The Law of Ex-Phillydom and the LA Kings

I have this theory about former Philadelphia athletes: Most of them get better once they are out of the City of Brotherly Love.

The Law of Ex-Phillydom applies to three types of players:

1. Players that show signs of promise but infuriatingly never blossom to their full potential, until they leave. Think Michael Bourn and Joffrey Lupul.
2. Players who have solid stints in Philly but put up career numbers once they leave. Think Placido Polanco.*
3. Players who the front office deem too old to be productive and contribute regularly but go on to their new teams to do just that. Think Rod Brind'Amour, Brian Dawkins and Mike Knuble.

Qualifying players aren't usually superstar busts, but players you hope can consistently perform for a long time, and help lead to team success. (If Matt Carle leaves the Flyers via free agency, he is a prime candidate to reap the benefits of the Law of Ex-Phillydom.) You get the idea.

Players are bound to have varying career paths, but what’s happening now is unprecedented: The Law of Ex-Phillydom is affecting an entire organization!

The LA Kings were referred to as Flyers West before Mike Richards and Jeff Carter got there, and now it's just silly. Former Flyers have completely infiltrated all aspects of the Kings organization. It’s the Law of Ex-Phillydom escalating from individual players to an entire team. Shall we run down the list?

On the ice: Richards, Carter, Simon Gagne**, Justin Williams

Behind the bench: Assistant Coach John Stevens (Terry Murray was the Head Coach until mid-season)

In the front office: VP and Assistant GM Ron Hextall

Sometimes the law of Ex-Phillydom doesn’t really matter. Players leave and go on to have solid careers very far away and out of the division/conference, and we’re happy for them. But a lot of times, like with Richards and Carter, it feels like a swift kick to the stomach.

Before the Flyers/Pens series, I wrote that if the Flyers could beat Pittsburgh, it would justify every radical move that the front office made last summer.

I made that statement without the thought that the Kings could or would ever advance out of the first round, let alone make it to the Cup finals.

Yet, here we are, and it makes evaluating the moves slightly more interesting.

It seems like forever ago that Philadelphia practically exploded with joy when the Flyers made their unexpected run to the Cup Finals in 2010. The series against the Bruins was one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed. The loss to Chicago, although disappointing, hinted that the team, led by Richards, would be back to the Cup finals before long.

But then last season happened: Dry Island, absurd pictures of boozing with less than reputable (or sober) girls, and crashing frat parties. It all seemed like innocent fun by a bunch of young guys, until it exploded onto the ice. The team choked. After an amazing first half of the season, the locker room strife took a toll on the team’s performance. An embarrassing second round exit (I'm still not sure how they even made it that far), led to the drastic decisions that Paul Holmgren made.

Sometimes, for whatever reason things just don't click in the locker room, and that was clearly the case with Richards and Carter in Philly. The Flyers organization trusted Richards and Carter to lead them to a parade, and they didn’t. So, for them to end up back together (in a place that serves up even more distractions and beach time than Philadelphia and Sea Isle combined) and make it to the Cup finals the very next year, after everyone decided it couldn’t happen again with them in Philly? It’s like an ex-boyfriend/girlfriend meeting their future spouse right after they broke up with you. It stinks.

You know that old joke about the Phillies sending championship rings to Houston as a thank you? Well, if the Kings win the Cup, the Flyers organization might just deserve a ring, and the Law of Ex-Phillydom will have reared its ugly head again.

Let’s Go Devils? Ugh.

*Note: Polanco’s first stint with the Phillies was in no way shape or form unimpressive, but his numbers with the Tigers after the Phils foolishly traded him are out of this world. Oddly enough, Polanco hasn’t come close to his Detroit numbers since he’s been back in Philly – point proven.

**Simon Gagne winning a Cup would be the only plus side to this whole situation

Mayhem on Ice

People all over are talking about the NHL Playoffs. Yep, that's right. The general public in America is talking about hockey.

I wish it was for a good reason.

The first round of the NHL playoffs has been dominated by Slap Shot-esque moments, dangerous situations, and serious injuries… pretty much everything but the hockey part.

Regular season games occasionally get out of hand, but in the playoffs, teams usually keep their composure a little better. Discipline is often one of the first keys out of coaches' mouths because every penalty and resulting power play has a lot more meaning this time of year. Most teams even sit their fighters in favor of more scoring depth. Playoff hockey is a showcase of good defense, good goaltending, and the occasional fight to settle a dispute.

I don't want to talk about the individual plays and suspensions. I think we can all agree some of them were really bad and that the punishments have been confusing to say the least. What I'm concerned about is what happens next to make sure this doesn’t all continue. How can the NHL stop the craziness?

