What has become of playoff hockey? Am I the only one that remembers what it means to send a message; to set a tone? The Philadelphia Flyers have certainly forgotten. Steve "Stumpy" Thomas and the Toronto Maple Leafs have taken full advantage of the amnesic symptoms, battling back to claim a two-games-to-one advantage over the men in orange and black.

The stage was set for a truly titanic tussle on Monday night, April 26, when the Leafs traveled to Philly's First Union Arena for Game Three of the first-round series between the Eastern Conference's fourth and fifth seeds. Two nights earlier Thomas had taken a serious run at Eric Desjardins along the back boards in the Flyer zone, knocking Philly's premier blueliner unconscious with what some are calling a clean shoulder check and what I'm calling an elbow, make up your own mind.

Clean or not, the result of the hit was that Desjardins was flat on his back for several minutes. But instead of pounding the living hell out of Thomas, the Flyers let the matter go unpunished. Big mistake. Stumpy struck again at 18:01 of the third period, driving wide on right wing and slipping a weak backhander through John Vanbiesbrouck to knot the score at 1-1 and bring the Leafs and the entire Air Canada Centre to life. It was Toronto's first goal of the series. They didn't wait long before scoring their second. Feeding off the momentum of the Thomas goal, the Leafs buzzed the Flyer net and Mats Sundin used his ungodly reach to pop a loose puck over Vanbiesbrouck's shoulder to give Toronto a thrilling 2-1 win. Let's see, that's two goals allowed one minute and six seconds apart in the final two minutes of regulation. Yeah, that'll suck.

Now I'm not promoting violence here, but all I know is it's pretty tough to score a game-tying goal from your back. Thomas should have been rubbed out. I don't care if the hit was clean, you simply can't allow someone to run your best defenseman and get away with it. Thomas should have been dropped before Desjardins' lifeless body hit the ice. By not taking action, the Flyers were opening the door for more nefarious play. It's no coincidence that later in the game Kris King nearly snapped Adam Burt in half by drilling him from behind into the back wall with a horrific cross-check. King received only a two-minute minor for boarding. It should have at least been worth a major and some punches to the head.

Following the game, Philadelphia GM Bobby Clarke was not amused by the officials or the tactics of the Maple Leafs. Clarke, someone who was never scared to send a message in his day, offered up a call to arms. "Just say it's open warfare," spoke the two-time Cup winner. "If someone gets hurt, too bad."

With Clarke's lovely words of promise dancing elegantly in my head, I tuned into Game Three with the anxious anticipation of an alcoholic awaiting his first drink. Awaiting its intoxicating smell. Longing for the smooth, sultry touch of the glass. The reassuring comfort it brings and the... wait, where was I? Oh yeah, so anyway I turned on the ol' Flyer game and what did I see? A whole lot of nothin', that's what.

Things started out promising. Thomas got on the ice early and was challenged his first shift. Keith Jones shoved him around and went nose-to-nose with him behind the Toronto cage as play went the other way. But Thomas didn't take the bait. And Jones didn't force the issue. Another missed opportunity.

Craig Berube by Meredith Martini

Craig Berube sort of did something near the end of the first period. Everybody was milling around behind the Flyer cage after the whistle and Berube bumped into Thomas. And that was all it was, just a bump. But Thomas went down like he was shot and the ref nailed Berube for two. Way to go, stripes. The Leafs opened the second period with the power play and Thomas made it count, whistling a snap shot from the top of the left wing circle behind a befuddled Vanbiesbrouck for what proved to be the game-winning goal in a 2-1 Maple Leaf decision.

Everybody and his uncle, and maybe an aunt or two, is going to say that Berube took a stupid penalty. And that retribution come playoff time will only cost your team on the scoreboard. Blah blah blah. Whatever. Sure, the penalty was dumb. It was dumb because Berube didn't deserve it. He had the right idea. He just didn't execute it properly. If you're going to risk getting caught with your hand in the till, might as well reach for the Ben Franklins. Go all out or don't go. Berube should know better. He's been around. He's seen more messages sent than a Western union clerk.

