Let’s set the scene:

It’s Game 5 of Flyers v. Canadiens. With 13:23 left in the second period the Flyers had taken a 2-1 lead, potting their second power play goal as part of a five minute major penalty issued to Jesperi Kotkaniemi for a hit on Travis Sanheim that saw the former also receive a game misconduct. The Orange & Black, who had shut out Le Bleu-Blanc-Rouge in consecutive games, merely needed to play a sound defensive game and squeeze the last bit of life out of Montreal.

Fast-forward roughly eight minutes later and the Habs had flipped the game on its head, taking a 3-2 lead. To make matters worse, mere minutes later, Nick Suzuki appeared to have put the Canadiens up 4-2 before the goal was disallowed after being ruled offside.

But something much more nefarious happened well before then. In fact, it happened before the disallowed fourth goal. Before the air was sucked out of Scotiabank Arena on the third goal. No, the moment I’m referring to happened with 9:48 remaining in the second period, just seconds after Joel Armia netted his second goal of the game.

It came from Nick Suzuki:

A pat on the head? Really? If Chris Pronger had been on the ice, what do you imagine would’ve happened to Nick Suzuki? Heck, flip the script. Imagine if Scott Laughton patted Carey Price on the head after Travis Konecny tied the game. You think Shea Weber would’ve let that slide? Not a chance.

Fans weren’t thrilled, either:

 

During The Press Row Show Second Intermission, Anthony noted that perhaps the fact that it happened so quickly meant that no one on the ice aside from Carter Hart and Nick Suzuki were even aware it occurred. Here’s the problem: it happened in the second period. Are we really to believe that no one made a single guy on the bench aware of it between periods?

So now what? If you subscribe to the unwritten rules of hockey, someone will lay Suzuki out at some point during the 2020-21 season in retribution for the head pat. Sorry, but that doesn’t cut it. Again, after embarrassing the team’s 22-year-old goalie, someone has to drop the gloves, lay a hit, or send a message. Is it a good thing that this iteration of the Flyers has evolved from the Broad Street Bullies? Is it better that the team has enough skill to roll four lines in the postseason, rather than filling a fourth line of talentless muckers and grinders? Yes. Is this the one time the team could’ve used a Donald Brashear? Absolutely.

Instead, the Flyers chose to let this one slide, as they have done at various points this season when a questionable hit has been laid on a teammate. There are tough guys on the team. Hell, they’ve got a crew of guys willing to give up the body to a Shea Weber slapshot. This was a blatant show of disrespect, the proverbial, “Nice try, sport.” to you franchise netminder.

Next season is too late. Game 6 is too late. It cannot happen again.

We’ll see how the team responds in Game 6. Maybe, just maybe, someone will lay a clean hit or drop the gloves. Or maybe, the Flyers will get the ultimate revenge:

I dig it.

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