Not So Different, Flyers and Leafs

As many of you who follow me on twitter know, I have a huge soft spot for the Toronto Maple Leafs. It's confusing to some since the teams have such a huge rivalry on the ice, but honestly, it's not really hard to explain. The Flyers and Leafs are in fact, very similar. Let's have a look, shall we.

Both teams have a history of great goal tenders: Parent/Hextall in Philly, Belfour/CuJo/Potvin in Toronto. This was contrasted by terrible goaltending post lockout with some hot streak exceptions (Leighton/Boucher/Esche in Philly, Toskala/Raycroft in Toronto.)

Both teams have an insane drought since their last Cup win, 1975, 1967.

Both teams have demanding fans that throw things when displeased (waffles? batteries?)

Both teams hate the Habs and Bruins.

Both teams finally (hopefully) found their goaltender (Bryzgalov and Reimer)

Both teams are currently captained by big body D-men who are known for hard hits and big slapshots (Pronger and Phaneuf)

Both teams have to deal with a division rival who's won cups more recently than them (Boston/MTL for Toronto, Pittsburgh and NJ for Philly)

Both teams get to destroy a weak but once "great" team (NYI for PHL and OTT for TOR)

Both teams have an overpaid goon who occasionally scores. (Colton Orr and Jody  Shelley)

Fans of both teams both hated a sniper for missing the net (Jeff Carter and Phil Kessel)

Both teams have very old school GMs who want physical teams (Homer and Burkie)

Both teams have NMC's driving them crazy (Muskoka 5 anyone?, what Pronger, Timonen and Briere will be in 2-3 years)

Both teams have exciting young defenseman (Gunnarson, Franson, Aulie in TOR, Carle, Gustafsson, Coburn in PHL)

Schenn and Kessel. Kessel and Schenn. Enough said.

Players with heart problems (Gustavsson in Toronto, Hartnell in Philadelphia)

GM's with close friends as coaches (John Stevens in PHL who got fired, Ron Wilson in TOR who almost got fired)

Each team picked up a hot goalie at the right time who gave their team a ton of hope moving forward (Michael Leighton in Dec 2009, James Reimer in Jan 2011)

Both teams traded multiple first round picks for an instant impact player (Pronger to PHL, Kessel to TOR)

Both teams employed a holey goalie (Leighton's 5-hole, Toskala's glove hand)



So, this is why, I always will be friends with fans of the Leafs. I know how they feel, because, Flyerdom, they are us.

Top 10 Most Memorable Flyer Facial Injuries

With Ian Laperriere going down with yet another case of “using face to block incoming shot” I find myself feeling the need to post a list of 10 memorable facial injuries in hockey. Some will be memorable because of the player involved, others for the situation. All of these will be significant for reasons given in the explanation; all of these involve the Flyers in some way, so sit back, relax and enjoy.

WARNING: Some of the videos are graphic in nature, watch at your own risk.

The Top 10 Most Memorable Flyers related Facial Injuries:

10. Matt Bradley [WSH] gets his face pounded in by Dan Carcillo on December 5, 2009

Why I like it: Carbomb landed a bomb on Bradley’s face. Oh yeah, and because this night was the first date between Down Goes Spezza and his lovely girlfriend.

9. Trent McCleary [MTL] blocks a Chris Therien shot with his throat Jan 20, 2000.

Why I like it: Well, I don’t like it, it’s a shame that McCleary’s career was ended by that shot, but that being said, it is a wake-up call to the NHL to make throat guards mandatory. There’s yet to be a fatality from something like this, and let’s keep it that way.

8. Stephane Auger [Ref] takes a puck off the face on December 5, 2009.

Why I like It: Well, it seems like someone had enough of Stephane Auger being out to get him. Oh yeah, and DGS and his lovely girlfriend were hanging out together. Luckily for Auger, being blind is not a reason to retire as an NHL referee, just ask, Kerry Fraser

7. Pat Dapuzzo (Linesman) gets cut by an errant Steve Downie Skate on February 9, 2008

Why I Like It: A brawl ensued and Dapuzzo got in to break it up. Got a little Lappy in you?

6. Colton Orr (NYR) knocks out Todd Fedoruk on March 21, 2007

Why I like it: I don’t like serious career threatening injuries, but Orr did to Fedoruk what the rest of the NHL did to the Flyers as a team that year, enough said.

5. Eric Desjardins, Kim Johnnson and Mark Recchi take sticks to the face compliments of Martin Havlat. (2003, 2004). (Sadly no vids of these could be found)

Why I like it: Because revenge is pretty freaking sweet.

Wait my bad, something’s wrong there. What could it possibly be?

I think that there are three possible problems here.

4. Brian Boucher makes a save with his mask, May 24, 2000.

Why I like it: Bouch breaks his mask stopping a puck off a Scott Gomez slapper. Nice

3. Ian Laperriere blocks a shot against the Buffalo Sabres with his jaw on November, 27, 2009

Why I like it: Lappy took a shot off the face, lost 7 teeth, broke his jaw, needed 100+ stitches to close up the wound, and came back to play in the same game. (Note: Lappy takes the shot off the face about 2:00 into the video)

2. Bernie Parent’s Career ending eye injury, February 17, 1979.

Why I like it: Again, I don’t, but this ended the career of the greatest Flyers goalie of all time. Bernie, you delivered cups to this beautiful city, and for that, I thank you, your career ended far too early.

1. Ian Laperriere blocks a shot with his right eye against the Devils on April 22, 2010

Why I liked It: Lappy’s block kept the energy up as the Flyers made short work of the Devils to oust them in the first round of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs.