Yes, I'm still here...

just barely.  If (that should read when, but I won't get too far ahead) the Flyers make it back to the Cup, I'll be sure to do my usual post-game report.  Until then, hang in there.

Won't somebody think of the CHILDREN???

Before I head off to bed, a quick shoutout to the US World Juniors team for making it to the final on Tuesday against Canada. They beat Sweden 5-2, a game that was on the NHL Network but I missed it in order to watch the Jets-Bengals game for some reason. Anyway, congrats to the kids and good luck in the finals!

Bruins 2, Flyers 1 - Yeah we lost, but...

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

that was a fun game to watch!

First off, let me say that the Winter Classic could, in true Gary Bettman fashion, have been turned into a hokey, sanitized gimmick designed to score ratings for the league and NBC. And while some of that may be true, the past two games have been really good. This one was no exception. 40,000 people in Fenway, Bobby Orr and Bobby Clarke out on the ice together, and two teams who really needed the two points in the standings. I have to say, the NHL got this one right.

Now, on to the game itself. I can see now why Jeff Carter was left off the Canadian Olympic team. He must have had about three or four glorious chances to score and just flubbed them. The two on one break with Danny Briere should have iced the game, but Carter put in into the side netting. Overall, the Flyers could have put this game away numerous times, but were either beaten by Tim Thomas (who I would start in Vancouver) or missed the net entirely. Kudos to Danny Syvret for getting his first NHL goal and to Dan Carcillo (how many Dannys play for the Flyers, anyway?) for the first outdoor fight in the NHL! You just know the league offices loved to see that. Michael Leighton, who can't be blamed letting in the game-winner, pretty much had Boston beat up until the final two minutes of the game. Both announcers mentioned that Brian Boucher, a Rhode Island native, would have loved to play in this game, but you have to go with the hot goalie.

This now puts the Flyers a point behind New York for the 8th spot in the East. They finish out the road trip on Sunday against Ottawa and then return home to play Toronto now that Disney on Ice has left the Wachovia Center. Yes, I admit, I kind of gave up on this team a few weeks ago. They were dead in the water, routinely got embarrassed, and had all sorts of problems. Now, they seem to be turning things around - I guess it just took a while for Peter Laviolette to get his system working. There's still plenty of time to get back into solid playoff position before the Olympic break, and it's not like the rest of the conference is leaving us behind.

Happy New Year. Weren't we supposed to have flying cars by now and live on the Moon? Ah well.