Nor'easter Flyers Talk!
Welp. I have found myself stuck at 30th Street Station during this early March Nor’easter. Luckily, there is this great little pub here (Bridgewaters, their burger is a 10/10) so I figured I’d spend my time wisely getting shitfaced and blogging at the bar. Now, you may be reading this at a later date – since I have zero internet connection at the moment and have no clue when I’m actually going to post this. But, there is one subject about the Philadelphia Flyers I would like to rant about so let’s jump right in while the Happy Hour beers are still flowing STRONG (timestamp 4:05pm – 2 hours of Happy Hour left).
We were in first place in the Metropolitan Division for a hot second there. Then the Devils fucked up and so did the Minnesota Wild thus we are no longer in first place in the Metropolitan Division. With that said, we still hold the best record in hockey since December 4th (right after our 10-game losing streak). We are basically a lock for the playoffs unless we go like .150 with the remaining games on the regular season. Splendid, I know! But…
We lost a game to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday at home. It wasn’t a terrible game, but one that we just couldn’t win. As in – we were doing mostly everything right on offense, everything right in the net (bless you Petr), and a fair amount of right on defense (expect for Brandon Manning, fuck you Brandon Manning). And yet, I wake up this morning (Friday) and what do I find on Twitter? A bunch of people calling for Hakstol’s head because he benched Read and Weal. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT MATT READ AND JORDAN WEAL!? It’s not like he benched a top 6 player. It’s not like he did this when we were desperate for points in the standings. It’s not like he did this leading up to a road trip back to back in Florida (oh wait – HE DID).
People, he is finding his depth! As I said, we are almost guaranteed a playoff spot at this point in the season with where we lie in the conference and the division. He gave Weal a break (hasn’t been that great of late - sue me). And he scratched Read because Matt Read hasn’t played with this squad all fucking season! How the hell can you have a club achieve the best record in hockey for 3 months and counting lose one game and you go right back to your stupid arguments? Yea sure, that will work Flyers Twitter. Let’s fire the coach right before the playoffs and completely dismantle our game plan. Let’s fire a coach who rebounded from a 10-game losing streak to get us to be #1 in the most competitive division in hockey. Makes complete sense. “Oh, but Joe he’s not a ‘hockey’ guy, he has no emotion, he continues to make poor lineup decisions”. STFU! Look at the standings and tell me you’re displeased. Look at what Coots, and Giroux, and Konecny, have done for this club with the positional changes they have all endured since Hakstol became head coach. Look at Ghost’s bounce back season this year after enduring the sophomore slump. Look at our goalie work and how, regardless of injury, we are able to determine the appropriate man in net for us night in and night out (but seriously, name one game in 2018 where we could honestly blame the goalie – SHEESH). I will continue to stand by my remarks on Hakstol that I have been saying all season long. If he dons't make the playoffs, I'll politely ask Ronald to send his shit packing. If he makes the playoffs, he can stay another year and look to improve - cause that's all he's done so far in his NHL career...
All I’m saying is, chill the hell out – PLEASE! The Eagles just won a Super Bowl, the Sixers are frontrunners for a playoff run in the dreadful Eastern Conference, and the Flyers are going to be the first team in NHL history to make the playoffs after a 10-game losing streak. Philadelphia sports man, wow.
UPDATE: Trains got suspended for the NIGHT! I seriously don't know what I would do without my friends. I legit could have been stranded in the city for the night if my buddy wasn't willing to come pick me up and let me stay at his place in the 'yunk. So I woke up and posted this as soon as I could just jamming out to some Public Enemy (see below) with shelter, warmth, and most important - an internet connection. Am I the king of this shit? Yes. Yes I am. Thoughts and Prayers to all those still without power and are stranded somewhere in the northeast waiting to get home to their families.
UPDATE TO THE UPDATE: The trains are still suspended as of 8 am, so I am patiently waiting for my buddy to wake up to tell him the bad news that he has to drive me home to West Chester. Shoutout to Phil!
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