Nick looks over and stares as AJ starts beating his head against the bench corner with his helmet still on as a Nashville Predator player goes skating down the ice. Nick looks at him oddly and puts a hand on his shoulder as AJ lifts his head up and looks over at him. Nick shrugs and then looks back at the ice again.
Life was not good right now. The team was dead tired and because of it they were now tied 2-2 with the Nashville Predators as the last minutes of the third period ticked away. The team was tired and they just wanted to stop for a break. AJ was even tired and Nick could tell that because AJ had yet to comment on Dunham who was in net for the Predators. Brian was having a hard time in net and Kevin was now only taking short shifts on the ice because of his knee acting up.
The two goals for the Flyers came from AJ, in the first period, and Gagne, in the second period. The Flyers had more shots on Dunham with 24-17, but they were still losing. Nick was having a hard time eating his own words that he made about the Leafs losing to the Predators before. But hell no one wanted to lose to the Predators.
The third period ended and the two teams went into overtime. No matter what the Flyers would come away with at least a point for the tie, so it really wasn’t a loss. Of course that’s what you say when you win an overtime game, on the other hand the Flyers lost this on and it was a loss no matter how you looked at it.
Kevin was in a bad mood and Nick could tell it because he was not in a very good mood to talk to the press. Kevin was always one of the most cordial people to the press, but tonight he just seemed like he wanted to get out of there. And he did that very thing very quickly getting out of his interviews and heading off back to his locker.
Nick hoped this wasn’t the beginning of a slump…please God don’t let it be the beginning of a slump. They had a game two days later against the Caroline Hurricanes.
AJ walks into the locker room the next morning and collapses onto the floor as the others stare at him.
“AJ practice hasn’t stared yet,” Boosh says.
“I know…shutup,” AJ mumbles to the floor.
Boosh shakes his head and walks over to his locker.
“Guys get dressed in shorts and a comfortable shirt with sneakers,” Kevin says walking in dressed in blue basketball shorts with a blue fleece on and a white t-shirt on underneath it showing slightly form the v opening around his neck.
“What the hell is he making us do now?” AJ asks from the floor, “Push his car out of a ditch?”
Kevin stares at him and shakes his head, “No pucks, no gear, no skates, no sticks,” Kevin says, “We’re just gonna do some light cardio work today, some bike riding for a break.”
“Sweet,” AJ says getting up off the floor and walking over to his locker between Nick’s and Brian’s.
“AJ,” Nick says.
“Yeah.”
“Do people think Boosh is…well a little crazy?”
“AJ stares at him oddly, “Huh?”
“Like has a screw loose or something,” Nick says lower.
“Oh of course I do,” AJ says looking back at his locker.
“No I’m serious AJ,” Nick says as AJ turns to look at him.
“Who said that?” AJ says as Nick can see him getting defensive.
“No no no one did,” Nick says, “I just heard he said something last year like, ‘People think I'm some kind of mental case on a mental vacation, but really my head's fine’.”
“Oh,” AJ says, “That…”
“He had a break down,” Brian says form his locker, “You know he did AJ. We all know he did even though he says he didn’t.”
AJ nods, “Yeah I know.”
“What happened?” Nick asks.
“Ask Boosh,” Brian says.
AJ nods, “It’s better to hear it from him.”
“Will he get mad at me?”
“Possibly,” AJ says, “No he won’t don’t worry,” AJ says pulling on a t-shirt to go with his shorts, “Ah the socks are back,” AJ says turning around and pulling on a light jacket as Justin makes a face at him and AJ walks over towards him carrying his sneakers he still has to put on.
“Is Boosh ok though?” Nick asks Brian.
“Now?” Brian says, “Yeah, he’s fine now. He’s too critical of himself some times. I mean I know I’m bad, but he’s horrible on himself.”
Nick nods pulling on his shoes and tying them quickly.
“Just what the doctor ordered,” Brian says throwing on a jacket with the Flyers emblem on it and sniffling slightly.
“You feeling ok Bri?” Nick asks.
“Yeah I think I’m getting a cold though,” he says pulling out a tissue and blowing his nose.
“And now out into the cold,” AJ says wrapping an arm around Boosh shoulders and walking out the locker room door pulling him along.
“Wonderful,” Brian says.
