Prospect Profile:
Name: Mike Dusak
Position: Game coverage
Age: Old enough to party
Acquired Via: Free Agent signing
2016-17 Statistics: 15 goals, 14 assists in 25 men’s beer league games
Nationality: American
Hello Flyers fans! My name, as you can see above, is Mike Dusak and I like the Flyers just like you! Not only do I love the Flyers, I love to talk and write about the Flyers as well, and the kind folks here at BSH have decided that they’d like for me to do that on this fine website so I figured it would be time for some kind of introduction.
You’ll see my words around Flyers game day, either in the form of a preview, a game story or observations from Flyers games. I try to keep things light sometimes as life can get a little crazy but I am deeply invested in the coolest game on earth and this lovable, two-time Stanley Cup champion hockey club. Having played the game throughout my life I hope that I can bring a unique insight to Flyers coverage and hope that you’ll continue to follow along with me and the other good folks here at BSH.
With all that stuff out of the way I’ll hit on some key things you should probably know about my Flyers’ fandom before you follow along with me this season.
Favorite Flyer of all-time: “The Big E” Eric Lindros
Fun fact I still to this day have a pair of Eric Lindros posters hanging in my childhood bedroom and for good reason. Growing up in the 90’s era of Flyers hockey was just an awesome time to be a fan. The man was a tour de force on the ice and had a combination of size, skill and speed that to this day hasn’t been matched by any one player.
Add in that he was part of arguably the greatest line in Flyers history -and definitely the coolest sounding one- in the Legion of Doom during that time period and I was hooked on Flyers hockey so I thank Eric Lindros for not only for starting my Flyers fandom but also for being a human highlight reel.
Most hated Flyer of all-time: Max Talbot
Though I’m sure we’ll get to my devout dislike of the other NHL hockey club that resides in the state of Pennsylvania, and I’m sure that they’re are other Flyers that I’ve just hated terribly since I was born…God I hate Maxime Talbot.
I hate Max Talbot for baiting Daniel Carcillo (a close second on this, by the way) into the fateful fight. The Flyers were up 3-0 and on the verge of forcing a Game 7, you didn’t need that fight Danny! I hate Max Talbot for leading Sidney Crosby to his first Stanley Cup by scoring the only two goals in the fateful Game 7 in Detroit. I hate Max Talbot for signing that absurd five-year, $8.75 million contract with the Flyers and I hate Paul Holmgren for giving it to him. I hate Max Talbot for actually scoring 19 goals that next season in orange and black and then disappearing the next year. I hate Max Talbot for being traded for Steve Downie (not his fault, okay, but still), who was also involved in this discussion.
I just hate Max Talbot, okay?
Favorite Flyers moment of my lifetime: Simon Gagne’s GWG in Game 7 in Boston, 2010
Down 3-0 in the series, Gagne came back from injury and was there to force Game 4 with an overtime winner at home. Then after a spectacular performance from the Brian Boucher/Michael Leighton combo in goal, the Flyers were back in Boston for Game 7.
Again down 3-0, the Flyers did what they do: they comeback. James Van Riemsdyk broke his playoff scoring drought to make it 3-1 and Scott Hartnell and Danny Briere would score in the second period to tie things up 3-3 heading to the third period. After the Bruins took a bad bench minor Gagne hopped on a loose puck in the right slot and fired one of his patented snap shots to the top corner past Tuukka Task.
That sealed one of the greatest comebacks in playoff history, and made the Flyers just one of three NHL teams at the time to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a seven-game series. Now the moment would be much better if the Flyers had won the Cup, but history is still cool and all even if Jeff Carter can’t lift up the puck and Michael Leighton can’t close his five-hole.
