Flyers Down 0-2 So Whose Fault is it?

In any playoff series , in any sport, when a team is down 0-2 the blame game starts with one person and ends with another. The Flyers situation is no different. Down 0-2 and headed home. They played badly game one, maybe even giving the game away to the Pens. Not taking anything away front what the Penguins do but the Flyers truly beat themselves in game 1. In game 2 the Flyers put up a good effort, cut down on the mistakes and played a physical brand of hockey. However, still a two goal loss, why? Are the Penguins that much better? Some idiotic reporter in Pittsburgh things so. I believe he said something to the effect of " Can't this one be over in 3?" Going on to say that he doesn't feel that anyone thinks this series will go more then five games. First with Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals, then with the heavily favored Montreal Canadians, and now with the "face" of the NHL Sidney Crosby the Flyers are once again the very very very unpopular pick.

So why are they losing to the Penguins? Well the Pens are a tremendously talented team for one thing. The Flyers are now down their top two defensemen. And I hate to say this, but I'm going to, the officiating has been HORRIBLE. Now you can bitch and moan about this being called and this not being called, we all do this as hockey fans, especially in the playoffs. However, Sunday night there was more then one call against the Flyers that looked more then a little bit suspicious. Now before I get into all of this all you Pittsburgh fans will start with the Crosby goal that was called a non-goal. And you all know that they made the right call there, there was no video evidence that the puck crossed the goal line completely and you all know it, so shut up. If they had ruled it a goal on the ice and reviewed it, the goal would have stood so again, shut up. Now, onto these ridiculous penalty calls against the Flyers. The first of which on Derian Hatcher, standing up Evgeni Malkin in front of the net, clean hit , nothing wrong with it. Some will say his stick was dangling between Malkin's legs, true but it in no way impeded his movement. Now the official called it hooking, which is even more baffling. It was like he saw what was happening, blew the whistle skated to the scorers table and blurted out the first penalty he could think of. It was in no way a penalty on Hatcher, it was a good defensive play no matter how many times you look at it. Blown call by the officials number 1. Number two against Mike Knuble, for cross checking infront of the net, the Penguin who was barely hit reacted so late to it, just flopping forward to get the call, terrible terrible call. Blown call number two by the officials. Now for the penalty that left me completely speechless, against Danny Briere behind the Penguins net. Briere was behind the net being held, interfered with , what every you want to call it by a Penguin, no matter how you put it , it was a penalty. The Penguin preceded to drag Briere infront of the net and push him into Fluery. So I'm thinking, wow that could be two on the Pens, not a smart play. Play is blown dead, and Briere is being ushered to the box for goaltender interference. Blown call number 3. Not to mention that Briere was hit with an elbow earlier in the game by you guessed it a Pens superstar, Malkin, that was not called at all. An elbow like that from a guy wearing Orange and Black and it would have been not only a penalty but a suspension as well. Now believe me I absolutely HATE being the guy whose complaining about the officiating. You gotta think that people outside of the Philly area see the same things we are all seeing right? The most surprising thing is that if you read a paper in any big hockey market covering this series you won't hear a word about any of those penalties. I mean these are serious mistakes being made out there! And they are being made on BOTH sides, the NHL MUST DO SOMETHING. However, two of those penalties on the Flyers led to goals just seconds later, that changes the whole momentum of the game. The Flyers at the time were playing really well 5 on 5 and all of a sudden they have to come from behind because of some bad calls.

Now again , I'm not taking anything away from the Penguins, they are a great team, however, they are clearly gaining an edge from officiating like that. The Bottom line is, the NHL wants Sid the Kid and Malkin in the Finals. They think that will sell hockey. Which is Bettman's big plan , his plan he's been working on for a while. Marketing hockey to people who don't watch it, and have no interest at all in it. Meanwhile, alienating the real hardcore hockey fans. You think people like Crosby outside of Pittsburgh? Very few. He' a whiny little pretty boy who dives, certainly not the next Steve Yzerman. And Malkin who his quickly getting a reputation as a dirty player who whines about getting hit. So way to go Gary , market your pretty whiny little diver and your clone of Claude Lemieux. I'm not saying there is a conspiracy, all I'm saying is the NHL isn't doing the Flyers any favors, but they certainly aren't hurting any teams who play them. The Penguins will not win this series because of the officiating but the Flyers may lose because of it. The Flyers have thrived all post season on being the underdog and people doubting them. Well no time like the present to turn that on once again.

Mike Santa Barbara