The Flyers are down, two games to one, in their first-to-four against the Devils. They lost, 4-3, Thursday, in overtime, when Ilya Bryzgalov allowed a rebound and Alexi Ponikarovsky converted it.

In the postseason, Bryzgalov has a 3.54 goals-against average a .878 saves percentage. Poor, in other words.

So consider that the cue, the one Peter Laviolette began after the game when he big-timed a questioner who wondered about the Flyers' goaltender, insisting Bryzgalov is not struggling. Consider it the cue for Bryzgalov's apologists to unite.

Why? Because that's the Flyers' story. And if their followers buy it, man, they will buy anything.


Anyway, check out my column on the Flyers and their desperate straits along with a look at the struggling Claude Giroux in the Daily Times Friday and, as always, on delcotimes.com.