Flyers, pumped by Eagles Super Bowl win, want to 'follow suit'

VOORHEES — It was almost a tease as the Flyers had an up-close view of the madness that spilled into Broad Street Sunday night in Philadelphia.

Most of the team was together for a Super Bowl watch party at Vesper, a center city night club, and couldn’t help but wonder how an Eagles championship might translate to their world.

“Just to see everyone celebrating out there,” Shayne Gostisbehere said, “obviously the thoughts go through your head, ‘What if it was us?’ Obviously, it’s great for the city and the Eagles deserve it with their first (Super Bowl) title and what not. We want to emulate what just happened and keep the party going.”

There was no chance the Flyers could get to Minnesota in time for the game and then back for a practice Monday morning. It wasn’t like the NFC title game, which they attended in Philadelphia when they got off a train home from Washington and went directly to Lincoln Financial Field.

They all got into the stadium just after the Vikings’ only score of the game and it was all Eagles for the rest of the day. This time they got to see the whole game.

Witnessing the impromptu bash on Broad Street certainly added to their motivation.

“I think you see first-hand how the city reacts to a winning team,” said Taylor Leier, noting that among the most memorable was a well-greased fan looking for high fives wearing nothing but his underwear and a smile. “They’re very passionate and we want to follow suit for what the Eagles have done.”

Certainly, the Eagles weren’t favored to win at any point in the season and especially so after franchise quarterback Carson Wentz was lost for the season to a knee injury. Being the underdogs was the Eagles’ rallying cry and if the Flyers end up in the postseason, they’d be underdogs as well.

As members of the fraternity of professional athletes in Philadelphia, they felt compelled to support their football brethren and found a little more gas in the tank for their own season.

“It’s something we have to work for,” coach Dave Hakstol said. “It was really exciting to see the reaction of the town. For sure that was all expected, but the way the game played out, it was just an unbelievable football game from the fan’s perspective and it’s great for the city.”

“That was a fun, exciting game to watch, especially how it ended and where we were watching it from,” added goalie Brian Elliott, who left at halftime to ensure a smooth ride home and watched the final two quarters at home. “It definitely creates that buzz and it makes you think how cool it would be to do the same.”

Dave Isaac; @davegisaac; 856-486-2479; disaac@gannett.com