*The Flyers made it harder than they needed to and very nearly completely blew it, but they took Game 2 in overtime and tied the series 1-1. RECAP!
*Here’s what it looked like the from Islanders side. [Lighthouse Hockey]
*Phil Myers was the hero yesterday. Just as the prophecy foretold. [NBC Sports Philly]
*But there’s no time to bask in the joyous glow of a playoff win; pandemic playoffs means we are right back at it tonight. And while the Flyers’ top talent started to reappear yesterday afternoon, they still need to get better. [Sportsnet]
*Charlie looked back at Game 1 to see just how those top players might get better. How the whole team might get better, actually. [The Athletic]
*Good news is, the Flyers and their coaching staff want more, despite this early playoff success. Hey, us too! [NBC Sports Philly]
*Early talks suggest that we may be seeing more bubble hockey in the future. Which is pretty wild. [ProHockeyTalk]
*And finally, speaking of the bubble, it’s weird in there. Just ask Morgan Frost. [The Athletic]
There comes a moment, with increasing frequency, as we’ve seen this summer, when we cease to worry about the play of athletes on a court, or field, or rink. When racial injustice and police violence are thrown in our faces with such stark clarity, how can we? It all falls by the wayside, as it must, because in the grand scheme of things, sports do not matter.
A man was shot seven times in the back for the color of his skin. Hockey does not matter.
This is not a new occurrence. We’re painfully aware of that by now. Jacob Blake’s life matters. Black lives matter. Hockey does not matter.
Splaying “END RACISM” in black and white on a Jumbotron is not enough. Standing in a circle is not enough. A hollow PR statement on Twitter is not enough. The NHL continues to fail its black players and fans. They’re continuing to fail all of us who demand better.
In solidarity with the NBA teams, and athletes across leagues, boycotting their games last night, we’ll be going dark for today. We will resume normal coverage tomorrow.
