Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Do You Consider The Philadelphia Flyers An Elite Team?

04/03/2014 at 6:26pm EDT

from Anthony SanFilippo of the Philadelphia Flyers website,

Following the loss to St. Louis, I posted a blog about how the Flyers have been playing as we approach the playoffs and in the process, I used the term “elite” to describe them as a team.

I stand by the use of that adjective even if it caused some consternation on the Interwebs.

I guess the reasoning is there is no true definition for “elite.” And who’s to say what “elite” really is in the NHL from season to season? Is it the top four teams in the league? Is it anyone who has a strong chance of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals? Is it the highest scoring team? Is it the team with the best defense?

There are a lot of variables. And to be honest, I didn’t really think about what the parameters were for my usage of the word. The reason being, having watched as much hockey as I have this season, I was just under the impression that the Flyers are one of the three best teams in the East, have a chance to reach the Finals with the way they are playing (I don’t just say that lightly either, even if they are a longer shot than some other teams) and have shown it by playing strong, if not exceptional hockey, against the other top teams in the league.

But, I was put to task by some fans who felt that I was using the word in far too cavalier a manner. After all, how could I consider a team who hasn’t clinched a playoff spot, who is in third place in their division, and, until recently had a negative goal differential for the season, an elite squad?

continued

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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

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