With the first quarter of the season out of the way, it seems the hangover from an Eastern Conference Finals victory and a heart breaking defeat in the Stanley Cup Finals didn't last very long.
The Philadelphia Flyers, who lost to the Chicago Blackhawks last year in the Finals, have had the deck stacked against them since Patrick Kane trickled a shot through the legs of Michael Leighton.
There has been a curse in the NHL since the 1997-1998 season that the team that loses in the Stanley Cup Finals doesn’t make it out of the first round of the playoffs or misses them all together (the 2001 Dallas Stars are the exception to the rule).
The Flyers also faced offseason personnel changes and many offseason surgeries; including Chris Pronger, Ville Leino and Daniel Carcillo.
They have started the season efficiently and look to be trying to avoid another late season struggle to get into the playoffs like last year. It took the Flyers until the 82nd game of last season, in the shootout, to clinch a playoff spot.
The Flyers want to have a spot secured earlier so that they can get and stay healthy for the playoff run ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by donald wood
Philadelphia Flyers First Quarter of the Season: Hungrier Than Ever
November 20th, 2010 by donald wood Leave a reply »
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