“I can’t hear you. I can’t hear you,” AJ says to Kevin as Kevin stares down at him in the Flyer locker room in Carolina as they got dressed for the game that night against the Hurricanes.
“Must you be so juvenile?” Kevin asks him.
“Yes,” AJ says looking up at him.
“Oh now you hear me?”
“Nope…I read lips,” AJ says to him smiling.
“Get outta here,” Kevin jokes around with him.
“AJ leave…ha,” Williams says walking by.
“Williams not act like an ass…ha,” AJ says back to him smiling.
“Hey now we need to win this game ok,” Kevin says to the rest of his team speaking to them all now, “Litts is getting his first NHL start and he deserves a win, he says motioning to Neil Little who would be getting the call in goal that night.
“We love you Litts,” AJ says to Neil.
“And if our leading scorer can actually let me get through one of my speeches it would be nice,” Kevin says looking at AJ.
“Me?” AJ says looking around before smiling and going quiet.
“As I was saying. We are coming off a string of two high caliber wins and we have a five game undefeated streak going on now. We’re two points behind Boston and with a win here we’ll be tied for first again before going to play the Sabers at home Saturday. So let’s pull one out for Litts ok.”
“Here here,” AJ says once he is sure Kevin is done and Kevin shakes his head at him, “I miss JR,” AJ says turning to Nick who is on his right, “It’s boring in here being the only loud one with Todd gone too.”
Williams stops in front of the two of them and looks at them.
“Hey since JR is gone now I can be the one to call you sweetness,” AJ says to him.
“I’m leaving now,” Williams says walking off.
“Wait!” AJ yells standing up, “Don’t go frenchie. Don’t go sweetness,” he says before erupting into a fit of giggles.
“Sweetness?” Nick says looking at AJ.
“I dunno,” AJ shrugs, “JR started to call him that after a month of being here. I have no idea why actually.”
Nick shakes his head and laughs slightly, “Thank God I’m just Nick.”
“Oh we’ll change that,” AJ smirks, “JR and I just gotta figure one out for you,” he says smirking.
“And yet again we are down a goal early in the first,” AJ says as the Hurricanes score on their tenth shot on Neil.
“It’s going under review though,” Williams says to him.
“They’ll never call anything on it. Maybe interference, but probably not.”
It had been a bad goal for Neil. Kapanan had taken the shot and Litts had gotten most of it. The puck popped over her at the top of the crease though and bounced back hitting the crossbar before ricocheting forward and hitting Neil in the back then back into the net. It was the type of goal that pissed the hell out of most goaltenders. The goal did go under review for a little, but was ultimately aloud much to the Flyers dislike. The Flyers were playing pathetically though. Kevin was having a kanipshit whenever he got to the bench for a line change and a number of choice could be heard coming from Barber. There were penalties happening all over the ice and the only shot registered on goal by the Flyers was from AJ by the end of the first. The shots on goal were 11-1 in favor of the Hurricanes.
In the second in all fell to hell though. Johnsson missed a goal early in the first on a double power play when he hit the crossbar and after that it all fell apart. After that another power play was called in favor of the Flyers. During the play though Mark Recchi had his stick knocked away him and over the boards into the seats. Meanwhile Justin Williams was hauled down as he crossed the blue line. Neither was called as a penalty. At 7:12 former Flyer Rod Brind’Amour skated to the goalie crease and redirected a pass with his skate past Neil little. The play was reviewed, but since Rod did not make a kicking motion with his foot it was a legal goal.
