The Comeback Kids

The Philadelphia Flyers have done it: they have come back from down 3-0 to the Boston Bruins and forced game 7 (tonight). How did they do it, and why is what they have done so rare in the NHL? Well, they turned their act around with their goaltending. Boston doesn't score that many goals, ranked dead last in the NHL in the regular season, so goaltending has to be weak for the Bruins to outscore the opponent. Brian Boucher was average at best in the three losses, two of them on the road. Then Michael Leighton stepped in for relief in Game 5, and started Game 6, and shut down the Bruins offense, leading to 2 of the 3 wins. Also, the offense has stepped up, with star players like Mike Richards and Simon Gagne scoring in games 4-6. Why what the Flyers have accomplished is so rare? Even if you overcome the drastic emotional obstacle, you still have to play at least one, maybe two, games on the road. The intensity of the crowd fuels the home team, making it all that harder to win. As for tonight, Philadelphia has a chance to join only two teams to overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven series. Or, will the Bruins follow the Celtics' lead and give Boston a series win? It looks like it will be the NHL fan's dream: a FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT to the finish!