Flyers confident as Game 7 approaches
BOSTON _ Been there, done that. That was the message Peter Laviolette, the confident Flyers coach, delivered at a news conference Friday afternoon as his team prepared to play the Boston Bruins in what he called “our fifth Game 7 here.” Laviolette was referring to the fact that the Flyers, in effect, were getting ready for their fifth elimination game since April 10. It started with the final game of the regular season. They needed to win that game just to sneak into the playoffs, and they did. Barely. They outlasted the New York Rangers, 2-1, in a shoot-out. In the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Flyers fell into a 3-0 series hole. They staved off elimination with three straight wins, setting up Friday’s showdown to determine which team would meet Montreal in the conference finals. “It really is our fifth time facing elimination,” Laviolette said. “I feel like we’re ready for this. The message hasn’t changed from Day 1 since I’ve been here until where we are right now. Everything has stayed the same. The meetings are the same. The message is the same. What’s expected is the same. “When we start mention a Game 7, there’s this buildup because somebody’s going home, but like I said, we’ve been faced with that for a while.” Defenseman Chris Pronger was preparing to play in his seventh Game 7, the most on the team. Pronger was acquired in an off-season deal with Anaheim just for these type of games. “I feel like we’re still here today because of what’s in our room _ and a guy like Chris Pronger,” Laviollete said. “Not only has he proven it in the past, he’s proven it already here. Our team has been in survival mode; we’ve been fighting. And you don’t win those fights unless there’s great type of people in the locker room. Mike Richards. Danny Briere steps up. Chris Pronger plays his minutes. Guys who have proven they can get there and handle the pressure of an elimination game, and that’s where we are tonight. “There’s no question that Chris Pronger can be a difference tonight.” Laviolette said he never looked at being down by three games. “If you look at it like that, it seems daunting,” he said. “We have not approached it like that. We liked the way we played the first three games, especially the way we played in Game 3 (a 4-1 loss with an empty-net goal) _ and that was the most lopsided score against us. We thought we played a terrific hockey game; we had the chances heavily in our favor and the bounces didn’t go our way that night. We took a lot of confidence from that, and we really methodically went very slow. One game. Game 4. And here we are, Game 7.” Let the drama begin.
Flyers confident as Game 7 approaches
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
BOSTON _ Been there, done that.
That was the message Peter Laviolette, the confident Flyers coach, delivered at a news conference Friday afternoon as his team prepared to play the Boston Bruins in what he called “our fifth Game 7 here.”
Laviolette was referring to the fact that the Flyers, in effect, were getting ready for their fifth elimination game since April 10.
It started with the final game of the regular season. They needed to win that game just to sneak into the playoffs, and they did. Barely. They outlasted the New York Rangers, 2-1, in a shoot-out.
In the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Flyers fell into a 3-0 series hole. They staved off elimination with three straight wins, setting up Friday’s showdown to determine which team would meet Montreal in the conference finals.
“It really is our fifth time facing elimination,” Laviolette said. “I feel like we’re ready for this. The message hasn’t changed from Day 1 since I’ve been here until where we are right now. Everything has stayed the same. The meetings are the same. The message is the same. What’s expected is the same.
“When we start mention a Game 7, there’s this buildup because somebody’s going home, but like I said, we’ve been faced with that for a while.”
Defenseman Chris Pronger was preparing to play in his seventh Game 7, the most on the team. Pronger was acquired in an off-season deal with Anaheim just for these type of games.
“I feel like we’re still here today because of what’s in our room _ and a guy like Chris Pronger,” Laviollete said. “Not only has he proven it in the past, he’s proven it already here. Our team has been in survival mode; we’ve been fighting. And you don’t win those fights unless there’s great type of people in the locker room. Mike Richards. Danny Briere steps up. Chris Pronger plays his minutes. Guys who have proven they can get there and handle the pressure of an elimination game, and that’s where we are tonight.
“There’s no question that Chris Pronger can be a difference tonight.”
Laviolette said he never looked at being down by three games.
“If you look at it like that, it seems daunting,” he said. “We have not approached it like that. We liked the way we played the first three games, especially the way we played in Game 3 (a 4-1 loss with an empty-net goal) _ and that was the most lopsided score against us. We thought we played a terrific hockey game; we had the chances heavily in our favor and the bounces didn’t go our way that night. We took a lot of confidence from that, and we really methodically went very slow. One game. Game 4. And here we are, Game 7.”
