Heard in the Cheap Seats

The Flyers came into Detroit tonight looking to win there for the first time since 1988.  Well, some things never change.  The Flyers left Joe Louis Arena the same way they have every time in the last 21 years:  Without a win.  The Red Wings beat the Flyers 3-2, but this was a game that reminded of the Flyers victory last week over Buffalo.  For most of the game, it seemed as though the Red Wings were out playing the Flyers, but the scoreboard didn’t indicate that.  Still, I kept feeling like it was only a matter of time before the Red Wings would break through and the flood gates would open.  Each period was its own entity, so I wanted to break down each one separately.  The common theme throughout each period, however, was the Red Wings were able to pepper Biron with shots on goal.

1^st Period

For most of the first period, the Flyers looked over matched.  It looked like the Red Wings were playing with 6 skaters most of the time.  The Red Wings did a great job not only in the first period, but throughout the game, of aggressively forechecking the Flyers.  The Red Wings were able to fire 19 shots on goal, but Marty Biron did a nice job and allowed none of those to get by.  On the flip side, the Flyers only had 8 shots on goal, but Scott Hartnell scored on one of those, with the assist from Braydon Coburn.  My biggest issue was some of the undisciplined penalties the Flyers took.  It is a common theme with this team.  I am not one who subscribes to the theory that the Flyers get a bad rap and are unfairly officiated.  I subscribe to the “where there’s smoke there’s fire” theory.  What I mean is, the Flyers get called for a lot of penalties because they commit a lot of penalties.  Do they get some bad calls?  Of course they do.  So does every NHL team.  The tripping call against Hartnell was pretty lame if you ask me.  But, against good teams, the more opportunities you give them on the power play, the more times they will be successful.  So, the Flyers ended the period leading 1-0, something they hadn’t done for 11 games.  Apparently, they prefer trailing after one period.

2^nd Period

The 2^nd period was quite a bit different from the first.  I thought most of the second period was pretty evenly matched.  The shots on goal didn’t necessarily tell that story, as the Red Wings out shot the Flyers 17-8 in the period.  But, in reality, most of the period was played with close checking by both teams.  The Flyers, in the first half of the period, were actually able to create quite a few nice scoring chances.  One of those lead to Joffrey Lupul’s goal to give the Sixers a 2-0 lead and things were looking pretty damn good. It’s interesting that after a first period with 8 penalties called, there were none in the second period.  Of course, as I stated earlier, I had a sense that it was only a matter of time before the Red Wings broke through.  With 2:33 left to go in the period, the Red Wings finally got one past Biron.  Pavel Datsyuk snuck a great wrist shot past Biron’s stick side over his shoulder.  It was such a great shot by Datsyuk that I’m not even sure Biron really had much of a chance on it.  So, the Flyers were leading 2-1 after 2 periods, even though they had been out shot 36-16.  Lucky for Marty Biron, the Flyers did a great job all night of blocking shots.  Through 2 periods they had blocked 16 Red Wings shots.  Did anyone feel good about the chances of the Flyers holding on to a 2-1 lead on the road against Detroit?  I sure as hell didn’t!

3^rd Period

The theme of the 3^rd period was basically wondering at what point would the flood gates open.  Well, the answer was half way through the period.  In a span of 90 seconds, the Red Wings scored twice and took the 3-2 lead that would be the final score.  The tying goal was scored on a brilliant play by Datsyuk, where he avoided a check and was able to rifle a pass across the ice to Johan Franzen.  I didn’t like the penalty Ryan Parent took with just 5 minutes left in the game.  The Flyers were trailing and needed every minute of ice time to be at least even strength.  You can’t take a holding penalty there!  At the very end, the Flyers were able to put some pressure on Osgood with an extra skater, but it wasn’t enough.

Marty Biron surrendered 3 goals, but he also made 45 saves.  He continued his strong play in goal, which is a great sign for the Flyers.  For me, the analysis of this game is pretty simple.  The Red Wings are just a better hockey club than the Flyers.  I certainly don’t feel like in a seven game series the Flyers would be able to contend with Detroit.  Maybe people out there disagree, but that’s my opinion.  I wouldn’t say that the Flyers played poorly.  Their effort would have been good enough against most teams in the NHL, just not the Red Wings. Now, it is officially crunch time.  The Flyers only have 13 games left in the regular season and they have 84 points.  The Flyers do have games in hand over all the teams sitting just below them in the playoff race, but with how close the race is, there are no guarantees.  The Flyers need to play more consistent hockey.  They have not had consecutive victories since mid February.  Road games against the Sabres and the Penguins are up next, followed by a home game against the Devils.  Like I said, it’s crunch time.

