Wrapup 10:30 PM EST
The Flyers prevailed 4-3 in overtime of a bizzare game that had a little bit of everything. The contest included a penalty shot for thrown equipment, another Flyers shorthanded goal, a questionable major and game misconduct for boarding, weird bounces of the puck ending up in the net and a picturesque overtime powerplay goal to end the game.
Daniel Briere will be re-evaluated tomorrow. After the game, Paul Holmgren confirmed that the player is feeling discomfort in his groin again but the early hope is that it's just the break up of scar tissue. Meanwhile, Matt Carle is day-to-day and there's a good shot he'll be ready next game.
The Flyers continue to excel on the penalty kill, despite giving up two power play goals to Tampa tonight. One of the goals was a sheer fluke, and the Flyers could easily have lost tonight if not for the work of the PK.
As for the play of Jeff Carter, he has been tremendous on a game-in and game-out basis this season. He appears to have overcome the final hurdle to NHL stardom. Plain and simple, he's a force. Mike Richards also came up big tonight with two clutch goals at crucial times. I also thought rookie Andreas Nodl had a tremendous game, and Arron Asham looked like the player the Flyers hoped they'd be getting when they signed him as a free agent this summer.
In summing up tonight's win, Flyers coach John Stevens said, "We were obviously short players for most of the game. Upshall got thrown out early and Briere didn’t play the second half of the game so now you are asking a lot of players, we had to kill a lot of penalties, now you are taxing guys.
"I actually think it had an effect on our power play because our recovery wasn’t very good, our guys that were killing penalties were fatigued. I think you have to be objective in that situation. But the power play got it done when they had to. I think when you work your way and are not getting the breaks, the harder you work the breaks start to come your way and I thought that happened tonight.”
Notes and quotes:
* After the game, there were a lot of quips tossed around about Scott Hartnell and his flying glove. Everyone could laugh because Martin Biron came up with the save on Ryan Malone's penalty shot.
The best line belonged to Paul Holmgren, "We've found a new event for the Carnival."
Hartnell himself said that he was at the end of a long shift and had initially hoped to go off for a change, but realized he couldn't. In a desperate (and brain-dead) moment, he threw his glove at Malone as the forward went it.
*The Flyers' success in not only scoring shorthanded goals but in generating so many shorthanded chances has not been seen in Philly since the days of Dave Poulin, Brian Propp, Mark Howe and Ilkka Sinisalo. The current Flyers team is a constant threat to generate opportunities on the kill.
Said John Stevens, "Those guys are dangerous going the other way but not at the expense of getting the penalty killed off. Richards and Gagne are unbelievable in short-handed situations.
"There is a threat to shoot, obviously you don’t want to let Gagne get the puck in that situation because he can score as good as anybody so you try and leave the puck in Richards hands and he can do what he did there. Those guys are as good as I have ever seen together killing a penalty.”
* Martin Biron said of the Malone breakaway that led to the penalty shot that he never saw Hartnell's glove and was able to focus on the save all the way.
“When I made the save the puck bounced back to Scottie’s (Hartnell) feet, and almost went in, and at the time I was just ‘oh no, not another one’ that I left the play on a breakaway and it ends up in the back of the net like the one in Toronto. But it worked out and we got the big win, and that’s what you’ve got to look at right now.”
* Richards said of the game winning goal that it was a set play that he had discussed beforehand with Kimmo Timonen.
"Kimmo and I had talked a little bit before the game just about special teams, and what we wanted to do, and he actually drew that play up for a five-on-three. Five-on-four was kind of the same thing. Bring the attention to him, then some guy took Gagne backdoor, and I just walked into it, and he made a great pass, and I shot as hard as I can.”
Overtime synopsis: Flyers 4 - Lightning 3
A spectacular pass from Kimmo Timonen and a perfect finish from Mike Richards brings one of the season's weirdest and most entertaining games to a successful conclusion for the Flyers.
Malone and Sbisa tangle on a rush and the Tampa player brushes into Biron behind the net. The Flyers get a 4-on-3 powerplay at 1:24 mark.
Flyers 4 - Lightning 3: Richards accepts a behind the back feed from a pinching Kimmo Timonen. The Flyers captain rips home the game winner at 2:05.
3rd period synopsis: Flyers 3 - Lightning 3
The third period was just about the strangest 20 minutes of hockey you'll ever see, with everything from wacky goals and great saves to a penalty shot caused by Scott Hartnell throwing his glove at Tampa's Ryan Malone.
Flyers 2 - Bolts 1: Mike Richards pulls off his patented left to right move on a two-on-one rush and snaps a shot past Mike Smith at 0:36. The play started with Richards poking the puck past Steve Eminger at the point and going in to score the shorthanded goal.
