How does it feel?

[Flyingswede]

To see Carter and Richards playing the final with Kings. I cant help rooting for the devils just becouse of that. I cant understand why Homer had to do that trade, I guess it must have to do with Stevens some how. Why do you trade two key players like that the year after we went to the final. Now it seems like we lost that trade...

[Finnfly75]

Hey Swede,

I think the LA Kings puzzle that seems to bring Lord Stanley to Hollywood is nothing to do with Carter or Richards. Its all about the Quick, Penner, Brown, Kopitar etc players, Richards and Carter are great players, but they are not winning cause of them. I think Flyers still won on that trade, we need to look ahead.

We got also alot and hope those players will be part of Flyers when they win the Cup.

The cold fact is that all those Ex Flyboys will have the ring next week. I dont think Devils can stop them...Quick is so good, and the team seems to fire on all cylinders around him and they are very physical and skilled team. I think they deserve to win, they have played unreal hockey in PO.

I have always like LA ( as a west team ) but in the end I could not care who wins the Cup when its not Flyers.

[clothehsnager13]

I love it, to be honest. I think it was an impulse move by Holmgren in the first place. I love the Flyers and their a great team, especially moving forward but I think that throwing away a potential future that they had already claimed to have committed to doesn't warrant an instant Stanley Cup. Regardless, the Flyers are going to be a force in the future, however the cup deservedly goes to the team with three ex-flyers who got a **** deal in Carts, Richie and Gagne. Those three guys were instrumental in the 2010 run and the building success since they flyers showed up in last place in 07. They deserved the championship in 2010, and this is retribution for giving up on them just a year later. The Flyers will always be my team, but I'm makin' the trip to LA for the parade if/when they win this thing.

[flyerrod]

Quick is ultimately the reason for the Kings success. Yes he has a great supporting cast but he just keeps coming up HUGE every time. His positioning and general puck awareness is even better than Marty Brodeur's...and that is saying something.

[Flyingswede]

Yeah but they still will win the cup so I guess that will be a kind of revenge for them. I never liked Carter but I liked Richards.

[AndyS]

I am really happy for Richards, Carter, Gagne & the rest (as well as for the Kings in general).

And I think it is completely unfair to say that this success has little or nothing to do with Richards & Carter. Without those trades, the Kings do not make the playoffs. And that absolutely includes Carter.

[doom88]

"Carter clutch in OT."

- Yahoo NHL Front Page

Son of a *****...if he did that in Philly, they would have won in 2010. And I wasn't even a Carter hater, I liked him as a player!

Please please Kings, play Gagne in G4 or better yet, G5 in NJ!

[hf101]

To see Carter and Richards playing the final with Kings. I cant help rooting for the devils just becouse of that. I cant understand why Homer had to do that trade, I guess it must have to do with Stevens some how. Why do you trade two key players like that the year after we went to the final. Now it seems like we lost that trade...

I can't root for the Kings either. However, I understand why Homer had to do that trade. Richards and Carter were primed to be the cornerstone of the team back when they won the Caulder Cup. However they had some parting behavior that was frowned upon by the organization. They didn't want another Pele incident. They were asked not to live in center city, but then they did, along with others Eager, Upshall, Lupul, Carcillo, Hartnell. As Homgren traded away each of their partying friends Richards and Carter were pissed. Richards took much of it personally, refusing to represent the organization for certain events.

In addition, the Flyers went through coaches to find the right mix for Richards and Carter. Hitchcock was fired because he was too hard on them. Stevens was their friend. He covered for them and felt they would change once they were given leadership responsibilities. But that didn't work, Pronger was brought in, this pissed of Richards more. The team became divided in the lockerroom. Stevens was ultimately fired. Lavy tried to bring it all together, Richards and Carter refused to participate in a team "Dry Island" but this time it wasn't going to be the coach that was fired.

In a nutshell, I blame Richards and Carter, so I'm glad they are gone. Holmgren had to make the trades. If Carter was traded solely, the team couldn't go forward with a pissed off Richards as captain so they had to trade both. The Flyers are better off without them. Couturier and Schenn have as much talent or more.

[canoli]

I am really happy for Richards, Carter, Gagne & the rest (as well as for the Kings in general).

And I think it is completely unfair to say that this success has little or nothing to do with Richards & Carter. Without those trades, the Kings do not make the playoffs. And that absolutely includes Carter.

Well-said Andy! I agree completely. Sure Quick is playing remarkably well but it's not exactly a surprise: he played well all year. But let's face it without Terry Murray's insistence on Team D and the players buying into it whole hog the Kings are nowhere.

