PHILADELPHIA — The first battle won was for common decency and intelligence.
The other victory was even more unexpected.
As opposed to the boos raised in Boston for the 4 Nations Face-Off final Thursday night — and despite only a couple of laughing boos here and there at Wells Fargo Center Saturday afternoon — Lauren Hart’s rendition of “O Canada” was met with a wealth of diplomatic cheers at Wells Fargo Center.
At least in this instance, then, register Philadelphia as a supporter of keeping the United States appropriately at 50 states, even if they are imperfectly divided all the way from the Edmonton flatlands to the Gulf of Whatever.
As for the view from the Canadian side of the craziness, know that the No. 1 hockey nation’s No. 1 player is moving past the flippant fantasies of another country’s inane — no “s” there — imperialist and looking ahead toward what could be a spring Stanley sprint.
“Here in Boston, against the Americans, it means the world,” Edmonton’s Connor McDavid had said in a broadcast interview Thursday, after scoring the overtime goal that gave Canada a 3-2 win over Team USA, and therefore elevating himself from mere hockey stud to national icon. “You can see how happy our group is. It means a lot to us, too. This was a heck of a lot more than just a little tournament.”
He’s right. It was the first time the NHL held its own midseason exhibition fest in years. Why? Well, good question. But timing aside, there was no denying how good the hockey was.
Unfortunately, overshadowing it all was — who else — the Big Cheese, who gloated all about “51st state” and “Gov. Trudeau” to his own bemusement.
While Canadians were always able to hold their own in games of public putdown, this one was accompanied by real talk of tariffs, and thus strayed over the line into seriousness, deep concern and a sudden cohesiveness of Great White North pride.
Why, Trudeau might even reconsider stepping down as prime minister, no?
Ah, but in the end it was only hockey that mattered in this tournament, and it ended with one great game.
As it happened, the NHL schedule then brought McDavid to Wells Fargo Center on this Saturday afternoon to begin the regular season stretch drive, just a day or two after several funny Flyers, a team that had little to do with the 4 Nations drama, talked of a major turnaround from Metropolitan Division dregs to long-sought playoff contenders.
Hold the comedy, everyone.
You couldn’t blame McDavid if he was a little weary after his heroic tournament work with this short turnaround. He wouldn’t put up a point on this day.
His skilled Oilers colleague Leon Draisaitl managed a goal and assist, but defensively, the Oilers were surprised to see so many rested Flyers fly by them en route to a 6-3 victory. Not that it was a surprise or anything.
“They skate well and they simplify their game as much as anybody around the league, where they just depend on working hard and skating,” said Oilers head coach and former Flyers assistant Kris Knoblauch. “If you execute with the puck a lot better than we did tonight, you’re able to spend more time in the offensive zone. They counter and catch us on a standstill. A lot of credit to them, but a lot of misplays by us.”
From a defensive standpoint, at least early, the Flyers had their fair share, too.
Matvei Michkov’s goal 2:07 into the game was soon overcome by two quick Oilers goals, by defenseman John Klingberg and Draisaitl, the German-born star who didn’t have the opportunity for 4 Nations work.
But the Flyers would score five of the next six goals, with Owen Tippett scoring twice and his best game in ages, largely thanks to coach John Tortorella getting the bright idea of playing him with Michkov and Sean Couturier, who each had a goal and two assists.
“We were connecting,” Couturier said. “We seemed to find each other out there. I thought we supported each other well. We didn’t take off and cheat, although we had a lot of odd-man rushes, we came up together, supported well and yeah, it was fun.”
Asked about player sluggishness, which could mostly be attributed to the more skilled Oilers, Couturier said, “Maybe it’s to be expected a little bit coming off a break, but I thought we took advantage of it. I don’t think we gave them a whole lot. … McDavid and Draisaitl, obviously they don’t need much to get on the board. But overall I think we did a good job.”
Along the way, one-time top Flyers center Couturier, 32, whose comeback from long-term injury over these past two seasons has been inconsistent and often slow, scored his 200th career goal.
“I still believe in my offensive capabilities,” he said. “Throughout my career I never really cheated or forced offense when it wasn’t there. I just have to play the game the way it comes at me. … Yeah, I just kind of hope I can maybe score another hundred.”
Like the pre-game politics that have been playing out before hockey games over the past few weeks, Couturier — born in Arizona, raised in New Brunswick — had said that with a bit of a sardonic self-smile.
He knows that in all games sporting and political, stranger things can always happen.
Contact Rob Parent at rparent@delcotimes.com
Source: Berkshire mont