Nick says towards the middle of the group peddling next to Brian and Williams and close behind AJ, Boosh, Fedoruk, Ruslan and Marty Murray.
“I heard people think I’m losing it again,” Boosh says looking quickly back at Nick.
“AJ!” Nick yells at him.
“Rusty told him not me,” AJ says quickly.
“Oh please,” Ruslan says, “Yeah blame the Ukrainian.”
“No it’s ok,” Boosh says, “I’m fine though honestly.”
“No I just heard people said that about you last year,” Nick says.
“I didn’t have a breakdown,” Boosh says.
“Yes, you did,” Kevin says a few feet ahead of them next to Roenick, LeClaire, Recchi and Primeau.
“I did not,” Boosh says, “I was just having a hard time.”
“Boosh I love you man,” Kevin says, “but you slammed a goalie stick onto the crossbar of the net, broke it into pieces and then threw the pieces down the ice. You scared the hell out of all of us.”
“Hey I don’t do that anymore of lately,” Boosh says.
“I know. I know,” Kevin says, “You’re doing great.”
“How come I’m the mental one, but if AJ rants on and on about a celebrity duck he gets nothing,” Boosh asks.
“Because I’m AJ and I’m special,” AJ smiles at him.
“Basically,” Kevin smirks.
“And when someone else up there who shall remain nameless says, ‘I want to carry that Stanley Cup over my head and have about 3 million people running around the streets of Philadelphia going cuckoo.’ Nothing happens to him,” Boosh says.
Kevin cracks up and looks at Roenick.
“That’s because that person is special also and even more so because he got a bobble head,” Roenick says.
“Oh keep your mouth shut JR,” AJ says.
For the rest of the practice they road their bikes around at a steady pace. It was a long needed break from skating, pucks and sticks for the team. Of course the next night they had yet another game to play against the Carolina Hurricanes.
“You’re being very challenged out there aren’t you?” AJ smiles at the goaltender for the night Boucher.
“It’s horrible,” Boucher says taking a drink from a water bottle as he stands beside the bench during a break.
The Hurricanes had only managed to shoot four shots on Boucher in the first period and only four again in the second. The score was four to zero in favor of the Flyers with goals from Roenick, Williams, AJ and Recchi. At least the life was back in the team.
Sitting next to Nick on the bench was Neil Little the goaltender for the Philadelphia Phantoms called up to replace the backup goalie. Brian had originally been scheduled to play tonight’s game, but had come down with a sinus infection. Therefore Boosh had to step up and play.
The team had come out skating better then the games before scoring two goals in the first period only thirty eight seconds apart from each other. The first was a huge shot by Roenick and the second was an amazing re direction by Williams that not even AJ could understand how he saw it coming. The Hurricanes probably would have gotten a goal if it weren’t for the fact that Boosh turned around to see a puck dribbling into the goal. He threw himself onto the ice and wrapped his stick around it dragging it back out and under him.
After eight minutes of the second and two more goals by the Flyers the goaltender then for the Hurricanes Irbe was pulled and Barrasso went in. Of course by then the chants of ‘E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles!’ was echoing through the First Union Center. That mixed with the chant of, ‘Booshhhh’.
Boosh lost his shutout in the third period though when he was finally tested by the Hurricanes for the first time that night. He was able to stop a break away by Adams and make other saves, but he still had one get by him. A second goal made it’s way into the net though and the score was 4-2 in favor of the Flyers and that was the way it stayed.
With Brian out of commission Boosh had gotten his win and the team had come out of their semi slump. Thank God. Now all they had to do was go home and watch the Eagles play the Rams the next day.
“Life isn’t good right now,” AJ says during the beginning of the second period game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The score was 0-0 and AJ was still dwelling on the fact that the Eagles were knocked out of the Super Bowl game by the Rams.
Nick looks over at him and shrugs, “What can you do?”
“Score a goal,” AJ says bluntly.
“Well now don’t we have all the answers,” Kevin says looking over at AJ and smirking.
“I would if I had a celebrity duck,” AJ sighs and smirks.
Brian smiles at them from his seat on the bench before focusing his attention back on the ice chewing his gum as usual.