Some night’s you just have to tip your hat to your opponent.  Well, tonight was one of those nights.  Alex Ovechkin was simply too much for the Flyers in leading his Capitals to a 2-1 win at the Wachovia Center.  Ovechkin assisted on a power play goal for the first tally and scored the second goal.  The lone Flyers goal was scored by Mike Knuble to tie the game at 1-1 in the 2^nd period.  I hate Ovechkin, but the dude is a hell of a hockey player.  I don’t know the exact stats, but I believe he had something like half of the Capitals scoring chances by himself.

I am not going to sit here and rip the Flyers on this night.  They went toe to toe with a good hockey club and had their chances to win the game.  This was a face paced, exciting, and physical game that very much resembled a playoff game.  The difference in the game was the power play.  The Capitals went 1 for 2 and the Flyers went 0 for 4.  The power play is a recurring problem of late for the Flyers.  Let’s hope that if Briere can stay on the ice, he brings a needed lift to the power play units.  Both goalies played very well, which is a good sign for the Flyers.  It looks as though Marty Biron is taking hold of the # 1 goaltender for the Flyers.  As I have said many times, the Flyers are in the midst of a grueling stretch of games versus the best teams in the NHL.  They need to keep the pedal to the metal, and tonight the Capitals, specifically Ovechkin, were just a bit better.  Something tells me this isn’t the last time the Flyers take the ice against the Capitals this season.  A home and home is up next against the Rangers this weekend, and then it’s on to face the defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings.

The flood gates opened in the 3^rd period of the Flyers 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres tonight.  You ever watch a sporting event, and you can just sense something is coming?  Well, that is how I felt tonight watching the Flyers game.  The Flyers played well in the 2^nd period, and seemed to be knocking on the door of a goal the whole period, but couldn’t quite get the puck past Lalime.  I just felt like if the Flyers came out with the same energy and aggressiveness to start the 3^rd period, they would be rewarded.  Well, they were.

The 3^rd period began tied 1-1, but in a span of about 8 minutes of hockey, the Flyers scored three goals to take a 4-1 lead and chase their old nemesis Patrick Lalime from goal. Jeff Carter scored 2 of those goals, and Mike Richards added a power play goal.  The other 2 goals for the Flyers were scored by Scott Hartnell.  Tonight was the second straight spirited effort by the Flyers against good hockey clubs.  I have wanted to see this team really put it together and ride momentum into the playoffs.  It looks as if they have shaken whatever kind of a funk hit them during the Calgary game.  Marty Biron also played solid in goal for the second straight game.  This is the toughest part of the Flyers schedule, but if they can continue to play like they did tonight, I like their chances.  When all 4 lines are clicking on all cylinders for the Flyers, you’d be hard pressed to find a more balanced and high powered offensive team.  I especially liked the Flyers aggressiveness tonight.  The Sabres are fighting for their playoff lives, and the Flyers were able to match their intensity.  I have to give kudos to Aaron Asham for going toe to toe with Patrick Kaleta in a 3^rd period fight that included both players getting some good shots in, then falling to the ice only to get back to their feet and throw a few more haymakers at each other.  It was good stuff!

The Eastern Conference is very hotly contested right now, so the Flyers can’t allow themselves to slip up.  The Flyers now have 17 games left in their season and hold the 4^th spot in the playoff race.  However, only 5 points separate 4^th place from 8^th place at the moment.  Two big games against the Rangers and Capitals will close out this home stand, and then the Flyers go on a tough road trip for four games that includes a game that I am really looking forward to against Detroit.

