I must reiterate that I am not doing this to put the screws to Flyers fans. We've been in this situation before as fans. No one on this current Flyers team has been in this position - meaning on a Philadelphia team in a Championship game. It's important for us as fans to be ready for anything, and to be able to celebrate that Game 1 win so hard that you wake up in a dumpster.

In the same vain, it's important to remember that just because you're the favorite, as the Flyers were in this series, you still have to go out and play the games. So while your glaring fandom is causing you to believe the Flyers will win in 6, and the Vegas odds and expert analysis are on the surface causing you to be indignant, but underneath are a source of a bit of anxiety, keep in mind that anything can, and will, happen.

And with that I give you the highlights (some have informed me 'lowlights') of Game 3 of the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals, the most painful hockey game I had ever watched at that point in my life. Don't worry, it would be replaced in a couple short days by Darren McCarty.

Am I a prophet? Yes. Mohammed Renberg, pleased to meet you. I wrote this way back in September. And now I'm reposting it, not because I'm lazy (which I am), but because it's very fitting. Leave me alone.

The last time the Flyers went to the Stanley Cup Finals was over 12 years ago. Kids, those old people are right, time does fly. 12 years and a handful of months from this Spring’s forthcoming Stanley Cup Finals will be September of 2022. I’ll be 41 and getting ready to retire and you’ll probably be dead – that is if you keep living that rock’n’roll’n’crystal meth lifestyle.

When the Flyers got swept by the Red Wings all those years ago little dumpling man Pat Falloon was only 24 years old. It was already his 7^th season in the NHL but he was by all accounts a very young man. Now he’s 37 (actually just turned today) and probably working at a car wash in Spokane. Actually, thanks to my top secret research skills on the internet I know what he is doing these days.

You and I will never get to the highest peaks of the tallest mountains like a professional athlete will throughout his career. And that’s why base camp doesn’t seem so depressing to us. But for an athlete, a pro hockey player specifically, right when you win that Cup, right when you score that OT goal, right when you win that fight, that’s the moment the worm turns and you must think, in the deep recesses of your mind, “it’s all down hill from here.”

Here’s what the guys from that Eastern Conference Championship team are currently up to. All wearing sport jackets and turtlenecks while doing it, no doubt:

(feel free to imagine this is the end of Platoon or another movie where it updates you on what happened to individual characters after the movie.)

John Leclair - he and former teammate Chris Therien operate a shipping logistics company together called LT Lines (LeClair-Therien Lines). He currently divides his time between Haverford, Pennsylvania and his hometown of St. Albans, Vermont.

Eric Lindros – eventually concussions got the best of him, retired to the NHLPA, left the NHLPA, and then donated $5M to concussion research. What a guy.

Rod Brind’Amour – still captaining the Carolina Hurricanes, the Mike Richards of this situation.

Mikael Renberg – newly retired from the Swedish Elite League after 5 seasons. Opened up a chocolate factory modeled exactly after Willy Wonka’s in Pitea, Sweden.

Eric Desjardins - currently works for the Flyers as a player development coach. Does voice over work for upcoming Wawa ads as a container of mustard about to squirt itself all over a hot dog.

Trent Klatt - now coaches Bantam A hockey in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Works with the NHLPA. Owns the only spy store in Grand Rapids.

Janne Niinimaa – still playing in the Swedish Elite league after over 700 games with 5 NHL teams.

Dale Hawerchuk -  is the president, director of hockey operations, and primary owner of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League's Orangeville Crushers. Was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame during his second year of eligibility.

Shjon Podein – heavily involved with his children foundation, Team25. Heavily cool according to John Bucigross.

Joel Otto – currently an assistant coach with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL. Still a registered BMF.

Paul Coffey – planning to release a single with 112 this fall called Coffee & Cream, a follow up the critically acclaimed masterpiece Peaches and Cream.

Chris Therien – radio announcer for the Flyers, as you surely know. What you did not know is that Fran and I saw him ripping a cigarette outside the Prudential Center almost exactly a year ago today. He looked pretty horrible.

Pat Falloon – Was kidding before – he really does work in the automotive cleaning industry. Took the day off from the car wash to celebrate his birthday. Interesting fact that says a lot about him: After a good season in Davos of the Swedish Elite League “Falloon returned home to play in his hometown, for the Foxwarren Falcons - a team from the tiny North Central Hockey League in western Manitoba. Not surprisingly, he was a top scorer in the league. With the Falcons, he helped them win six straight league championships from 2001–02 to 2006–07.” Must have been fun for the other teams.

Dianius Zubrus – still being a super turd for the Devils.

Karl Dykhuis – went to Vienna to play a couple of years ago and was captured by the Nodl family. Lives in their basement eating nothing but sausage and Weiner schnitzel and drinking Austrian beer. Is finally happy.

