PITTSBURGH - At about 7:42 last night, on the other side of Pennsylvania, a small restaurant filled with a group of Flyers dining out before tonight's season opener erupted when catcher Carlos Ruiz' throw hit first baseman Ryan Howard's glove to complete Roy Halladay's historic no-hitter.
"There was a group of us at dinner, and we had it on," defenseman Matt Carle said. "It was pretty sweet. I watched the first part of the game at the hotel and finished it here at dinner."
Forward Scott Hartnell was amped about Halladay's first postseason start even before the Flyers left for Pittsburgh. Hartnell was walking around the Flyers' locker room in Voorhees, N.J., saying "Go Phillies!"
Hartnell likely would have been at Citizens Bank Park if the Flyers started the season at home. Hartnell attended most of the Phillies' World Series home games last year.
"We all watched it," Claude Giroux said. "It was awesome."
"That was pretty cool," goaltender Brian Boucher said. "Roy Halladay is a machine." *
- Frank Seravalli
