Sabres even series
Sabres 1, Flyers 0
Sabres even series
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
BUFFALO -- It was a wild night and a wildly-entertaining game but, in the end, the Flyers lost their chance to do the stranglehold thing on their opening round playoff series with the Sabres.
Instead, because of their 1-0 defeat on Wednesday night, the Flyers go home now with the series tied at two games apiece. Despite a desperate final period where they had the better of the territory and the chances, the Flyers could not solve Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller.
Game 5 is Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center. However it goes, the first four games -- when strictly viewed as an entertainment vehicle -- have been everything that Stanley Cup hockey is supposed to be about. Game 4 ended with a series of fights at the final horn.
The Flyers fully expected that the Sabres would come at them in waves at the start, and their expectations were fulfilled. The only goal came in the middle of the first period. with Jason Pominville scoring on the back end of a nice bit of tic-tac-toe. But the Sabres also hit a couple of posts -- first a blast by Tyler Myers, then by Brad Boyes. They could have had a bigger lead. Maybe they should have.
But they didn’t. The Flyers lost Jeff Carter at the end of the first period to an undisclosed lower body injury after a collision with Myers. It was Myers who appeared the more wobbly, but he came back and Carter did not.
Still, as as the second period played its way out, the Flyers were getting the better of the play and the chances. Darroll Powe also hit a post for the Flyers, and you could sense a clear momentum shift. But then came the game’s most controversial moment.
With 3 seconds left in the second period, as he prepared to absorb a hit along the boards from the Sabres’ Patrick Kaleta, Flyers captain Mike Richards got his elbow up and hit Kaleta in the face. Referee Francois St. Laurent immediately signaled Richards for a 5-minute elbowing penalty, a call that infuriated Richards and the Flyers’ bench.
It could have turned the game. That it didn’t was to the credit of penalty killers Blair Betts and Powe, primarily. In the 5 minutes, the Sabres got only two shots on goal (and the Flyers got one). In the last 2 minutes of the power play, the crowd at HSBC Arena was booing the home team.
After all of that, the Flyers had clearly avoided disaster. However, they were still trailing by 1-0.
With 8:50 remaining in the third, Ryan Miller made the save of the series for the Sabres. A puck was kept in at the blue line, Danny Briere received a pass alone on the doorstep, behind everyone, and had time to go backhand-forehand-backhand-forehand, only to have Miller hold his ground and then snatch Briere’s shot out of the air with his glove hand.
Then came as entertaining a stretch as we have seen in the series. On one end, Brian Boucher was spectacular in the Flyers’ net, making an acrobatic pad save on a breakaway by the Sabres’ Tyler Ennis. Then, at the other end, Miller dove across an empty net with his stick to stop a try by Richards, who semi-fanned on his shot.
BWWWHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAA the refs the refs......nbc.....BWWWWHHHHAAAAAAA— badgolfdog- Do some of you even watch the game? Do you even attempt to learn the game? Do you just show up for playoff hockey. What's the deal? Geezz... You need to leave the orange and black compound, watch other teams and maybe consider listening to the game on another channel or radio broadcast. Most of this board is bar talk...
Sunday's game... I'll watch the video on NBC cause there will be no other choice... but my audio will be radio where former players and coaches actually dissect the game, explain the plays, point out the mistakes, good play and excellent play by both teams.
Blaming the refs is like being in highschool. Its also a sign to people who know hockey that you really don't know much about the game.— 32Maniac - 32Maniac wrote:
"Sunday's game... I'll watch the video on NBC cause there will be no other choice... but my audio will be radio where former players and coaches actually dissect the game, explain the plays, point out the mistakes, good play and excellent play by both teams."
I'm surprised that a man with your alleged playing and coaching experience "at a high level in USA Hockey" would need anyone to dissect the game and point out mistakes for you. You are watching the game, can't you determine when somebody makes a mistake? Who "dissects" the games you allegedly coach?
Time to shorten up your bench, "coach".
- Pathetic is you crying when the Flyers continue the dominating play and the Great Miller Dam starts leaking.......— flyerrod
- How about the better team wins! 1 goal for the winner, zero for the looser. Buffalo was the better team, why, because the goalie is part of the team. They were better, period. Also love you predictors who think anyone really cares why you think someone is going to have a good/bad game next time. Unfrigin believable. Oh ya...the refs were terrible...yada yada yada.— BigBadPapa
- My last comment was aimed at 32maniac
— flyerrod - Shelly? Wellwood? Newsflash refs. Players spotlight yes, you NO! Get it together!— NYPHILLYPHAN
- The better team is 1st and not 7th there einstein........— flyerrod
- n62 & 32 maniac, you have very interesting and comical opinions. Are you both just dying for attention, or do you really believe that the 5 minute major call was justified?
When a physical player such as Kaleta is zeroing in on you with 3 seconds left in the period, he's not coming to blow in your ear as you both probably fantasize about. Richards had his back to the play and put his arm up in an attempt to protect himself. Given that his elbow (HD tv shows more of a forearm) connected with kaleta's head, its deemed a reckless play and a 2 minute minor is warranted. There was 0.00 instance of any intent to injure, therefore the 5 minute major (that was not explained to him, even though by hockey traditions, the captain of a team is deserved of reason). Anyone who thinks it was not a bogus call clearly and simply does not know the rulebook, nor do they show any bit of common sense.
This was a case of a young ref trying to make his mark on the league. And as for calling for Lavy's job? HAHAHA. Wow, i know it's 420 and all, but your creativity would be better appreciated on your world of warcraft team.
The refs did not lose the game for the flyers. They weathered the storm for the first 10 minutes, then made a tragic mistake that cost them a goal. Miller stood on his head, and with the help of many missed open net opportunities, was able to help his team STEAL this game.
Those who say the refs didn't lose this game for the flyers are correct. However, they did rob them of 5 minutes of a period in which they were absolutely dominating.
— Bartender214 - hey —32Maniac,
a turd on a stick is not a popsicle. just because the refs get blamed by fans for bad calls too often doesn't mean they don't make bad calls. Miller was great; the Flyers can't win every game. but to suggest that the game wasn't affected by the officiating is total denial. enjoy your popsicle. [repost]
— stonelamb - it's some great hockey. forget the refs, the lack of offense, these teams are busting their butts and it's entertaining. and of course I think the Flyers will eventually prevail as overall they are playing better— notch44
- UH-OH!— wmcdowell1
- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!1OHHHHHH— briancampbell69
- See what I mean? Some of you have so little knowledge of the game you couldn't have a decent conversation with a PeeWee player. It's self evident... just read the posts. I agree... forget the refs. They had so little to do with the outcome of the game. BTW, Richards elbow will more than likely get an NHL review for "possible" suspension. Watch and learn... Although I agree the Flyers ought to be the stronger team, this has been a very close series and each game took on a different personality. And yeah, a lot happened tonight. Just like you say to the players... suck it up. You want a physical, hard hitting, clenched fist game... until the other team starts returning the same. Its hockey... get used to it... you guys are crybabies... and obviously never played the game... sissies...— 32Maniac
