Over the last week, the Philadelphia Flyers and their loyal fanbase have gone through an emotional roller coaster. It started with a 2-1 shootout lost to the St. Louis Blues last Monday that some thought was a missed opportunity. The following few days speculation ran rampant concerning the trade deadline: Sean Walker rumored to land a five-year extension with the club and Nick Seeler getting a deal well north of $3 million AAV. The rebuild was about to end, Briere was going back on his word. On Wednesday Walker was shipped out to Colorado for a first-round pick (and Ryan Johansen). Friday had Erik Johnson acquired from the Buffalo Sabres to attempt to shore up a rather depleted, injury-riddled back end. And that Seeler contract landed at a much more palatable sub-$3m-per-year number.
On top of all this, the Flyers commenced a hellish, possibly season-defining 10-game run they are now two games into. To quote Dickens, the Florida trek was a tale of two cities, the best of times and the worst of times. Garnet Hathaway’s goal with just over 20 seconds left against the Panthers was a huge, gutsy performance against the league’s best. The Tampa game Saturday night was the antithesis of the Thursday effort: slow, apathetic and over after only 11 minutes played.
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