Wrapup
The Flyers played a tremendous first period and a good second period but took their foot off the gas in the third period and nearly paid a steep price. For the fourth game in a row, the Flyers coughed up a lead -- multiple-goal leads at that in the last two games, although they've managed to win both.
Antero Niittymaki let in a couple of third-period goals he'd like to have back and also benefitted from three hit posts but he also made several very tough saves in running his record to a perfect 12-0-0 against Atlanta.
I did not mention Claude Giroux's name more than a few times in the period-by-period synopsis, but he had a tremendous game tonight -- easily his best in the NHL so far. The Flyers also got offensive contributions from all around the lineup, including a goal from the defense.
3rd Period Synopsis
The Flyers are unable to cash in on the carryover powerplay time.
Flyers 3 - Thrashers 1: Eric Perrin collects a turnover that bounces off the boards to him and fires a shot from high in the zone that gets past Niitty at 4:42 for his fifth of the season. The goal was unassisted.
Flyers 3 - Thrashers 2: Kovalchuk (20th of the season) trims the deficit to one goal at 9:48. The goal was a side angle shot that could have been stopped but went in on the long side. Assists to Armstrong and Peverley.
Flyers 3 - Thrashers 3: Just like that, the Flyers' lead is gone. Chris Thorburn (6th of the season) races off on a breakaway and snaps a shot past Niittymaki at 10:49. Unassisted goal.
Flyers 4 - Thrashers 3: Mike Knuble (17th of the season) takes a pass from Mike Richards and follows up his own rebound to restore the lead at 12:12. Simon Gagne draws the other assist.
At 15:30, Niittymaki denies Bryan Little's bid to tie the game.
Flyers 5- Thrashers 3: Atlanta presses the attack with the goaltender pulled. Philly does a good job at clamping down defensively. Finally Simon Gagne grabs a loose puck and passes ahead to Mike Knuble, who hits the empty net at to seal the game with his second goal of the game and 18th of the season.
2nd Period Synopsis
Flyers 3 - Thrashers 0: Randy Jones backhands a rebound of a Jeff Carter shot into the net at 1:44 for his first goal of the season. Joffrey Lupul gets the other assist.
On the next shift, Arron Asham and Boris Vlabik come together and trade slashes. Asham continues to follow Vlabik up the ice and they eventually drop the gloves. Even fight, although Asham was pulled off balance a couple of times. Both players get roughing minors and fighting majors at 2:31.
Niittymak makes a nice stop in close against Bryan Little at about the 4:00 mark.
Scottie Upshall takes a slashing penalty at 4:26. Strong kill by Philadelphia.
Four on four play at 6:38 as Armstrong goes off for hooking and Randy Jones for slashing.
Atlanta hits its third post of the game.
Marty Reasoner gets nabbed for an offensive zone hold at 9:02. The powerplay is negated 37 seconds later on a very marginal tripping penalty on Scott Hartnell.
Valabik off for elbowing at 13:07. Randy Jones misses a wide open net late in the advantage.
A pass intended for Jeff Carter narrowly misses connections, but Carter stays with the play, retrieves the puck from the corner and feeds Scott Hartnell for a scoring chance in front.
As play moves the other way, Hartnell takes exception to Valabik and they go off for unsportsmanlike conduct minors at 18:06.
Scottie Upshall collects a gift-wrapped giveaway from Ilya Kovalchuk and moves in a breakaway. Kovalchuk compounds his sin by slashing Upshall and then giving up on the play. Lehtonen saves his team's bacon with a skate blade save on Upshall. Philadelphia draws a powerplay.
1st Period Synopsis
In the opening minute, Simon Gagne pounces on a turnover just inside the blueline and feeds Mike Richards for a scoring chance.
Claude Giroux sent off for an offensive zone hook at 1:33. On the ensuing kill, Antero Niittymaki makes a tremendous skate save on Colby Armstrong.
