Philly pick-me-up

It hasn't been a good week to be a Philadelphia sports fan.

First, the Phillies and their baseball-best 102 wins were drummed out of the playoffs in the first round, and the Eagles lost their third straight game to fall to 1-4. And with the NBA lockout meaning no 76ers basketball, that leaves the Flyers to lift the town's spirits.

"It's not something we think about when we're out there, but walking around town the last few days, that's what people are talking about," Flyers center Danny Briere told NHL.com. "'You're our hope now, we're relying on your guys.' It's good to hear, it's good to see. Although it would have been nice to have the Phillies keep playing and the Eagles doing a little better. Sometimes that's the way it is and we have to try and capture the attention while we can have it."

Scott Hartnell isn't a native Philadelphian, but he's become a huge Phillies fan in his four years with the Flyers.

"I'm just as sad as everyone else the Phillies are out," he told NHL.com. "I was planning on going all this week to a couple games, just like everyone else. And the Eagles are having a tough time as well."

Hartnell said he plans on giving the forlorn fans a fun night tonight against the Canucks.

"It's going to be an exciting night," he said. "That's all we care about, getting a win tonight."

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK

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