What a game and what an atmosphere.
Not only did the 2019 Stadium Series make for a night to remember for the Flyers and fans, but it also made for some awesome postgame sound bites.
Let's look at the top five quotes from Saturday night at Lincoln Financial Field.
1. Classic Voracek
Jakub Voracek is always a great interview.
After the Flyers' 4-3 OT win over the Penguins, which featured a crazy finish, both teams shared an appreciation for each other and the event by shaking hands.
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Voracek was asked if he was surprised by the handshake line given the rivalry's intensity.
"What did you expect, like a brawl or something?" Voracek asked.
"It's a hockey game. … That's the right thing to do in a game like that and kudos to them."
Anyone who follows the game loves a good hockey cliché.
Voracek is no different. A question about the keys to the Flyers' third-period comeback had him thinking about some of his favorites.
"Get it deep, I love those hockey clichés," Voracek said. "Get it deep, chip it in, work it goal line to goal line and shoot everything on the net, oh my God."
2. 'I can sleep at night'
The Penguins were none too pleased with Wayne Simmonds during the first period when the Flyers' power forward delivered a big-time check to defenseman Brian Dumoulin, who suffered a concussion on the play.
Simmonds was given a two-minute penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct after a scuffle ensued.
"I didn't like the hit," Penguins center Jared McCann said. "The refs got in the way and nothing came of it."
"I just saw the replay and it looks like he made contact with his head," Sidney Crosby said. "It's tough to see."
Simmonds was asked if he was surprised he received just two minutes.
"Nope, not a chance, not a chance," he said. "Shoulder to shoulder, I don't know what happened after that, to be honest with you. I hit him, I felt him hit the boards, I heard cheers and then all of a sudden there are four guys attacking me."
The 30-year-old, who has seen a ton in this rivalry, defended himself postgame. All his points were perfectly valid.
It's a part of the game, I'm not a dirty player, I've never been suspended in my life, I don't pick people's heads, I don't do any of that stuff. I play the game honest and hard, and that's about it. I can sleep at night.
3. The captain salutes
Speaking of Simmonds, his teammates found themselves talking a lot about the guy they look up to because it's possible Simmonds played his last game in a Flyers uniform with the NHL trade deadline Monday (see story).
Claude Giroux, who has been Simmonds' teammate since 2011, had a tough time putting his appreciation into words because it was a difficult topic.
He's been an ultimate warrior, he's been the best teammate all these years.
There are not enough good words I can say about Wayne Simmonds.
4. 'They're still our fans'
Giroux's celebration pose has gone viral among Flyers fans.
👑👑 pic.twitter.com/1489OIZe6X— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) February 24, 2019
PSA: CLAUDE GIROUX IS CLUTCH pic.twitter.com/y1KVUq3Tl3— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) February 24, 2019
He smiled about it postgame.
"My celebration there, I would never do that celebration like that," he said. "It was just kind of a relief to win an outdoor game. It was a battle to get it, but sometimes the games that are the hardest to win are the nicest to win."
Playing in front of 69,620 fans at the Linc marked his 800th career game played, all in orange and black. Only two players in franchise history have played more: Bob Clarke (1,144) and Bill Barber (903).
"The experience is great, the fans are so crazy," Giroux said of the game. "They're still our fans."
5. 'The cherry on top'
Brian Elliott, who made 40 saves in the victory, was asked about the importance of the game.
He also realized how special it was, too.
"Big, I mean, in the standings for sure, and against a big rival," Elliott said. "We had a lot of fans in the stands tonight, and they braved it, the weather, just as we did out there. It was really fun to play that. G, going down there scoring like he did, put the cherry on top for everybody."
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