FlyFlyersFly

So yeah, I'm buzzed and bored, so I figured I would reminisce about the awesome season the Flyers had this year.

First off, what a slogan to start the year off with, 'Back with a Vengeance' and it couldn't have been more true. The Flyers came out with a revamped line, ready to compete for the Stanley Cup. The real question was, how long would it take for the Flyers to gel together and really get clicking. Everyone knew they had the offensive power to be a competetive team, but nobody expected them to turn the jets on right away.

The loss of Gagne for the season was a tough one for Flyers fans and doubt about the season came into most of our minds. The team went on a slump, but stayed in contention the entire year and at the end of the season, they came on strong and won 7 of their last 10 games to secure their #6 seed playoff spot.

Everyone outside of Philadelphia knew that the Capitals would win the series in the first round and many "experts" predicted a lopsided series favoring the Capitals strong. The Flyers proved all of them wrong, doing 2 impressive things in 1 series. First, them whoop up on the Capitals winning 3 of 4 games, then they won a tight game 7 in OT after allowing the Capitals to come back and even the series.

Next up was the Canadiens, the beast from the east. Game 1 was a tough one, but the Flyers came back and won 4 straight, proving that you don't always have to be "the better team" to win, you just have to take advantage of your opportunities. Things looked great for the Flyers and regardless of what happened next, there was nothing that a Flyers fan could be ashamed of from this season.

Next up was the Penguins, a powerhouse full of youth that had breezed it's way through the first 2 rounds. The Flyers gave it their all, but the Penguins showed that the Flyers weren't yet there and took control of the series 3-0. In a game in which the Flyers could have just given up, they refused to, not in front of their fans who have supported them not only the entire season, but for all 41 seasons the Flyers were in existence. The Flyers came out strong, taking advantage of the game in the 1st period. Staal brought the Penguins back late in the game, but Lupul sealed it and allowed Flyer fans one moment of joy in a dismal series. In game 5, the Penguins demolished the Flyers and finished the series with a 6-0 blowout.

As a diehard Flyers fan, I sat there and watch the entire game, knowing that it was the last time I would watch my beloved team play until October. It was so hard, but I held my head high and reminded myself that only 1 year ago the Flyers were dead last. Anything worth having isn't easy to obtain. This is true in everything in life and very true for the Stanley Cup. Winning the Stanley Cup in 2008 would have been nice, but it wasn't what mattered most. What mattered most is that the Flyers fought so hard throughout the entire season and the playoffs and have given themselves the experience needed to go through the entire long haul and eventually win the Stanley Cup.

With the exception of 06-07 (and of course the lockout year), every year that I was a Flyers fan, they made the playoffs and were legit contenders for the Stanley Cup. However, now more than ever, I believe this team has their best shot at winning it all.

No Stanley Cup was hoisted this year by the Flyers, no parade in Philadelphia, another championshipless year, but sometimes in life and sports, being the best isn't everything. What really matters is, when you're down and out, that you come back and give it your best shot, something the Flyers did all season long. This year made me proud to be a Flyers fan. They didn't do it by getting the best player in the draft, they did it by having great management, great coaching, but even moreso, great teamwork.

Next year, I propose this slogan for the Flyers.

"Us"

My Flyers mid-Season review, probably nothing new here that you didn't already know yourself if you're a Flyers fan.

I was pretty sure that the Flyers would rebound from last season and become a competitive team again, after all the changes they made over the off-season. But I'm amazed at how fast this team has come around. Tied for first in the division, which is probably the toughest division in all of sports, and they did it without Gagne for most of the games. The offense is clicking and the goaltending is decent and will probably only get better with more time. Mike Richards is playing amazing and looks to be the future leader of the Flyers. Briere has played pretty good too, especially considering that it was going to be him, Gange and Knuble on the same line, and he has still racked up some decent points while Gagne was injured.

The Flyers had me a little worried after falling pretty hard around Christmas, but have since rebounded and have played great this entire month. That tells you something about this team. They didn't come out and win a couple games here and there after that losing streak, they came out and won 10 games out of 13, amazing. Overcoming adversity in that kind of form really builds character for this team, and will do nothing but help them come playoff time.

Last year, the Flyers finished the season with 56 points. Right now, they have 59 points, with 34 games to play, can't ask for a much better turn around than that.

At this point, I don't think that this team is ready to win the Stanley Cup just yet, I'm thinking the Flyers will make it to the Semi-Finals this year. They still have some flaws that need to be fixed, the defense mostly. 

However, the second half of the season is what makes or breaks a team, if they play well down the stretch they may just be closer to that Cup than we think.

Regardless of what happens this season, the real matter is that this appears to be a team that is going to be a contender year in and year out again. Let's just hope that they come away with a Cup this time.

I hope that the 1 or 2 people who read this at least semi-enjoyed it.

GO FLYERS!