Let the drama begin.
* * * * * * * *
Trying to change its luck, Boston did not have a morning skate _ the first time they haven’t had one before a playoff game in two years. (They lost to Montreal the last time they didn’t have a morning skate in the playoffs.)
* * * * * *
Simon Ggane brushed aside a report that he re-injured his broken foot in Game 6, saying he has felt "better and better" with each game.
* * * * * *
Both teams stressed the importance of getting off to an aggressive start in the first 10 minutes and setting the tone.
The Bruins will be trying to feed off their crowd; the Flyers will be trying to quiet the fans with an early goal _ like they did here in Game 5.
* * * * * *
In the entire playoffs, Boston has been outscored, 28-22 in even-strength situations, while the Flyers have outscored their opponents, 21-16, in those situations.
* * * * *
The Celtics’ Ray Allen after his team’s series-clinching win over Cleveland Thursday had a message for the Bruins: “Tell them we warmed up the building for them,” he said.
* * * * * * * * * *
In parts of two playoff games, the Flyers' Michael Leighton has a 0.63 goals-against average. Boston's Tuukka Rask has a 2.49 GAA in 12 playff games.
And whatever became of Tim Thomas?
5 overtime game. $10 cover at the bar draft beer included and $.10 wings during Flyers games. Everyone there could only drink during a stoppage of play. However when they come back from down 3-0 in this game it will be my new favorite moment— TBagger28- Hey per and vafan actually it was propp who tied it and daigleault scored to make it 3-2— southpaw26
- Close vafan - it was Propp first then Daigneault. Copied from Sports Illustrated: Edmonton's Glenn Anderson was serving a penalty for retaliating after being high-sticked that the Flyers tied the score at 2-2, Propp taking a perfect pass from Eklund and beating Fuhr from the slot with seven minutes to play. It was only the fifth man-advantage score of the series for Philadelphia, whose power play this season was essentially one man: Tim Kerr. The 17,222 Spectrum fanatics were still celebrating Propp's score when reserve defenseman J.J. Daigneault unloaded a blast from the blue line that flew past the screened Fuhr for the goal that gave the Flyers a 3-2 victory and a tied series.— micken
- No, Disapointment is always looming with this team— eaglesman1
- primeu in 5ot,s,it looked like it was in slow motion everyone was so tired.first stanley cup when a bunch of us wagon burners tried calling reggie leach,their were a few of his buddies and cousins phoning but reggie was drunk as a skunk lol.— billy jack
- Oh, vafan, to tag on your story, I was at the Genesis concert and Phil Collins, yes, Phil Collins updated the audience on the Flyers game! He announced the Flyers winning and said "Go Flyers". One of the best drummers and solo artists ever, saying Go Flyers was sweet. The Vet went ballastic when he said that. Great memory, but my wife and son were way better memories than any other in my head.— flyer41
- Greatest single memory goes all the way back to the '72-'73 playoffs. When Gary Dornhoefer scored in OT to beat Minnesota in game 5, well, I still have never heard a louder spontaneous outburst of noise in my entire life. It was crazy. That's why they built that statue outside the Spectrum. What a lot of folks forget is the Flyers still had to go back to Minnesota and win game six before they could advance in the playoffs for the first time ever.— Lightning
- Hey, at least I knew it was Propp and Daigneault! It may not have even been Genesis at the Vet. Just kidding, it was def. Genesis. I was less than a saint through all these years so the details are a lil fuzzy but I still get goosebumps thinkin' about it. I'm only going by what I remember but I guess I could look up the score sheet. In fact, Daigneault was late coming onto the ice for a line change and happened to be in the right place at the right time on a left point clearing attempt by the Oilers. I was right behind the net we were shooting at.— vafan
- Actually Propp scored to tie it and Daigneault's goal was the game winner. But, yes, there was quite a bit of time remaining in the third that the Flyers managed to negotiate through successfully.— Lightning
- Hey folks Propp tied it with about 5 or 6 minutes left Daigneault won it with about 2 minutes left.— Scott1972
- va - if I heard it correctly, you were closer to being right. JJ scored with 5:39 left. It must have seemed like forever for the game to finish from there with all the chances Edmonton had. I was thinking he tied it and Propp scored the winner, but it was the other way around. Sorry! Great memory all the same.— Per Djoos
