AJ stares at the TV screen and then looks over at Fedoruk who is sitting next to him on the couch in his living room nursing a beer.
“Yeah like we don’t have enough problems already,” AJ says, “Lets put a statutory rapist on the team!” he yells at the TV.
Fedoruk looks over at him and shrugs, “Bobby Clarke what can you do?”
“Fire his ass,” AJ mumbles before taking a sip of his beer again.
Yeah the Flyers had made a trade before the deadline, a wonderfuckingful trade according to AJ. Clarke had traded Kent Manderville to Pittsburgh for Billy Tibbets. Supposedly this was supposed to help the team…AJ saw it as destroying their reputation.
“This drags our name through the mud,” AJ says.
“Maybe he’ll help us who knows,” Todd says, “We are in a slump remember.”
“Lets run through his record again Fridge,” AJ sighs, “He had sex with a fifteen year old girl when he was nineteen and is now a proven sex offender. It is on his record for the rest of his life and his neighbors in Pittsburgh were given flyers about him. Doesn’t the ass know to ask her age? Oh then he beat a guy with a BB gun when he was on probation for the sex offence and served 39 months in jail after that. The he assaulted a police officer and intimidated a witness. Yeah great trade Clarke,” AJ says, “Supposedly we need “an enforcer”,” AJ says quoting enforcer with his fingers, “Twenty says Kevin is having a kanipshit at his house.”
AJ knew Kevin well enough by now and he knew that Kevin held his team to be the best in the East and that they were a team with pride…well until now. If anyone were going to be pissed off about the trade Kevin would be. There went Kevin’s perfect ideal team. AJ didn’t even see why Tibbets was aloud to play in the league period. He was a disgrace to hockey players. He wasn’t even worth Manderville anyway. Tibbets who had single handily cost the Penguins the game last time the Flyers played…ridiculous.
“This will be a fun game tomorrow,” AJ says.
“Wouldn’t know,” Todd says, “Remember I’m always the healthy scratch.”
“Fuck it,” AJ says.
“We gotta win this game though,” Todd says, “Our top spot depends on it.”
“I know man,” AJ says, “Trust me I know,” AJ sighs.
“Horse shit,” Kevin mumbles as he walks into the Flyers locker room.
Kevin did not have a good feeling about this game. First off he did not want to play along side a man with as long a criminal record as Tibbets. Second off he was the one put in charge of telling AJ the news. Why damned Barber wasn’t doing it himself he would never know. Oh yeah no Kevin knew why AJ would probably take a swing at him. This was going to hurt his team more then anything. This was going to throw a serious obstacle into AJ’s mind during his next few games and practices. He already seemed pissed off about the fact that Tibbets, who tried to fight him last time, was now on the team, but noooo now Kevin had to go and break his heart. Now he had to go and tell AJ that Todd Fedoruk was moved back down into the minors since Tibbets had come.
“AJ,” Kevin says walking up to him.
“Yeah?” AJ says looking up at him from tying his right skate.
“I gotta talk to you ok,” Kevin says, “I wanna tell you this before you hear it from someone else.”
“Alright…” AJ says looking at Kevin skeptically.
“C’mon,” Kevin says as he walks into the trainer’s room and AJ follows behind him.
“What’s up captain?” AJ asks folding his arms across his chest and smiling as they walk into the trainer’s room and Kevin shuts the door.
“AJ…” Kevin starts off as he folds his hands and brings them up to his mouth for a second, “You’ve been in the league long enough to understand how things work…”
“Get to the point Kevin,” AJ says, “What happened now,” he sighs sitting down on one of the trainer’s tables.
“AJ since Tibbets came we have an overflow on the rooster especially since Tocchet came back…and we needed to make room, so Clarke sent Fridge back down to the minors…”
“WHAT!” AJ yells standing up, “What are you talking about the fat fuck just decided to send him back down…” AJ says putting his hands through his hair and holding onto it.
“He wasn’t getting any playing time AJ. It wasn’t fair to him. He’s getting some now,” Kevin tries to explain.
“For fucking Tibbets! The ass can’t play and he just decides to send Todd down. He’s been playing great. Tocchet comes back and all of the sudden his place is gone. God knows I love Toc I grew up watching with him, but he hasn’t helped us. You know I’m right. Its just…FUCK,” AJ yells.
“AJ we gotta play the Lightening in a few hours…” Kevin says.
“Fuck it,” AJ says standing up again, “Fuck Clarke. Fuck Barber. Fuck you. Fuck this team. I swear to God I have now lost all respect for this damned organization,” AJ snaps before walking over to the door and throwing it open and storming back out into the locker room.
Kevin stares at him and sighs shaking his head. There went their star player’s concentration. There went the Cup.
Nick looks over at AJ on the bench then looks back down at the floor, “You ok man?”
