LW's NHL Road* Trip 2010 (Part Two)

*Technically, featuring no roads

Following Part One, the continuation of a few brief observations from the games I'm attending while on the wrong side of the Atlantic.

Game #2: New York Rangers 1-4 Philadelphia Flyers

• On the main concourse, former NHL ref Kerry Fraser is signing copies of his new book. A fairly healthy line suggests that Flyers fans are generally prepared to spend an extra $29.95 to abuse an official from closer range than normal
• Some fairly obvious yapping between Carcillo, Avery and Boogaard during warm-ups. Carcillo in particular appears to eschew any involvement with the pucks on the ice the whole time, preferring to skate repeatedly along the red line past the two Rangers, even long after they give up paying attention
• The Flyers' PA announcer still has a voice that makes me want to slice my ears off with a blunt spoon
• Parents of ginger-haired children in the Philadelphia area: Your kids will have things difficult enough. You should really buy them the road white jersey instead.
  
• Jeff Carter's work ethic and ability to avoid cheap penalties are questioned by more than a few home fans in my section
• Unusual first intermission entertainment, as we get to watch ex-Flyer and celebrity moustache, Bill Clement, officially become a US citizen (despite messing up one of the oaths). Not entirely sure what I'm supposed to do with myself when the crowd is then asked to rise and join in a recital of the Pledge of Allegiance
  
• Fairly ridiculous pass from Claude Giroux to Mike Richards on the Flyers' first goal
  
• Despite rarely getting tested, Sergei Bobrovsky receives rapturous applause for even the most basic 50-foot wrister at his chest. Maybe the fans really aren't used to seeing such things...
• Carcillo with a dangerously cheap headshot? Really? I'm shocked. Shocked!
• The officials completely missing/ignoring said dangerously cheap headshot? Really? I'm shocked. Shocked!
  
• Generally a fairly even game until the Rangers opt to aim both barrels at their lower extremities to make it 3-1 - Michael Del Zotto with a horrendous giveaway in front of his net for Blair Betts to score; Henrik Lundqvist somehow deflecting a Nik Zherdev shot taken from the corner of a rink somewhere in Delaware into his own net
• The Rangers missed Marián Gáborík more than other recent games - some decent work down low, but hardly any good scoring chances created and practically nothing off the rush
• Maybe finally inserting Alex Frolov into the line-up after missing the first 12 games will inject some offense. Oh, wait a sec...

Next up: A Friday night in Noo Joisey, as the Rangers face the evil Fatso and his rag tag bunch of scrappy cellar dwellers.