First of all, the refereeing has to be more consistent. What receives a major penalty and a game misconduct in one game is let go in another game. The refs have to take a hard look at what they are calling and find a way to make it even across all series and all games. I honestly can’t blame the players for being a bit confused as to what they are and are not allowed to do. (And then being even more amped up when calls go against their team and not their opponent.) The refs also can’t favor certain players. I don’t care what anyone says, referees in the NHL protect Sidney Crosby. It might be subconscious given his “importance” to the league or his concussion problems, but it cannot happen. When any superstar player decides to be a (insert whatever bad name you want here) and start fights, let someone on the other team give him what he's asking for. Do not jump in and try to save him. People less familiar with the game may not understand the role of fighting, but hockey is a sport where the on-ice fights control the game as much as the guys in black and white stripes.  Fighting is a way for players to self-police actions, and trying to protect certain players throws this whole system off balance.

(Side note: I think one of the biggest issues with refereeing in today’s NHL is the over-calling of stick minors. I can’t tell you how many times a player gets called for hooking – without actually impeding the opponent’s progress, at all – but cross checks to the back and other actually dangerous plays get let go.)

The league’s discipline department also needs a consistency lesson. When players assault an opponent (yes, I said assault) by bashing their head into the glass, call a penalty and suspend the player, no matter who he is. The length of suspensions should be a sliding scale based on suspension history and degree of the infraction. Basing the severity of suspensions on whether the recipient of the action gets hurt or not is absurd. The same play could knock one player out, or cause no serious injury to another, but it’s the action that the NHL needs to punish, not the result.

Something that I haven't heard anyone mention during the last week is the role that the players play in these situations. The Penguins’ Matt Cooke has been suspended five times during his NHL career, and most notably, was not suspended for his atrocious hit on the Bruins’ Marc Savard. At the end of the season last year, Cooke elbowed the Rangers’ Ryan McDonagh (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emTQpD8jmuw), and was suspended for the entire first round of the playoffs, where his team lost in 7 to Tampa Bay. Since then, Cooke – who is still a scrappy, often obnoxious player – has admirably, actually learned something from his punishment. He is nominated for the Masterton Trophy this year (the NHL award given to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey) mostly because of how he’s cleaned up his act. Cooke made a public point that he was going to learn how to be an effective player without getting suspended. He sat with his coach Dan Bylsma and dissected hit after hit trying to figure out how to restructure his game. You know what? It’s worked. He's dropped his penalty minutes from 129 last year to just 44 in 2012 and hasn’t been suspended this season.

Athletes often don’t deserve their role model tag (and I’m not in any way saying that Cooke is an exemplary role model for kids), but they do have a responsibility to the game and their opponents. The players need to realize their role in what’s happening and take it upon themselves to change it. I know it’s hard in the heat of the moment, but sometimes you have to skate away. Don’t hit people in the head, don’t leave your feet, and definitely don’t be a 2 year-old and push your opponent’s glove away when they are trying to pick it up. I’m not just bashing other teams, either.  I was as completely disgusted by Zac Rinaldo in Game 4 of the Flyers/Pens series (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MgWAkER0S_k#!). This game was already so far out of reach and Rinaldo flat out lost control. The Flyers were in their offensive zone, trying to get back on the board for the first time since the 1^st period when Rinaldo snapped. No, this wasn’t nearly as dangerous as some of the other plays that received suspensions, but it’s the exact play that players have to be smarter and try to avoid.

There’s no question that the NHL is in a tough spot. There are some new fans watching because they want to see what crazy hit happens next. You have the players on the ice who are literally at risk if this stuff keeps up. Then, you have actual fans grimacing at the joke these playoffs are turning in to. I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say that Game 3 between the Flyers and Penguins was the best hockey game they've ever seen. I have to wonder how many hockey games these people have actually watched, or if they really prefer cage fighting. That was not a hockey game. There was no defense. There was no structure. The NHL playoffs so far have rarely been anything but pure Mayhem on Ice, and I hope the NHL can fix it. 

Things I Think Heading into Game 1 of Flyers vs. Penguins

IT'S TIME FOR HOCKEY PLAYOFFS!!!!!

Okay, sorry. I just had to get that out.

I've been thinking a lot over the last week... dangerous I know. Here are a few things that are on my mind as we head into Flyers/Penguins Game 1 tonight.

1. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are finally here. If you're not a hockey fan, you might think I'm crazy, but it literally does not get any better than this. Nothing compares to how intense, gut-wrenching, liver killing, nail biting and grueling the NHL playoffs are. No other sport puts such a challenge between its teams and the championship. Baseball may be my favorite sport, but I love hockey playoffs more than anything.

2. I don't know if the Flyers have it in them to win the Cup this year, but I really don't want them to lose to the Penguins in the playoffs, again. The Battle of Pennsylvania has resulted in playoff exits for the Orange and Black twice since the lockout. The eliminations in 2008 and 2009 (in the Conference Finals and Quarterfinals respectively) at the hands of Sidney Crosby et al. were two of the more difficult moments of the last few seasons. I really don’t want to have to stomach that again. Not to mention losing would mean an early exit for a team that has been more fun to watch than any Flyers team in quite some time.

