SAVE OF THE NIGHT – BRIAN BOUCHER (MARCH 10)
…This save ended up being a huge turning point in the game as the Leafs had just scored minutes earlier to make it a 2-1 game. If Boucher lets this one by him, who knows what happens. Still, Boosh held strong and made about as big a save in about as big a spot as their was in this game. In the end, it resulted in two more points for the Flyers.
BOUCHER HAS INSIDE TRACK TO BE PLAYOFF STARTER
…It’s still February – this topic hasn’t even crossed my mind. However, Panotch makes some valid points on behalf of Boosh, most notably that his puck handling skills are FAR superior to that of Sergei Bobrovsky. In fact, Kimmo Timonen and Matt Carle both commented that they are able to jump-start their offense more and break out easier when Boosh is in net simply because he can get the puck settled and to them quicker than Bob can.
Obviously, there are intangibles and reasons as to why Bob has struggled with it: bigger ice surface in the KHL, goaltenders handling the puck isn’t nearly as common, etc. Still, he’ll need to improve upon that if he wants the nod over Boosh come playoff time. Personally, I haven’t made up my mind yet, and I really don’t care – both of these guys have been legit this season and I’ll be fine with whoever is in net.
…Boosh is 13-6-2 with a .922 save % and a 2.25 GAA this season. He has won his last two starts – Feb 5 vs. Dallas and Feb 10 vs. Carolina – allowing one goal in each game. The Lightning have seemed to have Sergei Bobrovsky’s number this season, so starting Boucher tonight seems like a logical move.
Thanks to Mr.FlyerGuy on Youtube for this video.
Brian Boucher deserved a better fate. The Flyers as a team, quite frankly, didn’t.
The Orange and Black dropped their first contest of the 2010-2011 season, a 2-1 overtime decision at the hands of the St. Louis Blues last night at the ScottTrade Center. The fact that the Flyers were even able to get a point out of this game was an accomplishment in itself, because it’s hard to believe that many thought the deserved the single point, let alone two.
Danny Briere and Matt Carle celebrate Briere's third period marker
The Flyers took 10, yes, 10 penalties, and thanks to some solid special teams play were able to kill off all but one St. Louis powerplay, a man advantage that resulted in the first game of the contest by the Blues’ Brad Boyes, who tipped an Erik Johnson shot past Brian Boucher and made it 1-0 St. Louis in the first period. The score would remain that way for much of the contest, as the Flyers, for the second straight game, struggled to really get their feet under them until the third period of play. Still, once Philadelphia got into the flow of the game, the contest became an exciting one.
Thanks to a terrific pinch effort by Matt Carle – who was the Flyers best defenseman, by far, last night – a rebound off a Jaro Halak save came loose and right onto the stick of Danny Briere, who punched it home for his second goal of the season to even the game up at 1. The Flyers cranked up the intensity from that point forward, turning the tables on the Blues as they outshot them in the period by a total of 14-6. Brian Boucher stood tall when he needed to and the Flyers did an excellent job of killing off some late St. Louis powerplays to keep the game deadlocked heading into the overtime frame.
In overtime, a magnificent individual effort from Danny Briere resulted in the Flyers sniper catching iron on a snipe of a shot that beat Halak. Instead of taking home a two points they wouldn’t have necessarily deserved, the Flyers were left to scramble back to the other end of the ice and defend against the Blues ensuing offensive rush. Brian Boucher wouldn’t be as fortunate as Halak.
Boosh stopped 23 of 25 shots in the overtime loss
After some great pressure from Alex Steen – who looked terrific all night long – and Barret Jackman in the Flyers’ end, a loose puck popped right to Carlo Colaiacovo who ripped a slapper past Boosh and sealed the victory for Saint Louis. The Blues celebrated their season-opening victory, while the Flyers were forced to sit on the plane ride back from Missouri to Philadelphia and reflect on the fact that they let two points slip away in a situation no one really saw them getting any.
