Normally, it hurts more than this.

In years past, when the Flyers found themselves on the brink of elmination, my condition could most likely have been described as somewhere between heavily depressed and near suicidal. For the last 20+ years of my life, Spring has symbolized the return of warm weather, the arrival of my birthday, and the inevitable end of hockey season along with the realization that someone else would be skating the Cup.

But this year, with the Flyers down 2-0 to the Sabres and in need of a major attitude adjustment and a minor miracle, it's not quite the same. The sleepless nights, the hollow chest, the wistful memories of a remarkable season - they're just not there.

This was a season that seemed doomed from the very beginning. As Keith Primeau sat, dazed, on the ice after a crushing hit by Montreal's Alexander Perezhogin on October 25, we couldn't have imagined that it was the beginning of the end. Primeau, the Flyers captain, tried to play the next few games, but, perhaps fittingly, announced on Halloween that he was out indefinitely, and just like that, the horror show began. Turner Stevenson underwent hip surgery and failed to recover. Kim Jonsson and Chris Therien found their seasons ended early with post-concussion syndrome. Primeau announced he was done for the season and would set his sights on a September return, if at all. Peter Forsberg battled a groin injury all season long. Michal Handzus, Eric Desjardins, Joni Pitkanen, and Simon Gagne all missed lengthy periods of time. Not surprisingly, the Flyers led the league in man-games lost to injury, so the club was forced to lay their fate in the hands of a slew of talented but inexperienced rookies.

The outcome, given those circumstances, was not much of a surprise. The inconsistant Flyers failed to put together a solid run, and as a result, dropped from first in the division to 5th overall in the Eastern Conference. A first-round matchup against the higher seeded Buffalo Sabres, a team that took 3 of 4 from the Flyers this season, seemed like a steep hill to climb given their recent performance.

Of course, I'm not sure anyone expected the abortion that occured last night in Buffalo; a game that was so embarassing that OLN, TSN, and DirecTV quit carrying it halfway through, when they switched to the Rangers/Devils game. The Flyers looked lost as they watched the more-focused Sabres skate circles around them as they put the puck in the net 5 times in the first period.

Now the series moves to Philadelphia, a place the orange-and-black haven't played well of late. Technically, the series isn't over, as plenty of teams have come back from down 0-2 in a best-of-7 series. But for all intents and purposes, the curtain has closed on this Flyers season, and at this point, it's better to look forward than back. For despite all of the nightmares of the 2005-2006 Flyers season, there are lots of positives to take from it.

Beneath the injuries and inconsistencies, this season was an exciting preview of things to come for the Flyers. Highly touted young players like Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, RJ Umberger, and Antero Niittymaki gained valuable experience and showed flashes of brilliance that we're sure to see more of in years to come. Simon Gagne, with the addition of Forsberg, raised his game to a new level, and newcomer Mike Knuble enjoyed the shared success of the top line. If Bob Clarke can obtain one fast defenseman without mortgaging the future of the team, and Keith Primeau, whose importance to the club is monumental, can get healthy, there's no reason the Flyers can't challenge for the Cup next season.

And so, as the sun begins to shine in Philadelphia, pools are uncovered, flowers are planted, and like clockwork, another hockey season draws nearer to an end. But this time, unlike past springs, it is accompanied by a sense of hope and a hunger for the future.