Flyers fans are turned on full blast

From the Four Seasons, where fans taunted the visiting Blackhawks, to South Philly, where families were split between teams and stadiums, it was fan-freaking-tastic in Philadelphia last night.

Mob duo: Joe Patitucci's plan to gather bicyclists dressed in orange to follow the Blackhawks' buses from the Four Seasons to the Wachovia Center was pegged by some media outlets that caught wind of it as a "flash mob."

A news chopper flew overhead and the team received police escorts.

But Patitucci's plan fell short - he was joined by only one friend. Still, the two dedicated fans followed one of the buses to the stadium on their bikes.

"I can't afford a $500 ticket," Patitucci, 31, said. "This is my way to show support."

Vital signs: Jim Kirk, owner of the Kite & Key restaurant, and Nick Johnson, brewery ambassador from Troegs Brewery, skipped out from a beer-week event at Kirk's restaurant to carry a bloodied Blackhawks mannequin on a stretcher to the Four Seasons.

They said the creation was impromptu - made out of Kirk's old hockey gear and his wife's beautician mannequin head (he didn't tell her about the blood).

As the Blackhawks boarded the bus, they tried not to look at the creation - but the ones who did, did not look amused.

The cops escorting the players allowed Kirk and Johnson to pull the stretcher into full view of the bus as it left the hotel.

"Take 'em the wrong way - send 'em to Jersey!" Kirk yelled to the officers leading the escort.

High-ranking fans: Vice President Joe Biden and wife, Jill, celebrated her 59th birthday, which is today, at last night's game.

Willow Grove-raised Jill Biden, a huge Flyers fan who hangs a Danny Briere jersey on her door at home for good luck, wore a black No. 48 Briere T-shirt.

The couple sat in a box at center ice, joined by Comcast chief executive officer Brian Roberts and vice president David L. Cohen.

Family jealousy: At the stadium complex, Jessica Jennings, 30, was dressed in Flyers gear, while her cousin, Kevin Jennings, 29, was dressed in a Phillies jersey.

He was headed to Citizens Bank Park and she to the Wachovia Center, for her first Flyers home game in 10 years.

Jessica, a Philly native, flew in from her home in Lake Tahoe just hours before the game. Although excited to see his cousin and the Phillies, Kevin, of Atlantic City, admitted he was jealous.

"I love her to death, but I was praying for her plane to be delayed," he said. "I wanted that ticket."

Child abuse? Dressed in a Flyers shirt and accompanied by his 8-year-old son, David Reape, 48, of Newtown Square, was repeatedly badgered by fans in the arena who accused him of child abuse and poor parenting.

Why? Because Reape's son, Ian, was wearing a Blackhawks jersey.

Ian said he wanted to wear the shirt because "they have a cool symbol" and because he's learning about Illinois in second grade right now.

Staff writer Dan Gross contributed to this report.