Riley Cote is denied in close by Kari Lehtonen. Seconds later, Slava Kozlov is guilty of a delay of game infraction at 5:04. On the ensuing powerplay, Mike Richards moves in off the half-boards and threads a pass to the net. Lehtonen covers it and prevents a Simon Gagne follow-up attempt.
Flyers 1 - Thrashers 0: Scott Hartnell and Joffrey Lupul work a give and go that Lehtonen turns away. Moments later, Atlanta turns the puck over. Hartnell pounces reaches around a sprawling Lehtonen for his 17th goal of the season.
Off the next faceoff Riley Cote and Eric Boulton drop the gloves. In a very lengthy fight, the combatants do a lot of grappling, but finally start to trade some heavy shots. Cote was on the receiving end of several, but came back at the end.
Right after play resumes, at the 10:00 mark, Arron Asham and Chris Thornburn engage in some fisticuffs. Asham is quickly taken down to the ice but lands one from the ground.
The Flyers are dominating the territorial play and scoring chances. Shots are 11-3 through the first 14 minutes.
Randy Jones takes a bad tripping penalty at 14:44. Niittymaki stops a bullet of an offering from Ilya Kovalchuk in the final seconds of the penalty.
Flyers 2 - Thrashers 0: A spectacular line-rush goal by the Flyers. Darrol Powe scores his second NHL goal as he directs a perfectly threaded feed from Scottie Upshall upstairs at 17:55. Claude Giroux, who made a nice pass to Upshall, draws the secondary assist.
In the final minute of the period, Kimmo Timonen makes a nice defensive play to break up an Atlanta rush.
Shots were 12-9 Flyers, faceoffs were 11-7 Atlanta (Marty Reasoner was 5-for-5). Atlanta hit the post twice. Ilya Kovalchuk led all players with three scoring chances.
ABBREVIATED PREVIEW
Before the Flyers (24-12-9) head into the All Star break, they have business to take care of against an Atlanta Thrashers (17-25-5) team they have utterly dominated. Philly owns an all-time 27-3-1 record against the Thrashers, plus three ties before the shootout era. Over the course of their last 16 meetings, Philly is 15-0-1 heading into tonight's game at the Wachovia Center.
The Flyers have beaten the Thrashers twice this season. Antero Niittymaki posted an easy shutout in 7-0 rout on Oct. 28 in Atlanta and also prevailed in a 4-3 win at home on Nov. 16.
As usual, Niittymäki will get the start against the Thrashers again tonight.
Philly has made a recent habit of giving back leads after scoring first. That three-game trend needs to end tonight against at Atlanta club that has struggled to keep the puck out of its own net all season. Atlanta, however, has won three straight games.
Flyers players to watch: Niittymäki has posted a career 11-0-0 mark against Atlanta, with a 1.64 goals against average and .942 save percentage. Simon Gagne has 19 goals against Atlanta in 29 games, while Jeff Carter has eight career goals in 14 meetings. Mike Knuble has three goals in the two tilts so far this season.
Thrashers players to watch: Whenever a team plays Atlanta, Ilya Kovalchuk is the focal point. The Atlanta captain has 15 goals and 28 points in 26 games against the Flyers, but has also been prone to costly lapses in discipline. Atlanta's leading goal-scorer this season, 21-year-old Bryan Little, will play his fifth career game against the Flyers tonight. He scored in the last meeting. Goaltender Kari Lehtonen is 0-7-0 in his career against the Flyers, with a 3.80 goals against average and .883 save percentage.
Potential lineups (subject to change)
FLYERS
Gagne - Richards - Knuble
Hartnell - Carter - Lupul
Upshall - Metropolit - Giroux
Cote - Powe - Asham
Timonen - Väänänen
Coburn - Carle
Alberts - Jones
Niittymäki
[Biron]
THRASHERS
Kovalchuk - Peverley - Armstrong
Kozlov - White - Little
Boulton - Slater - Reasoner
Christensen - Perrin - Thorburn
Enström - Hainsey
Hävelid - Schneider
Valabik - Bogosian
Lehtonen
[Hedberg]
Contact Bill at
[email protected]
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»