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(The following was Originally published on Yahoo Sports platform on 8/26/11.)
Former Philadelphia Flyers captain Keith Primeau had grit, gusto and was a true playoff performer.
Like Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, he was also a victim of concussions. Hopefully one of the games currently great players won't have his career affected like Primeau's was.
Before head shots took their toll on his body, this behemoth was one of the best red light players in the game.
Spring 2000
A contract dispute allowed the Flyers to acquire Primeau from the Carolina Hurricanes for Rod Brind'Amour in January 2000.
He had eleven assists and only two goals in the playoffs that spring. However, one of those goals happened during one of hockey's all-time classic contests.
Primeau's game-winner in the fifth overtime period enabled the Flyers to tie their Eastern Conference Semi-Finals series with the Penguins. The eight period game was one of the longest in National Hockey League history.
The 28-year-old former Hartford Whaler and Detroit Red Wing returned to produced a 34 goal, 39 assist season in 2000-2001.
Domination
The 6 foot 5 inch, 220 pounder had 9 goals in 110 playoff games before the 2003-04 season.
Primeau played as though he was possessed during the 2004 playoffs. The nine goals and seven assists he produced in those eighteen games hardly define how the rink tipped towards him every time his skates touched the ice.
Primeau's two goals in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning, caused a stronger release of Flyers' fan energy than at any point since Game 6 of the 1987 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers.
Bilocation
With less than two minutes remaining in the 2004 playoff game, the Flyers captain seemed to bilocate.
First, he passed the puck with his skate to himself through the crease from Lightning goalie Nikolai Khabibulin's right side. Then, he went behind the net, reappeared at his left side and knotted the game at four goals each when he tapped the puck in with his stick.
The crowd reaction resembled a volcanic eruption of orange and black blood throughout the cratered arena.
He and Jeremy Roenick both touched a puck that eventually went to Simon Gagne. He scored an overtime goal which took that series to a seventh game in Tampa Bay.
Ice Rushmore
Flyers captain's Bobby Clarke, Dave Poulin and Keith Primeau all have their busts permanently carved into a sculpture that sits in South Philadelphia's Ice Rushmore.
A likeness of the captain who will hoist their third Stanley Cup will eventually join them.
I became a Flyers fan during the mid-1970s and consider street hockey to be the winter version of wiffle ball. Follow me on Twitter @ SeanyOB
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