John Druce – works for a financial planning firm in Ottawa. Every spring he destroys his fellow associates in capital growth. The rest of the year his figures are below average.

Vinny Prospal – a fate worse then death, he has become a Ranger. Even scored last night. Dick.

Kevin Haller – recently appeared on Diners, Drive-in’s, and Dives where he showed host Guy Ferreri how to make an “Over Mike Richter’s Shoulder in Overtime Stew” at his new roadside dining establishment in Reading, PA.

Dan Kordic – featured on the temporarily popular video series Bum Fights before even college kids realized that it was probably the must despicable thing to do to two homeless people besides give them food when they’re asking for money.

Petr Svoboda – currently an NHL agent working out of Santa Monica, California. Has clients such as Jiri Hudler, who was involve in the KHL mess earlier this summer.

Daniel Lacroix – was recently named an assistant coach for the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL (Canadiens). Recently placed 14^th in the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Competition on Coney Island.

Scott Daniels – got fat. Moved to Mass.

Kjell Samuelsson – has been bouncing around the Flyers organization for some time now and will remain an assistant under new Phantoms coach John Paddock. Still has a great ass.

Craig Darby – has been working at Mikael Renberg’s chocolate factory during the winter in the Candy Cane design department. Has yet to come up with something new. Spends the other 3 seasons drinking his Winter’s salary.

Darren Rumble – even though he only played 10 games for the Flyers that year I decided to include him because it was easy to find what he’s up to. Rumble is the head coach of the AHL’s Norfolk admirals, completing the 1-2 punch of Flyers coaches for the Lightning organization.

Garth Snow – busy trying to save NHL hockey in Long Island. Made huge advances in that arena by drafting John Tavares this past June.

Ron Hextall – busy trying to assist the general manager in his general management duties in LA. Who ever would have thought, Garth Snow are real GM and Hexy an assistant to the regional manager…

And in 12+ years from now I’ll report to you on how Chris Pronger has just become eligible for an AARP card, Kimmo Timonen is an English Professor at Brown, and Claude Giroux and Rabbit are preparing to win their 13^th consecutive Stanley Cup with the Flyers.

The Blackhawks have a star studded lineup with Kane, Toews, Hossa, Sharp, Keith, Seabrook, and Eager, but they also have a number of faceless role players. These are the guys that do their jobs well enough to allow those other guys to score goals - their version of Betts, Asham, and Krajicek. We'll be profiling these nameless, faceless, assless workers all week.

#36 Dave Bolland - Center

You will know Dave Bolland, if he ever gets traded to an Eastern Conference team. And maybe even if he doesn't. He's going to turn 24 next week and is a burgeoning star. He's a different type of player, but his 47 points as a 22 year old on the Blackhawks in 2008-09 are the same exact number of points our 22 year old Claude Giroux had this year. If it weren't for the back surgery that caused him to miss 1/2 of the season this year you can bet your trailer that he would have improved on that total.

So far this playoffs Bolland is the 5th leading goal scorer on the Hawks with 5 biscuits in his basket. He's got 5 apples in there too. He's different to Giroux in the sense that he's not a dangler, but more of a small power forward. He'd be the guy driving to the net as Claude dangled in the corner for 2 minutes. Bolland's game has been compared to that of former Flyer Kevin Dineen - a little bit of grit and a little bit of glory.

This past off season the Blackhawks locked Bolland up to a deal that will probably be very similar to the one Giroux sees thrown at him, to the tune of almost $17M over 5 years. In 3 to 4 years these two players could be the faces of their conferences.

Career Stats
 Draft Class
The Flyers had traded away their 1st round pick in this draft to get Mike Comrie(!) and their 2nd to get Tony Amonte. They didn't pick until the 92nd spot.

I know it's painful, but I promise this will make what's to come that much better.

MF-ing goals from the blueline. Ridiculous. Pretty sure a seam splits in the roof when the Flyers tie it at 2 and then a slap shot on a 1-on-2? Disgusting.

You have to at least applaud Karl Dykhuis for trying to make it sound like it wasn't a complete Snowjob.

Before we even knew it started we were down 2-0. Both in this game and the series.

I know I lived and died this series but don't really remember much of this. Two 2-on-0's in the first period? I must have blocked that Yzerman goal in the 3rd out of my young memory or something because I literally don't think I've seen it before. Those were the days when I worer #29 for Joel Otto. I was probably trying to catch a glimpse of him on the bench or something. Anyway, this is some pretty incredible Youtube quality.

Learn from the past, Flyers. Game 1 might be the most important. I hope Laviolette doesn't dress Paul Coffey because that dude was one defenseman who didn't seem very interested in defense.

Man did I love watching Eric Lindros play circa 1997....