Good Enough -- For Now - Monday, May 19, 2008
388 Views :: 0 Comments ::  :: Michael Bradley Losing the final game of a playoff series 6-0 tends to blur one's perspective on things. The ugliness of a rout in the decider brings such a sense of finality that everything before it can fade from memory. When that loss comes in the 25th year since a city's last title, it can be even more crushing. Yes, the Flyers fell in five to the Penguins, as it should be. Pittsburgh is the more talented, deeper and more experienced team. It would have been nice to see the Flyers create some more magic, but in the very real cauldron of a seven-game NHL series, hope and fantasy are huge underdogs to skill and superior firepower every time. Philadelphia is left with a nice-try approach to this team, and for once that should be enough. In the zero-sum game the city's fans have created, it has been championship or bust. Exciting playoff runs that end prematurely are viewed as failures, lumped in with last-place finishes and colossal underachievements. Not so with this bunch. The Flyers finished sixth during the regular season (a jump of nine spots in the Eastern Conference standings) and dumped third-seeded Washington and first-seeded Montreal before succumbing to the Pens. That's a great season by practically any measure and amazing considering the Flyers were in the NHL dumpster last year. If that sounds like an argument for a moral victory, it isn't. This isn't Hollywood, where teams go from wretched to champions in one season. The Flyers re-tooled their team after last year and provided fans with a great run, deep into May. If you're willing to throw away the excitement generated by the last month of playoff hockey, then you're not much of a fan. It would be great to have a parade, but that wasn't realistic this season. A few more moves, a little more experience, and those expectations can come. For now, enjoy what the Flyers accomplished and look forward to next year. Don't lament the lack of a title. As for the Phillies and Eagles, well they're different stories. |