Flyers now facing elimination
Blackhawks 7, Flyers 4
Flyers now facing elimination
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
CHICAGO -- Eighty-two games in the regular season. Twenty-two games in the Stanley Cup playoffs. And now, for the Flyers, one final game of goaltender roulette.
On a night when the Chicago Blackhawks asserted themselves in a way that neither team had been able to accomplish to this point, Flyers coach Peter Laviolette finds himself in the position of having to make a huge decision as his team now faces elimination.
Who is the goaltender, Michael Leighton or Brian Boucher?
For the second time, Laviolette found it necessary to yank Leighton out of a game in the Stanley Cup Final. It was at the end of the first period of the 7-4 loss that sends the Flyers home trailing by three games to two.
There were two dynamics at play as that first period ended with the Blackhawks holding a 3-0 lead. The first dynamic was that Chicago mixed up its line combination and came out storming in a manner that they had not shown since their 6-5 victory in Game 1. The second dynamic was that, despite the aforementioned storming, the Flyers’ deficit would have been only 1-0 had Leighton been able to stop the stoppable shots.
But there were two bad goals, and it was Boucher in the net for the second period. Leighton sat on the bench wearing a baseball cap. And now Laviolette has 2 days to think about a decision that likely will be dissected either way for years to come, if it goes bad.
Leighton or Boucher? Oh, and no pressure on the outcome.
And, after the game, Laviolette said, “I don’t have an answer for that.”
Down the hall from the interview room where Laviolette sat at the United Center, there was more intrigue. As it turns out, CBC showed in its broadcast a tape of Leighton getting hit by a shot, apparently on an unprotected part of his knee, and leaving the pre-game warmups early. How it might have affected his play is unclear -- because, to be fair, he did make some good saves in the first few minutes, when the Blackhawks were really coming hard.
Leighton said, “Yeah, I took a shot off of my knee in warmups, but it didn’t affect my performance at all.”
So there is that. There also is a team full of players that is well-aware of the kicking it just endured. The last thing any of the Flyers was going to do was bury the goaltender, especially since nobody knows where Laviolette is headed on this thing.
As captain Mike Richards said, speaking for all of them, “It was just us leaving a goaltender out to dry.”
As for Boucher, he said his job in that situation is to come in and play shutout hockey, which he did not do. “I needed to shut the door,” Boucher said.
When asked about starting Game 6, Boucher said, “I don’t know if there’s any issue there.”
Logic says that, just as after pulling Leighton after allowing five goals in Game 1, Laviolette will return to Leighton again. It is neater and simpler and projects an image of calm at a tempestuous time. It is easy enough to make the argument that, after a game when the Blackhawks came out and ran the Flyers over in the first period, the last thing the Flyers need is some undue emotional upset. Besides, Leighton is so much better at home, and that is where this series is heading.
But there is another side to this, the reality side of it. And the reality is that the Flyers might very well have won the game if the goaltender had been better. That isn’t to say that Boucher was spectacular or anything. But the truth is the truth, and it should have been 1-0 at the end of the first, and none of us can predict how the Blackhawks might have reacted -- how frustrated they might have been, and how that frustration might have manifested itself -- had Leighton been better.
The first goal -- a Brent Seabrook shot that deflected off of Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger -- was not Leighton’s fault. But the second goal was -- Dave Bolland, taking a rebound off of the backboards and sneaking it between Leighton’s skate and the post. And the second goal was -- Kris Versteeg, skating from left to right at the top of the circle and then beating Leighton back to the left.
It was pretty obvious, at that point, that Leighton was going to be pulled at the end of the period -- and it is exactly what happened. And, again, Boucher was unspectacular in his two periods, allowing three goals of his own and making a couple of good saves. There isn’t an obvious choice, which means that it probably will be Leighton for Game 6.
But you wonder.
It isn’t a good time to be wondering.
Flyers need to win a game in Chicago. So far they haven't been able to do it. That's the bottom line.— Phillies2008WSChamps- HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!— glenhall
- I always felt this would be a 7 game series - The good news is that the Flyers never gave up - They kept coming at the Blackhawks and kept them nervous the whole game -I think the Flyers win game 6 on Wednesday - setting up an Epic game 7 - Let's Go Flyers!— phillydude
- Leighton is a mirage, are people still arguing this? He blocks pucks as opposed to stopping them and has a five hole wider than the hoover dam. Both these goalies are mediocre in the big picture if we're being honest, but Boucher is clearly better. I don't understand how this is a debate. He controls rebounds better. He moves laterally better. He has a better glove. Once healthy he should have been the starter all the way. Two poor games by Leighton in the FINALS people and it cost us. I hope Lavi shows some gusto and makes the move.— thrilladelf
- isn't Leighton 6-0 at home in the playoffs? Didn't Boucher actually, technically take the loss in this game? There is no decision here. Leighton is the man for the rest of the Stanley Cup playoffs.— Hexy4GM
Comment removed.- Good lost tonight, 2 days to think about what we did wrong, yeah Leighton was bad on goal in the 1ST PERIOD!! Maybe we shouldve at least kept him in there for another goal... either ways its over with... I've never been confident with any team in Philly not even when the Phillies won the World Series!! I got a good feeling that this team will again learn from their mistakes and win the next two games!!— PSF4eva
- Goes back to game 1 a sloppy effort that the Flyer's could have and should have won on Chicago's ice. Missed opportunities. They can still redeem themselves. Look, nothing has coming easy for this team, absolutely nothing. Chicago came to play tonite and brought it big time. So one more challenge to face, game 6. One game at a time.— BillyPhilly
- do we all forget that leighton saved our arses the first half of the first period. we couldve been out of tonights game very early, we came out timid. thank god we have game 6 back here to reinvigorate the troops. it hurts to admit but the bhawks dominated us the first period, leighton was not the problem.— loudnproud
- eagle1971: Are you Boosh's agent? You've been ragging on Leighton forever. All the guy had coming into tonight was (a) the best save percentage in the playoffs, (b) the best goals against average in the playoffs, and (c) the most shutouts in Flyers playoff history. And oh yeah, he saved our season when it was in shambles. Show the guy some respect. We are playing a very good team, and while he has certainly not been his best in this series, he has not had a lot of help at times either. The D looked tired tired tired tonight and got overrun by a very hungry team. Why don't you put your money where your mouth is...want to wager on Leighton's performance Wednesday?
- Daddio: go to their message boards at chicagotribune.com. Anyway, you can't start a game down 3, pretty disappointing. Flyers need to all out hammer them Wednesday night. I'm talking goals, checks, fights, etc., so they can win Games 6, and the war in an all out drag out battle.— Liberty4All
- Goaltending was only a fraction of the problem; the bigger problem was the fact that someone has been reading his conn smythe press clippings. Chris Pronger was atrocious, -5 on the ice for 6 chi goals and in the box for the other. This isn’t the first time he’s played like this in the playoffs either. Let's not lay all the blame at the feet of Leighton (who should have never seen the ice after game 2) or Boucher. Pronger, Carle and Giroux help this loss out significantly.— Hector Gonzales
- Put Boucher back in!!!! NOW!— ilovedancarcillo
- Wow, what a buch of soar losers. Looks who's crying now about missed penalties. It goes both ways when you are on your home ice. I do have to give the flyers credit, they pass very well to set up goals.— billbixby
- The negative comments are out of place. Win or lose in game 6, this team has shown a lot of heart. The true "fans" are with them. This has been a playoffs of comebacks to remember. Lets show 'em!!!...BTW...they WILL win Game 6— Edae
