El Capitan – Mike Richards Has Arrived
The playoffs are where dollars are made, careers are altered, and legends are born. He’s only 25, but Mike Richards’ performance in the 2010 postseason has sent him down a path that will change his career, one that may even make him a legend.
Let’s not fool ourselves. Richards doesn’t have the explosiveness of Alexander Ovechkin or the offensive brilliance of Sydney Crosby. At 5’11 and 195 pounds, he’s not an overwhelming physical presence, either. Richards’ greatest attributes are his determination and his game balance: he can score, he can facilitate and he’s as good a defensive center as there is in the NHL. While he will never lead the league in goals or points, he will improve his offense, defense and ultimately his team.
If you had read the above paragraph in February or March, you would have laughed or assumed he was high. The Flyers were floundering at the time, and Richards was finishing his worst full season as a Flyer. His assists were down, his plus/minus was negative and his leadership was in question. The questions were also well deserved.
Since he became captain, Richards’ Flyers have underperformed. In 2009 they were rebounded in the first round of the playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins. This season the Flyers were a roller coaster; hot at times and brutally horrible at others, especially late in the season. Injuries were one of the main reasons for his inconsistent play, but weathering the long NHL season is a key role in being a captain. The Flyers seemed stubborn, and Richards’ reign as Flyers captain was in serious jeopardy. That was then.
This is now. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, the playoffs have been Mike Richards’ closet coming-out party. Although not as a hockey player, but as a captain. We all know how talented he is as a hockey player. The Flyers organization knew this when they signed him to a 12-year contract two years ago. However, it wasn’t until the last few weeks that we finally got to see what Mike Richards looks like as captain…and the outlook is encouraging.
Night after night in the 2010 playoffs, he has been the Flyers’ most consistent player. He rallied the team from 0-3 to defeat Boston and was the Most Outstanding Player in the Eastern Conference Finals (no official award, just my opinion). When the Flyers clinched the series in Game 5, there were three signature moments that epitomized just how far Philadelphia’s young captain had come.
The first was the penalty goal to combat the Canadians’ onslaught early in the first period. Richards ran for the puck from his own blue line in an effort to beat Montreal goaltender Jaroslav Havlak. Richards dove to play the puck, collided with Havlak, then jumped to his feet to put the puck into the net. Two things: First, as mentioned above, the Flyers were shorthanded. Many players would have accepted the clearing and ended their turn or sat down for the next attack. Richards saw an opportunity and took it. There’s a reason he’s considered the best penalty taker in the league. Second, it was a huge, huge target. The Canadians were flying at that point. They were already up 1-0 and threatening the power play. Richards’ hustle and subsequent goal deflated Montreal. In fact, they did not find any kind of rhythm again until well into the third part. Richards’ hard-hitting goal changed the momentum dramatically.
Before we go any further, let’s take a look at where Richards’ career could be headed. His crisp pass from behind the Canadiens’ goal to Jeff Carter for a 3-1 second-period lead provided a good window into the future. It was a spectacular play by Richards on so many levels: positioning, awareness, puck control, passing, it was all there. This is what I love about him. His ceiling is extremely high. We could easily have the next Steve Yzerman/Joe Sakic-type player on our hands. Yes, they are both NHL legends, but Richards has the potential and especially the heart to reach that level. We did not know this two months ago. If he can keep up his will and effort, the next decade of Philadelphia hockey should be fun. Even if he doesn’t get to the level of Yzerman and Sakic, he’s already a Michael Peca-type player. Peca was a gritty captain of the Buffalo Sabers in the late ’90s. He guided Buffalo to a Stanley Cup appearance and was the league’s best defensive center and penalty killer (sound familiar?), as well as an incredible leader. . So either way, Richards is headed down a good path. But I digress.
The second moment was the empty net goal to win the series. I know right? An empty net goal? Really? In fact. I remember watching the puck bounce off the boards thinking to myself, “Do it, Mike. Go for it.” (Because you know, we speak by first name.) Richards went for the puck and completely outplayed Roman Hamrlik for a good 10 seconds before passing the puck to Carter, who tossed it home. It was one of those moments where a player just wanted it more. Richards pushed, scratched and scraped his way to the puck and didn’t stop until he got the score from him. It was just an empty net goal, but thanks to Richards’ efforts and the prize of going to the final, more than 20,000 fans cheered euphorically as if the goal had just delivered the Stanley Cup. Captains must first lead on the ice to have a voice in the locker room. Getting past the Canadians on that play was a clear example of Richards’ desire to win. It was more than an empty net goal. It was a statement. Don’t think his teammates didn’t notice.
And finally, the delivery of trophies. A subtle but obvious demonstration of how far Richards has come as a captain. In the NHL, touching, grabbing, or celebrating conference championship hardware is taboo. The captains of the winning teams usually smile for a good photo and skate off. It’s his way of saying, “this is not what we came for.” Last year, Sydney Crosby broke tradition and won the Prince of Whales Trophy that is awarded to the Eastern Conference Champion each year. On Monday night, Richards boldly and without hesitation grabbed the trophy, smiled for a photo and raised the trophy over his head. It was a clear display of Richards’ confidence. I know the tradition, but I know that we decide who takes the Cup home, not superstitions. this does not matter Can I prove that this is what was going through your head? Absolutely not. However, she watches the performance clip again. Richards has a smile on his face the whole time. That confident glow is special.
Six months ago, Richards was fighting with the local media over his leadership abilities. He is now leading the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals. After Richards hoisted the Whales Trophy over his head, the Flyers captain quickly skated off the ice toward Philadelphia’s locker room. His teammates followed, hoping their captain would bring them another piece of hardware, one on which their names will be inscribed for eternity.