NHL Playoffs 2011: Flyers Fans Can't Get Excited After Last Year's Magical Run

Last night, the Flyers lost Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals to the Bruins late in the first overtime.

David Krejci had a shot hit the back bar of the net and put his Bruins up two games to nothing for the second straight year against the Flyers.

Yet, this year, it didn't bother me as much. I didn't throw anything as I did last year when the Bruins won Game 1 in overtime. I didn't freak out, I wasn't rude to everyone around me for the next couple hours; I was oddly fine.

It wasn't even that I expected it, it just didn't bother me. I tried to figure out why and then I realized no matter what this year's Flyers team does, it will never match the ride that the team took us on last year.

Last year, we snuck into the the playoffs in our last game, in a shootout nonetheless.

This sent me into an uncontrolled frenzy of emotions, as I'm sure it did for several other Flyer's fans. This year, the Flyers clinched a playoff berth against the Dallas Stars in a shootout, with 11 games to spare. It barely registered, although it was quite an accomplishment.

Last year, we beat the No. 2 seed New Jersey Devils in five games, on the strength of superior goaltending (crazy, I know) and the veteran leadership of Chris Pronger. This year, it took us seven games to beat the No. 7 seed, and that required a comeback victory in Game 6.

While this was great to watch, the series still didn't have the same effect on me that the five game stomping of the Devils did, just one year ago.

Last year, the seemingly hapless Flyers stormed back from a three games to none deficit against Boston, and tied up the series at three a piece. They then faced a deficit of 3-0 early in Game 7, before scoring four unanswered goals to win the game, and series, in incredibly dramatic fashion.

It was beautiful, one of the stories that I'll be telling my kids when I'm older and my grandkids when I'm even older.

This year's Flyer team doesn't inspire that in me. I truly believe we'll beat the Bruins in this series, but it won't be nearly as incredible as last season; it's simply impossible.

The Flyers will forever be my favorite team in any sport, but this year will always pale in comparison to the amazing ride we went on last season. Though I will openly welcome a Stanley Cup win.

God bless JVR, and God bless the Flyers.