Right now, the Flyers are going through a classic case of this Philadelphia rite of passage. The Eagles and the Phillies have wrestled with it in the past. The Sixers, on the rebound from years of self-created fan apathy, are still trying to get back to the point where the passion is hot enough to burn.
As the Flyers begin a much-needed break from playing in the Wells Fargo Center, coach Peter Laviolette was asked about his team's uninspired home record of 14-10-5.
"We'd certainly like to win at home," Laviolette said. "We haven't been able to do that the way we want to. Now we get back on the road, get on a road trip, and that can be a good thing at times."
One good time is when the players have stepped near or on that third rail. After fans booed goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov - and frankly, Bryzgalov's play has warranted the criticism - he said he was being made a "scapegoat."
"I will try to find peace in my soul to play in this city," Bryzgalov added.
Teammate James van Riemsdyk came to his goalie's defense.
"Yeah, you know what, I think those guys [fans] need to kind of keep quiet up there," van Riemsdyk said after Saturday's 6-4 loss to Pittsburgh. "I know they pay their money to see the team, but you win as a team and you lose as a team."
Since it is 2012, van Riemsdyk later tweeted a clarification: "never said it wasn't ok for fans to do that! My issue was with one guy getting singled out! It's a team game and the best way to make someone feel comfortable/confident is with support."
Now van Riemsdyk is as decent and good-hearted a guy as comes along in pro sports. It would be unfortunate for fans to make too much of his knee-jerk defense of a teammate.