If the first period of a hockey game was just for warming up and didn’t actually count on the scoreboard, then the Flyers played OK tonight.  Unfortunately for the Flyers, all three periods count.  The Flyers were dominated tonight by the Calgary Flames, losing 5-1, with four of the Flames five goals coming in the first period.  It was not a good way to start off a 5 game home stand.  In reality, the Flyers didn’t seem to play with any purpose until the third period, but by then it was too little too late.  Calgary’s new acquisition Olli Jokinen scored 2 goals in the first period, and this game was over before you could finish a hoagie.  The Flyers played sloppy hockey throughout, constantly turning the puck over at the blue line.  It was a pretty disappointing performance all around.  Nittymaki was only around for the first period and allowed 4 Calgary goals on 19 shots.  The Flyers lone goal was scored 4 minutes into the 3^rd period by Mike Knuble to make it 4-1, and for a moment it looked like the Flyers energy might lead to a 3^rd period comeback.  That momentum came to a screaming halt when a Flyers power play was quickly negated by a goaltender interference penalty by Joffrey Lupul.

I don’t want to make a mountain out of a mole hill here, but there is an alarming trend that the Flyers are developing.  Tonight’s loss was their 3rd in 4 games, all coming against top notch competition.  They did play very well in beating the Bruins on Tuesday, but have only managed 4 goals combined in losses to Montreal, New Jersey, and Calgary.  If the Flyers want to go anywhere in the playoffs these are the teams they will have to beat.  The schedule in March does not get any easier for the Flyers.  In the remaining 12 games this month, the Flyers play 9 against teams currently holding playoff spots, and 2 against the Sabres who are only 7 points behind the Flyers.  The Flyers need to play with urgency in every game and they certainly need to figure out a way to solve their slumping power play.  I don’t know what it was tonight.  Maybe it was the after effects of a crazy week of very well liked players being waived, traded, sent down, and brought back up.  Whatever it was, it absolutely cannot continue this way for the Flyers.  It’s time for the leaders of this team to step forward and make sure this team has their heads on straight heading down the stretch.

NOTE

Danny Briere left tonight’s game with a “lower body injury”.  Man you got to love the way hockey injuries are described!  Anyways, we don’t know much right now, but it’s becoming pretty clear that the Flyers are not going to be able to count on Briere this season.

Last night’s game against the Bruins was a perfect example of why I do not want to see the Flyers make a move as the trade deadline approaches in the next 2 hours.  The only way a trade would make sense to me is if the Flyers did not have to give up more than one player from their current roster.  The Flyers went into Beantown last night and left with a huge 4-2 victory over the Eastern Conference leaders.  The line of Richards, Gagne, and Knuble contributed 3 of the 4 goals against the Bruins.  The best goal of the night came in the 3^rd period.  With the Flyers clinging to a 2-1 lead, Simon Gagne was able to make a backhanded pass to Knuble in front of the net and Knuble beat Manny Fernandez for the goal.  It was an amazing play by Gagne, who also had 2 goals of his own.  He had the proverbial “eyes in the back of his head”.  The Richards line is clicking on all cylinders and it’s impressive stuff to watch.

I would argue that the Flyers defense is just fine as long as Kimmo Timonen is in the lineup.  He has missed time with the flu recently, but with Timonen back along with Briere back and healthy, the Flyers are the healthiest they have been all year.  When this Flyers team is healthy, it can beat anybody in the NHL, as evidenced by the win over the Bruins.  As good as Richards and Carter are, you could make the argument that Timonen is more indispensable than any other Flyer.  Now, that the Flyers are completely healthy, I would love to see this team continue to gel.  Most likely, any big trade would involve giving up too many roster players.  I think one of the strongest parts of the Flyers team is their depth and balance.  All four lines can contribute.  I love the current makeup of this team!  If they head to the playoffs as they are currently constructed I would be very confident.  Either way, it was a great win for the Flyers last night, and they will need more of the same in the month of March, as this is the toughest part of their schedule.

The NHL’s trade deadline is Wednesday, and it is fast approaching. Like usual, there are tons of rumors floating around, and like usual the Flyers are a team mentioned in quite a few rumors. For awhile there were rumors that the Flyers would like to trade for a goaltender, but the reality is, there are no top end goalies that will be moved at the deadline. So, most of the talk surrounding the Flyers seems to be that they are looking to add a defenseman. The most common names being bandied about are Chris Pronger, Tomas Kaberle, and Jay Bouwmeester.

The Flyers like all 3 players very much, although I would think that Bouwmeester would be the preference due to the fact that he is only 25. My worry is that the Flyers will get too desperate to make and deal, and hurt the team in the process. They have continued to say they are happy with their defense, yet they are obviously actively looking to make a trade to bolster the blue line. I am not against the Flyers making a trade, but given their current situation, it is very difficult for them to make a quality trade without giving up too much in return.

