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.
Comments (60)
Amazing effort by Boucher utterly wasted by a lack of offensive execution.— n62- nice effort but guys like jvr who get plenty of chances need to put them in the net. great game boosh. go flyers~— phillysportsnut
- i usually defer to the judgment of the officials, but the officiating for the past two games has been horrendous. Hartnell, Carcillo, and Richards all received bogus penalties when the Sabres should have been penalized. The Flyers all played great; unfortunately so did the Sabres. The difference, largely, was that the officials gave a huge advantage to the Sabres. Go Flyers!— stonelamb
- yes, the most egregious mistake by the refs was the "roughing" penalty on Carcillo in the 3rd period. Replays clearly showed that Carcillo was punched in the face twice, once by Miller and once by a Sabres D-man. To his credit, Carbomb did not retaliate, yet he gets two for "roughing".
I just hope Colin Campbell does not suspend Richards. - It's a shame that the Flyers don't have any offensive finishers. Captains need to bury the opportunity that Richards had with a wide open net.— psuflyers
- Carter better really be hurt, otherwise fans are going to run him out of town.— Lobo19722
- bad calls all night by the refs. they let miller and another guy gang up on carcillo, and dan got a penalty. then a major for richards because kaleta skated into him ??! hey rich hofmann, did you even watch the game??--there was no elbow to the face; it was only called as such. If the sabres' way of winning means dirty hits and biased refs, their fans should be ashamed of them. when the flyers win games their fans are genuinely proud of them.— ilovedancarcillo
- Hey Fan,
Miller looked pretty scared tonight!— T.Wilson - Funny that NBC rules the NHL now. Coincidence they have the game on sunday? Rookie ref tryin to please the man...
At the end of the day, Miller had an amazing game. Really not much Philly couldve done tonight... Miller was on. As much as i bash Boucher... he had a great game too.— inkd0874 - I know Miller was excellent tonight, but Richards came up small again— snwbrdrjeff
- Pass, pass, hold, pass, hold, pass, pass, hold, pass, turnover.— n62
- Does anyone else agree that bill clement & eddie munster(al morganti) are awful.Again the incompetence of the incompetents(refs) is unbelievable.The nhl from the incompetents(refs)to bettman is a total joke! The nhl should be ashamed of themselves.Great game by bouch! Go flyers!!!— lfran55
- Miller was sensational, you can't avoid tipping your cap to him. That being said, we fanned on several wide open rebound opportunities, and in a game of inches like tonight, it meant all the difference. It's amazing how much the Flyers have outplayed the last three games, but at least they got home-ice back. Flyers in six.— evolutionary
- Hey Lobo, Pretty sure if Carter wasn't really hurt he'd of been playing. Sheesh.— dianne16
- After the way they finished this game, there is no way they're gonna lose Friday night
Miller played a great game, but the Flyers just missed on several scoring opportunities. They were in close and just couldn't get enough control of the puck to bang it home...and that Briere save, while spectacular, I think he scores 80% of the time at point blank like that. Oh well, it's all moot...but again, no way they lose Friday night.— Reality Speaks - I agree. To their credit, the Flyers were swarming right up to the final horn.
Boucher had another excellent game. He kept them in it with some impressive work. The offense, particularly the PP, has to get it together. I hope the fans get into it early and loudly on Friday.
Flyers in 6 - This was the absolute worst officiating I have ever seen in a hockey game. There is no reason that this game should not have gone to overtime, or ended in a victory in regulation. A 5 minute major for Richards defending himself? Really? C'mon refs, lets try not to let our bias show too much...— flyersfan7
- Flyers in six. Book it. (unless Carter is out)— Brian F.
Comment removed.- Pretty weak if you blame the officials for this.— n62
- How about Kaleta opening the bench door so Zherdev could be pushed in? That's just plain dangerous.— Echo
- If you have a dvr use it to sync with wip-610.That way you don't have to listen to the one sided coverage of the nbc whiners.It may take a few minutes but it can be done.— lfran55
- The trick to syncing the video and the WIP audio is to press the "pause" button on the DVR and let the audio catch up with the video, then press "play". The delay is about 1 minute (and that's all the way out here to Southern California, if you live closer to the WIP server your traffic goes through fewer routers and the propagation delay is shorter).
