Flyers Thoughts From Saturday's Game

Obviously this is a bit late getting up, but better late than never.

I got there right as the gates opened, which was cool for a couple reasons. First, we all got to see Bernie Parent enter the building through a special entrance, but we didn't realize it until several hours later. Second, the food lines are short. Third, I got to enjoy all the stuff the Flyers put on the video board before the game. Was it enjoyable? No. I don't care about the Staals and Dennis Seidenberg riding a go-kart. Does it beat the Phillies showing This Week In Baseball Episodes from 5+ years ago? Maybe. Finally, Scott Hartnell in warmups. Hilarious. It's like he can't score a goal from five feet away from the net and he knows it. Instead of skating in and participating in most of the warmup drills, he'll stand in the crease and clean up the rebounds just like he would in the game.

The seats were great. It's the first time I've been on the lower level, and even though it was tough to see what was going on at the other end of the ice, it was a lot of fun. It's almost tough to appreciate how big and how fast the players are until you're almost on the ice with them.

Am I a bad fan for not even attempting to throw my hat on the ice? If I'm in the wrong here, maybe I should stop trying to justify it, but let's take a look at the situation. I was in the 20th row right behind the net. I had no shot at getting my hat on the ice. I paid $15, $20 for it. Why waste it if I have no shot at getting that hat cleared away by the ice girls? And honestly, the first goal should've been Hatch's. He had such a great game.

The game was well played and the refs did a good job of keeping in control of their whistles. These were two physical teams, and it wouldn't be fair to the players or the fans to get them away from the way they like to play hockey. There were a lot of big hits for both sides, some nice scrums, and that's what you'd expect from the two toughest teams in the NHL.

I kind of feel cheated after seeing my first live fight. It featured the best each team has to offer, but Cote didn't have his best day. He was dropped almost immediately, despite landing a couple punches. Parros was in control from the moment they dropped the gloves, and he's one helluva fighter.

I'm looking forward to going to another game soon. I know I'll be invading Long Island soon, but a playoff game at the Wachovia Center would really be sweet.