Brian Boucher was once again between the pipes for the Flyers. Brian was still having problems with his sinuses, so Boosh had once again gotten the call to be in net. And once again Nick could see the balance of power between the goalies being shifted. Boucher had come out trying to prove something and he was. He was showing that he could come back from whatever slump he had been in.
Nick shakes his head and looks out onto the ice as Recchi, LeClaire, JR and Johnnson race down the ice towards the Penguins’ net. Roenick was about to get to a milestone of the NHL, his 1000th point. If he got one more point he would be the fourth American player to ever achieve this. Now as Recchi made a pass through the goal crease to Kim Johnnson who sends it back towards the net to LeClaire who backhands the rebound in for the score, the lights on the screens over the ice go off flashing congratulations to Jeremy Roenick on his 1000th point. The crowd in the First Union Center gets on their feet and the sound echoing through the building was one of the greatest sounds Nick had ever heard in his life. There was only a small problem…JR really didn’t get the assist, no 1000th point. Instead he stays seated in his seat on his bench waving off the congratulations and pointing to Johnnson and Recchi instead who deserved the points. He remained stuck at 999.
Of course a few minutes later the Penguins managed to squeeze the puck past Boucher who was not hugging the post tight enough with his pads.
During the third period though it was going downhill for them. Kovalev got a goal while a screen was set up in front of Boosh with only 8: 09 left in the game. With only seconds left in the game the score was 2-1 with the Penguins in the lead. Boucher had kept the team in the game by making some saves and now at the other end of the ice the Flyers were putting on the pressure. Boucher was pulled in favor of an extra attacker and as Kovalev headed down the ice for an empty net goal Roenick stripped him of the puck. The puck made its way to Recchi behind the net then to LeClaire who passed it to Primeau. Keith Primeau takes a shot at a wide open net to tie the game with 17.5 seconds left in the game. Overtime.
With the five-minute overtime in full gear AJ, Williams and Marty Murray take to the ice. With 2:47 left in the game Tibbetts make the mistake of trying to take the puck out from in front of his own net. The puck bounced along and Murray jumped at the chance swatting it away from him and hitting it past a startled Aubin. With an overtime win they would hold their number one position in the Eastern Conference.
Roenick Remained stuck at 999, but he had another chance the next night in Ottawa.
“Congratulations JR you got 999.5,” AJ says walking around the locker room in Ottawa.
“. 5?” Luke Richardson looks at him oddly.
AJ nods, “Hey he almost got that point according to those button happy people in control of the screens back home. Congratulations Jeremy,” AJ says walking over to him and holding out a white towel.
Jeremy takes it and unfolds it staring at it before Nick who is standing behind him cracks up.
“That’s a present from Fridge and I to you,” AJ smirks, “We took a lot of time to make that.”
JR stares at him oddly before breaking into a smile.
“Beautiful AJ,” Kevin says looking over JR’s shoulder at the plain white towel that had, Congratulations JR! You got 999.5 on January 29, 2002 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, written on the towel in black marker surrounded by various symbols including the Flyers logo.
AJ smirks and walks back over to his designated locker.
“Lets go now guys it’s game time,” Kevin says looking at them all, “Lead us out Boosh,” he says as Boosh makes his way toward the door to lead them out of the tunnel onto the ice. He would be the starter once again.
Jeremy would get his 100th point in the first period at the time of 17:52 with an assist from Gagne and AJ. On January 30, 2002 against the Ottawa Senators Jeremy Roenick became one of only four American players to ever do so. It was the only score of the first period.
By the second period the Ottawa Senator fans were getting restless and began to boo their teams attempts at scoring. Boucher was holding the Flyers in the game as the Senators were forcing turnovers all over the ice and generally controlling the plays. The Flyers were dead on their skates. Kevin had never seen his team move slow and with so little heart. Regardless of the way the tide had turned there were no more goals in the second period and the score remained 1-0 in favor of the Flyers.
With 7:34 into the third period. Chara stopped the shutout by sneaking one past Boucher, it was a tie game now. With that the Flyers came up and tried to make something happen. 16: 21 into the game another goal got by Boucher. Barber would later pull Boucher with 1: 15 left in the game. A third goal was scored into the empty net giving the Senators the win with the score of 3-1.
Boucher showed that he was playing like he was in the beginning of the year, but he had a tired team in front of him now. The Flyers would have a three-day break except for a few who were on to the All Star game.
