Flyers Gameday: Worst. Fans. Ever.

Tonight the depleted Flyers....or stocked Phantoms depending on how you look at it, head down the turnpike to Obamaworld to take on the Washington Capitals. This game will mark the end of the Flyers longest road trip for the season, one that has seen the team get so beat up, Papa Stevens is looking at Boyd Kane as a legitimate starter tonight. Rookies are in hospitals, hips are flexed, and groins are so inflamed you'd think it was spring break around here. As Ryan mentioned this morning, none of the injuries are "Gagne-esque" in terms of missing a large amount of time. It still doesn't mean that the Flyers aren't depleted at a bad time, to face the asshats that are the Capitals.

The healthy Flyers should be geared up for this one. Last time they met, the Flyers crushed the Caps 7-1. In DC though, it's a tough barn to win in. The Caps are 17-1-1 in their own house this year, namely in part to their awesomly awesome fan base. You know, the ones who don't understand what powerplays are, or need PA announcer to start their chants for them...those fans. They're also the fans that threw garbage on the Flyers after we sent them home from the Playoffs last year. Stopping OV, Semin, Backstrom and Koslov isn't as hard as trying to drown out 18,000 people who couldn't get Redskins tickets. I have no patience for anyone who would ever buy a Mike Green jersey, or for an owner who looks like he could eat my entire family for lunch...he's like a obese Mark Cuban.

Maybe my anger is just directed at a good hockey team. The Caps are not the Kings, and if we show up tonight with the same lineup as last Saturday, don't expect a better outcome. OV shoots more than Arnold Schwarzenegger in Commando, and makes everyone around him better (ie: Mike Richards). One area of concern tonight is going to the Penalty Kill. The Flyers have to stay out of the box and keep the Caps PP off the ice. Especially in a loud barn, we don't want to give the Caps anymore advantage than we can. Playing disciplined, puck-controlling hockey will give the Flyers a victory. That, and 3 Jeff Carter goals.

Every Flyer should be pumped for this one. It's one of our best rivals. One Flyer who might not be so pumped is Riley Cote. Rockin' Riles has to drop the mits tonight against Brashear. He has to. Just in terms of the 'code' and pride. You can't take a beating like Cote got on home ice and not try to return the favor. I'm not saying Cote will TKO Brash, but laying into his gigantic head a few times will help Cote forget about that one time his head almost came off. Look for Riles to send a message tonight. That message being: "It aint the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog"

Tough challenge tonight, but that's how we like it. Let's see how a banged up team competes with one of the East's elite. It doesn't get much better than this on a Tuesday night. Let's Go Flyers.