^{(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)}

I know what you're all thinking. Since Sens Nation has been bitching and moaning for months about getting Bryan Murray back behind the bench, we should all be expecting miracles right? They lost tonight so therefore we're wrong right?

Well, maybe but you'd never hear me admitting it.

No, truth be told they look a lot better than they usually did while flailing half-assedly like they have been in the previous games. Their defensive zone coverage is still suspect, they're still overskating the puck and their lateral cross-ice passes are still not connecting like they ought to. In short, they've developed a lot of bad habits and it might take awhile for them to be kicked out of them.

But they did show a lot of emotion tonight, which is something they have definitely been lacking lately. Mike Fisher stood up for his teammates by dropping them with Steve Downie. The best part was seeing Dean McAmmond on the bench saying 'Atta boy'. All of the players got in on the action to stand up for one another. They wanted this badly for one another and for Bryan. Also, they scored, which is such a nice relief after being shutout for two games in a row.

With the type of luck the Senators have had lately, it should probably come to no surprise that the 3rd Flyers goal came off of a brilliant save by Ray Emery and Wade Redden pushing him into the net. Thanks, Wade. I have no words left for you. As for Emery's performance otherwise, it was average as expected as the game-tying goal was a softie he should have had but the Flyers were outshooting the Senators for most of the game anyways.

If you're reading the event summary and wondering why Jason Spezza only got 7 minutes, Giggles got a game misconduct in the first period but butt-ending a Flyers player in a post-goal scrum, which looked rather incidental to me considering the bodies and the fact that he was getting pulled in all directions. Basically, after the Senators scored the first goal of the game off of a point shot by Andrej Meszaros, Spezza was at the top of the goal crease in front of Biron. After he celebrated the goal, Biron must have not looked him being so happy so close to him, cross-checked him in the back. Expectedly, this drew a crowd where Braydon Coburn decided to pull Spezza by the back of his neck away from Biron, who he was chirping. Christoph Schubert tried to pull Coburn off, who in turn pulled Spezza out and sticks were flying everywhere and that's where the buttend took place.

Some worrisome news as Anton Volchenkov also left after only 7 minutes of ice time for what might appear to be an injury.

Murray said after the game that he's looking forward to getting out on the ice again for practice with these guys. I can only hope this means he's bag skating them.

Labels: bryan murray, jason spezza, philadelphia flyers, ray emery, road loss