“Brian’s back,” AJ says looking up in the Buffalo Flyers dressing room as Brian walks into the room.

“Long time,” Brian smiles down at him before taking a seat next to him.

“We need to win,” Nick says to them, “Boston is trailing in their game now. We win this we tie for first.”

“They’re trailing?” AJ asks him.

Nick nods in reply as he begins to pull on his pads.

“Can’t loose,” AJ says to himself.

“Gone almost a month…one day short,” Nick says to Brian.

“Yup,” Brian smiles, “Feels good to be playing tonight again.”

“Just stop the puck please,” AJ smiles at him.

“I hope,” Brian says, “I hope.”

Nick should have known it was going to be a brutal game when only two minutes into it a fight broke out between McAllister and Boulton. The first period was slow though. The first tough save Brian had to make was eight minutes into the game and most of the first was spent with either team having 4 on 4 or 4 on 3. AJ got into his first fight in a while though at 18:53 when he and Boulton came together. He only threw one punch at Boulton sending him crashing to the ice in response to Boulton creaming Desjardins into the boards. After that Kalinen jumped onto AJ’s back trying to help his teammate ending up in a third man penalty. AJ though picked up an instigation, a fighting minor and a game misconduct…17 minutes to one man. Boulton got a minor for unsportsmanlike conduct. And that was the end of the first.

In the second though a shooting gallery hit Brian with him making a series of saves. A five on three hit in favor of the Sabers then and one got by Brian from Satan over his right shoulder at 3:15. The rest of the second was much like the first with a series of power plays switching between the two teams with bad call after bad calling occurring. Kevin was having a fit on the bench and on the ice as well. One resulted in a Saber power play with a ref calling a penalty later in favor of the Flyers to balance things out. The Flyers got a whole 19 seconds of power play for themselves. The shots were 14-8 at the end of the second and the Sabers were held with their one goal lead.

Then at 10:34 into the third the Flyers came back tying the game with a goal by AJ his 29th of the season. Then at 14:45 another defensive break down occurred for the Flyers when Oates and Desjardins had a miscommunication about who was going after Dumont…both though the other was going after him. They both collided as Satan passed to Dumont and Oates knocked Desjardins stick out of his hand. Dumont buried the one timer behind Brian and the score was now 2-1. With only 1:28 left Brian was pulled. With under five seconds to go though Satan scored the empty netter putting the Sabers up 3-1 and the Sabers would go on to win the game.

Kevin was flipping a shit though, Nick could see that much. The team had never lost three straight under Barber as a coach and they now remained stuck 2 points, a win, behind Boston with the next game against Boston the next night at home. Brian looked shaky though letting in two of only sixteen shots on him. Boucher would get the call tomorrow no doubt. AJ though was yelling the whole time for the team to stop shooting glove side on Biron…no pucks ever got by Biron that way. The officiating was horrible, the team had only scored a goal per game in the past three games, Kevin was having kanipshits and the playoffs were fast approaching. They NEEDED to win the game tomorrow against Boston.

The return of Roenick…didn’t help.

Nick stares as Boucher makes a huge save on a break away by Rolston and the net is knocked off its moorings. The net was actually turned 180 degrees and pushed to the back boards as play continued and the Flyers headed down to the Sabers net. Boucher looked horrified looking all around and pointing behind himself at the net. AJ was yelling at the ref from the bench with Fedetenko as Desjardins passed the puck to Kevin who lets a shot go that is deflected into the net by Oates at 5:19.

“Nevermind,” AJ yells down the ice at the officials as the First Union Center erupts at the goal. Nick was just happy AJ wasn’t flipping out again about the fact that Tibbets was back.