Artyukhin goes off for interference at 2:42. On the powerplay, the Flyers generate very little pressure until the very end.
Flyers 3 - Bolts 1: Jeff Carter cashes in a rebound from the crease for his second of the game. The intial shot came in from Joffrey Lupul high in the zone with Scott Hartnell setting up shop in front and creating the chance for Carter. Time was 4:36.
Vaananen off for hooking at 4:51. Right off the draw, Tampa scores.
Flyers 3 - Bolts 2: Steve Eminger shot from the point hits Martin St. Louis and then Vaclav Prospal in front and pops high the air, landing past Biron and into the net. Time of the goal was 4:57. Prospal gets credited with his obligatory goal against his former mates.
Another Biron misadventure handling the puck leads to pressure from Tampa at about the 6:00 mark.
Asham rocks a Tampa player (didn't catch the number) with a big hit. Mark Recchi gets whistled on a delayed penalty. Carter narrowly misses a hat trick. Whistle finally comes at 8:45.
The fans give Rick Tocchet a big ovation after a pre-recorded Spectrum Memories segment during the stoppage. He waves to the crowd from the Tampa bench.
Carter comes within a whisker of a hat trick at 12:05, moving in alone on Smith. Shortly thereafter, the Flyers have a 3-on-1 rush with puck carrier Simon Gagne electing to shoot. Smith makes the stop again to keep his team within a goal.
Martin Biron makes several excellent stops during a Tampa flurry, including a ten-bell stop on LeCavalier to keep Philly ahead. On the next shift, though, Biron can't cover a fluttering shot from up high and Tampa ties the game.
Flyers 3 - Bolts 3: Steve Downie pots the aforementioned loose rebound at 15:25. Assists to Radek Smolenek and Steven Stamkos.
Carter buzzes deep in the Tampa end. In the final 16.3 seconds, Ryan Malone goes in on a breakaway. Martin Biron makes the save, but Scott Hartnell threw his glove at Malone and the Tampa player is awarded a penalty shot. On the penalty shot, Biron stays with Malone, who can't find room low to the stick side.
Shots were 10 for Tampa and 9 for the Flyers (38-31 Tampa through regulation). Faceoffs were 10-8 for Tampa (31-30 Tampa through regulation).
2nd period synopsis: Flyers 1 - Lightning 1
Lots of special team play in the second period. Martin Biron and Mike Smith both came up with some good saves, while Andreas Nodl and Jeff Carter led the Philadelphia attack.
The Flyers kill off the remainder of the major penalty. Kills such as these are often momentum builders.
Great shift by the Danny Briere, Joffrey Lupul, Andreas Nodl line, but it ends in a hooking penalty on Briere as he forechecks Adam Hall behind the Tampa net at 3:25. Tampa generates decent attack zone time on the ensuing powerplay but the Flyers keep everything to the perimeter.
Great play by Nodl to force a turnover and feed in front. But the more significant part of the shift was an apparent re-injury to Briere, who went right up the tunnel after going back to the bench. There's a stoppage of play at the 7:18 mark as the Flyers are called for too many men on the ice.
On the ensuing kill, Biron turns back an early chance created by Vincent LeCavalier moving along the goal line from the boards. After alleviating the early pressure, Philly kills the rest of the penalty in good shape. Play whistled down on a hand pass at the expiration of the penalty.
Biron with a big stop on Prospal midway through the period to keep the game tied.
Arron Asham forces a Marek Malik turnover at 11:03, with Hartnell claiming the puck in the circle and snapping a shot on goal. Smith had the angle covered all the way.
The Flyers get their second powerplay of the game as Jussi Jokinen goes off for high sticking at 11:39. Luca Sbisa makes a great defensive play to prevent a LeCavalier shorthanded chance. Seconds later, Joffrey Lupul snaps an open shot wide of the net. Jeff Carter then wrists one on net from the top of the circle, creating a rebound opportunity. Tampa survives the penalty.
Andreas Nodl (who is easily having his best game of the season) creates yet another chance. Smith, down on the ice as Mike Knuble went by the net after trying to direct home the feed, was left dazed. It appeared as though Prospal's leg or skate banged into the goalie's mask as the Tampa forward went behind the net.
Martin Biron turns the puck over at 15:38 but calmly stops the shot from the high slot.
Artyukhin called for hooking Braydon Coburn in the offensive zone at 17:04. The whistle blew without Artyukhin playing the puck. On the ensuing powerplay, Mike Richards flashes across the slot but Tampa recovers enough to force him to rush his shot. As the penalty expires, Sbisa dives to try to stop Ryan Malone from breaking out on a 2-on-1. He's sent off for tripping.
In the opening seconds of the Flyers' PK, Carter feeds Hartnell from the corner, but Smith prevents the shorthanded scoring attempt. There will be 1:04 of carryover powerplay time for Tampa.