With 5:53 left in the second Sean Hill scored the third Hurricane goal beating Little on a quick shot. Two minutes and fifty-one seconds Tibbets decided to collar Adams and drag him into the Flyer goal crease sending him crashing on top of Little with a delayed penalty coming to Tibbets. Little was still down with Adams on top of him as the rookie Svoboda took the shot and sent it into the net above the pile. That set off Little who began to throw punches down at Adams who was still lying on the ice in his crease. This set off everyone else on the teams. McAllister stunned Aaron War with one punch to the face before going to fight Adams who had gotten up. AJ was busy scuffling around with other Hurricane players fresh off a line change and coming in towards the end of the fourth’s line time. On the other side of the ice Tibbets was in a classic hockey fight with Marek Malik. Both lost their jerseys and Malik had a diffident size advantage over Tibbets. AJ was just hoping that Tibbets would get his ass beaten. Kevin was trying to pull AJ away form another fight. By the end of it 72 penalty minutes were given out and resulted in a two man minor to Tibbets for instigation being the only difference between the two teams penalty minutes. Kevin had to basically haul AJ back to the bench though as he continued to scream across the ice at Hurricane players and Tibbets who had signaling handily caused the goal and the penalty. By the end of the period the Hurricanes were up 4-0.
During the third the only goal of the period would come from Kim Johnsson off an assist from Recchi and Oates. During the final Simone Gagne left the ice due to a neck strain. The Flyers would go on the loose the game 4-1 and remaining two points the Boston Bruins in their division. They would have to play the Buffalo Sabers on Saturday at the First Union Center. It was a disappointing loss and Little had deserved a win, but the team just wasn’t there. AJ felt horrible.
“JR!!!!” AJ yells running into the locker room the next day and hugging JR.
“Son of a bitch,” Kevin says walking in and smiling at him, “They say 2-4 weeks and you come back in seven days.”
“It’s me,” JR smiles, “Of course.”
“Back to full strength…almost,” AJ says.
Kevin shakes his head and AJ, “Aren’t you ever depressed?”
“Of course,” AJ says, “I get depressed whenever I look at Tibbets.”
“AJ…” Kevin starts.
“I know. I know. If you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all,” AJ sighs before walking off back to his locker and singing slightly, “Buried deep as you can dig inside yourself, and covered with a perfect shell, such a charming beautiful exterior. This is one time that you can't fake it hard enough to please everyone or anyone at all. And the grave that you refuse to leave the refuge that you've built to flee the places you have come to fear the most. Buried deep as you can dig inside yourself, and hidden in the public eye. Such a stellar monument to loneliness. Laced with brilliant smiles and shining eyes and perfect makeup but you're barely scraping by.”
Kevin shakes his head and looks as Brian Littrell walks over to him.
“Hey,” Brian smiles.
“Does that kid ever calm down?” JR asks them.
“AJ?” Kevin says, “No. He’s happy now because Tibbets got suspended for two games after last night.”
“Figures,” Brian says.
“I mean the idiot has played only five minutes of ice time a game and he has more penalty minutes then that,” Kevin sighs, “We don’t need that in the play offs.”
“Feeling better?” JR asks Brian.
“Yeah, a lot. I think I’m ready to go back,” Brian says.
Kevin nods, “You know Boosh has gotten the call for Saturday though, right?”
Brian nods, “I figured he would.”
Kevin smiles, “Welcome back to the team.”
“God knows I missed it,” Brian says.
“Hey what about me?” JR asks.
“You’ve only been gone for eleven days JR and even then you weren’t completely gone,” Kevin smiles at him.
“Smart ass,” JR smiles before walking over to his locker.
“I’m gonna go get dressed ok,” Brian says to Kevin before walking over to his locker.
“What do you think is gonna happen with the goalie?” Nick asks walking up to Kevin.
“I dunno,” Kevin says, “Brian’s ankle is a bad liability. Ankle sprains don’t just go away like that. Boosh…Boosh is wonderful when he knows he has the spot. Like he played in his rookie year and how he is playing now. It’s only when you add Brian in there that he gets nervous and makes bad mistakes. Right now Barber is saying Brian has it. I don’t agree with it. I love Brian he’s my cousin and all, but this is coming from my point of view as a captain,” Kevin sighs, “You can’t just hand him the job after him sitting for so long. He needs to prove he is capable of handling it because hell he fell hard in the playoffs last year. As of now I give the job to Boosh.”