Tie Domi by Meredith Martini

Thomas' goal drained all emotion from the Philly crowd. Sandy McCarthy tried to inspire the faithful by asking Tie Domi to go, but Toronto's resident thug declined. It was actually a smart move by Domi. No sense giving the crowd something to cheer about. McCarthy flapped his arms like a chicken to taunt Domi. It still didn't work. Tie fled the scene and the Flyers were still without a spark. Just a suggestion for McCarthy. Um, maybe before resorting to the dreaded chicken flap, here's something else you might try: drop the gloves and start throwing anyway. Domi will join in. And even if he doesn't they're not going to hit you for five. The worst thing that happens is you get four minutes for roughing, and even that's doubtful considering the punching bag is Domi. You can't always wait for an invitation. Sometimes you have to make it happen.

The rest of the game rolled without incident. It's a shame, really. And it's also rather obvious why the Flyers haven't won a Stanley Cup recently. They apparently have no idea how to play a seven-game series. But they're not the only ones. It seems the entire league could use a lesson on the finer points of playoff hockey.

Get close to those computer screens, valued readers, for I am about to bestow a piece of wisdom that will lead you true. It's an axiom you can trust to the grave. The key that unlocks the mystery of how to win in the NHL playoffs. Ready?

"You're allowed to lose three games."

There it is. Nothing more than that. You're allowed to lose three games. It's a fact that is not comprehended by many teams these days. Everyone seems to approach each single playoff game as a must-win situation. But that simply isn't the case. The only must-win game is the one you play after your third loss. Until that point, everything else is open for interpretation.

There's no disgrace in losing a game as long as something positive is taken from the proceedings; some ground gained in the overall war. In other words, if you're losing it's time to send a message. You don't do it with sticks. You don't do it with elbows or cross-checks. You do it by dropping the gloves. It's old school hockey. Some will argue that it's not the way the game should be played, but those same people rarely get their names engraved on the Cup.

Just look at the Flyers. They watched Desjardins get whacked and did absolutely nothing. And what do they have to show for it? Two losses and two huge goals given up to the player that committed the atrocity. Teams with character don't let that happen. If Nicklas Lidstrom gets run, rest assured Darren McCarty is going to pay someone a visit. Take a shot at Sandis Ozolinsh and be prepared to be mobbed by the likes of Adam Foote, Adam Deadmarsh, Jeff Odgers, Warren Rychel, and Dale Hunter. And everyone has seen how Derian Hatcher reacts when one of his mates gets threatened.

Perhaps the most infamous example of a team refusing to answer the bell physically came in the 1992-93 playoffs when the New York Islanders knocked off the mighty Pittsburgh Penguins, the two-time defending champs and the greatest offensive team since the Edmonton Oilers of the mid-80s. Before the series, the Penguins had decided not to retaliate against the Isles' rough play, electing instead to make New York pay by scoring on the power play. It was a monumental error in judgement. The Isles, led by LCS Hockey hero Darius Kasparaitis, battered Mario Lemieux on every occasion without fear of reprisal. While Rick Tocchet was instructed to merely sit by and watch, Lemieux took such a pounding that his fragile back went out and he was even forced into traction in the days prior to Game Seven. With Lemieux's back ailing, the Penguin power play went cold and the Isles pulled off the greatest upset in Stanley Cup playoff history.

If Tocchet had been turned loose the first time Lemieux got hit, there's no doubt that series would have had a different outcome, and not just because Lemieux would have been healthy. By not beating them down physically, the Pens allowed the Isles to believe they could compete. The Islanders were the only club that entire season that wasn't intimidated by the daunting offensive juggernaut of Pittsburgh. And the reason why is that they were allowed to take cheap shots without having to pay the piper. The Penguins were so worried about losing a few power- play chances that they never took time to send a message. They never set a tone. And they never won that third Cup.

If you want to win in the postseason, you have to be willing to pay the price. You have to play ugly. You have to send a message. You have to set a tone. If not, you won't be long for the tournament. And you sure as hell will never get to lift the Cup.

The Flyers still have a chance to make amends. Will they make it happen? Tough call. Maybe someone should send them a message.

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