In the grand scheme of things, however, the Flyers will look back on this roadtrip and deem it successful. Two hostile environments to start the season, two home openers for two teams with playoff aspirations and rowdy fanbases, and the Flyers snatched up three of a possible four points to begin the 2010-2011 campaign. They got some lucky bounces along the way, and they certainly could have easily came out with zero points combined in their first two contests, but you won’t find a Flyers fan or player now that’s not content with the fact that the Flyers have three points after their first two games of the season.
The Orange and Black raise the 2010 Eastern Conference Champions banner tomorrow night against the Colorado Avalanche at the Wells Fargo Center.
NAME: Brian Boucher
POSITION: Goaltender
Regular Season Statistics: 26 Games Started – 9 Wins, 18 Losses, 3 OTLs. 2.76 GAA, .900 SV % and 1 Shutout.
Analysis: When the Flyers inked Brian Boucher to a two-year deal last off-season, I, for one, was very excited. Here was Boosh, a guy that had been the focal point of a magical run nearly ten years prior, and now back between the pipes with the Orange and Black. Originally, the plan was to have Boucher back up the Flyers’ other free agent goaltender signing Ray Emery, but that ended up being far from the situation by season’s end. Emery was hobbled by injuries, and, when given the starting reigns for the Flyers, Boucher quickly joined his former goaltending partner on the injury shelf. Still, Boucher was given a second chance when Michael Leighton went down in a March game against Nashville, and he made the most of it from that point on. Boosh ended up back-stopping the Flyers to the playoffs, putting the ultimate exclamation point on the Flyers’ playoff-clinching win against the New York Rangers by stoning an Olli Jokinen attempt in the final shot of a shootout at the Wachovia Center. Sure, his statistics don’t blow you away, but he was was a back-up, and he did help to jumpstart the Flyers’ dramatic playoff run by getting them into the postseason in the first place.
Postseason Statistics: 10 Games Started – 6 Wins, 6 Losses. 2.47 GAA, .909 SV% and 1 Shutout
Analysis: Here’s a fun fact for all of you: Brian Boucher, statistically speaking, was the best goaltender in the first round of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He played absolutely out of his mind and displayed some of the best goaltending I’ve ever seen in a playoff series as the seventh seeded Flyers pulled off a surprisingly easy 4 games to 1 upset of the second-seeded New Jersey Devils. He finished up the first round series with an incredible 1.60 Goals Against Average during the five game series, and looked poise to have a second storybook Flyers playoff run within his reach. Of course, then the Boston series happened, and after falling behind the B’s three games to one, Boucher suffered what looked to be a season-ending sprained MCL when Miro Satan fell on him in Game Five. Unfortunately, Boosh wouldn’t be around when the team made history against the Bruins in Game Seven, but he certainly wanted to make sure that they playoffs hadn’t heard his name for the final time. He rehabbed heard and recovered from the injury ahead of schedule: just in time to return to the Flyers for the 2010 Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks. Boosh would appear in two Finals games, both in relief of Michael Leighton, and wasn’t all that spectacular. Still, his heart and desire to play were almost overwhelming from a fan perspective.
FINAL GRADE: B-
Reasoning: The only things that brings down Boosh in my eyes here are his statistics. The heart and desire to win in #33 cannot be judged and, quite frankly, it isn’t possible to get a correct assessment on them. He is the ultimate team player – a rare attribute for a National Hockey League goaltender, who don’t always think about others when it comes to playing time. I found it really interesting the amount of times this season that Boucher said, when asked about whether or not he’d like to play in a particular game, that he’d be happy with whatever situation put his team in the best position to claim victory. Many players say that in today’s sports world, but few are rarely believable. Boucher falls into that hallowed category. Hopefully, Boosh can right the statistical horse this season, and make some more great memories for the Flyers and their fans.
