Flyers making history

I don't blog about the orange-and-black much, (ok, I don't blog much period) but what they've done so far this postseason is definitely worthy of comment.

First, they needed to win the last game of the season to even squeak into the playoffs. They couldn't win in regulation, or in overtime, so their whole season came down to a shootout. Historically awful in shootouts, with a 15-27 record at the time, they managed to pull out a win. They finished tied with Montreal, and by virtue of a tiebreaker, got the seventh seed.

After beating up the listless Devils in the first round, they had the fortune of playing the sixth seed Bruins next. Having lost their top two scorers and best penalty-killing forward in the first series, my expectations were as low as possible for the second round. Three games in, the Flyers seemed to be playing to my expectations. Then suddenly they found their game again, and became only the third team in NHL history, and the first since 1975, to win a series after falling behind 3-0. The seventh game itself was a microcosm of the series, with the Bruins grabbing a 3-0 lead in the first period, only to watch the Flyers come back and beat them 4-3.

Then it was on to Montreal - the eigth seed - who had just beaten the #1 seed (Capitals) and last year's champs (Pittsburgh) after falling behind 3-1 in both series. This was the first-ever matchup in the playoffs between the #7 and #8 seeds. After two games, they've outscored the Habs 9-0. They've tallied a franchise-record 13 straight goals, and Michael Leighton, picked up off waivers earlier in the year, became only the second Flyers goalie to post back-to-back playoff shutouts.

I'm not counting out the Canadiens yet, you'd have to be a fool to count them out after two comebacks from down 3-1, but the Flyers are only two games away from the Stanley Cup Finals. They are 16-0 when taking a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series...so while you can't write them in yet, I do like their chances.

From a shootout victory on the last day of the season, to a likely berth in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Flyers have already made history. Even if they lose the next four and go home, they've already accomplished something we're unlikely to see again for a generation.