The Flyers have had a nightmare of a time trying to stay under the salary. In order to reactivate Danny Briere, the Flyers had to waive Metropolit and Vaananen, and send Giroux back to the Phantoms. Giroux has been playing excellent hockey for the Flyers. These moves show how strained the Flyers are just to fit under the cap. So, how do they make a beneficial trade for a top defenseman and fit it under the salary cap? It can certainly be done, but they would likely be giving up players like Giroux, Coburn, or Lupul. Those are pieces that I personally would not give up in a trade. There comes a point in time where it might be better to continue with the team that is assembled rather than making a trade for the sake of saying you made a big acquisition.

The Flyers could still shock us and pull off a trade that makes sense for this team’s Stanley Cup run. They have done a great job building this team, and it would be a shame to see the balance and depth compromised just to add a defenseman. I know that the Flyers wouldn’t make a deal that they didn’t feel will help the team win, but I am one fan who thinks that this year they would be better off standing pat. If Briere can come back healthy and bring even more depth to the team, that is probably as good as making a big trade deadline acquisition. We have 3 days left to see how this all plays out and I am sure there will be quite a few rumors between now and then.

It seems that the Pittsburgh Penguins have the Flyers number.  After dispensing of the Flyers in 5 games in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, the Penguins have followed that up by winning 4 of their 5 meetings with the Flyers this year.  The 4^th win came today in easily the most heartbreaking fashion of the season for the Flyers.  Not even the largest crowd in Flyers regular season history could prevent the Penguins from handing the Flyers a stunning 5-4 loss at the Wachovia Center.  It was a great game to watch, with both teams flying around the ice, good hitting, Cote catching Godard with a nice uppercut, and some nice end to end action.  The Flyers staged 2 3^rd period comebacks and still wound up on the short end of the stick.  I am not going to get on my podium and rant about one loss ruining the season because that would be stupid on my part.  The Flyers have a very good, young team that will have an opportunity to make a run at the Stanley Cup.  The fact that they were able to battle back today against the Penguins showed their toughness.  They were able to overcome a poor effort on the power play once again (0 for 4 and now 5 for their last 49).  Hopefully when Briere returns he can help cure some of the Flyers power play woes.  There were a few defensive breakdowns by the Flyers, but in the end, it will be one play from today’s game that stands out in everybody’s mind.  With about 3 minutes to go in the 3^rd period, and the score tied 4-4, the Penguins Dupuis had a breakaway, but was closely trailed by Coburn.  Marty Biron decided to come 30 feet out of the goal and attack Dupuis, and he was able to control the puck, but he had to get rid of it immediately or face a delay of game penalty.  What followed was pretty tough to watch.   Essentially, Biron dropped the puck behind him, right to Dupuis, who fired at an empty net and Sidney Crosby deflected the puck in for a crushing goal.  As I was watching the game, the CSN guys actually said that Biron made a “heads up” play and then got a bad break!  I almost threw my remote through the TV.  How was that a “heady” play?  To me, it was the exact opposite.  I understand what Biron was trying to do, but as I watched the play over and over, I felt he should have held his position and allowed Coburn to try and drive Dupuis off the puck, and if that didn’t happen, be a freaking goalie and make the damn save!  That one play ended up erasing another great effort by Mike Richards, along with many other Flyers. 

Again, I am not going to say that the world is ending or anything, but this game was a microcosm of the same glaring problem the Flyers have had for years.  They just can’t seem to solidify their goaltending.  We all know that with a good team and great goaltending, a Stanley Cup can be had.  Biron played very well in the playoff run last year, and seemed to be finding his groove here of late, but so much for all that!  Does any Flyer fan feel comfortable with Biron or Nittymaki as the goalie that will lead the Flyers to the Cup?  I sure as hell don’t.  Maybe they can make a trade for a goalie, but that is pretty tough to do.  What I do know is that myself, along with many Flyer fans, are pretty sick of being let down by the goalies.  It’s tough to know that you have a team with a lot of talent, a lot of guts and toughness, but without a goalie that you can lean on to make the tough saves.  Yes, the Flyers tend to have some defensive breakdowns, but that’s hockey.  It happens.  The problem is it seems the Flyers pay for every little mistake they make at the blue line because they do not have a goalie that can erase those mistakes.  I wish it was different.  I wish I felt better about the goaltending, but I feel like it’s Groundhog Day.  Déjà vu all over again as they say.