The incredible run of the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers came to a crushing halt Wednesday night on the Wachovia Center ice. Patrick Kane slipped an overtime marker past Michael Leighton and the Blackhawks claimed their first Stanley Cup since 1961 – leaving the Flyers 0 for their last 6 in Stanley Cup Final appearances. It’s a tough pill to swallow for the Flyers and their fans, and while the wound is still fresh today, it is healing slightly a little better than it was yesterday. The Flyers enjoyed a remarkable ride en route to the franchise’s first Cup Final appearance since 1997. As a seven seed, they knocked off the two-seeded New Jersey Devils in five games in round one, made history when they came back to eliminate the Boston Bruins in seven games in round two, and dispatched the Montreal Canadiens in five games in the Eastern Conference Final to claim hold of their first Prince of Wales trophy in 13 years. This was a team that was 14th in the Eastern Conference at one point this season, and made a coaching switch midway through the year that started with the team losing seven of it’s first nine under Peter Laviolette. However, they bought into his system, they kept believing, and now they are going to be able to raise a banner at the Wachovia Center next season. Although it may not be the ultimate goal, I think we can all agree that “2010 Eastern Conference Champions” is pretty sweet.
Now, onto my series recap. Obviously, all the points here will be Flyers related, so when my Series MVP isn’t a ‘Hawk, don’t get all crazy on me. I know this, and I did it purposely. I’ve broken it up into three categories: 1) Series MVP, 2) Series Turning Point, 3) Why the Flyers Lost. I left out the “What has to change for the next series” category, because, well, there is no ‘next series’. That is, until, next postseason….
1) SERIES MVP: Danny Briere, Right Wing.
Many will argue Ville Leino should be here, and many others will say Scott Hartnell was more deserving. However, in my opinion, it was the third part of that line that was easily the most important – and certainly the most valuable. Danny Briere finished the postseason as the leading point scorer in all of the National Hockey League. He had twelve points in the six game series against Chicago – easily making him the highest scoring player in the series, and finished the playoffs with 12 goals and 18 assists. While many – myself included – look for more from Briere in the regular season because of his gigantic contract, there’s certainly no denying that he earns his paycheck when the year matters most: the playoffs. His speed and skill were heavily on display throughout the entire postseason, and I think that despite his regular season struggles, Briere has completely endured himself to the Flyers’ fan base with his postseason performance. He made the most of his first career appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, and let’s hope it’s in the cards for him to make a few more return trips there in the Orange and Black.
2) SERIES TURNING POINT: Game Four’s Final Minutes.
I understand the reasoning as to why Game Five may be many people’s turning point for this series, but it was not. Instead, this series took a turn for the worst for the Flyers with less than ten minutes remaining in the Flyers’ 5-3 Game Four victory over Chicago. Sure, the Flyers won the game, and ultimately evened up the series at two games a piece, but that wasn’t the bigger story. The more important, and far more telling fact of Game Four was that in the period’s final minutes, ‘Hawks coach Joel Quenneville switched up his lines, and Chicago absolutely dominated the play. The Flyers couldn’t clear the puck from the defensive zone if their lives depended on it, and Chicago smelled blood with their newfound momentum. They carried that same strategy that came up just short in Game Four into Game Five, and ran the Flyers literally out of Chicago and on the next flight back to Philadelphia. It was certainly a much tighter game in Game Six – hence the score being tied after sixty minutes and heading into overtime – but with their new line combinations, Chicago still dominated heavily and controlled the play for long durations of the game. The new lines gave Chicago new life, and ultimately a Stanley Cup. We can thank the furious push from the ‘Hawks in Game Four for re-installing the confidence needed to be successful in the playoffs and tight situations. It’s the reason there’s a parade in Chicago today.
3) WHY THE FLYERS LOST: Antti Niemi was (slightly) better than Michael Leigthon/Brian Boucher.
Game One: 5 goals, Game Two: 1 goal, Game Three: 4 goals, Game Four: 5 goals, Game Five 4 goals, Game Six: 3 goals. Antti Niemi was not magnificent. In fact, most of the time – aside from Game Two – he wasn’t even consistently all that good. However, he managed to somehow be just a little bit better than the Flyers goaltenders Michael Leighton and Brian Boucher. Boosh relieved Leighton twice in tight, high scoring games in Chicago (1 & 5), but took home the loss in each contest. Niemi was never pulled, although no one would have questioned Quenneville had he done it at specific points in the series. Instead, the Finnish Fortress was just simply OK. And, with how the goaltending went in this series, OK was “good enough”. Niemi made two critical stops in Game Six to Leighton’s one. Leighton’s toe save on Jonathan Toews with under six minutes to go paved the way for Scott Hartnell’s goal that tied the game in regulation. However, Niemi’s breakaway save on Simon Gagne early in the second, and his acrobatic flop to stop Jeff Carter in the waning minutes of the third period were truly the game savers. In the end, I must reluctantly say, it was Niemi>Leighton/Boucher.
