Game 1: Flyers 3, Devils 2

I didn't watch all of this game -- I was flipping around between this game, the Phillies-Pirates game, and the college hockey national semifinal game (awesomely dubbed the Frozen Four!!) between the University of Maine and Boston College -- as I'm trying not to let myself get too excited. I know the Flyers will lose; it's automatic. They're playing the Devils. With or without Public Enemy No. 1 Scott Stevens -- it doesn't matter. They will lose and I will be heartbroken. Again. The tough news out of Flyerdom this week was that octogenarian defenseman Eric Desjardins reinjured his forearm that he had broken way back in January. The side piece to this bit of news is that now rookie defenseman Joni Pitkanen will be playing in the playoffs, instead of watching from the pressbox. Am I the only one who wonders how a young player is supposed to get playoff experience if he doesn't play? Anyway, the Flyers appeared to cruise through the first two periods and part of the third. Then, within about 30 seconds, the Devils scored a pair of goals to make the game 3-2. From that point on, the Devils seemed to carry the play to the Flyers, and you got the feeling that the psychological block that coach Ken Hitchcock spoke of earlier in the season was a very real thing. Somehow the Flyers managed to eke out the win, though I think it was more the result of missed opportunities for the Devils rather than the Flyers strong defensive play -- which is supposed to be a trademark of Hitckcock's. All in all, it was a win and I'll take it.