The Bruins argued the call, but to no avail. Then at 7: 44 Primeau got out the Bruins pressure on Boucher with the puck and headed down the ice. He ended up in a one on one with Murray as he approached the net. Primeau put it between his legs though and moved around him taking the shot and putting it into the top shelf of the net. Flyers were in the lead 2-0. At 8:16 though Kevin dropped the gloves with Bonvie. Bonvie partially hit Kevin with a couple of shots, but with one hard right to the left side of his head Kevin knocked him down at the crowd erupted. At 11:51 Ranheim got into a fight with Brown with Ranheim as the aggressor. The two traded swats with the sticks before getting tied up with teammates. After that it was a strong shift of the Justin and Gagne line with Justin getting a number of good shots on goal. After that shift AJ hit the ice with Primeau and Fedetenko as Stock came up and knocked Primeau down with a two handed bump to the chest after the whistle. After that all hell broke loose and AJ came up behind Stock and decked him sending him crashing to the ice. Stock got up from it though and dropped the gloves as AJ backed away with Kevin pulling him back. The teams went to four on four with penalties being called on both AJ and Stock. On the four on four though Boston got a goal as Gill redirected a puck past a helpless Boucher. Gill was wide open for the pass as Desjardins stood there watching him, 2-1. After the penalties expired though AJ and Stock came together again as AJ dropped his gloves pushing Stock around as he skated away drawing another penalty on himself. With only 12 seconds left Boston tied the game though as Therein gave up the puck to two Bruin players. Murray had time to line up and shoot by himself beating Boucher. At center ice though on the counter rush after the goal Williams is dragged down and held down by a Bruin for some time being kicked in the process…no penalty was called and that was how the first ended.

“I though you were friend with Stock?” Nick asks AJ as the two sit next to each other on the bench for the second.

AJ shakes his head, “A different color uniform changes everything,” AJ mutters, “Changes fucking everything. Play with a guy for years in the minors and the whole relationship changes,” he says taking a sip of his water and then spitting it out onto the ice, “Well the first ten minutes we played were good at least,” he mutters.

The second was pathetic even at Nick’s standards. Boucher was having an onslaught of shots on him and the defense was crumbling time after time. Passes were being given up and intercepted. Boucher made save after save and made a save on Murray one timer as the rebound some how found a wide-open Bill Guerin. AJ was having a fit as Guerin had enough time by himself to let a blast from the right circle past Boucher. After all AJ did know his dangerous the man was…he played with him in the Olympics. The second remained uneventful except for the Boston goal and the Flyers got ready for the third down 3-2.

The third was even worse though…if that was possible. The power plays were horrible, pucks were being given up again, no offense and the defense was making mistake after mistake. This ended up in a bad Johnsson pass that Rolston got and headed down on another break away. Boucher came out of his net challenging him at first, but decided not to at the last second. This ended up with Rolston steering around Boucher and into the open net, 4-2. The Barber started juggling his lines. Nick hated when he juggled his lines and Nick didn’t even have his regular line with him tonight with Murray still absent. Boucher made some nice saves on a Roenick penalty. Boucher was pulled with just over a minute left, but nothing came of it. Four losses in a row with only five goals in their last four games.

Ohhhh they were going to get a talk tomorrow.

AJ McLean’s online journal:

Someone shoot me now…seriously here folks we suck. We suck. WE SUCK. I can’t even put on a happy face now. I hate it. Christ I have the worst head ache and I know when I go to practice today I’m gonna get a lecture…that’s really not what I need now. We need to improve that’s what we need and we need more effort. Boucher was saying last night that the effort was there, but I don’t think it is. We are having break down after breakdown on defense. Our offense…what offense? Our goaltender situation is up in the air. I don’t blame it on our goaltenders though. Boosh got an onslaught last night with 36 shots and Brian is coming back after sitting almost a month. They’re both trying hard. I just don’t know where the team in going now. I was reading the paper today and the headline was “Bruins 4 Ruins 2”. Wonderful thanks for the support folks. Ahhhh I gotta stop complaining though. But even I cannot smile during this issue…hell not even JR can and that depresses all of us. Kevin is pissed at everything. He’s one of those really bad perfectionists and when he thinks he sucks…he REALLY thinks he sucks. I was reading something that said the only bright spot in this whole shit is the way Willy and Nick play. I gotta give it to those two they work their asses off every damned day and are finally getting recognized for it now. Good they deserve it. I’m glad people are recognizing how good they play every night. You know what…actually…all this shit started when FRICKIN Tibbets got here. I hate that man with a passion and I’m not gonna hide it. He’ll probably pistol-whip me when I’m not looking now though. I got an ultimatum for you now next season, yes I will put up with him this season, but next it’s him or me. I mean it.