The Chicago Blackhawks knew that if they had to come back to Philadelphia down 3-2 in the 2010 Stanley Cup Final, their chances of a comeback were slim to none. Instead, the ‘Hawks played like their lives depended on it and destroyed the Flyers in Game Five by a final score of 7-4.
Chicago celebrates Kris Versteeg's first period goal
Much like the 5-3 final of Game Four that went in the Flyers’ favor, the three goal cushion the Blackhawks had when this game went final didn’t even do their total domination justice. Antti Niemi was very ordinary tonight in goal for Chicago, but fortunately for him Michael Leighton was the recipient of some bad bounces, and Brian Boucher couldn’t hold down the fort. The forwards and defense for Chicago completely wanted it more, and battled hard all game long as a result. The Flyers were tentative – they let the Blackhawks dictate the play early on and that set the tone for a domination by the ‘Hawks as the game continued to wear down. The Flyers got it to two goals twice: down 3-1 in the first minute of the second period, and down 6-4 with a little less than ten minutes to play in the third. Still, that was more a factor of Niemi not being very good more than it was the Flyers actually generating serious offense.
The Blackhawks came out flying in the first period, scoring three unanswered goals, and controlling the shots by a margin of 13-7. Many Flyers said that after the game the first period they had just played in was one of the worst periods – if not the worst – this team has played the entire season, let alone playoffs. The scary thing is that it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Brent Seabrook got the scoring started on a goal that has become creepily typical of Blackhawk goals this series – a deflection. A Seabrook wrister unfortunately deflected off of Chris Pronger’s skate – who was trying to block the shot – and snuck into a tiny hole that had opened up when the puck changed direction past Michael Leighton’s right pad at 12:17 of the first period on the power play. The ‘Hawks weren’t done, however, as just three minutes later, another crazy carom saw the puck go from Dave Bolland’s stick behind the net to the back of Leighton’s skate and into the net for a goal that made the score 2-0 Chicago. In a period that Chicago dominated, the ‘Hawks were not yet done, as Kris Versteeg found the back of the net through a screen and under Leighton’s glove to give the Blackhawks what seemed like an insurmountable 3-0 lead. It was just that.
JVR beats Niemi to make it 5-3 Chicago in the third
The second period opened with a glimmer of hope for the Flyers and their fans, as Scott Hartnell picked up a loose puck in the crease to make it 3-1 Flyers just 32 seconds into the frame. Brian Boucher also entered the game for Leighton, who was pulled after giving up three goals in the first. The Flyers started to control the play a bit in the beginning of the period and there was reason to think that a comeback was entirely possible. That was, of course, until Danny Briere did not pick up his man – Patrick Kane – who got a beautiful back-door pass from Andrew Ladd to break the Flyers’ backs and make the score 4-1 Chicago. The goal proved even that much more crucial when Kimmo Timonen roofed a rebound in front to cut the Blackhawks’ lead to 4-2 just a minute and a half later. The Flyers chances then began to mount, but failed opportunities in front of a wide open net from Ville Leino and Mike Richards proved even more costly, when Dustin Byfuglien scored his first of the game on the powerplay to make it 5-2 Chicago and, for all extensive purposes, put this game out of reach.
The Flyers showed a little fight in the third period, as James van Riemsdyk scored his first goal of the Stanley Cup Final on another bad rebound from Niemi and made the score 5-3, but, like the Orange and Black did in Philadelphia, it was the Blackhawks that answered back in a big way Sunday night, as Patrick Sharp beat Brian Boucher to make the score back to a three goal margin, now at 6-3. Simon Gagne got one back for the Flyers, as Ville Leino – really the only forward that gave a complete effort tonight – made a great individual play to get the puck to Gagne who was wide open to put the puck in the empty net. At 6-4 with less than three minutes left, there was hope, but not much. All that hope was diminished when Dustin Byfuglien buried an empty netter for his second of the game and locked up a 7-4 Game Five victory for the ‘Hawks as well as a 3-2 series lead.