Richards will have a impact game Friday because the stakes are going to be win or else. Leino is due for an excellent game, so I am counting on his contribution Friday. Boucher plays like he did tonight on Friday and FLYERS win. Miller seems to have great games then a few good games after, so if trends are real or mean anything, the FLYERS score 3 or more goals per game the next 2-3 games. GO FLYERS!!!— Phillyflashgordon- I can't stand listening to bi*tching about the referees. It went both ways tonight. Richards defending himself? That's a joke, right?
The Flyers didnt play ugly... their game was not bad. They just ran into a Sabres team that came at them and could have 2-3 goals in the first period.
Sabres are young, inexperienced in playoff hockey. The Flyers SHOULD be all over the Sabres by this point. They are not... Game five will be interesting... This was entertaining NHL playoff hockey the way it should be.
Oh yeah... Miller stuffed Briere beautifully...!!! That pretty much sums up the outcome of the game... Philly needs a new coach next season... he's not getting the max performance out of his team.— 32Maniac - 32Maniac wrote:
"Sabres are young, inexperienced in playoff hockey."
Care to take a guess *why* they are inexperienced in playoff hockey?
Great game. Flyers just couldnt beat Miller. Guys a world class goalie. But the sour grapes on this board are pathetic. Richards will be lucky to escape without a suspension, yet posers here say it wasnt even contact. Refs didnt lose this game for the Flyers. Quit being a bunch of crybabies- First and foremost, Miller earned that win. Kudos to him for saving his best Hockey ever for this series. That said, the officials certainly did everything in their power to help him win that game. Richards gets a 5 minute major for defending himself?!?! Carcillo is being harassed by Miller and the d-man( can't remember his name) and gets a roughing call?!?! How many black eyes does it take before Colin Campbell and his cronies feel any repercussions for the travesty they call officiating in the sport of Hockey.......No wonder the decent officials like McCreary are hanging up their skates....Now THAT would be an article worth reading...HINT,HINT!!!!!!!— flyerrod
Did Vince McMahon buy the Sabres? Absolutely disgusting. Yeah, they threw the Flyers a couple PPs, but kept letting the Sabres cheat them out of scoring chances on the ensuing kills with more hack and slash hockey. Richards gets 5 minutes when Kaleta charges him? Carcillo gets 2 after getting punched in the face and not retaliating? Boucher gets the tripping call when Grier falls down 10 feet from him? How many times are they going to let the Sabres interfere with Leino, JvR, or Giroux. How many times will they let the Sabres push the net off its mooring to stop play. How many times will they let Miller chop the legs of guys near the crease.— Pelti- It is amazing the number of Leaf fans that continue to post here........— flyerrod
- 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
- What league do you play in? If you give me your league and team I'll look you up on pointstreak.com.
I play for the Marlies in the Anaheim Ice rookie league.
- Sayin' it all along ....Flyers in 6!— hallux
- I thought that Ed Snider once said that the Flyers would never be pushed around. I am sick of all of the shots that the Flyers are taking (and getting penalized for taking them) without retaliating. A 6'8" dude trying to fight Giroux - really! Why are the Flyers letting this happen. Bring up Matt Walker, sit Svret or Carle if Pronger is back. If Shelly is healthy, suit him up, put him on the 4th line, and move Powe up to take Zherdev's spot. I want a tougher, hungrier team on the ice.— jerzyte
- wow 32maniac you sit here and spout off about "knowing" the game. i would love to hear your reaction if a sabre got a 5 minute major for that pathetic elbow call. the flyers destroyed the sabres tonight but miller saved their pathetic butts plain and simple. if you cant see that then you don't "know" the game. its a 7 game series for a reason so that luck doesnt really factor into the outcome. we'll see whos still standing at the end of this series. so far i have the sabres as winning 2 extremely lucky games.— mc62strat
- "Destroyed the Sabres tonight...?" Ok... I'll give you some rope on that statement. I said it in another post... the Flyers played as good a game tonight as they played thus far. Goaltending was outstanding at both ends. Briere was almost at a standstill dekeing in front of the net when Miller made the glove save (usually Danny is a moving and a lot more deceptive). Most of the first period belonged to the Sabres with a number of scoring chances. The Sabres blew the 5-3 powerplay bigtime... usually pretty solid on the PP. But like most any coach will tell us... if you can't score on a 5-3, there's a good chance you won't win the game.
Sure, the Sabres were lucky in 2 games... or was it because the Flyers didn't skate to their potential, or their stars didn;t show up, or Pronger is MIA, or... or... or...
