Weekly musings again...

Seeing as how this blog is turning into a weekly thing every time work gets busy and I can't watch the Flyers, and since this week was Thanksgiving here in the States, I'd though I would take the time to look back and go over all of the things I'm thankful for. So here goes...

I'm thankful for...
1. Jeff Carter finally playing up to his potential
2. Simon Gagne recovering from his concussion to become one of the leading scorers in the NHL
3. Whoever thought it was a good idea to reintroduce the orange jerseys. Love it.
4. The person in the NHL Marketing office who brought up the idea of the retro 3rd jersey. In no particular order, my top five are Philly, Buffalo, Edmonton, Toronto, and Pittsburgh.
5. Having enough of a passion for this game and this team to be motivated to share my feelings about them in public. I really feel bad for those who go through life without experiencing the highs and lows of a deep Stanley Cup run, even if it ends in heartbreak. Show me someone who doesn't get a rush watching a Game 7 and I'll show you someone who needs medical attention.
6. Speaking of heartbreak, thanks to the Phillies.
7. Alex Ovechkin, Jarome Iginla, Mike Richards, Rick Nash, Roberto Luongo, Jason Spezza, Gagne, and all of the other players I love watching night after night.
8. Hockey Night in Canada. And NHL On The Fly. And After Hours. And the Hot Stove. And Coach's Corner.
9. CNN...for giving me the double dose of Robin Meade and Kiran Chetry in the morning. Plus, Kiran Chetry's a Maryland grad, so I got that going for me.
10. Finally, thanks to all the little things that make hockey awesome. A breakaway goal. A well-timed fight. Faceoff strategies. Playoff beards. That last gasp rush up the ice with the goalie racing to the bench. Guys sacrificing their health to block a 95-mph shot. The Whale. The Spectrum. The vintage games on NHL Network. Hearing Gene Hart's call "Ladies and gentlemen, the Flyers...are going to win...THE STANLEY CUP!!!" over and over.

Despite losing last night to the Toronto Maple Burkes 4-2, the Flyers are still on a pretty decent run. We're finally ahead of New Jersey in the standings, and are starting to play more consistently. The aforementioned Carter and Gagne are leading the team offensively, and even more encouraging, the Flyers are one of the best special-teams clubs in the league. Next up, former Flyer Rick Tocchet and the Lightning come to town on Tuesday, followed by home match with New Jersey and a weekend trip to Carolina (again!). If the Flyers can put together a strong December, it should set them up in good position in the East.