I’ve been a Philadelphia Flyers fan since I took my first breath. I used to go to games with my grandmom, and I still go with my mom or we have watch parties.
After an 82-game regular season, the top eight teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences make the playoffs. Then begins a grueling, agonizing journey to reach the Stanley Cup Final four best-of-seven series, requiring 16 wins to take the Cup. Playoff hockey is a whole different animal. It’s a spectacle like no other sport can match, in my opinion.
The Flyers made the playoffs for the first time in six years and hosted a playoff game for the first time in eight years, making it an even bigger deal. Flyers fans have been starved for playoff hockey. Now, they’re in the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes, who had the best record in the Eastern Conference.
My alarm is set for 1:30 a.m. Monday through Friday for work, so needless to say, I’ve been lacking sleep because of the playoff games. Probably not great for my health, but worth it, in my opinion. I’ve never witnessed a Flyers Stanley Cup championship, the last one was in 1975…LET’S GO FLYERS!
- Chris Mastrobuono
