This morning, the 6-1 loss for the Flyers was secondary. Instead, it was the behavior of Flyers fans taking center stage.
Down 4-1 and facing a five-minute penalty kill for Pierre-Edouard Bellemare's hit on Dmitry Orlov, fans started throwing LED bracelets used as part of the pregame festivities onto the ice. Lou Nolan warned of possible repercussions that could affect the team.
It settled for a moment, until Alex Ovechkin scored his second goal of the game to make it 5-1. The throwing continued and the Flyers were assessed a two-minute delay-of-game penalty.
The Flyers issued a statement regarding the behavior of fans during the third period of Game 3.
Per Dave Isaac:
Because I asked: pic.twitter.com/xoDpfwtNjS
— Dave Isaac (@davegisaac) April 19, 2016
As the bracelets rained down, Wayne Simmonds could be seen visibly upset at the fan's behavior forcing the Flyers to kill off a 5-on-3. NBCSN camera caught an ailing Orlov on the bench as a bracelet struck him. With Lou Nolan's warning all for naught, the booming voice of the Wells Fargo Center PA eviscerated Flyers fans.
"Those of you that have been throwing them, you've done it now. Two-minute bench minor to the Flyers for delay of the game. Way to go."
After the game, Barry Trotz spoke of the game's events, criticizing the Flyers and the fans for events that don't belong in the game and portray it the wrong way to a national audience.
"We pulled the game away and they weren’t interested in playing anymore and so we ended up on the power play for the last seven or eight minutes," Trotz said. "I just thought it wasn’t good for the game, plain and simple. We’re on national television I don’t think it displays our game very well."
The night had started on such a high with a wonderful ceremony honoring Ed Snider and a Flyers goal 57 seconds into the game. To watch it unravel like that was gut-wrenching.
Snider's daughter Sarena expressed her thoughts and what her father would have been thinking had he seen it.
My dad would've called the wristband throwers a "disgrace" & may have spoken publicly. But he wouldn't look back, only forward. @NHLFlyers
— Sarena Snider (@SarenaSnider) April 19, 2016
Interestingly enough, it appears the Flyers were prepared to give out bracelets again for Game 4, but after last night's debacle, may not tempt fate.
From CSN Mid-Atlantic's Chuck Gormley:
Don't think these boxes will be opened for Wednesday night's Game 4, eh? #CapitalsTalk pic.twitter.com/UBU8o9Rbjz
— Chuck Gormley (@ChuckGormleyCSN) April 19, 2016
Game 4 in Wednesday night in Philadelphia at 7 p.m.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