“Fine,” AJ says curtly.
“You sure? I mean I know you and Todd had known each other for a long time and all…”
“Just drop it Nick,” AJ snaps.
“Alright,” Nick says softly backing off.
“Fucking enforcer my ass,” AJ mumbles, “Fridge could beat Tibbets’s ass in no time.”
Nick looks over at AJ and then back down at the floor again. Even though AJ wasn’t supposed to have his head in the game he was still the cause of the Flyers lead of the Lightening 3-0 during this time in the second period. Desjardins had gotten the first goal and AJ had followed up with two consecutive goals one after the other a few minutes later. When people went over to congratulate him about them though he showed little emotion if any. AJ wasn’t playing hard out of love of the game now…he was playing out of anger. His shots were hard slap shots that probably clocked in around ninety plus miles an hour. He was skating around with a very straight face too. No smiles, no laughter, no joking around. It wasn’t AJ. Then another blow hit the team later.
Roenick was out on the ice with Justin and Gagne heading down the ice toward the Lightening net when Ben Clymer leaned over and sent Roenick flying through the air. JR had tried to avoid the contact somehow by jumping into the air, but it almost seemed to worsen it. His right leg made contact with Clymer’s back and went into the air with the rest of him only it bent backwards. It looked painful even to Nick. JR stayed down on the ice before being helped off by Justin and Gags, but didn’t return for the game. They would find out later that he had hyperextended his knee badly and would be out for 2-4 weeks. One goalie and one center down. A few minutes later though Keith Primeau would lead with a rib injury from a collision and now both the Flyers two top center men were gone.
Only two minutes into the third too the score went up 3-2 when Alexeev waited for Boosh to go down into the butterfly before sending a shot up over his right shoulder and into the back of the net. With only a little over two minutes left in the game the Lightening tied the game 3-3 when Sheldon Keefe deflected a shot past Boucher. Kevin was having a fit on the bench since yet again the goal was a result of an unmarked man by Johnnson. They would go into overtime, but nothing would come from it. The Flyers dominated the shots, but yet again were unable to capitalize on finishing a goal. The goalie for the Lightening played his first game against the Flyers.
Once the game was done AJ went out and did his skate for placing in the second star of the game and returned to the locker room with the rest of the guys. It was a tie, but it felt more like a loss to all of them. Tampa Bay should have been a team they beat…every time. They could have easily had six or seven goals, but again the offense struggled and the team blew the win. Tibbets finished his first game at –2 with only one shot on goal and no points. He also was the reason for the first goal let in on Boosh…AJ was ready to kill him.
“C’mon guys we can bounce back,” Kevin says to them weakly, “We just gotta pull together as a team.”
“Team?” AJ laughs, “What team? We have no team,” he says bitterly before picking up his gear and walking out of the locker room.
“No JR, no Brian and no AJ…wonderful,” Nick sighs, “Now we have no character.”
Boucher looks up at him and shrugs, “I’ll try and talk to AJ guys.”
“Good luck,” Rusty says, “He’s not gonna listen to you.”
“I know,” Boosh sighs.
“Fuck,” Kevin says quietly, “way to go Clarke.”
Brian Littrell stares at AJ as he leaves the locker room after practice and shakes his head, “You sure he’s gonna be ok Kev?”
“I dunno,” Kevin sighs taking a seat next to his younger cousin on a bench, “He took it a lot harder then I thought he would.”
“But you gotta figure Todd is like family to him by now,” Brian says, “He only has his mom left after all.”
Kevin nods slowly twisting a piece of prewrap around his fingers.
“I mean I’d feel the same way if Barber traded you,” Brian says, “I mean how would you feel if he traded me?”
“You’re no getting traded Brian.”
“But what if I was. I mean we’re a family here Kev. You’ve grown up around these guys longer then I have. How would you feel if they traded one of them? AJ’s grown up with Fridge and the rest of the five along with the other Phantom players. AJ’s one of those guys who feels safety in numbers and his numbers around him and shrinking now.”
“He still has Boucher, Rusty and Murray…”
Brian looks at him hard and shakes his head.
“He’s gonna flip a shit if Barber trades Boosh next year isn’t he?”
Brian nods.
“We finally come together and look what happens,” Kevin sighs, “Our whole world becomes shit.”
“AJ has a lot in common with those guys. Murray and him both had to fight and prove themselves. Him and Boosh are head cases that put far too much pressure on themselves in the game. Todd and him are both recovering alcoholics. And I’m not really sure where Rusty fits in…I think he just enjoys his company. Give him some time he’ll come around…just as long as Todd comes back.”
Kevin shakes his head and sighs, “Thank God it’s the last day for the trade deadline.”
“You never know what Clarke is planning though,” Brian says.