Nick nods, “Since Tibbets is out is Fridge being called up again?”
“I dunno,” Kevin says, “but I swear if Tibbets gets ice time in the play offs I am giving up my captaincy.”
“Here we go boys!” Kevin yells off the bench as Gagne heads down the ice turning on his jets and closing in on the Buffalo Sabers goal with Fedetenko next to him. LeClaire makes room for Gagne as he shifts over to the goal drawing the goalie to him before giving the puck to Fedetenko. Fedetenko fires the puck into the open net scoring the first goal of the night in the second period.
“Hey we’re not down for once,” Nick says.
“Don’t jinx us,” AJ says to him as Fedoruk looks down at him from next to him.
“Yeah don’t jinx us man,” Fedoruk says to Nick.
The Flyers had gotten the first goal of the night much in part to Boucher’s goaltending. The shots were 8-2 on net in the first period with the Sabers leading. The Flyers were playing poorly and Kevin could see it. Nothing was clicking with the team. AJ was happy though because with all the scratches Fedoruk and Lefebvre were called up from the Phantoms. The list of scratches had grown with the adding on of Marty Murray and Rick Tocchet. Brian Littrell was on the bench now though waiting to go into his first game back Monday night. And hopefully Roenick would be back soon.
“Awwww wham bam thank you maim,” AJ and Fedoruk sing sitting on the bench.
Well at least part of Kevin’s team had energy. He smiles at AJ shaking his head before looking down at the ice as Williams is hooked by Sabers goalie Biron again. Well the goalies didn’t seem to like Willy that much. At 8:56 though Kevin’s defense crumpled and McGillis gave up a turnover in the left defensive circle. Boucher stopped a big shot from the slot and then stopped the rebound from Gratton. Two saves in a row didn’t seem to be enough though for the team as the defense basically stopped and watched as Satan got the puck and flipped it into the empty portion of the net since Brian was already down from the previous two saves. There went the lead. At 9:33 Williams dragged down Brian Campbell and showed his anger by the call when he fired the puck after the whistle into the boards. It was a bad call and Justin knew it and he could have gotten more for firing the puck.
After that it was all down hill as the Sabers scored again as Smelhlik put a wrist shot into the net past Boucher off a deflection from Therein at 16: 29. Boucher had no time to react off the deflection from his own man. Seconds later Williams fired a shot that rang off the post and made the whole Flyers bench cringe. The shots were 12-8 for the Sabers in the second and the Flyers fans booed as the buzzer sounded the end of the second.
It got worse though when 12 seconds into the third Dumont fired a dump in behind the net and fed Gratton for a quick redirection inside the left post. Gratton had slipped in behind the Flyers defense and Boucher had no chance again. It was a wake up call to the Flyers then who dominated the rest of the period with shots and pressure on net. The refs made it hard for them to score though as pucks were blown dead when they weren’t causing at least one goal taken away from Fedetenko as he scored after a whistle blew the play dead when the ref lost sight of the puck. Barber started to mix the lines up trying to create any chemistry and in the end Boucher was pulled in favor of an extra attacker. The game ended in the Sabers favor 3-1 as the fans in the First Union Center booed. The playoffs were just nine games away now and the Flyers were not in the shape they needed to be remaining two points behind Boston still in the East Coast standings.
“I feel like shit,” AJ mutters as Fedoruk walks into the living room of his apartment.
“What are ya gonna do,” Fedoruk shrugs taking a seat on the couch next to Nick and Williams.
“When you gotta go meet your girlfriend?” Justin asks Fedoruk.
“Hour,” Fedoruk says.
AJ nods and takes a seat in his recliner.
“So we’re the lonely ones then?” Nick asks AJ.
AJ nods, “Me, you and sweetness over there,” he says pointing to Justin.
“Why does Roenick call me that?” Justin asks, “Please tell me.”