Ok thinking better thoughts. Thinking better thoughts…empty. Nah the Flyers Wives are auctioning off some signing sticks and you can se the selection on the Flyers home page. We have all the players from the Flyers and then various players from other teams. Lay off the Roy one though…that mother is mine. I may think he is a Looney Tune, but that man is genius. Anyway Boucher thinks he is better then me now because he clicked off 126 of those little lights on our reflex machine. He is the champion currently. We’ll see about that. I’m up to…*cough*57*cough* and counting. I will concur him soon, haha. Boosh you’re going down if you’re reading this. And I swear to God Carter if you beat him before I do, like that time in ping-pong, I will find you and hurt you. This is my show damnit. Oh yeah Willy is gonna be in Philadelphia Magazine for something. Not sure what issue, but everyone go get it and mock him like I am going to do. I love ya frenchie.

Anyway so many people have been coming up to me and asking me about what I think about the goaltending. I reply, “Well it all depends on the Boosh factor now”. Mind you this doesn’t mean that Boosh can only get us there not Brian…not at all Brian is very capable of it I think. I’m just not so sure now because of his bad ankle, but we’ll see how he does with his ankle tomorrow. I’m still feeling pain for Litts though. I’m sorry Litts. I really am. Anyway the “Boosh factor”, there are a series of elements that contribute to this and they are the following:

1. If Boucher is actually playing (Big one there)

2. If he is playing is he comfortable with it (Boucher has been known to throw one of his well known fits when he isn’t informed prior to a start)

3. If the defense plays well and so does the offense to support him (As you can see we are currently lacking this factor…horribly lacking)

4. If Boucher has been playing well prior to the game at hand (Boucher is a basket case. I love him like a brother, but he really gets on himself about it if he looses sometimes. He’s as bad as Kevin…almost. And damn do you people get down on him if we lose. Normally its not his fault…we just, well, suck)

5. If he doesn’t have a threat against him (Ok I can explain this in one of two ways. Boucher has either secured the job as a starter and is comfortable in the role. Example: He played great in the beginning of the season because he knew he had the job. Second way, Brian is out of commission. I love ya Bri, but Boucher seems to freeze up whenever he sees you on the bench sitting there ready to take his place.)

This all adds up to the “Boosh factor” and if he is going to play well or not. Hell the guy either stands on his head or you people condemn him. I kept getting on him after we lost the game with Litts, I STILL feel bad Litts even a paragraph later, in the net, that for once we lost and it wasn’t his fault. That is the infamous “Boosh factor”. I’ve had that made up since I met him and he through a puck at my head in the minors telling me to, “Get my ass up to the blue line”, after I left a man open on a power play that the other team scored on. Every team has a basket case goaltender though look at Roy, pronounced Wah for you people who don’t know. So many people have been asking me how is Roy, said like its spelled.

Nick stares around the rink at Voorhees and sighs. Half the team was gone…all of their starters. They were all getting talked t by the coach and Bobby Clarke. Mark Recchi and LeClaire had been called in alone prior to get talked to by themselves. So here he was out here with the rest of the non-starters and Brian was in net taking some shots. Nick’s heart wasn’t in it now though. He just wanted to win the game tomorrow. Brian had gotten the call and Nick knew that if Brian won the game tomorrow Boucher would hardly ever get to start again. Bobby had been saying the whole time that Brian would be their starter even through his injury and Nick wasn’t sure if that was the best idea. He didn’t even want to think of what would happen if they lost tomorrow again though. That would be the straw that would break the camels back.

People, fans, were made because the team wasn’t showing up. Most of the star players were invisible. John LeClaire and Rexs had taken the blunt of the beating from fans though. The few to get away scratch less were himself, Justin, JR, AJ and Preems. They needed to win…badly. They were now four points behind Boston with only a few games left before playoffs and they were slated to play the New Jersey Devils from their spot in the East now. It didn’t matter that the Devils were at the bottom of the list…no one wanted to play the Devils the first time around. Nick was worried though. Worried about the team as a whole and their scoring. Most of all he was worried about the playoffs and the goalie situation. But like Boosh said in an interview. If they kept playing like they were worrying wasn’t going to do any good and they were going to make a quick exit in the playoffs again this year. Damn nothing ever went in Nick’s favor.