No one can deny that in the playoffs... all that matters is the score. Some teams "find a way to win". That may be the only way to describe the Sabres success so far.
Ofcourse, everyone expects the Flyers to win this series. You turn back the clock prior to the all star break and tell me where the Sabres and Flyers stood in the conf and division. Then I'll respond with... the Sabres found a way to win and the Flyers found ways to lose. This is still either team's series to win. What I do know is that it is not likely either one of these teams will get past the next round.— 32Maniac - Flyerod... You don't even know that they FLyer's finished 2nd in the conference... NOT #1. And NO, I do not complain about the Sabres when Miller doesn't play a great game. You are too much a Philly crybaby and expect everyone else to behave that way. Your comments are so shallow I think you're just a young punk anyway.— 32Maniac
- 32maniac
Oh, please, save the "i know more than you because i played pick-up hockey for a year" talk. Did you not read your post before you submitted?
People have a valid reason for being upset with the officiating. As far as blaming the loss on the refs, well, that's nonsense. However, when carcillo gets called for a minor when he does not throw a punch, but instead, is swatted at and facewashed in return, even your delusional self has to call into question what it is the refs are seeing out there.
I'm a referee, and 90.0 percent of the time have the refs backs for their decisions. Its a face-paced game with such a small window to make a call. But this was just poor. If you are going to call a 5 minute major for something that was not an intent to injure, nor did it result in injury, then you have to be consistent and call (myers?) for throwing briere to the ice in front of the net with 4 minutes to go after the whistle. That just confuses the players.— Bartender214 - ManGina32, just keep begging for anyone or anything to beat the Flyers. Conference the Flyers finished 2nd, division the Flyers finished first. It still amazes me that a closet Leaf fan who roots for Buffalo because they are the closest thing Toronto has seen to a playoff team in what, 7 years now, is the Sabres...So as you and your other poster names say BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA......jesus, just typing that made me feel gay............— flyerrod
- Bartender... you have no idea of my hockey background. After many years playing AND coaching in USA Hockey at a fairly high level (no not HS, Recreational hockey, etc and well north of Philadelphia) and refereeing for a number of years, I too have opinions. I get pretty purturbed when fans blame it on the refs. So I guess we are peers to some extent.
I hate crybabies...— 32Maniac - What league do you play in? If you give me your league and team I'll look you up on pointstreak.com. Everyone who plays or coaches in USA Hockey sanctioned leagues is listed on pointstreak.com.
BTW, anyone who pays the $25 fee can join USA Hockey. It's actually required to play in a league because of the medical insurance (for players) and a criminal background check (for coaches). I'm curious what you define as "a fairly high level"? NCAA?
Please elaborate.
:)
- Sure you have.....I and Am really Barack Obama.............— flyerrod
- Well.... so far you really haven't proven any depth of knowledge or offered any observations of the game that are impressive or even coherent. So you must be a fairweather flyer fan and Philly crybaby. — 32Maniac
- 32maniac whined:
"so far you really haven't proven any depth of knowledge or offered any observations of the game that are impressive or even coherent."
You haven't offered anything other than insults to reinforce your claim to be a player and coach "at a high level in USA Hockey".
IMHO you are embellishing your background. You can easily disprove that by giving us your name so we can look you up on pointstreak.com. Every USA Hockey sanctioned league, team, coach, and player is listed there.
Go to my web site at www.rjsmith.com and click the "email" link to send me your name and team if you'd rather not post your name here (note that IP addresses are included in email headers so lunatics beware, you are not anonymous even with a throw-away email address).
The puck is in your zone, "coach". Are you going to go for an "up" or a "reverse"?
- How many missed open nets, terrible passes, stupid penalties, scoreless games and bad commercials does Richards have to give us before I stop hearing what a terrific player he is?— VicM
- For everyone who says... commenting on the refs must mean they dont know anything about hockey.
Well.... I, for one do know hockey. I also know calling a 5 min major in a playoff game is extremely rough... especially when the "penalty" was even questionable to start with. So yes, 5mins of pk could totally ruin a good effort for those who know so much about the game.
Not to mention... why is a rookie ref doing playoff games anyway????
Was Miller awesome? yes of course. Did the refs have anything to do with us getting shut out? nope. But a rookie ref who is paranoid about elbows, has an agenda can totally change the flow of the game.— inkd0874
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