I feel like Don Cherry might be right on this one, although it doesn't take much convincing because I'm a huge fan of fights anyway. But the Panthers calling up Steve MacIntyre, who is a pure goon, and Mike Duco, who is more of a little barrel of a man with feet, really has no impact on the Flyers tonight. It's not even something Laviolette has to address in his line up because neither of those guys can do anything if Mike Richards doesn't allow them to.

For all the talk of The Code that exists in the NHL the only thing I got from reading that book is that the code is different for every set of circumstances. In one world Richards should have to answer for his actions to whomever approaches him tonight. In another someone tougher should answer for Richards actions. In yet another, if the Flyers think the hit on Booth last month really was clean then no one needs to engage any of the Panthers. The worst example of this was last year when George Laraque spent every shift he had on the ice skating next to Milan Lucic trying to convince him to fight him after Lucic had run Alexi Kovalev and taunted the Habs bench. It was embarrassing for both parties involved.

The NHL I am a fan of is the one where Mike Richards isn't even sure if he slept last night. He's sure he looked at his clock about 50 times and that's about it. Two of the pillars of the NHL, even hockey in general, are loyalty and toughness. You stick up for the guys on your bench, in your locker room, on the bus to the game with you. And that's something that the Flyers are missing right now. In a different era tonight would be a perfect catalyst for that. Everyone would be scared, in a good way, of what was going to happen. There'd be no need for motivational speeches to get the boys feet moving tonight. Good old fashioned adrenaline and fear would do the trick.
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On a non"revenge against the Flyers might get some emotion out of them" note we'd like to take a moment to welcome a new Calder candidate in the Flyers blogosphere, Between the Pipes. Adam and Chelsea look primed to set the internet ablaze with the educated man and woman's POV on the Fly Guys.