Flyers advance to the Eastern Championship

I immediately admit to my doubts over Philly overcoming a 3-0 deficit against Boston. I had watched them play off and on all season. This new(er) lineup with Pronger, brought in to fix a blueline that hasn’t been the same since Eric Desjardins and Kim Johnsson left, failed to impress. Then getting Ray Emery to be the starting goalie was the kiss of death for me. I wasn’t going to change teams over it. I just planned on downloading a new cheesesteak of suffering.

When the Flyers prevented the sweep, I expected it. Few teams succeed or fail there, depends upon your team.

When they won a second game, I was more annoyed. My reaction was, hurry up and lose so I can dedicate all my fandom energy on the local, winning team in the AHL. Boucher’s injure justified this.

When they won the third game, I counted on the Flyers’ teams of the recent past (namely the ones helmed by Eric Lindros) to reappear for the big choke on game seven.

Last night, the sports bar (Third Base in Round Rock, don’t go there, the service was terrible and the food was mediocre) was showing the match on Versus alongside the Bulldogs v. Stars. The Flyers were down 2-0 so I thought they ran out of gas so I concentrated elsewhere. Then the 3-3 tie felt unfair, “Great! They’re making it close to really disappoint me.” But Gagne’s PP goal cinched it.

Now my team will be returning to the Eastern Conference dance for the third time in eight (or seven) seasons! They will have home ice too (they didn’t against Pittsburgh in ’08 and Tampa in ’04).

Can they take the Canadiens? Maybe. They did upset the heavily favored Capitals and the defending champs (now chumps). I do predict it will get ugly. The Flyers and Habs have a historical rivalry from the Seventies, especially when Scotty Bowman coached Montreal.

As always, ESPN declared their open hatred of Philadelphia by republishing the AP story on how Boston is the third team in NHL history to blow a three-game lead, not about how Philly is the third to overcome a three-game deficit. It will only make raising the Stanley Cup in the Wachovia sweeter. First, the elimination of Montreal, then probably Chicago.