We don’t post too much about hockey around these parts (until the playoffs start, at least). But that doesn’t mean we don’t keep an eye on what local teams are up to. The Rangers won on the road in overtime against the Philadelphia Flyers Wednesday night.
But judging by how the crowd reacted to Vladimir Tarasenko scoring the game-winner, Rangers players probably felt like they were at Madison Square Garden. Seriously. Check it out for yourself: are these teams playing in New York City or Philly?
In all my years as a fan I’ve never been this embarrassed to be in our own building. Fuck Comcast! They destroyed this team and culture! #SellTheTeam #Flyers pic.twitter.com/PQzRmpaQdt
— Traci Tooley (@TraciTooley0830) March 2, 2023
That’s debatable.
Rangers fans making the trip to Philly for this game isn’t outrageous. MSG and the Wells Fargo Center are less than two hours away from one another. Barring traffic, it’s a pretty easy trip down I-95. But, my Lord, were there any Flyers fans in attendance for this game? You may only need a couple of hands to count them up.
This is a prime example of franchises in two very different situations right now. Tarasenko, who had a hand in all three Rangers goals on Wednesday, recently joined New York after the club acquired him via trade from the St. Louis Blues. The Rangers made another big splash before the trade deadline passed, also acquiring Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Flyers, on the other hand, were interested in “reclamation projects” as the trade deadline approached. So, yea, fans have every right to be fed up with ownership, which is Comcast Spectator.
After losing four in a row, the Rangers’ victory over Philly is their second straight. They’re now 35-17-9 on the year and return to MSG on Thursday night to face the Ottawa Senators. The energy in the building will be electric again, as it’ll be Kane’s team debut. Meanwhile, the Flyers drop to 23-28-11. And although they’ve already come out and said the playoffs aren’t in the cards this season, the above video shows the organization has bigger problems on its hands.
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
