Posted: Friday, March 5, 2010, 6:12 PM | 3 comments |
 

Flyers blow late lead, fall to Sabres
options
 

     For the Flyers, the news was mixed in Friday’s 3-2 overtime defeat in Buffalo.

     The good news: They tightened their defense considerably from Wednesday’s awful 7-4 loss to lowly Florida. 

     But they blew a late 2-1 lead against a Buffalo team they could face in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

    Goalie Michael Leighton played solidly in the nets - he was named the game’s No. 2 star - but turnovers by Jeff Carter and Matt Carle led to Adam Mair’s game-tying goal with 5:58 left in regulation.

   Tim Connolly scored on a rebound with 2:29 left in OT for the game-winner.

   “You’re up 2-1 with about five minutes to go, you need to win that game,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “It’s frustrating….Points are a hot commodity right now."

    Mike Richards had given the Flyers a 2-1 lead by scoring on a breakaway with 8:51 to play in regulation. 

    But the Flyers couldn’t protect the lead, and they finished 1-1-1 on the road trip, one that started with a 7-2 win over Tampa Bay.

* * * * *

   Ville Leino was moved to a line with Jeff Carter and Danny Briere, and that unit produced 12 of the Flyers’ 29 shots. They didn’t score, but they buzzed around goalie Ryan Miller the entire game. 

   Scott Hartnell was dropped to the third line, which included Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk. Hartnell was minus-2 in the game.

   Simon Gagne had a goal and led the Flyers with a plus-2 rating.

   Besides his goal, Richards had a game-high seven hits.

   Notes: Darroll Powe and Oskars Bartulis will be available to play Sunday against Toronto, GM Paul Holmgren said.....The Flyers had won four straight in Buffalo since 2007.
Posted by Sam Carchidi @ 6:12 PM  Permalink | 3 comments
3
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:56 PM, 03/05/2010
    Hartnell scratch soon, fine with me.
    — potus
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:30 PM, 03/05/2010
    Hopefully, we have a coach who is not willing to keep Hartnell away from a lot of ice time. He really is no better than a 3rd line player at this point, salary be damned
    — duffers
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:31 PM, 03/05/2010
    Ah, you get my point
    — duffers


3 comments
About Sam Carchidi
Sam Carchidi is in his fourth year as the Flyers' beat reporter. He became an Inquirer staff writer in 1984 and covered mostly South Jersey high school sports and the Phillies before taking the Flyers beat.

Carchidi has written three books _ the nationally acclaimed Miracle in the Making: The Adam Taliaferro Story, which he co-authored with Scott Brown; Bill Campbell: The Voice of Philadelphia Sports; and Standing Tall: The Kevin Everett Story, which was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show. He also contributed to a 1993 Inquirer book on the Phillies.

A lifelong South Jersey resident, Carchidi lives in Wenonah with his wife, JoAnn, and their two children, Sara and Sammy.

Follow on Twitter

Advertise Here
Latest Flyers Videos