- Actually Propp tied it, and JJ won it.....— BobbyD
- Lindros, 97, scoring in Game 4 against the Rangers with 6.8 seconds left to make it 3-1 in the ECF series. My friends and I jumped in the pool at a hotel down the shore at like 11pm after that goal. Awesome awesome night.— seaonasdad
- va - I am not trying to diss you, trust me, but there was more time than 5 mins. left. I'm not sure how it could be verified (I think I still have that game on VHS). I just have that vivid memory of Brown playing late because that was my argument against many "Flyers are all goons" jibes. Believe me that game is high on my list, as well, along with Clarkie in OT in Boston (1974), both Primeau goals (2000 5OT and 2004 TB), Lindros scoring with less than :10 against the Rangers in MSG in 1997.— Per Djoos
- EH-OH-FLYERS!— CFA
- Right on Vafan. You probably have a lot of those stories. Get some more memories like that together and start a blog.— taintaugustine
- yo, per - def around 5 mins left when Daigleault tied it up.— vafan
Nice post vafan. normally these posts are people making stupid comments or ripping each other. GO FLYER! Make history tonight.— delcodanno- vafan - great memory, but just a little distorted. Daigneault scored with much more time left than five minutes and Propp scored only about a minute and a half later. The Flyers still had to hold the Oilers off for about half a period before clinching the win. There were some scary moments included as well: Hexy clearing high, but Messier keeping it in with his glove at the blue line and creating a chance. Coffey also had a nice chance in close that Hexy had to save. Even with all of that, one thing I remember VERY clearly is that Keenan put Dave Brown out, with a one goal lead late in the third proving he was much more than a goon.— Per Djoos
- Game 6 vs. Lighting for sure... I was at the Wachovia Center that night!!!— JesseH
- the greatest recent memory is Primeau single-handedly deciding it wasn't time to go home, and tying game 6 of the Eastern Finals in the last minute. Shortly followed by Gagne putting home the winner in OT— builditandtheywillcome
- With all the marketing going on in sports today, here is the required slogan for the Flyers: "Quit?! What's quit?"— Per Djoos
- That's an easy one, 41. I was a guard at the Spectrum from 1985-1987. Flyers took the Oilers to 7 games in '87. Game 6 was at the Spectrum. We were down 2-1 in the game and 3-2 in the series. It was the last period and they took all the guards down from the 3rd level posts to the zamboni entrance for the Cup presentation. Less than 5 mins to go and JJ Daigneault scores. It was pandemonuim. I was hugging cops and everything. Less than 2 mins to go and Propper scores from the slot. It was pandemonium on steroids. I looked up at the crowd and all you saw were hands in the air and people going absolutely insane. Some of the guards stayed an hour late after the game to work the locker room. I was one of the guards. The vibe back there was unreal. I was right next to Jacques Lemaire when he gave an interview to one of the networks and they asked him what the Flyers win meant as the Oilers were so heavily favored. He gave the usual David vs Goliath-type analogies but it meant so much more at the time. After I was done work, I walked out the door to the parking lot by the old Ovations restaurant. I forgot there was a Genesis concert at the Vet that night, too, and there was a crowd of at least 5,000 people cheering everyone that walked out. Never forget it. Best memory of my life. Kids and marriage included.— vafan
- OT goal against lightning to force game 7. Patrons of Red Lobster looking at me like I was crazy.— bigapple78
- primeau 5 ot's...dollar bottles during flyers playoff games....good night— SWP
- Nothing like 'warming up a building' for an ice hockey game.— rmpchf
- jj daigneault— beetle
- Wow Sam..........you wrote an article that compliments Pronger. That's really different ! The only thing missing was you bashing Richards. GO FLYERS !!!— no5forme
- So pumped for this game!!!!! The last time I was this excited for the Flyers was when Hextall scored against the crapitals in the 89 playoffs. I remember running out of the dorm room in college screaming my head off telling everybody and anybody who would listen what had just happened. What's your favorite memory of the Flyers? Post 'em!— flyer41