The Blackhawks celebrate their Game Five win
This game was not about any one player in particular, although many other articles you’ll read will want to make it seem that way. In short, the Blackhawks as a team wanted this game a helluva lot more than the Flyers. As a deserving result, Chicago is now just one win away from a date with Lord Stanley. That could happen Wednesday night in Philadelphia, where I’ll be in attendance. However, if the Flyers get their way, all eyes and bodies will be back in Chicago for a decisive Game Seven.
It’s a pretty simple equation for the Flyers at this point: win two games and a row and you are the 2010 Stanley Cup Champions. Lose a game before you win two, and it’s all over. Let’s hope the first option is the reality come Friday night. Get the ball rolling Wednesday, boys.
Who could blame you right now if you’re doubting the Philadelphia Flyers?
Really, who could blame you? Who could say that your thought process was either “way off” or “discombobulated”? Who could tell you that this current series is by no means over?
Who could make you believe?
How about the Flyers themselves?
Remember back to game 82 of the long and grueling regular season that comes along with participation in the National Hockey League. The Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers squared off in a “Win and You’re In” game at the Wachovia Center. The Rangers scored first, and looked in control early. If your thought process involved the Flyers sinking into an abyss, and faltering at that point in time, who could’ve blamed you? However, the Flyers kept working. The Orange and Black proved to live up to their season mantra, for perhaps the first time all season, sustaining a “Relentless” attack against the Rangers and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. In the third period, when the hope was likely the dimmest for many Flyers fans, the Flyers shined light heavily back into the equation. Matt Carle roofed a rebound off his backhand and into the net to even the game at 1-1. The Flyers had always believed, and now the fans had reason to again. Still, a 1-1 draw ended up remaining on the scoreboard until the game headed into overtime. In an overtime filled with tension and anticipation, heart rates climbed when the only buzzer that sounded during the frame was that signaling a trip to a shootout.
A shootout; placing the entirety of your playoff hopes against arguably the best goaltender in the league today. The Rangers had Lundqvist, the Flyers had Woonsocket, Rhode Island native Brian Boucher. Who could’ve blamed the majority of the Flyer faithful for having their doubts? Danny Briere certainly couldn’t have. Yet he helped ease the suspense when he sent Lundqvist’s jockstrap somewhere onto I-76 on a deke as the first shooter to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the shootout. Still, why was there any reason to believe in Brian Boucher and his ability to stop at least two breakaways at that point to send the Flyers to the postseason? There wasn’t much of a reason at all, to be honest. But Boucher stood tall in his first attempt, a stop on try from Erik Christensen.
Boosh played hero in Game 82
And then, when Claude Giroux scored in the third round to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead in the shootout (P.A. Parenteau had beaten Boucher in round two), there still couldn’t have been many who believed in Boosh to stop sniper Olli Jokinen and save the game and the season for Philadelphia. However, that’s just what he did, and they Flyers earned the trip to the postseason that had come so hard, but felt so rewarding. Brian Boucher believed the Flyers could do it, and so did his teammates.
Next up came a showdown in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the second-seeded New Jersey Devils. And after hanging on by a thread to win Game One, the Flyers were defeated late in Game Two, as New Jersey evened up the series. Who would blame you for doubting the Flyers then? The Devils had Ilya Kovalchuk and seemingly new life in a series they were favored to win. Who could’ve blamed the Flyers for folding and taking solace in the fact that they’d just been fortunate enough to make the playoffs in the first place? Anyone but the Flyers themselves, it seemed. Of course, the rest is Flyers history. Danny Carcillo was the overtime hero in Game Three to get the series back in Philadelphia’s favor. The Devils never won another game.
