James van Riemsdyk's Night
We interrupt our regularly scheduled relentless assault on all things Obama to bring you news from the ice. The Flyers made history last night, reaching once more into their seemingly endless bag of tricks and found the magic one more time. Game 7: Flyers 4, Bruins 3. Series: Flyers 4, Bruins 3. Fourth team in the history of professional sports to overcome a 3-0 series deficit. Simply amazing.
Typically the Flyers didn't make it easy. Midway through the first period the Flyers found their heroic and historic comeback being trashed by a Bruins team that came in filled with emotion and desire for a quick kill. The Flyers weren't bad during the first 10 minutes, but the Bruins were overwhelming. Bang, bang, bang, three quick goals.
Now down 3-0 and with their season on the brink, Flyers coach Peter Laviolette called timeout. It was anybody's guess who, if anyone, would respond and stop the bleeding. Who would step up and carry the team to victory on this offensively gifted but brazenly undisciplined Flyers team? Would it be big ticket free agent and playoff assassin Danny Briere? Longtime Flyer Simon Gagne? The captain Mike Richards? The old, grizzled warrior Chris Pronger? Maybe Scott Hartnell, whose game was coming to life?
Nope. It was the youngest Flyer, 21-year old rookie James van Riemsdyk. The "consolation prize."
In the afterglow of making history it's easy to forget that JVR was considered the consolation prize of the 2007 NHL Draft. The Broad Street Bullies were dead last in the NHL in 2006 and figured they had a lock on the top pick and with it Patrick Kane, the franchise-changing player billed as "the next Crosby." But after losing all those games in a miserably long season the Flyers somehow, improbably, lost the draft lottery too. Figured. Perfectly shitty end to a perfectly shitty season.
So Chicago swooped in and nabbed the top pick, took the franchise changer Kane, and the Flyers were shocked and stunned and "left with" van Riemsdyk. But James van Riemsdyk was never a slouch. He might not be Patrick Kane (who is) but JVR is a highly credentialed prospect. He had a nice rookie season with 35 points. But he wore down over the course of a long season, and thus far JVR had been silent and lost on the ice all spring, struggling to find his place on the world's biggest stage with the world's finest players.
Then came Lavs' timeout with the season on the line, and suddenly and seemingly without any warning, young James van Riemsdyk responded. He found his game. He started skating and hitting, crashing the net, creating chances for his teammates, and led (yes led) his veteran team to victory. Gagne got the delicious game-winner on a goal-scorers goal, but it was JVR's not-so-pretty first career playoff goal that stopped the bleeding, and his energy that got the team going and kept it moving. It was something special to watch.
And now Kane and van Riemsdyk, two gifted players who could've easily been on opposite teams but for a disastrous draft lottery, both find themselves four wins from meeting for the finest prize of the finest tournament in professional sports. The NHL is a second rate league now (thanks Gary Bettman!), but the tournament and the Cup are still rightfully revered.
The Flyers are a very dangerous team with a confident James van Riemsdyk. If JVR can build on last night's game and keep it going, the Flyers are the favorite in the Eastern Conference Finals.
But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. Let's take a moment to celebrate and remember.
James van Riemsdyk did something really special last night. With the Flyers' season on the line, it was kid who led the team to victory. I don't know JVR so I don't know if he'll let himself smile because of what he did tonight, or if he's too intense to enjoy the success. But I say give yourself a smile, James, and enjoy it. This was your night, the first of many.
Not bad for a consolation prize.
Typically the Flyers didn't make it easy. Midway through the first period the Flyers found their heroic and historic comeback being trashed by a Bruins team that came in filled with emotion and desire for a quick kill. The Flyers weren't bad during the first 10 minutes, but the Bruins were overwhelming. Bang, bang, bang, three quick goals.
Now down 3-0 and with their season on the brink, Flyers coach Peter Laviolette called timeout. It was anybody's guess who, if anyone, would respond and stop the bleeding. Who would step up and carry the team to victory on this offensively gifted but brazenly undisciplined Flyers team? Would it be big ticket free agent and playoff assassin Danny Briere? Longtime Flyer Simon Gagne? The captain Mike Richards? The old, grizzled warrior Chris Pronger? Maybe Scott Hartnell, whose game was coming to life?
Nope. It was the youngest Flyer, 21-year old rookie James van Riemsdyk. The "consolation prize."
In the afterglow of making history it's easy to forget that JVR was considered the consolation prize of the 2007 NHL Draft. The Broad Street Bullies were dead last in the NHL in 2006 and figured they had a lock on the top pick and with it Patrick Kane, the franchise-changing player billed as "the next Crosby." But after losing all those games in a miserably long season the Flyers somehow, improbably, lost the draft lottery too. Figured. Perfectly shitty end to a perfectly shitty season.
So Chicago swooped in and nabbed the top pick, took the franchise changer Kane, and the Flyers were shocked and stunned and "left with" van Riemsdyk. But James van Riemsdyk was never a slouch. He might not be Patrick Kane (who is) but JVR is a highly credentialed prospect. He had a nice rookie season with 35 points. But he wore down over the course of a long season, and thus far JVR had been silent and lost on the ice all spring, struggling to find his place on the world's biggest stage with the world's finest players.
Then came Lavs' timeout with the season on the line, and suddenly and seemingly without any warning, young James van Riemsdyk responded. He found his game. He started skating and hitting, crashing the net, creating chances for his teammates, and led (yes led) his veteran team to victory. Gagne got the delicious game-winner on a goal-scorers goal, but it was JVR's not-so-pretty first career playoff goal that stopped the bleeding, and his energy that got the team going and kept it moving. It was something special to watch.
And now Kane and van Riemsdyk, two gifted players who could've easily been on opposite teams but for a disastrous draft lottery, both find themselves four wins from meeting for the finest prize of the finest tournament in professional sports. The NHL is a second rate league now (thanks Gary Bettman!), but the tournament and the Cup are still rightfully revered.
The Flyers are a very dangerous team with a confident James van Riemsdyk. If JVR can build on last night's game and keep it going, the Flyers are the favorite in the Eastern Conference Finals.
But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. Let's take a moment to celebrate and remember.
James van Riemsdyk did something really special last night. With the Flyers' season on the line, it was kid who led the team to victory. I don't know JVR so I don't know if he'll let himself smile because of what he did tonight, or if he's too intense to enjoy the success. But I say give yourself a smile, James, and enjoy it. This was your night, the first of many.
Not bad for a consolation prize.
posted by The Rock | 9:21 AM
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