AJ shrugs, “I dunno frenchie.”
“Happy Easter to you all,” Fedoruk says.
“Wonderful Easter,” AJ mutters, “Coming off a horrible loss to the Sabers, two points behind Boston in the standings and only nine games away from the playoffs. I’ve been playing like shit and our team is falling apart.”
Nick looks at him before sighing, “I liked our team better before with Manderville and Fridge.”
“Amen to that,” AJ says as Fedoruk smiles.
“Miss me that much?” Fedoruk asks.
“I just can’t take that Tibbets guy,” AJ says, “I swear he is the reason I have been playing like shit. I feel like I have to make up for all the bad plays he’s made. You know when the last time I actually got into a fight was? A long time ago. I can’t even risk it with how close the games have been lately. I wanna go back to the minors,” he sighs.
“Don’t say that,” Nick says.
“Why not?” AJ asks, “I could play my game down there. I could fly down the ice score a goal then get into a fight.”
“We’d be screwed without you,” Justin says.
AJ shakes his head, “I hate playing on a team where I don’t like people.”
“Hey you have Justin and I,” Nick says.
“Yeah,” Justin says.
“I just want that Cup,” AJ says, “I just want it so much.”
“You’ll get it,” Todd says to him.
“This is depressing guys,” Nick says reaching onto the coffee table and picking up the remote to the TV, “We all need to cheer up,” he says turning on the TV to Comcast Sports Net.
“Oh did you see the Avalanche game last night?” Justin chirps sitting up straight.
“Roy is a Looney Tune,” AJ says nodding, “Completely flipped his lid last night. Nick I don’t want to watch tennis,” AJ says taking the remote from Nick and changing the channel to 45 where Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is playing, “I will never stop defending my cause that Roy is a basket case,” he says standing up and walking over to his small kitchen area and looking around.
“No you guys should have seen it,” Justin says, “He completely lost it last night. He through his stick and then a penalty was called on him. He was mad to begin with because he said the stick slipped not thrown. So then Kolanos went for the penalty shot and scored on it. Roy lost it. He slammed his stick onto the net and then threw the frickin thing down the ice. Airmailed the sucker. He was either aiming for the ref or Kolanos. Then he went charging out of his net and began pushing the ref around…it was great,” Justin smiles.
“That guy is absolutely mad,” AJ says walking back in with a bag of opened pretzels, “That whole feud between him and Roenick earlier was entertaining though. The whole bit that he couldn’t hear JR because of his two Stanley Cup rings in his ears. It was great. Then how JR said he wouldn’t answer a question because it didn’t matter anyway because Roy couldn’t hear him with the rings in his ears,” AJ smiles, “The man is a Looney Tune I’m telling you.”
Nick looks at him and shakes his head.
“He annoys me,” AJ says, “Him, Tibbets and the guy who sells those Gazelle things,” AJ says as Nick shakes his head, “I’ve been hit by every type of car in the world, but I’ve survived because I use my gazelle.”
Fedoruk smiles at him and laughs slightly, “Haven’t changed a bit since I met you,” he says to AJ.
“Thank you,” AJ says smiling.
“What’s your goal now?” Justin asks AJ taking some pretzels.
“Celebrity duck still?” Nick asks.
“Nope,” AJ says, “I wanna get on the kiss cam.”
Nick stares at him before breaking out into laughter. The kiss cam was at the First Union Center that occurred during breaks on the ice when a camera man would focus on a couple in the crowd putting their picture of the big screens until the couple kissed.
“You do that AJ,” Todd says.
“Just watch me,” AJ says.
“I’m not sitting next to you anymore then,” Justin says.
“Fine be that way,” AJ says, “I will take my business else where.”
“Here we go again,” Nick laughs.
“On to the Cup,” AJ says raising a beer.
“On to the Cup,” the other three say raising their beers.
“Hey you’re not 21 yet frenchie,” AJ says.
“Yes I am,” Justin says as the other three stare at him.