I'm happy for both of those ex-Flyers - or all 4 if you count Gagne, and I do. I guess I understand some of the animosity toward them, esp toward Crater with his (sometimes) soft perimeter play, his refusal to work the middle of the zone and rifle that quick-release wrister (um, except for last night's GWer in OT of course!) ...his miss of the open net in G6 vs. the 'Hawks... But I always defended him because I felt his contributions outweighed his "softness." Still...I don't miss him. We got some amazing talent in return and though we're not "there" yet we should be next year - well, if we get anything resembling NHL goaltending that is...but that's another (painful) topic.

The trades were a win:win:win (counting Columbus) for all concerned. But let's not hand the Kings the Cup just yet...yeah they're sitting pretty going home up 2-0 but stranger things have happened than a team coming back down 2-0 in a PO round, even a Final. See Boston, see Pittsburgh of recent memory...

[Phillygrump]

Did anyone think that Carter and Richards changed their ways because of the trade?

Thats how I look at it. They were these entitled party boys in Philly and the trade woke them up and made them realize that they are not untouchable when they act like that. Then they got traded and seem more focussed.

We didn't necessarily have the same Richards and Carter that they have now in LA.

[Phlyer1]

Give some credit to Lombardi and the rest of their brain trust. I had hope Lombrdi spent time with the Flyers because he was going to be the next GM. They built a good team who are plying over their heads. Getting into the playoffs(just about) proves the old cliche if you get in you can win,

Edited June 3, 2012 by Phlyer1

[doom88]

Did anyone think that Carter and Richards changed their ways because of the trade?

Thats how I look at it. They were these entitled party boys in Philly and the trade woke them up and made them realize that they are not untouchable when they act like that. Then they got traded and seem more focussed.

We didn't necessarily have the same Richards and Carter that they have now in LA.

That is probably part of it, especially the wake up call Carter got in Columbus (it could be worse, and here it is). Being in LA, the guys are now mostly anonymous, and can relax and be themselves. This absolutely helps Richards.

Also, another year older, another year wiser may have come into play. Simply put, maybe they did a lot of growing up.

[canoli]

Did anyone think that Carter and Richards changed their ways because of the trade?

Thats how I look at it. They were these entitled party boys in Philly and the trade woke them up and made them realize that they are not untouchable when they act like that. Then they got traded and seem more focussed.

We didn't necessarily have the same Richards and Carter that they have now in LA.

That's an interesting point, I wonder what the truth really is. Did either one of them "change their ways?" Was it even necessary or did simply getting away from the Flyers do both of them a world of good?

My guess is the trade was a welcome change for Richards and eventually Carter too (post-Columbus), once they got over the shock of it. With the benefit of hindsight I can see why Richards was probably unhappy in Philly after Stevens was fired. None of the reasons are earth-shattering, I doubt it ever came to "I-can't-play-for-this-team." But I bet during that final season he started realizing that life could be better somewhere else.

[Mad Dog]

That's an interesting point, I wonder what the truth really is. Did either one of them "change their ways?" Was it even necessary or did simply getting away from the Flyers do both of them a world of good?

My guess is the trade was a welcome change for Richards and eventually Carter too (post-Columbus), once they got over the shock of it. With the benefit of hindsight I can see why Richards was probably unhappy in Philly after Stevens was fired. None of the reasons are earth-shattering, I doubt it ever came to "I-can't-play-for-this-team." But I bet during that final season he started realizing that life could be better somewhere else.

Without knowing *exactly* what happened, it would all be a sheer speculation. My guess is that both Richards and Carter simply matured and learned from their mistakes...... Richards especially, I would think. From reading stuff about Richards over years (including what FlyerCanuck reported), Richards is a winner. I always hoped he would make that winning mentality translate to the same mentality here, in Philadelphia. But for reasons - some of which he could control and some that he couldn't - it didn't happen.

What I don't see being mentioned is the influence of Derryl Sutter must have had on what's going on with LA. He took over a team that was in a disarray. And frankly, with Terry Murray's track record, I can't say I am surprised. I don't live close to LA, and I don't really follow that team, but I have to assume Sutter made some drastic changes in how the team plays. The team propelled to playing at an enormously high level since he came. I really felt, along along, that LA would make it to the Finals easily. And the ease with which they won just about every single playoff round tells me it's gotta be more than just Quick. Quick is playing great, no question. But the whole team is playing just at a ridiculous level. And Richards and Carter are playing huge roles.

Seems like another team on the brink of breaking the long drought.... One can only wonder how soon it will be the Flyers' turn, if ever.... Personally, I am losing hope.

[AndyS]

That's an interesting point, I wonder what the truth really is. Did either one of them "change their ways?" Was it even necessary or did simply getting away from the Flyers do both of them a world of good?

My guess is the trade was a welcome change for Richards and eventually Carter too (post-Columbus), once they got over the shock of it. With the benefit of hindsight I can see why Richards was probably unhappy in Philly after Stevens was fired. None of the reasons are earth-shattering, I doubt it ever came to "I-can't-play-for-this-team." But I bet during that final season he started realizing that life could be better somewhere else.

