In a must-win game on the final day of the regular season, the Flyers waited until the last possible moment before perseverance paid off and they defeated the New York Rangers in a shoot-out to qualify for the play-offs. In the play-offs they first came up against a fancied New Jersey team and the Flyers dispatched the Atlantic Division-winning Devils in five games. Then, when they slipped to a 3-0 series deficit against the Boston Bruins in the next round, the Flyers became just the third team in NHL history - and first in 35 years - to pull off the most improbable of comebacks.
Next up were the Montreal Canadien and the Flyers steamrolled the Habs in five games. And, facing a 2-0 series deficit in the Stanley Cup Finals against the cruising Chicago Blackhawks, the Flyers rallied with a pair of home-ice victories to turn the NHL championship into a best-of-three affair. There are several reasons for the Flyers' post-season success, but the one constant this spring has been the play of love-him-or-hate-him defenceman Chris Pronger.
The 35-year-old veteran is tireless and terrifying, patrols the defensive zone with a snarl and passes the puck with precision. But Pronger's most significant skill might be his leadership, his relentless swagger, his overwhelming confidence. While opponents and media focus on Pronger, it frees the rest of the Flyers to relax and simply play. Pronger irritated Chicago fans when he grabbed the pucks at the end of the Blackhawks' first two wins at home, and threw them away. Gary Bettman, the NHL commissioner, said he was not bothered by such stunts.
"It's bringing attention to the game," Bettman said. "It's showing our players have personality." The big defenceman, who is seemingly always out on the ice, always in the right position, heaps the pressure on himself and forces the spotlight in his direction. Sure, it helps that he is surrounded by a plethora of talented players - such as Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Daniel Briere, Scott Hartnell and Kimmo Timonen - but Pronger is the singular force that drives the Flyers and carries the team on almost every play.
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