SCF Game 1: After roller coaster season, Flyers only need four more wins

Stanley Cup Final, Game 1
Philadelphia Flyers at Chicago Blackhawks
Series tied 0-0
United Center - 8:00 PM ET - Chicago, IL
TV: NBC HD, CBC HD, RDS HD
Radio: 610 WIP (internet stream here), XM 204, SIRIUS 208
Get the Chicago perspective at Second City Hockey

After a long week of waiting, it's finally here. The hype doesn't matter anymore, and it's time for the Flyers to take the ice in Chicago for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Everybody is picking against our Flyers, of course, but you get a general sense from this team that none of it matters. It didn't matter against New Jersey, Boston or Montreal, and its not going to matter against Chicago.

Indeed, most of the experts seem to be citing regular season concerns of the Flyers as a reason why the Blackhawks have the upper hand here. Sure, it's true that the Flyers came into these playoffs as the 18th ranked team, and it's true that yes, they sucked for most of the regular season.

But anybody who has watched every game this team has played this year knows why this playoff run has a special feeling to it. Anybody who's watched through all the struggles this season -- goalie injuries, a coaching change, blah blah -- understands that the playoff Flyers are not the regular season Flyers.

The playoff Flyers are a force to be reckoned with. The playoff Flyers are the team that everybody thought would be in this position back in September. The playoff Flyers don't give a shit about how good the Blackhawks are.

Now that they're here, they have to go out and win four games.  Four more wins in a season full of ups and downs, euphoric moments and more than our fair share of despair. Color me crazy, and laugh at our optimism if you will, but this Flyers team has made me a believer. Four more wins. Let's do it.

Game thread at 5 PM.