Just to be fair to Richie & Carter, if we had a decent goalie in that Finals against Chicago, we win the Cup & no one is traded & we're all happy.

Carter missing that wide-open net in game #6 still bugs me, but we should not have been down in that series to start with. Blowing that huge lead in game #1 killed us.

[Vanflyer]

@Finnfly75

Don't forget Quick. If we had a "Quick", we might still be playing. Marty also played exceptional again yesterday.

[Phillygrump]

@Finnfly75

Don't forget Quick. If we had a "Quick", we might still be playing. Marty also played exceptional again yesterday.

If we had Quick we'd absolutely still be playing. That dude is playing out of his mind.

[sarsippius]

How does it feel? I hope LA wins, not because of a bunch of ex-Flyers, because I loathe the Devils. And seeing Carter, who couldn't hit the side of a freakin barn 2 years ago when he had the game 6 winner on his stick, get the game winner in OT last night, made me ill. I can be happy for Richie, Gags and Hexy, but F that piece of crap Carter.

[mojo1917]

How does it feel ? fine. good for the Kings, truth be told I don't care a lick about who wins once my team is eliminated, it will be nice that the Rangers, Penguins, and Devils suffer the same fate as our team. but i don't care about richards, gagne, carter lombardi hextall. good for them. yayy , when's the draft ?

[Finnfly75]

I think the great thing LA winning the CUP is that Hextall will have the ring also He was the man. Miss his games and wild saves and being all "loco" Hextall has been my favorite Flyer along Lindross, BrindAmour and LeClair....always. I was happy Brindy won it in Carolina also, he did deserve that.

But I dont mind all those Ex Flyers winning it there, they did not win Lord Stanley when playing for Flyers and that is what matters.

Go Fyers.

Did you guys notice that Vokoun went to Pissburgh.

[TedZep]

I cant help rooting for the devils just becouse of that.

How can you live with yourself writing that? Fda devils!

[Mad Dog]

truth be told I don't care a lick about who wins once my team is eliminated

I feel excatly the same way, which is why I get annoyed, to be frank, by this "Flyers West" crap. It's not Flyers West - it's LA Kings. I couldn't care less whether they win or lose.

Edited June 4, 2012 by Mad Dog

[Dynamo 47]

I might have a different take on the Carter and Richards trades but here are my thoughts.

1) The Flyers would NOT have won a cup if Richards and Carter were still here - the defense was injured and sub-par and the goaltending inconsistent

2) Giroux would not have developed into one of (if not the best) player in the league with Richards and Carter taking his minutes

3) While the King should win their first Stanley Cup, Quick is the main reason behind their success. When you are saving 95% of the shots you face and allowing under 1.36 goals a game you should win almost every game

4) I don't think there is a GM in the league who wouldn't have traded Richards and Carter for Simmonds, Schenn, Jake, and Couterier

I hope the Kings win tonight and I will feel happy to see Gags and Richards lift the Cup and to know that Ron Hextall finally gets a Stanley Cup ring. I will admit that when it comes time for Carter to life Lord Stanley I will look away as that will make me sick.

[flyercanuck]

@Dynamo 47

I'm going to go out on a limb and say Lombardi wouldn't trade Richards for Schenn and Simmonds, since he traded them FOR Richards and they're about to win the cup.

[Flyingswede]

I can't root for the Kings either. However, I understand why Homer had to do that trade. Richards and Carter were primed to be the cornerstone of the team back when they won the Caulder Cup. However they had some parting behavior that was frowned upon by the organization. They didn't want another Pele incident. They were asked not to live in center city, but then they did, along with others Eager, Upshall, Lupul, Carcillo, Hartnell. As Homgren traded away each of their partying friends Richards and Carter were pissed. Richards took much of it personally, refusing to represent the organization for certain events.

In addition, the Flyers went through coaches to find the right mix for Richards and Carter. Hitchcock was fired because he was too hard on them. Stevens was their friend. He covered for them and felt they would change once they were given leadership responsibilities. But that didn't work, Pronger was brought in, this pissed of Richards more. The team became divided in the lockerroom. Stevens was ultimately fired. Lavy tried to bring it all together, Richards and Carter refused to participate in a team "Dry Island" but this time it wasn't going to be the coach that was fired.

In a nutshell, I blame Richards and Carter, so I'm glad they are gone. Holmgren had to make the trades. If Carter was traded solely, the team couldn't go forward with a pissed off Richards as captain so they had to trade both. The Flyers are better off without them. Couturier and Schenn have as much talent or more.

Interesting. I've never looked at it like that, and I guess much of what you write is right. But, I want to win a cup! I couldnt care less about drinking and partying as long as they are happy in the organisation and play well. In USA it seems like its so important what the players say or do after the game. In my world hockeyplayers is hockeyplayers. They are paid to play and as long as they play good their should be on the team.