“Everyone on the bikes now,” Kevin says as the team files one by one into the locker after the game against the Canadians.

“Damn,” AJ sighs as he begins to pull off his equipment.

“Well…I guess Kevin is pissed,” Nick says to him as he does the same.

“Pissed? More like horrified…angered…beyond words to describe let down,” AJ says.

“You’re…so…cheery,” Nick says to him.

AJ shrugs, “Everything is depressing me now.”

“Let’s go,” Kevin says as he walks back into the work out room dressed in shorts and a t-shirt.

“Here we go,” AJ sighs.

They had lost…again for the fifth time in a row now. The game had ended with a score of 3-1 in favor of the Canadians. It might have been a shut out too if Primeau had not gotten a goal in the third period. Brian had had an off game too. The first and third goal he let in were stoppable. The third was the worst though and Brian knew it slamming his stick on the ice and doubling over after the buzzer went off the signal the goal. He had an awkward demeanor about him too and AJ wasn’t so sure about him playing in goal. Regardless of that fact though the team had played like crap anyway. JR had only managed one shot the whole game and the hardest workers once again were Nick and Justin. And now not only did they have to worry about the Bruins in first they had to worry about the Islanders who were coming up behind them fast. The Philadelphia fans didn’t like losing either. They hated it in fact. You know it was bad when they start booing you in your own stadium.

Now Kevin was angry, actually beyond angry, but he was controlling himself…somewhat. He had said that it would be good if everyone went into the work out room and worked out a little. For once in AJ’s whole hockey career the entire team went into the back room and worked out instead of talking to the press. The only people who didn’t go back were the few who were in the trainer’s room for injuries. AJ got on a bike beside Boucher with Nick on his other side while the others road the bikes or worked out on something else. AJ could see the Comcast Sports Center camera poking a lens through a crack in the door and a whispering reporter talking about the situation. There were no excuses for them now. They were supposed to be Stanley Cup Contenders not…this.

“Ahhhhhh,” AJ screams off the bench as Williams gets a pass from Roenick and sends a quick shot past Penguins goalie Aubin for the first goal of the game at 11:52, “That is how you start off a 1st period!” he yells as Roenick and Gagne skate up to Justin to congratulate him.

“Let’s keep it up boys!” Kevin yells down the ice from his defensive position near Brian, who was in the goal again.

The Penguins had only 6 shots in the first period and the dominating Flyers continued into the second and third. Brian kept all the pucks out of the net except for one in the second by Donovan. The Flyer however added one in the second by Roenick and a third goal with 2.6 seconds left to go in the third by Oates on an empty netter. The mood of the team had risen along with that of the fans finally. The losing streak was over and hopefully a new one would begin. Maybe it was because AJ continued to sing the song “Rome wasn’t built in a day” the whole time on the bench. Maybe it was because of the fact AJ had an odd smirk on his face after Tibbets had gotten beaten up by Oliwa. Maybe it was the fact that Kevin was actually smiling for once on the ice. Maybe it was the fact that the Bruins had lost and they were only three points behind them now. Maybe it was the fact that the team finally came together after so long. Maybe it was the fact that AJ and JR were quoting Slapshot. Maybe it was the fact that AJ was amazed that there was actually a guy named Kanipshit after JR had said how the Penguins goaltender had probably gone into the locker and had a kanipshit after the second and the guys at Comcast had taken it to mean the hockey player. Of course the fact that AJ had kissed an unexpecting Kevin on the cheek during one of the breaks on the Kiss Cam towards the end of the second. The bench had erupted into a fit of laughter among cheers and laughs from the crowd as Kevin could only shake his head at AJ. Well he had completed one of his goals. Every team needed an AJ. It was highly recommended by the Flyers.

Thirty-Eight

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