Phillies Inspire Flyers to Another Win; Philly off to 2-0 Start

Make no mistake, the Philadelphia Flyers were inspired by the team playing across the street Saturday.

That, of course, would be the underdog Phillies, a team that has upset their first two playoff opponents.

When the final out was recorded in the Phillies’ series-clinching, 8-3 win over Atlanta, the Wells Fargo Center crowd — which had only been half-watching the Flyers face the Vancouver Canucks — erupted in cheers and chants.

Maybe it was a coincidence, but the Flyers then rallied past Vancouver, 3-2.

During the Phillies’ game, the Wells Fargo Center scoreboard had been giving baseball updates. The end of the Phils’ win, which out them in the NL Championship Series against San Diego, was shown at the WFC.

“That,” center Kevin Hayes said, “was awesome.”

‘Trying to take a peek’

“I was on the ice during it, trying to take a peek at it” said Philadelphia Flyers left winger Scott Laughton, who a short time later tied the score at 2-2 with a shorthanded goal.  “It got the crowd going. Its’s just a really cool time to be a sports fan in Philly right now, with the Phillies and Eagles, and us starting.”

Hayes said “a lot of guys in this room are watching the Phillies; we’re watching them close. Sixers. Eagles. This is a sports town. Everyone knows that. It’s a lot more fun for everyone when the teams are doing well.”

Added Hayes: “I’ve got a couple buddies over there for the Phillies. It was awesome seeing that final pitch and seeing the fans go crazy when they turned it off, and right away they put it back on, so it was cool.”

The Eagles are 5-0 heading into Sunday night’s showdown with Dallas. The Phillies are in the NLCS. The Sixers are expected to be outstanding. The Flyers are 2-0, thanks to a pair of comeback wins.

“It’s been a good start of our year, (but) it’s only two games,” Laughton said. “We have to continue to grow as a team and play better as we move along here.”

They will be tested severely on their upcoming three-game trip, during which they face Tampa Bay on Tuesday, Florida on Wednesday, and Nashville on Saturday.

Maybe it’s a good sign that the Phillies will also play on all three of those dates.