The Flyers needed this win in the worst way.  They had lost three of the previous four games, and they were facing the NHL leading Boston Bruins on the road.  Not to mention Mike Richards and Scottie Upshall were scratched from the game once again with the flu.  On paper, this probably should have been the Flyers fourth loss in five games.  But, as we all know, the games are not played on paper.  While the Flyers have been struggling of late, the Eastern Conference has gotten much tighter.  Something I have been worried about for awhile.  If you’ve been watching this team, you know that they have not been playing good hockey.  But, one thing I have seen from the Flyers all year is the ability to bounce back.  It is that ability that has kept the Flyers from any prolonged slumps, save for the very beginning of the season. 

So, the Flyers were in a position where they needed to bounce back.  They needed to be resilient.  Their resilience allowed them to come away from Boston with a hard earned 4-3 overtime victory.  It was a hell of a hockey game, and a great effort from the Flyers, fighting back from a 3-1 deficit.  The goals were scored by Gagne, Metropolit, Hartnell, and the game winner by Jones.  The game winner was really a lucky bounce off a Bruin that caromed in, but a little luck never hurt anybody.  This is a Bruins yeam that doesn’t lose many games, so to come away from Boston with a victory is huge for the Flyers.  They can now ride some momentum from the win and welcome Richards and Upshall back to the lineup.  It would definitely be nice to rattle off a few wins in a row here to solidify their position within the conference.  With the next three games coming against the Thrashers, Senators, and Islanders, the Flyers have a great opportunity in front of them and they need to seize it.  But, let’s enjoy this big win first.  I just wanted to hit on a few points regarding the game.

1)       Power Play- The Flyers went 2 for 6 on the power play against the Bruins, which is a good sign.  The Flyers had gone 0 for their last 13 and something like 1 for their last 28.  Hopefully they can continue the strong play in the Bruins game.  The power play is best in the NHL at home and near the bottom of the league on the road.

2)       Penalties- The Flyers were called for only 3 penalties in the game.  One of those was a dumb penalty by Nittymaki for batting the puck over the glass with less than 2 minutes to go in the third period.  It’s a good thing that didn’t waste a great effort by the team!  The Flyers are at the bottom of the league in power play differential, and have grown increasingly frustrated with the calls that are going against them.  Either way, it was nice to not have to spend half the game killing penalties.

3)       Goaltending- I doubt I am the first to say it, but I think it’s time to make Nittymaki the #1 goaltender.  It’s not like we have a Brodeur in net, so I have no problem with the platoon, but at some point I think you need to reward performance. Hot goaltending is what carries most teams through the Stanley Cup playoffs, so why not use the same philosophy now?  Look, both goalies are going to play, but I think it’s time to reverse the roles of the two goaltenders.  This is not a knee jerk reaction from today’s game where Biron was shaky, allowing 3 goals in the first period, and then was pulled and Nittymaki was perfect the rest of the way.  Look at the numbers. Across the board, Nittymaki’s numbers are better.  Give him the shot he has earned.

What the Flyers need now is a nice little four game win streak.  All in all though, it was an excellent performance today against the best team in the NHL.

Now that the biggest waste of time, the NHL All Star game is in the rearview mirror, I wanted to preview the last three months of the Flyers season.  Currently, the Flyers sit as the 6^th seed in the Eastern Conference, behind division foes the Devils and Rangers, as well as the Bruins, Capitals, and Canadiens.  Realistically, there are 10 teams vying for 8 playoff spots in the conference, with the other 4 being Buffalo, Carolina, Florida, and Pittsburgh.  The Flyers have 59 points, and it would most likely take an extremely bad stretch of hockey for them to fall out of the playoffs.  At the moment, Carolina holds the 8^th seed and trail the Flyers by 8 points with the Flyers holding two games in hand.

I said that it would take a bad stretch for the Flyers to miss the playoffs, and that is true, however we all know that it can easily happen with poor goaltending or another rash of injuries.  With all that being said, let’s take a snapshot look at the rest of the season and the keys to reaching the playoffs.

