Mike Brophy

Veteran hockey columnist Mike Brophy writes Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday on Sportsnet.ca and appears regularly on Hockeycentral.

The Flyers revolving cast in between the pipes isn't heloing their cause.

Last year the Flyers had a rare comeback down against the Bruins. Can they pull it off again?

Jeopardy contestant: "I'll take Déjà vu for $1,000, Alex."

Alex Trebek: "The answer is, Not a chance."

Jeopardy contestant: "What is, can the Philadelphia Flyers pull off a second straight miracle comeback against the Boston Bruins?"

Alex Trebek: "Correct!"

That, obviously, is the sentiment many share as the Flyers once again find themselves down 3-0 in their series with the Bruins. It didn't look good a year ago, but the Flyers managed to win the next four games to become just the third team in NHL history to win a series after losing the first three games. It looks worse this year.

And yet, somehow, I can't get over the feeling these Flyers are not done and that they are indeed capable of pulling off the seemingly impossible once again. It's going to require a major improvement in their play, to be sure, but there's just something about this team that, despite all the obstacles, has me believing it can get back in the series. I'm not crazy about the odds of Philadelphia winning four straight, mind you, but if the Flyers can somehow find a way to win Game 4 tonight, a seed of doubt will be planted in the minds of the Bruins who know only too well what it's like to self-destruct.

The Bruins have played well in this series and deserve to be ahead by three, but you'd have to agree we have not seen the real Flyers yet. Maybe we won't, but this team has way too much talent to be swept. Even without injured defenceman Chris Pronger, the Flyers are capable of performing at a much higher level than we have seen thus far in this series.

Obviously the Flyers are going to need to get better goaltending if they are to stay alive. Whoever starts for the Flyers tonight - Brian Boucher, one would presume - has to take the reigns and not let go. More than anything else, it means he has to be great from the get-go. Allowing an early goal could be devastating for his team.

Beyond goaltending, the defence needs to tighten up. Pronger or no Pronger, the Flyers must reduce Boston's quality scoring chances. With Kimmo Timonen, Sean O'Donnell, Braydon Coburn, Matt Carle and Andrej Meszaros as a top 5, the Bruins should not have such direct access to the Flyers net.

In terms off offence, there are a number of Flyers who could step up to the plate including Claude Giroux who is tied for second in playoff scoring, but hasn't scored in this series. Ditto for Danny Briere, who has been a playoff dynamo the past few years, but has been handcuffed against Boston. After scoring in the opening game, Briere has been held goal-less in the last two and managed just two shots on goal in Game 3.

Perhaps more than anything else, the Flyers need captain Mike Richards to check in. Regarded as one of the best young leaders in the game, Richards has been decidedly quiet in the playoffs with just one goal in 10 games. In three games against the Bruins he has one assist and is minus-5.

Now it may be revealed after the Flyers are done that he was playing hurt and if that is the case, all is forgiven. However, if he is healthy, Richards needs to bring more to the table. Richards is a complete player capable of making an impact at both ends of the ice and yet he has not been the physical force we have grown accustomed to seeing. That, more than anything else, is what leads me to think he might be banged up.

The way Tim Thomas has played this season, and particularly in this series, it's hard to imagine the Bruins dropping four straight. If only three teams in the history of the National Hockey League have been able to overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a series, you have to wonder about the odds are of a team doing it two years in a row - against the same opponent no less.

The Flyers may be on life support, but as long as they have a pulse, I'm not counting them out.