Inside the Mind of a Maniac: Live Blogging the Flyers vs Sabres - Game 3 in Philadelphia*

5:50pm: Laptop - check. Water - check. Remote (for throwing) - check. Mute button for homerific Sabres announcers, who will comment on the Philly fans' lack of class at least 5 times tonight - check.

6:05pm - The Sabres' announcers just mentioned how glad they are that BJ Umberger is back in the Flyers' lineup. Uh...who?

6:08pm - Brian Savage! Shorthanded! And with speed! It has to hurt when you get beat by the very thing you've been busy flaunting.

6:30pm - The Flyers are still taking stupid, undisciplined penalties. This needs to stop if they plan on making this a series.

6:42pm - "The Flyers are going on the PECOOOOOOO Power Play!" Things like that make me homesick.

6:45pm - Three Flyers penalties in the first period. Not acceptable. Still, the game's tied at one and the Flyers looked better than they have in weeks.

(1st Intermission)

7:08pm - I'm always confused as to why people could have such hostility against teams that don't win. I mean, why do the Cowboys really hate the Eagles? It's not like we've ever won anything of importance. I always assumed I hated the Devils so much because of how they always seemed to have the Flyers' number during the years when they were holding Stanley Cup parades in their shitty parking lot of a city. (Still bitter? Maybe.) But now - the Sabres. Suddenly, I think I understand.

7:14pm - PETER FORSBERG! Off the skate off Jay McKee! Buffalo Announcers: "They couldn't catch up to Forsberg."

Oh sweet irony.

2-0 Flyers. First lead of the series.

7:15pm - Penalty to Buffalo. PECOOOOOOOOOOO...well, you know.

7:19pm - Watching Chris Drury, I can't help but still think, as I did that day, that the Avs made a HUGE mistake trading him. Did they ever recover from that? The kid is a winner in the post season. Silly, silly trade.

7:21pm - I'm sure I'm jinxing something, but I'm proud of the way the Flyers fans are behving tonight. When the game started it was so loud in the Wachovia Center that the Sabres' announcers couldn't hear the whistle. Even after the Sabres goal, the "Let's Go Flyers" chant was louder than ever.

7:27pm - PETER FORSBERG!!!!!!!!! 3-1 Flyers. Thanks for the Power Play. Hey Lindy, why are your guys playing like idiots?

7:29pm - Pominville with a wide open net and he fanned on it, never really getting a shot off. What a shame.

7:36pm - "And the classy Philadelphia faithful boo him (Dumont) as he leaves the ice. This building - I swear - the only way they'd be happy is if he left the ice in a hearse."

(How predictable - that was "Philly fans are classless" comment #2 if you're keeping score.)

So, as Umberger sat on the ice bleeding from his mouth and unable to move, it was classy how the Sabres continued to show him being flattened on the jumbotron? Interesting.

7:38pm - Deep breath. And maybe a beer.

(2nd Intermission)

8:09pm - Sabres announcers are still wetting themselves over Jay McKee's open ice hit when Tim Connolly puts the puck past Esche. Defense should have had him covered. Not entirely Esche's fault there.

8:10pm - Finger hovers over mute button. I despise silence, but it may very well be welcome at this point.

8:11pm - My boyfriend, a Stars fan with no vested interest in either of these teams, just walked into the room. "These announcers are really annoying." No kidding.

8:13pm - I can't relax with a one-goal lead. Can we quadrulple shift Forsberg at this point?

8:15pm - Buffalo appears to have all the momentum at this point. Can someone please hit Tim Connolly? Seriously - it's Tim Connolly.

8:16pm - Another Flyers penalty - this time it's Nedved. Where's my defibrilator?

8:19pm - Penalty on Nedved. Another one. There's one thing I hate as much as the Flyers losing games, and that's making Lindy Ruff look like a smart man. Doesn't happen often, but when it does - ouch.

8:24pm - Another! Penalty! This time, to Peter Forsberg. Oh! But wait! "Oh, no, it's to Roy," mumble the Sabres announcers. Could it be for diving? Could it? Yes! It's for unsportsmanlike conduct. What a glorious turn of events. The Flyers have got to capitalize if they want to put this game away. A one goal lead with 5 to play is not what anyone would call "safe."

8:27pm - Gagne is one hell of a playmaker. But sweet jesus - he is still is not able to finish by himself. Get rid of Forsberg and he's back to being a 20 goal scorer.

8:30pm - Nedved loses the puck at center ice. He's having an atrocious game.

8:31pm - It's TIM CONNOLLY! You do not let him skate right into the net!

8:32pm - Two minutes to play. One goal lead. Flyers can't keep the puck out of their zone for more than five seconds. Perhaps this offseason they can learn to play the full 60.

8:33pm - Seriously. I need Maalox.

8:35pm - Another gem from the Sabres team: "The Flyers are taking their sweet time getting their players out on the ice." Isn't that called home ice advantage?

8:36pm - Simon Gagne empty net goal! Perhaps he can finish. At least, when there isn't a goaltender within ten feet.

8:38pm - Flyers win! Kate Smith strikes again. Let's do it again Friday, shall we?

_____________________
*All times are CST