Simon Gagne silenced the Boston crowd with his PP goal in Game 7
Then came a semi-final series with the Boston Bruins. The Flyers quickly fell into an 0-3 hole, and also fell behind 1-0 in Game Four. Why was there reason to believe that this Flyers team could come back? How could Michael Leighton, ice cold and coming off a high ankle sprain, fill in strongly in place of Brian Boucher, who went down with a pair of sprained knees in Game Five? How were the fans, and even the Flyers themselves, able treat an 0-3 deficit as if it were a 3-3 deadlock for four consecutive games? It would’ve been easy to keel over and die then, it really would’ve. Instead, the Flyers decided they’d rather make history. Simon Gagne decided he’d come back early from a broken toe and join them. The Orange and Black took four straight from the Black and Gold to join the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and 1975 New York Islanders as the only NHL teams to win a series after being down 0-3.
What if Ian didn’t believe in sacrifice? What if Broad Street didn’t fight back?
The Eastern Conference Finals were a whirlwind in themselves, with the Flyers seemingly coasting to wins in Games One and Two. But after the scene shifted to Montreal and the Habs blew the doors off the Flyers in the process en route to a 5-1 rout in Game Three, who would ever have expected the Flyers to come out and dominate in the fashion they did on their way to a 3-0 shutout and a 3-1 series lead in Game Four? Ian Laperriere and Jeff Carter did. And so did the teammates and coaches they returned to join in Game Four after missing the previous three games of the Conference Finals and the entire Semi Finals series with what had previously been thought to have been season ending injuries (Broken orbital bone and brain contusion, and a broken foot, respectively).
What if, when the series shifted to Philadelphia, Mike Richards took a chance to close the series and snatch a certain Prince of Wales at home for granted? What if he didn’t rekindle images of the determination of Bobby Clarke when he tossed Tomas Plekanec out of the way en route to setting up a Jeff Carter empty-netter to send the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Final?
What if the Flyers, a team burdened with the expectations of bringing a Stanley Cup to Philadelphia, simply wrote this season off as “not being our year”? What if they faltered in the limelight of the Stanley Cup Final, and fell to the Chicago Blackhawks convincingly?
Far from it. The Flyers arguably could have a 2-0 lead in this series going into tomorrow night’s Game Three at Wachovia Center. Instead their down 0-2 to the Blackhawks, and face a must win situation in Game Three to keep their Stanley Cup hopes alive. Who would blame any Flyers fan right now for having his or her doubts? Most wouldn’t.
I would.
Mike Richards and the Flyers can get right back into this series tomorrow night
This Flyers team knows they could be up 2-0 in this series right now. The Blackhawks know they could be down 0-2 in this series. The Flyers know they let two winnable games slip away in Chicago, so who’s to say that they won’t win two winnable games here in Philadelphia? And if they win Game Three, how much of a confidence boost will it give this franchise and this city, which collectively haven’t seen a victory in a Stanley Cup Final game since 1987? If you doubt the Philadelphia Flyers’ ability to do the unthinkable now, then shame on you. If you will be at the Wachovia Center tomorrow night and intend on sitting on your hands in nervous anticipation, don’t go and make a fortune selling your tickets. There are so many Flyers fans right now that would die at the opportunity to be inside the Orange Crush of the Wachovia Center tomorrow night. I’ll be there. I’ll be loud. And anyone else in Orange better be right there beside me. Chicago’s strutted their stuff on home ice. They’ve brought the series to Philly needing two wins to the Flyers’ four to win the Cup.
I don’t give a crap. All I care about is tomorrow night and the Flyers getting back into this series. I care about that sea of Orange that will be so loud and boisterous, your television sets likely won’t do it justice because (as is the norm at the Wachovia Center in the playoffs) they’ll have to turn down crowd volume so you can hear the announcers. I care about Lauren Hart, and the great Kate Smith singing a certain song to make the roof shake on top of the Wachovia Center. I care about a strong first period – one that sets the tone and one that lets the Chicago Blackhawks know that there is absolutely no chance they are going to win a game in our building.
Most importantly, I care about a win.
The Flyers have been sporting orange tee-shirts in their dressing room this series that show a picture of the Stanley Cup and simply state: “Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough”.
Let’s be real here – to the Flyers, with everything that’s happened to this team this year and all they’ve had to overcome both off and on the ice, there’s only one phrase that’s related to the one on their shirts that is even remotely justifiable:
“Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get the Cup”
Do I Believe?
