QOD Reflection Time

This past season was a dream come true (except for a road game 7 win, and Carter drilling an open net, but that's irrelevant). As a fan, I loved every part of this team. They picked each other up. They got hot at the right time. They were fun to root for. And they took us all on a rollercoaster ride. All of that being said, there was a little sourness to it, deep in the back of my head because I knew it was the end of either the Gagne or Carter era and I knew Ash was playing his last season here.

I had a gut feeling that it was Gagne and Asham and unfortunately, I was correct. I guess the point of this post is to share my favorite moments that I had with both of these guys during the playoff run. Before I get into it, I want to tell you that I was the luckiest Flyers fan in the wolrd this year. I was at 6 of the best 10 or so homegames this year. I managed to get tickets to the Blackhawks regular season game, The Carcillo Game, The Gagne Game, The ECF Clincher, and both stanley cup wins. I don't know how I managed to avoid all of the losses but those 5 games, IMO, were the most exciting home games and for whatever reason (me spending all of my money on tickets aside) I was there.

My most memorable Gagne moment as a Flyers fan was his return to game 4 vs. the Bruins. I am a confident fan. My facebook status after game three was "I Believe." Swear on my life. Two years ago vs. the Pens, I was convinced we were going to come back from three down. After the first win, I told EVERYBODY: Timonen comes back, we steal game five on the road, then we obviously win at home, and then with the momentum we take game seven. We all know how that turned out. Last year, like everone else in the world, when we had the 3-0 lead at home, I really thought we were going to come back, and then that debacle happend. So, naturally this year I was still confident that with Gagne's return, we'd take that game, then steal game five on the road, blow them out in game six at home then take the cake in game seven. Back to my story... Anyway, I remember watching how well Gagne was skating early on in game four and then he dissapeared. I don't think he had a shift from the end of the third period untill overtime but as soon as he stepped on the ice, I looked at my brother and told him that Gags was going to score. Sure enough he did it. That must have been one of the most amazing feelings for him in the world to come back for one shift in OT and put in the winner. The "SEE- MONEEE- GAAA- NEEEE *Clap*Clap*Clapclapclap" chants in the Wachovia Center Wells Fargo center leaving that stadium were amazing. All Flyers fans had that little bit of hope that we needed to take that series all the way, and we can all credit that to Gags. I will miss him.

The Asham story was totally different. For game 5 of the ECF, after the win, my friends had passes to go down to the locker room (not in, but right outside), and all but one wanted to run down Broad St., so he called and asked if I wanted to go down. Of course I did, and it was life changing down there. Ash wasn't even showered, but he was out of the locker room, five feet away from me, when Ed Snyder congradulated him on a great game, and a great goal. Ash looked at Snyder and said something like, "Yeah, but I should have had five that game." With out hesitation Snyder looked at him and said, "Save them for the cup." The chills that I had up and down my body when they shook hands were like nothing I've ever had before. That was when it hit me that we were going to the finals, and to this day one of my best memories ever. On a side note, a different friend of mine works for the Flyers and asked Gagne why there was no major champaign celebration and Gags replied with, "This isn't baseball. We havn't won anything yet. We don't celebrate after every series win." I thought that was an amazing answer, and I found out later that Gags was one of the few who did NOT touch the ECF trophy.

Now that its final that Gags could be on one of the best lines in hockey next year (St. Louis/Stamkos/Vinny) for the Lighting and Ash is a *caugh*vomit*caugh* Penguin, what are your guys best memories of the two of them?