenly feel festive!  And now I see that most of them did not practice.  They promised not to party.  But they didn’t practice.  I don’t like it when they don’t practice.

Yeah, yeah, big game yesterday, travel, tired, blah blah blah.  Don’t they know the Kings will have their blood up?

Whatever.  Happy New Year!