myerstownherald.com

By ERIC FISHER
The script for this Flyers season is straight out of Hollywood. On second thought, this script probably would be rejected by Hollywood. The plot would be considered too improbable.
No, this script wasn’t written for Hollywood. This script could only have been written and produced in Philadelphia.
Call it Philadelphia Story, Part Two. Call it Hockey Rocky. Call it Orange Crush. Call it whatever you’d like. (And give yourself a pat on the back if you picked up on the semi-obscure Blue Crush reference.)
This isn’t cinema. It’s real life. But, as hockey analyst and former Flyer Bill Clement said of the mid-1970s Flyers in the outstanding HBO documentary Broad Street Bullies, if this were a reality show, nobody would believe it.
Six weeks ago, I wrote that the shootout victory over the New York Rangers on the final day of the season gave these inconsistent Flyers an opportunity for redemption. With their improbable run through the playoffs, the Flyers have done more than earn redemption. They’ve earned a place in our hearts.
They’ve earned that place by displaying the toughness and never-say-die attitude that fans in this region respect and admire. It’s an attitude embodied by Rocky Balboa. It’s an attitude brought to life by the 2009-10 Flyers.
The following is a look at some of the now-beloved stars of this compelling drama.
Michael Leighton: “Journeyman” doesn’t do justice to the career of this well-traveled goalie. This is Leighton’s second stint with the Flyers, who lost him on waivers once before and picked him back up on waivers in December. Without Leighton’s terrific play during the regular season, the Flyers aren’t in the playoffs. Period.
But the regular season was just a warm-up for this unlikely hero. Leighton suffered a high-ankle sprain in mid-March. He battled back to return to the lineup as a backup for Game 5 against the Boston Bruins, just in time to save the day when starter Brian Boucher was injured. All Leighton has done since then is go 6-1, recording three shutouts in seven starts.
Ian Laperriere: The veteran center blocked a shot with his eye during Game 5 of the opening-round series against New Jersey. In addition to facial injuries, Laperriere suffered a bruise on his brain. He returned to the lineup for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The previous paragraph is ridiculous. Read it again. It’s ludicrous. Then again, Laperriere was hit in the face with a puck in November, losing teeth and getting countless stitches (75 was a good estimate) – and returned for the third period. The sacrifices made by the 36-year-old Laperriere to reach his first Stanley Cup Final are inspiring to the fans and his teammates. If you’re not inspired watching Laperriere, you’re not a sports fan.
Simon Gagne: The longest-tenured Flyer broke a toe blocking a shot in Game 4 against New Jersey. He was supposed to miss three weeks. He returned a week early, with the Flyers facing a 3-0 deficit against the Bruins. Naturally, Gagne scored in overtime of Game 4 to keep the Flyers alive. Later in the series, he scored the series-clinching goal during the Flyers’ history-making Game 7 triumph.
Jeff Carter: Like Gagne, Carter was injured in Game 4 of the New Jersey series, breaking his foot when hit by a Chris Pronger slap shot. (Being a hockey player, Carter knocked the loose puck into the net before skating to the bench with a broken foot.) Like Gagne, Carter had surgery. He was expected to miss six weeks. He returned in four weeks. He played well in Game 4 against Montreal, then scored twice in the series-clinching triumph in Game 5. He was told his season was over. But he never gave up on the notion of coming back.
Brian Boucher: Ten years after the highlight of his career, Boucher turned in another one during the final game of the regular season. Boucher’s season-saving stop during the shootout in the final game of the regular season propelled the Flyers into the playoffs. Then Boucher outplayed future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur as the Flyers dispatched the Devils in five games.
Boucher’s fairy tale appeared to end when he was injured during Game 5 against the Bruins. But the Flyers rallied to win that series in seven games. Meanwhile, Boucher worked hard to return to the lineup. He will be Leighton’s backup when the Stanley Cup Finals begin Saturday night in Chicago.
Ville Leino: Acquired near the trade deadline, Leino spent most games in street clothes before getting an opportunity when Carter broke his foot. Leino certainly seized the opportunity, averaging a point per game and improbably, of course, becoming a vital cog in the Flyers’ lineup.
There are numerous other heroes on this team: captain Mike Richards; ironman Chris Pronger; the precocious Claude Giroux; dependable Kimmo Timonen; the quiet Matt Carle; the emotional Dan Carcillo. This list goes on and on and on.
The Flyers have sparked a love affair with the fans. If they win the Stanley Cup, the names of Carter, Richards, Pronger and Gagne will be inscribed alongside Clarke, Parent, Schultz and Barber. Not only on the Stanley Cup, but in our minds and our hearts.
Even if they don’t win the Stanley Cup, these Flyers will hold a special place in the fans’ hearts. After all they’ve overcome, however, it’s difficult to imagine these Flyers not winning the Stanley Cup.
There’s only one way for this improbable underdog story to end.
Flyers in six.