You had better believe it.
The task was simple for the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Five of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Boston Bruins: win, and they would live to see another day.
Well, the heart of the Orange and Black still pumps on.
Kimmo Timonen, Scott Hartnell, and Danny Briere celebrate a second-period goal
The Flyers rode a four goal avalanche at the hands of the Bruins this evening in Beantown to make their best of seven series against the Boston Bruins that much more interesting, now making the games totals at three to two in favor of Boston. Just Friday night, the series was convincingly three to zero. However, a Simon Gagne overtime winner in Game Four, followed up by an offensive explosion in Game Five now means that the Flyers have a little bit more than a bark in this series, and are slowly trending towards a bite as the two teams shift back to Philadelphia for what should an incredible sixth game.
The Orange and Black got things going tonight at TD Banknorth Garden as they silenced what was a raucous crowd in Boston just under seven minutes into the contest. Chris Pronger let fly a slapshot from the top of the circle, and while Tuukka Rask made the initial save, the rebound fluttered into the front of the crease and right onto Ville Leino’s stick, who buried his opportunity to make the score 1-0 in favor of the visitors. The goal by Leino proved a sign of good things to come from the Finnish forward, who is now going to be counted upon more than ever to pick up the slack of his supporting cast peers. Although the first period ended with a score of 1-0 in the Flyers’ favor, it was easy to notice that it was the visitors, and not the hometown Bruins, who were carrying the play early on.
That trend continued into the second period, when Scott Hartnell finally got himself off the schnide and scored what may have been his first goal in a century, but certainly his first of the playoffs, to make the score firmly 2-0 in favor of Philadelphia, and suck most of the remaining energy completely out of the TD Banknorth Garden. However, it’s easy to build a two-goal lead, but it’s even easier to have that lead slip away, especially on the road. The Flyers made sure that wasn’t the case tonight. Simon Gagne buried a power play goal – the Flyers only tally with the extra man in nine opportunities, yeesh – to put the Orange and Black up 3-0 and basically set the tone and the mindset that there certainly would be a Game Six between these two teams.
Michael Leighton was solid in relief of Boosh, making 14 saves to preseve the shutout
The second period was not all perfect for the Flyers, however. Brian Boucher was the recipient of a freak accident in which his teammate Ryan Parent fell on top of him, causing Boosh to be positioned in a severely awkward angle, and resulting in an injury. As of now, it appears it’s a sprained MCL, but either way, Boucher is more than likely done for the remainder of this round. Fortunately for the Flyers, as I mentioned in my game preview, Michael Leighton returned from injury tonight and was on the bench as the Flyers’ back-up. The man who earlier this year saved the Flyers season now has the opportunity to do it again, and proved himself capable in his first test, replacing the wounded Boucher midway through the second period and stopping all 14 shots he faced from that point forward.
Late into the second period and into the third, the Bruins got rather frustrated and started taking some stupid penalties. Steve Begin leveled Claude Giroux from behind and left the Flyers sniper hurt on the ice, only to be assessed a two-minute minor penalty. I’d be appalled if the NHL didn’t look more into the situation tomorrow and possibly even suspend Begin for Game Five. It was an obvious intent to injure, and may be “rewarded” with a sit-down from the league. Chris Pronger also deliberately had his legs taken out by Blake Wheeler, and Vladimir Sobotka looked like a chicken running around with his head cut off on the ice (Scott Hartnell most of the time in a Flyers uniform) tonight as opposed to a player playing with a purpose. A third period break away goal by Simon Gagne made things 4-0 in favor of the Flyers, emptied out the TD Banknorth Garden, and sent the two teams to Philadelphia to play an ultra-pivotal Game Six. It’s Michael Leighton’s show the rest of the way, but if the Flyers play the way they did tonight in the defensive zone the rest of the way, than they should have a chance in Game Six and (possibly) beyond from here on out.
To the Wachovia Center we go, can’t wait to see how crazy it’s going to be inside there!
Alex Cohen
Ian Stancato
Josh Getzoff
Stephen Watson
Zach Field