Shot totals were 11 for Tampa and 9 for the Flyers (Tampa leads 28-22 through two periods). Faceoffs were 12-10 in the Flyers favor (Flyers lead 22-21 through 40 minutes).
1st period synopsis: Flyers 1 - Lightning 1
An evenly played first period. Jeff Carter continues to be the Flyers' most dynamic player, scoring a goal and creating several other opportunities. The clubs traded off powerplay goals. Tampa got the benefit of a questionable five-minute powerplay late in the period. Scottie Upshall gets a game misconduct.
Defenseman Matt Carle was a late scratch from the lineup with a "lower body injury". Lasse Kukkonen is dressed in his place.
Evgeny Artyukhin levels Luca Sibsa with a huge hit in the first minute of the period.
At the 1:58 mark, Steve Downie promptly draws a double minor (tripping, roughing), giving the Flyers an early powerplay. Mike Richards gets a roughing penalty.
Flyers 1 - Bolts 0: Jeff Carter makes Tampa pay, moving into the left circle off the half boards and firing a wrister home through a screen. Kimmo Timonen and Joffrey Lupul get the assists at 2:58.
Right off the next shift, Tampa and the Flyers trade off oddman rushes. Martin St. Louis loses the puck moving in on Biron as a backchecking Braydon Coburn harrasses him. Going the other way, the Flyers are stopped on a two-on-one with Carter feeding Hartnell.
Shots are 8-4 Flyers midway through the period. Smith stopped a Richards deflection for a stoppage at the 9:45 mark.
Glen Metropolit off for holding at 10:18. On the delayed penalty, Martin Biron attempted to draw an even-up goaltender interference penalty to no avail. On the ensuing kill, Ossi Vaananen lands a solid bodycheck. With 36 seconds left in the penalty, Mike Richards unwisely tries a backwards pass from the offensive blueline that turns into a scoring chance for Vaclav Prospal. Biron makes the save, but Tampa controls the next faceoff and promptly scores.
Flyers 1 - Bolts 1: Mark Recchi bangs a rebound past Biron to tie the game. Assists to Jussi Jokinen and Prospal at 11:50.
Off the next faceoff, at 11:53 Arron Asham drops the gloves with Radek Smolenak.
Carter controls the puck, backs off the D and feeds Scottie Upshall for a one-time try that goes wide at about the 12:45 mark.
At 13:55, Smith shows deceptive quickness to get over to what looked like an unguarded post and make a stop. One minute later, Joffrey Lupul barely misses steering a Kimmo Timonen pass into the net.
Scottie Upshall gets a boarding major and a game misconduct for a hit on Artyukhin at 17:27. The reaction of one of the NHL pro scouts in press box was the same as that the fans in the stands-- an immediate "You've GOT to be kidding me!" Artyukhin was up against the boards and it wasn't even an especially jarring hit.
Mike Knuble goes down to block a shot at the buzzer. There will be 2:27 of carryover powerplay time for Tampa in the second period.
Shots were 16-14 in Tampa's favor. Faceoffs were 11-10 in Tampa's favor.
Abbreviated preview (4:00 PM, EST)
The Flyers (11-7-5) will look to get back on the winning track after two consecutive losses when they take on Rick Tocchet's Tampa Bay Lightning (6-10-7) tonight at the Wachovia Center. The goal-starved Bolts are in the Eastern Conference basement, but always give Philly trouble.
When the clubs last met on November 8, the Flyers wasted a dominant first period and let a winnable game slip away. Tampa goaltender Mike Smith (5-6-6, 2.33 GAA, .932 save percentage) had an outstanding game in goal, and used his excellent puckhandling ability very effectively. Vincent LeCavalier brings a seven-game point streak to Philadelphia tonight, and has scored 10 goals and 35 points in 37 career games against the Flyers.
It will be interesting to see if any sparks fly when ex-Flyer Steve Downie takes the ice for the first time against his former club. While he can be easily goaded into undisciplined play, he has shown stretches of effective play at the NHL level.
The Flyers will have Daniel Briere back in the lineup tonight, and are also expecting to have enforcer Riley Cote available.
***
Projected lineups
Flyers
Gagne - Richards - Knuble
Hartnell - Carter - Upshall
Nödl - Briere - Lupul
Cote - Metropolit - Asham
Timonen - Väänänen
Coburn - Carle
Albert - Sbisa
Biron/Niitymäki
Lightning
Malone -LeCavalier - St. Louis
Prospal - Jokinen - Vrbata
Recchi - Stamkos - Downie
Craig - Hall - Artyukhin
Ranger - Meszaros
Krajicek - Eminger
Lundin - Malik
Smith/Kölzig
Contact Bill at
[email protected]
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»