Flyers and Fans Add to Long History of Embarrassing Philadelphia Behavior

The Washington Capitals beat the Philadelphia Flyers, 6-1, to take a 3-0 lead in their first round series. The Flyers scored the first goal less than a minute into the game and from there it was a slow slide into Philadelphia. With 7:43 remaining, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare drove Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov’s head into the boards, setting off a “brawl.” Via the Inquirer:

"In their first home game after the death of Ed Snider – their founder, owner, and chairman – the Flyers and their followers put on a display that manifested the worst instincts within themselves and validated the worst stereotypes about them. They embarrassed themselves, all of them, in every possible way. When spectators scream during a pregame moment of silence for a team’s patriarch – as several Flyers fans did Monday – and it’s not the most graceless, dishonorable episode of the night, that’s telling. The Flyers ignited a melee with 7 minutes, 43 seconds left in regulation, and from that point until the final buzzer, they took 39 minutes in penalties. The Capitals took none, and they scored two power-play goals, and they could chuckle and gloat as the maintenance crews swept up the wristbands in front of their bench."

The Flyers PA announcer went so far as to add “you’ve done it now” while announcing the delay of game penalty. One fan even threw a wristband at Orlov on the bench.