“I know he just made a trade for Adam Oates. Three draft picks and Maxime Ouellette from the Phanotms.You coming back the next game or what?” Kevin smiles at him.
Brian nods and smiles, “Trying too. I’ll be warming up with you guys tomorrow. I’ll see how the ankle feels.”
“We need a win,” Kevin says.
Brian nods.
“We need to come back together.”
“Hello good morning. How you do? What makes your rising sun so new? I could use a fresh beginning too. All if my regrets are nothing new. So this is the way I say I need you. This is the way. This is the way that I’m learning to breathe. I’m learning to crawl. I’m finding you and you alone can break my fall. I’m living again awake and alive. I’m dieing to breath…”
AJ stares out of the car window as the suburbs of Philadelphia pass him by and a song plays on the radio. Boucher was sitting next to him in the back seat with Rusty while Todd drove the car with Marty n the passenger’s seat. AJ felt like shit…inside and out.
“You ok AJ?” Marty asks turning around in his seat and looking at him, “You look a little pale.”
AJ shrugs looking at him before turning his attention back to the trees as they pass by him.
“You look more solemn then Boosh looks after he lost to the Rangers in that game,” Todd says looking at him through the reflection of the rearview mirror.
AJ looks up and sees his eyes in the mirror before waving off the comment.
“C’mon AJ cheer up,” Rusty says, “It’s boring without having the old AJ. We’re missing enough in the locker room without JR and To…ohhh,” he says as Boucher elbows him in the side.
“Tell me when we get there ok,” AJ says before singing down in his seat and pulling a baseball hat over his eyes.
“I’m learning to breath. I’m learning to crawl. I’m finding out that you and you alone can break my fall. I’m living again, awake and alive. I’m dieing to breath in these abundant skys. Yeahhhh. In these abundant skys. Yeahhh. This is the way I say I need you. This is the way I say I love you. This is the way I say I’m yours. This is the way. This is the way. I’m learning to breath. I’m learning to crawl. I’m finding out that you and you alone can break my fall. I’m living again, awake and alive. I’m dieing to breath in these abundant skys. Yes I’m dieing to breath in these abundant skys. These abundant skys. Yeahhhh. I’m learning to breath. I’m dieing to breath. Hello good morning how you do…”
“C’mon AJ get up,” AJ hears as some shakes his shoulders lightly.
“Huh?” AJ says sitting up and moving his hat back from his eyes.
“C’mon get up,” Boucher says looking at him.
“Alright,” AJ says stretching slightly and opening the car, “Hey Willy,” he says standing up outside the car as Williams and Nick look at him.
“Have a good nap?” Nick asks him.
“Be quiet Carter,” he says as Nick smiles at him.
“Alright whose first then?” Justin asks.
“I am,” Nick says.
“And who says?” Justin asks.
“I go first I’m the oldest,” Boosh says.
“Oh pull the age factor out,” Justin says.
“Heyyyy,” Boosh says looking at him.
“Nick just try not to fall in the gutter again ok,” Todd says to Nick.
Nick stares at him and makes a face.
“C’mon Nicky boy,” Todd says putting an arm around Nick’s shoulders putting him into a head lock and leading him across the parking lot towards the bowling alley.
“You ok man?” Boosh asks AJ as they start walking.
AJ shrugs, “I’ll be fine.”
“You ok now?”
“No,” AJ says.
“We need you man,” Brian says to him, “Kevin can’t hold this team together by himself without JR.”
AJ nods.
“And I really don’t need another loss under my belt,” Boosh smiles.
“Ohhh I see how it works,” AJ smiles, “It’s all about the Boosh now and RUSTY is not in charge of the scorecard this time,” AJ yells up to the rest.
“Why not?” Ruslan asks turning around.
“You write too damn slow,” AJ smiles.
“Just because I’m Ukrainian doesn’t me that.”
“I didn’t say that. If I wanted to call you a Russian whore again I would,” AJ smiles.
“UKRAINIAN,” Rusty yells back.
“Close enough,” AJ smiles at him as Fedoruk walks back with Nick still in a headlock.
“OWWW he bit me,” Todd says.
“Careful he spits too,” AJ says, “And Nick please don’t fall in the gutter this time.”
“I won’t already,” Nick puffs, “Fall in the gutter one time and you’re branded for life. What?” he asks looking at Justin.
“You’re an idiot.”
“We are down a goal yet again,” AJ says as he sits on the bench next to Nick.
“We’re always down a goal in the beginning usually,” Nick says.
AJ looks at him and nods, “Sad but true.”
Yes the Flyers were down yet again in the beginning of the first period. A pass had been picked off as Luke Richardson went to give one to Kevin across the ice. It was too soft and an Anaheim Duck came by and took it for a break away goal on Boosh at 11:33. Brian Littrell was scheduled to play in goal for his return, but during practice his ankle didn’t seem to hold up and once again Boucher was put in net.
