Do You Believe In Miracles? Flyers Best Bruins in Game 7

Hockey experts often say the Stanley Cup Playoffs are a marathon, not a sprint. No team throughout these playoffs has taken that mentality to heart better than the Philadelphia Flyers.

Devastated with injuries and questions about their goaltending, the Philadelphia Flyers entered the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs with little hope of emerging victorious from their first round matchup against the New Jersey Devils—never mind the possibilities (or lack thereof) of making the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Flyers used their heart, physical play and a little bit of lady luck to defeat the Devils in the first round.

Then, hampered by injuries to Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter, the Flyers entered their second round series against the Boston Bruins with little to no hope of emerging victorious.

The Flyers would start off the series by losing the first three games of the series—a deficit that is almost impossible to come back from.

The Flyers endured numerous injuries, much controversy and many questions about their goaltending en route and into the playoffs. With that in mind, if their was to be a team that could overcome a three nothing deficit in a series, it was the Flyers. Still, not many Philly fans felt this team was capable of making a full comeback.

Well, like much of the Flyers season—which seemed to defy the odds time after time— the Flyers chipped away at that 3-0 series lead, eventually tying things up with the Bruins at three games apiece.

History has shown that only two teams had ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win an NHL playoff series, the question heading into Game 7 was: Could the Flyers emerge as the third team to accomplish said task?

The Flyers started game three off horribly, giving up the first goal of the game at 5:27 of the first period, a power play marker by the Bruins Michael Ryder. Boston would follow that first goal up with another power play marker at 9:02 of the first when Milan Lucic snapped a shot past Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton.

Just over five minutes later, Lucic would add another goal, beating Leighton between the legs, which, in turn, gave the Bruins a commanding 3-0 lead in Game 7.

Like many watching the game, I really felt it was all but over for the Flyers. Well, like many fans this playoff season, I was very wrong.

James Van Riemsdyk—a player that needed to pick up his play for the Flyers in the postseason, scored his first goal of the playoffs at 17:12 of the first period, which gave the Flyers a glimmer of hope heading into the first intermission.

Scott Hartnell—another player that had struggled throughout the playoffs— scored at the 2:49 mark of the second period. And just like that, the Flyers were back in this game and the series was within reach!

Danny Briere—who had posted three game winners this playoff season—scored the games equalizer at 08:39 of the second period—a beautiful wrap-around that eluded Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask.

Simon Gagne—who had come back from injury to join the Flyers in Game 4 of the series and scored the game winner to boot, lit the lamp on the power play at 12:52 of the third period, completing the comeback for the Flyers, which concluded one of the biggest comebacks in NHL playoff series history.

With the Bruins pulling out all stops, the Flyers held on for a 4-3 victory in Game 7—a poetic score considering they won the series by a four games to three margin after being down three games to none—the same score they were down early on in Game 7.

Not to toot my own horn, but just hours before Game 7 commenced, I threw out an article on the Bleacher Report suggesting which Flyers/Bruins players could potentially be the Game 7 hero. While I did miss out on predicting the player to score the eventual game winner, I did predict two of the players who combined to tie the game—Scott Hartnell and Danny Briere—not bad considering the odds of such predictions!

Let’s face it, the Flyers comeback is all but unheard of in hockey. Their historic comeback should be applauded and we (as NHL fans) are better for it having witnessed their tremendous act of courage, grit and heart in this series.

Up next, the Flyers will face the Cinderella Montreal Canadiens who have pulled off their own miracle besting both the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins thus far in the playoffs.

The shoe will eventually fall off for one of theses teams, but for now, NHL fans (other than the Caps, Penguins, Devils and Bruins) will bask in the Flyers historic achievement, while also basking in the Canadiens incredible efforts thus far in 2009-10 edition of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Never in a million years would anyone have bet the Flyers would beat the Bruins after being down three games to none in the series, never in a million years would anyone have bet that the Flyers would have pulled off the comeback victory that they did in GAme 7 given they were down three goals to none.

Just to put into perspective what actually went down in tonight's Game 7, NHL teams have gone an incredible 159-2 (now 159-3) when leading a playoff series by a 3-0 margin. Without question, the Flyers may have just pulled off one of the biggest comebacks in NHL playoff history—this without Jeff Carter and while using two goaltenders is simply amazing!

As much of the 2009-10 NHL Playoffs has taught us—expect the unexpected and with that in mind, the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks better beware!

Quick note: The Flyers and Canadiens have never met in the Eastern Conference Championship—perhaps it was destiny, perhaps it was luck. One thing is for sure, given both of these teams ability to raise their games when it matters, we (hockey fans) are in for a hell of a series!

Congratulations go out to the Philadelphia Flyers and their fans—given their trials and tribulations all season long no team deserves to be where they are more than the Flyers.

Until next time,

Peace!