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NHL Playoffs, Flyers v. Canadiens: Flyers say Habs should worry about ‘karma’

Image (1) Richards1-thumb-250x166-10198.jpg for post 1720

Who knew this series between the Canadiens and the Flyers would become as fun as it has? With the way the Canadiens were systematically handled in both games in Philadelphia, there might have been some thought that the Flyers would have perhaps a bit easier path to the Cup finals than we initially thought.

If you’ve watched the Canadiens at all this postseason, then you had to know they would not go down with out a fight. And fight they did in Game 3.

The Canadiens destroyed the Flyers on home ice on Thursday night and when the game became out of hand decided to take out their frustrations not just on the scoreboard but on the Flyers themselves as well. A number of heated scrums broke out in the latter part of the game, including one in which Maxim Lapierre Mike Cammalleri stuck his tongue out at fellow agitation specialist Dan Carcillo.

Carcillo and Mike Richards spoke today on the physical play of the Canadiens, vowing that it’s something they’ll have to remember for motivation for Game 4, tomorrow live on NBC at 3 p.m. EDT.

“They played well, they played hard,” [Carcillo] said. “We all knew they were going to do that. It’s nothing different. You know, they didn’t do that kind of stuff in our rink. But they’re in their rink ... I don’t know how to explain it. They played a good game. They’re happy about it. That kind of stuff happens when you’re flying high.”

While I’m sure the Flyers can understand the physicality a team like the Canadiens can use to their advantage, it seems they’ve taken particular exception to the team apparently using the home crowd’s enthusiasm and turning it into arrogance. Now, I don’t think there’s any such thing as running up the score in hockey but Richards wasn’t too happy about about the Habs doing their best to score on a late two-man advantage.

“It is what it is,” said Richards. “We take penalties, they try to capitalize on it. So I think we want to take that dirty taste or that bitter taste in our mouth from them doing that, and move forward and try our best (Saturday) to use that energy in a positive way.

“I’m not sure what they were trying to do. Obviously score is the first thing. Maybe stick it to us a little bit because we were maybe rung around a bit.

“But karma sometimes comes back to you too at some point.”

I can understand being upset with having a tongue stuck out at you (I still can’t believe that happened). I can certainly understand with getting upset with what the players have been saying in those scrums to anger the Flyers and goad them into penalties. But if you’re angry because a team tried to score on a late power play, then you need to go back to the locker room and think about your priorities.

The Flyers are still in control of this series. They can’t be worried about “karma” or “remembering what so-and-so said to me”. The Habs are incredibly confident at home, they’ll have to find some way to get back to the play that was so successful for them in the first two games of the season.