VORHEES, N.J. -- If the Philadelphia Flyers have one thing to be thankful for when they look back on the first half of their disappointing season, it's Tiger Woods and his highly publicized "transgressions."
With curvaceous members of Woods' unofficial Harem surfacing on a weekly basis, the world's greatest golfer has become the hottest commodity for bloggers and tweeters from Philly to Fresno, somewhat redirecting the Web's spotlight off the Flyers.
As the Flyers embark on their final 41 games of the 2009-10 campaign, they leave behind months of juicy Internet fodder that included allegations of too much partying; outside accusations of a rift between veteran Chris Pronger and captain Mike Richards; and a coaching change that saw Peter Laviolette replace John Stevens.
Whether the spicy innuendo flowing around the team in the City of Brotherly Loathe is true or not, there is one point the Flyers can not deny: They have pathetically underachieved.
With 41 points in their first 41 games, the Flyers are on pace to finish the season with just 82 points. If this was 2008-09, that would leave you in 23rd spot overall in the NHL standings. Unacceptable.
In addition, it would give you the No. 8 overall selection in this summer's entry draft in Los Angeles.
Also unacceptable.
Especially when you coughed up two first rounders -- including the 2010 selection -- in the package that landed Pronger from the Anaheim Ducks this past summer.
In Toronto, much has been made of the two first-rounders surrendered by Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke as part of the deal that netted Phil Kessel from the Boston Bruins.
When the Leafs went winless in their first eight games, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli likely was drooling at the prospect of Toronto finishing in the basement, allowing him to use their pick to snap up top-ranked prospect Taylor Hall.
It was a gamble Burke figured was worth taking. Kessel wasn't going to lead the Leafs to a Stanley Cup this year, but he was a talented building block Burke wanted as part of the franchise foundation.
Therein lies the difference in the philosophies of the Leafs and Flyers in each trading away two first-rounders.
Burke figured the sacrifice would help his team win in the future by adding Kessel.
The jury is out on that.
Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, meanwhile, figured the sacrifice would help his team win now by adding Pronger.
To date, it hasn't.
Prior to last night's results, the Flyers were just four points ahead of the Leafs entering tonight's game at the Wachovia Center. Given the discrepancy in talent between the Flyers and Leafs, they shouldn't be this close in the standings.
But they are.
And no one is happier at this turn of events than Ducks GM Bob Murray, who probably never thought that a 2010 first-rounder from the Flyers might translate into a Top 10 pick.
Remember, these are the same Flyers our friends at the Hockey News projected to win the Stanley Cup. They weren't the only ones.
Things aren't all gloom and doom in Philly. The Flyers have shown signs of life under Laviolette, a good NHL coach who is preaching an up-tempo style. And goalie Ray Emery could be back this weekend after undergoing abdominal surgery Dec. 9. As for problems within the dressing room, Laviolette, while denying there is an in-house rift, admits it is an off-ice work in progress.
"I don't think that you become a close-knit team overnight," Laviolette said. "We're working on that."
Bob Murray couldn't care about any of that. He just wants the Flyers to keep losing.
