Chicago Blackhawks vs. Philadelphia FlyersStanley Cup Finals, Game 2
Blackhawks
lead series 1-0
Live on NBC, 8 p.m. EDT
p.m.
The Flyers lost Game 1 by just one goal, and were able to walk away
knowing that at least they have the ability to keep up with the Chicago
Blackhawks. Still, there’s no doubting that the Flyers were nowhere near
as good as they could have been and never came close to using the
attitude, physicality and perseverance they have become known for in the
postseason.
In an effort to get back to what had worked so well
before, the Flyers will be playing Dan Carcillo for the first time since
Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. The Flyers lacked energy and
an overall aggression, something that Carcillo will certainly work to
provide in an extremely important Game 2.
If there is one player
on the Flyers that can instantly change the direction a game will take,
it’s Dan Carcillo. The small yet fiery player has the ability to be the
emotional spark the Flyers need, especially after spending the last
month of the season and the first two series of the playoffs becoming
something of a cult hero among the Flyer faithful.
Carcillo was
benched against the Montreal Canadiens to make room on the roster for
Jeff Carter, something that Carcillo understands as a move that was
needed for the team.
“Peter pretty much told me exactly why [I was
going out], and it’s a no
brainer – Carter comes back, he’s a 40-goal scorer, it’s pretty easy for
you guys to figure out, too.”
Yet it wasn’t easy for Carcillo to
just sit back and watch his team play without him. He’s an emotional
player, a guy who loves nothing more than to get out on the ice and stir
the pot. Yet he was relegated to watching the games from the box, not
being able to be there for his teammates.
“It’s probably the
hardest thing I’ve had to do in my career,” Carcillo said. “I’m a guy
who kind of wears his emotions on his sleeve and you always want to see
the team do well, and you’re still a part of the team, but it was a
tough pill to swallow.”
One thing the Flyers did excel at in Game 1
was playing a disciplined, in control game that never allowed the
Chicago Blackhawks offense to get rolling with the man advantage. With
Carcillo back in the lineup, there’s bound to be some penalties doled
out as he does all he can to shake things up with big hits and some
incredibly antagonistic approaches along the boards. Still, Carcillo
isn’t expecting to be so out of control that he’ll hurt his team.
“I’m
just going to play my game,” he said. “Running around, being
physical and not taking any penalties to put the team down. And staying
out of the stuff after the whistle.”
So is Carcillo’s return
something the Flyers need? He’ll be replacing rookie James van Riemsdyk,
so it’s not likely that the Flyers will be missing any big offense.
Carcillo also isn’t likely to see anything over ten minutes of ice time,
and will be used primarily as a means to give his team the mental and
physical edge they lacked in Game 1.
All in all, if Carcillo is
able to keep from doing anything dumb you have to see this as nothing
but a positive for the Flyers. They’re getting a player back in the
lineup that everyone on the team is happy to see back on the ice,
someone capable of providing emotional and physical support while having
the ability of scoring some timely goals as well.
As far as dumb
plays go, we could see some fireworks between Carcillo and the resident
agitator on the Blackhawks Adam Burish. Burish stated that he has no
prior history with Carcillo, although he added “maybe after tonight we
will.”
Carcillo might not be too thrilled with Burish after his
hit on David Krajicek in Game 1. It was a dangerous hit from behind,
although Carcillo isn’t expecting anything to happen with Burish.
“He’s a college guy. He’s not going to fight,” he
told Darren Dreger of TSN.
I’d say with
Carcillo, the Flyers are getting exactly what they’ll need: attitude.