1)       Beat the teams you’re supposed to.

The Flyers have 36 games remaining in the season, of which 12 are against teams with virtually no shot at making the playoffs.  The Flyers need to get points in almost all of these games to rack up as many as they can.

2)       Take Advantage of Opportunities.

Of their 36 remaining games, 22 of them will come against Eastern Conference teams fighting for the playoffs.  This includes 5 huge games against the Rangers, 4 versus the Bruins, and 2 each against the Devils and Capitals.  In order to make their playoff push, the Flyers need to play well against these teams.  They cannot afford to give ground in these games.  For example, losing 4 out of 5 to the Rangers could prove devastating.

3)       March Madness

With 15 games, March will be a busy month for the Flyers.  More than that, it looks to be the crucial month in terms of reaching the playoffs.  There is only one game in the entire month against a team that will not be in the playoff hunt.  They play the Bruins, Rangers, and Devils twice each, and throw in games against division leaders Detroit and Calgary from the West, and it looks to be a tough month of hockey.  If the Flyers can make it through the gauntlet, they will almost surely be in great playoff position.  Their April schedule is extremely soft, save for a home and home against the Rangers.

The Flyers look to be positioning themselves nicely for the Stanley Cup playoffs, but they definitely cannot have any major lulls the rest of the way.  But, the way I see it for this team, just making the playoffs is not acceptable.  This is a team that has championship aspirations.  I think if they can accomplish the keys listed above, they should be able to have a little home ice advantage in the playoffs, which, considering the way the Flyguys play at the Wachovia Center, might end up being very important.  They won’t catch the Bruins, but a 2 or 3 seed is certainly attainable, and that should be the goal.  In order to do that they will need consistent strong goaltending, which they have not always received, as well as continued strong play from both the power play and penalty killing units.  Currently, the Flyers are first overall on the power play and seventh on the penalty kill.  I would like to see the penalty kill improve, as they have struggled of late.  It should be a fun run, and I certainly believe the Flyers will be in the playoffs.  We all know that, in hockey, once you’re in the playoffs, everybody has a shot.  Playoff hockey is some of the best theatre in professional sports.  Some great goaltending and timely goal scoring and you could be hoisting the Stanley Cup.

There are peaks and valleys that every NHL team goes through. The key is to be able to fight through those valleys. Well, the Flyers have hit one of those valleys in their season. It has been awhile for them, so they are not accustomed to it. Really, other than a sub par start to the season, the Flyers have been able to avoid any extended stretch of lackluster hockey. Now, I don’t want to beat a negative drum too much here, but a little banging won’t hurt. The Flyers have gone 4-6 in their last ten games, 2 of those losses coming in shootouts, so technically that makes them 4-4-2 in NHL land. The last two losses have come consecutively to a struggling Penguins team at home and then last night to a bad Tampa Bay Lightning team on the road. Like I said, I am not going to come down too hard on them, since I do think that some of the injuries are finally catching up with them. I have already stated how hard this team plays, and applauded them for winning in spite of all the injuries the have suffered. I guess it could only go on so long. They are actually starting to get a bit healthier, although Timmonen having his face split open last night didn’t help. But, in a tight Eastern Conference, two weeks of bad hockey can cause a team to fall from the second seed to out of the playoffs.

The most alarming thing to me in the last two losses is that they were not only outplayed, they were outworked and out hustled. That isn’t Flyers hockey. The other alarming trend is that the Flyers have proven themselves to be a tough team to beat at the Wachovia Center, compiling a 14-5-3 record, but a barely over .500 record of 9-7-6 record on the road. The biggest stat to look at with that is the power play, where the Flyers rank tops in the league at home and all the way down at 26^th on the road. Talk about inconsistent! All of this may just be a product of the injuries, and guys logging too much ice time because of that and having tired legs. It really doesn’t matter what the reason is, because the Flyers need to play better hockey, starting tonight against Florida. This is one of those seasons where the Flyers, more than most teams, need the All Star break to get healthy and come back fresh. They just need to refocus and get back to playing aggressive hockey. The silver lining here is that it couldn’t have happened at a better time. The schedule is going to give the FlyGuys are break with only 9 games in 28 days starting tonight. Many of those games are against teams the Flyers should handle. Let’s see if they can get it done.