Round 1 - The Playoff Pool

The First Round of the Playoff is over. the Flyers are still alive and trying to rest up for tomorrow night. They couldn't have had them play Friday Night??? Nice.

The results of the First Round went out to all those in the Playoff Pool and all are aghast that your's truly is in the pole position (insert joke here). TED, a pool entry by Wyatt's brother-in-law, Fish is nippin' at my heels. RILEY FAN is sitting in the 3rd spot. Of course, another Fish entry, N&K CROWE is vying for the Palys Award. The Palys Award is the award given to LAST PLACE. . .the prize. . .your money back. The Palys Award is named after Tom Palys, a guy who used to participate in the pool who came in last 3 years in a row. Thus instituting the last place award.

However, there is still a lot of hockey to play and it is still anybody's game. . .well almost anybody's game.

the Detroit Fans are holding their own (insert joke here) but I will have once again proven my point when the AVS bounce them onto the golf course.

UPDATE: Tonight the Flyer’s begin their 7 game stint against the Montreal Canadians. The Flyer’s have a VERY poor record against the HABS. However, if you look at their team, there is a list of things to give Philly fans hope:

1. Carey Price is very young and has little playoff experience. His backup is Jaroslav Halak. His name only looks like Hasak. Although Price is a great goalie, and the HABS dumped Huet (where do I know that guy from), I think the Flyers have the edge in goal tending depth.
2. Andrei Markov is incredible and will be a force in this series on defense. Other than that, their defense consists of the over the hill gang Hamrlik and Brisbois and I guy named Ryan O'Byrne (you know he’s gonna be drunk during the game). They have a player in Mark Streit, but somehow he has been moved up the the LW from defense (which is sad the GIMP came in 10th using a winger for Defense in the fantasy league). The Flyer’s are benching the likes of Jaroslav Modry. Although young in parts, Coburn and Jones are playing well. Hatcher has really stepped it up and has played incredible the last few games. Through in Smith and Kukkanen, the Flyer’s D-Men are looking VERY Good for this series.
3. Up in front they have Saku Koivu (I’m a Koivu fan) and Kovalev (who has played awesome this year) and newcomer Tomas Plekanec. Other than that, they have a player in Christopher Higgins, but the rest are just support cast. This is where the difference will be. Koivu is better than Briere. If Prospal can step up his play to compete with Kovalev, it then becomes a battle of the supporting cast.
4. Finally, The Canadians are French. .. . . .Come On! I had to say it!

I’ll be taping LOST tonight in a show of having my priorities straight . . .not STREIT).
Can’t wait for the puck to drop tonight. GO FLYERS!!

DOING MY PART! During the first series, my wife brought out our Flyer’s plastic “popcorn” window decorations. Due to our schedule (and having to paint over the 88 and 10 on the decorations, they never made it past the computer table. As I went to Game 6 (with Priest in tow), I couldn’t figure out why we lost. When I got home the “popcorns” were up in the window. I went upstairs and said “That’s Great! Have them out of the window before 7:00 tomorrow. They came down and we took the series. They are now staying on the computer table until the end of the playoffs. . . . or until the Flyers exit said post season.