During the second though AJ had lost his composure again and was ready to kill Tibbets again. He had taken a bad slashing penalty and if that wasn’t bad enough he then started to argue the call and got an unsportsmanlike conduct call giving Anaheim a four-minute power play. Thankfully with Boucher’s help the team was able to kill the power play off leaving four and a half minutes left in the second for them to score a goal. This first goal came courtesy of Gagne scoring his thirtieth goal of the season. The play started with Williams, who had been playing the game like he weighed twenty pounds more, who gave a hard fore check onto the defense making the player try a blind clearing attempt. The goal went unassisted though.
The third period started off with a lot of pressure from the Flyers, but slowed down quickly. Tibbets got away with interference as a Duck made his way down the ice towards Boosh. At 12:26 Recchi slid the puck at, the Duck’s goaltender, Shield’s feet. Oates picked it up and gave the rebound back to John LeClaire who jammed it home for his 23rd goal and Oates’s first as a Flyer. The rest of the time was spent keeping the defense up and in the end the Ducks pulled their goaltender in favor of an extra attacker. Nothing would come of it though and the Flyers would win the game 2-1 ending their winless streak.
It wasn’t the best win, but it was a win nonetheless and they needed the points to take the lead in front of Boston. Jeremy Roenick was in the tunnel watching the game the whole time pounding on the glass as hits and the goals were delivered. Doctors predicted that his injury would keep him out from two to four weeks. JR’s prediction…one-week tops. The defense held up well throughout the whole game except for the one mistake that lead to a goal. Justin Williams though once again got a lot of recognition for throwing his small frame all over the ice. Oates didn’t stand out much in his first game, but it had to be humbling to play your first game on home ice in a city like Philadelphia. On to the Penguins next.
“Do you want me to make you a towel too?” AJ ask Recchi who was playing in his 1000th game today.
“Nah I’m ok,” Recchi smiles at him.
AJ nods, “Alrighty then. You don’t know what you’re missing out on though just as JR.”
It was midway through the second and the Flyers were tied 1-1 with the Penguins with a goal early on from Dan McGillis for the Flyers. The Pittsburgh goal came from a breakaway on Boucher. Boucher made a terrific save on the shot, but the rebound bounced to the left and Hrdina fired it into the net. At 13:21 Tibbets and his former teammate Oliwa dropped the gloves. Tibbets was out numbered in size and the two fell to the ice before any serious blows were exchanged. Of course Tibbets picked up two penalties an instigation minor and a ten-minute misconduct giving the Pens the first power play of the afternoon. AJ was ready to kill him. Thankfully nothing came from it.
During the second both goalies could have taken naps, as there were no shots on goal until 8:22. Then at 9:34 Marty Murray broke the tie off an assist from Ruslan Fedetenko. Williams almost had the third goal at 12:06 as he went on net, but was hauled down by a Penguin. A few shoves were exchanged and Tibbets came down the ice shoving Penguin players out of the way from Justin coming to his defense. Nick looked at AJ during this who only puffed and mumbled, “Ok maybe I should give the rapist a chance.” Justin came back though at 15:08 when he scored his fifteenth of the season off a pass from Tibbets and brought the score to 3-1. Two minutes later though down near the Pittsburgh net a large fight broke out between the two teams on the ice as Gagne was hit after the whistle. Gagne, who probably hadn’t gotten into a fight all year, jumped up and started to push and shove with a Penguin player as two more came up to him. As usual the Flyer players came over to help out thief fallen teammate of course the first one to arrive there was Marty Murray who was ganged up on by two Penguin players. Weinrich went to help Murray who was still tied up and getting hit in the head. AJ was having a field day on the bench though cheering him on as he received his first roughing minor of the season.
During the third though the team collapsed in the period of one minute as the Penguins put two past Boucher. Boucher had no chance on either of them though as they were both deflections from other players. The Flyers though went on a five on three at 5:54 and took the lead with a goal from another Gagne goal off an Oates and Recchi assist. At 14:29 though Williams made the mistake of trying to pass the puck out of their zone as he blocked a shot. The puck was flipped toward the net and was knocked in off Kovalev’s arm. Kevin, once again, went over and argued the goal with the refs pointing out that Kovalev did not hit the puck in with his stick. Regardless of the fact it was still a goal and the game was tied 4-4.
The game went into overtime, which was relatively slow except for short breaks of either team getting some chances on net. Boucher though made the save of the game as he saved a shot from Jeff Toms who was heading down the ice with Kovalev. He made the initial save standing in front of the net, but the rebound went over towards the left post as he threw himself over and made the save with his shoulder. The game ended in a tie and both teams got a point.
Well at least it wasn’t a loss.