3. If the Flyers do beat the Penguins, it justifies everything the organization did in the off-season. The Mike Richards Flyers couldn't beat the Pens, but what if this Captain-less team can? It may be unfair to judge the most recent iteration of the Flyers on their first playoff series together, but I can't help think how much it would mean if they pulled it off.  I'm not sure anyone thought the Flyers would be as good this year as they were (especially given the almost 350 games lost to injury), but if they can somehow advance out of the first round, it would more than justify every move the front office made last summer. Not that there are many doubters left, anyway.

4.  Peter Laviolette will not win Coach of the Year, but he has been amazing. I never thought the Flyers were "rebuilding" but it was hard to imagine a team with so many new, young players being able to dominate in the league. Yet that's exactly what the Flyers did this season. They have eight players with more than 15 goals and multiple players having career years. Peter's ability to plug so many new pieces into his system and still yield a balanced attack is truly impressive. He's infused confidence into his players, even when they may not have been deserving of his faith. His sarcasm, seemingly never ending supply of orange power ties, and unparalleled use of timeouts have made him one of my favorite Philadelphia sports figures, ever. Oh and then there's that time he tried to attack Dan Bylsma. He is the best.

5. What if the rookies don't collapse? Everything I've heard and read has the Flyers losing the series because of the inexperience (and quantity) of their rookies. While I understand that view point (and it may be right) I have to bring up another scenario: What if the rookies continue to exceed expectations? They've been doing it all year. Their coach trusts them in any and all situations. It's entirely possible that the rookies step up, shut down the Penguins stars, put the puck in the back of the net and help the Flyers advance to the next round. Seriously, stranger things have happened. It may also be a good thing that no one in the media expects them to win. Without the burden of being the favorites, the rookies can focus on winning hockey games.

6. How cool would it be if Jah-RO-Mur scored the series-winning goal? I'm imagining Joffrey Lupul's Game 7 OT winner against the Caps in the 2008 Quarterfinals, only with Jah-RO-Mur… in Pittsburgh. It probably won’t happen, but it would be the coolest thing ever.

There are a lot of other things on my mind like how Claude Giroux is going to be unbelievable, that Max Talbot is going to the X Factor in the series, and that I really miss Captain Prongsy. However, writing this is getting me too excited, so I must stop.

Here's to a (hopefully) long and memorable playoffs!

“What I’m asking is don’t just play the game to let it go by. Play the game to make a difference. Every guy in here, go out there and don’t let this settle in. Go take charge of it right now. Let’s be great start to finish, every guy in here. We’re being great tonight.” – Peter Laviolette

I Love Jah-RO-Mur Jogger

Saturday night in Toronto, the Flyers went into overtime tied at 4 with the Maple Leafs. Jaromir Jagr grabbed the puck and dip-see-doodled around the Leafs’ zone, made their defensemen look like cones, and kept possession of the puck for a solid 40 seconds.

The only thing going through my mind was, “Forget it. I love Jah-RO-Mur.”

Flashback to July 1, 2011: I remember exactly where I was when a friend called to inform me that the Flyers had just signed the 39-year-old. I remember because I had to leave the room due to the waterfall of confused, flabbergasted expletives coming out of my mouth.

Jah-RO-Mur Jogger, the man whose real name had never come out of my mouth – mostly as a testament to my deep-rooted dislike of him. The Penguin with the awful mullet I grew up hating. (Literally, my first Flyers game was against Pittsburgh and I still remember the way the Spectrum shook with boos and jeers when Jah-RO-Mur took the ice.) The guy who caused me to berate the Flyers defensemen from my living room because they wouldn’t hit him when he would play Follow the Leader around the ice. The guy who when he faded away to the KHL, everyone assumed he was just another burnt out superstar too afraid to let go of the game. The list goes on and on.

Between Jah-RO-Mur’s age, his history with the fan base, and with the Mike Richards and Jeff Carter trades having happened the week before, I truly thought that Flyers General Manger Paul Holmgren had lost his mind.

But, I’ve been wrong before (see Charlie Manuel over Jim Leyland circa 2005), and I did really enjoy how angry the Penguins fans were.

Come back to Saturday night. That was the moment I decided to stop fighting it. Somewhere in the last six months, Jah-RO-Mur has turned into an endearing nickname. I realized that you can’t hit what you can’t catch. And I finally admitted that I am a Jah-RO-Mur fan.

More than anything, I’ve loved the intangibles that Jah-RO-Mur brings to the locker room. On a team whose play on the ice could put you to sleep a year ago, the man who always seemed like such a grump has infused life and old-fashioned little kid fun into Flyers’ game. His 46 points don’t hurt either.

In no way does Homer need my apology – or will he ever read this – but I need to get this off my chest: I was wrong about signing Jah-RO-Mur. Not only was it not a bad decision, it was a great decision. I – much like when Peter Forsberg graced us with his presence – have enjoyed seeing one of the game’s greatest players night after night in the Orange and Black.

Now, if only he’d bring Philly a Cup…