Your Mourning Reader
We'll let the players try to put this into words.
Quotes via the Flyers' city-leading PR department
Giroux
Q: Talk about the shock factor. Less than two weeks ago you guys knocked off one of the best teams..
"That doesn't even matter. It doesn't matter who we knocked off, we just had to be ready for the next series. I think we were thinking we were going to walk over to New Jersey and they'll fall a little bit. I guess we've got to learn from it. They are a good hockey team. They are well balanced and they played a pretty good series."
Hartnell
Q:On the Flyers system
"They played a lot like the Rangers. We got the puck in the corner on a soft chip and it seemed like they had four guys on you in the corner. It is probably one of the biggest reasons why we couldn't beat the Rangers this year. They just smothered you, three or four guys on you in the zone. It was tough to make plays when your back is against the wall or out in the ice. It is definitely frustrating, but we did have chances. We had a post there and Danny [Briere] on a cough up by [Martin] Broudeur and if that goes in that could have been a whole different story."
Timonen
Q: Talk about the game winning goal.
"Ask Bryz"
Q: We did.
"Well this game is a mistake. It was a mistake and that happens but if you don't score a goal, you can't win. So, we couldn't score today."
Q: With given how things went this series is this the most disheartening end to a season?
"Well personally, I'm running out of time to be honest. After the Pittsburgh series, I really thought this was our chance. Look at the teams who are out, look at the teams who are in. The teams that are still in are beatable. I don't have many chances left and this is a wasted opportunity for us."
Q: Is this just an example of Bryz's entire season in this one game, it was really good at parts but there were weird bounces.
"Well, we're losing as a team or win as a team. It's not my job to start blaming somebody. We have coaches and GMs to do that. To me, we lose as a team and win as a team."
Laviolette
Q: It’s hard to have perspective right after a defeat like that. Can you address so many of the good things that happened this year for your players and the development of this team?
“It’s hard right now. Just meeting with the players after a loss when the season ends, those speeches that you never seem to master. I can tell you that, the group that’s in that room right now is a terrific group of men. They played hard this year, they gave a lot and we came up short. It’s a bright future and we’re looking forward to that but tonight it’s disappointing.”
Jagr
Q: What’s your status, is there more hockey for you?
“Oh I don’t know, I don’t know what’s gonna happen—it doesn’t really matter what’s gonna happen. I have to say, thanks for the support from the fans. I love everyone on this team. That was probably the most enjoyable year I’ve ever had. I’ve won some cups, I’ve won some trophies, but I loved this year. From the organization to the last player on the team, and the fans, they were so nice to me. I hate to finish it right now, that’s the worst feeling. You finish the whole story, the whole year, that’s a sad day, today for me…I wanna cry right now.”
Mike Richards and Jeff Carter were unavailable for comment.