Neal

James Neal, whom you may remember as the guy who almost ended the life of young wolf Sean Couturier, was in shock this summer when the Penguins traded him to the Predators (the Pittsburgh-to-Nashville career arc is not one any human should be subjected to). He recounted the surprise to Josh Yohe of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review this week, and in doing so told Yohe that the 2012 playoff series with the Flyers basically destroyed the Penguins organization. This excerpt is delicious [I have bolded the parts that excite me greatly]:

Although Neal doesn’t have answers for the Penguins’ playoff flameouts, he believes the team’s course was altered permanently after falling to the Flyers in 2012.

“Why we struggled in the playoffs is still a tough question to answer,” Neal said. “I don’t think anyone really can.”

Without prompting, the Flyers entered Neal’s mind.

“I didn’t watch the game (on Wednesday),” Neal said. “But I guess they lost again to the Flyers, eh? It’s the same thing that went on when I was there. What the Flyers do to the Penguins … I don’t know why things didn’t go the way they should have gone in the playoffs. I don’t know why everyone got so rattled. But it’s not my problem anymore.”

The Flyers are so far inside the Penguins’ heads that it’s almost become a joke. You know that stomach-churning, suddenly-self-aware feeling you get when you run across an ex years later, because even though you’ve totally moved on, the resentment is still there? You feel that puffing up your chest (guy) or pushing out your chest (girl) will suddenly make them envious of your recent success and happiness, but all it really does is make you seem more awkward and pathetic than they already thought you were? Well, that’s the Penguins when the Flyers come to town. They’ve been so wronged over the years that they can’t help but be a bumbling mess at the mere site of G or Coots. They may have moved on to bigger and better things, but the Orange and Black will always be their kryptonite. Neal left town, and he still can’t shake them from his memories.

Barely related:


via (@collinmehalick)