Posted: Thursday, March 12, 2009, 11:20 PM | 6 comments |
 

Oh!-vechkin too much for Flyers
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    For the Flyers, the difference between a win and a loss tonight came down to special teams.

    And a costly turnover.

    And Alex Ovechkin.

   Make that Oh!-vechkin.

   The reigning MVP had a goal, an assist and 12 shots _ eight on goal _ as the Washington Capitals defeated the Flyers, 2-1, in a game that had a playoff feel to it.

    The Flyers were 0 for 4 on the power play; the Caps were 1 for 2.

   In a game in which the Flyers won 67 percent of the faceoffs and managed 36 shots, Washington still had several better scoring chances. The Caps had "only" 30 shots, but because of the irrepressible Ovechkin, they seemed to be buzzing around goalie Marty Biron for most of the night.

   On what turned out to be the game-winner, Alexander Semin intercepted Darroll Powe's pass behind the net and fed Ovechkin in the slot for a goal with 2:41 left in the middle period.

“It’s one of those plays where the one guy on their side (Semin) kind of  anticipated it pretty good, and as I’m trying to turn....you know something's not working right behind the net _ and I can see a census trying to come back the other way," Biron said. "And as I’m trying to guard the post, the puck is already in front of the net. You know it’s a tic-tac-toe play. It sucks because we played a pretty solid game. Made a couple mistakes here and there, but they did, too. I think if we play like that _ with that energy; we threw almost 20 shots in that (second) period at the goal  _ we are going to get a lot more wins than losses.”

 

   The Flyers are 2-2 on their season-high five-game homestand, which concludes with Saturday's game against the Rangers.

.

 
Posted by Sam Carchidi @ 11:20 PM  Permalink | 6 comments
6
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:04 AM, 03/13/2009
    I am learning to enjoy the Flyers. Baseball and football are my main sports. It seems like this team is a talented team of good guys with a great future...is this right?
    — lionpres
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:32 AM, 03/13/2009
    Ovechkin also came back to rob Gagne of a breakway on a great defensive play. The Caps are not your fathers old Caps, they have some star power and can really fly. The fact that the Flyers can stay with them and beat them is a testament to the Flyers ability. There was a Danny Briere (Prego are you happy here)sighting last night and for the most part he played well. Made some nice moves and seemed to skate pretty good. Hopefully he will have an impact this weekend in the Rangers back to back, which the Flyers need to sweep. I am certainly going to be a Carcillo fan this weekend when he faces off with Sean Avery. C'mon Carcillo beat Avery to a pulp and then make him bloody sloppy a second time.
    — rockinrob
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:13 AM, 03/13/2009
    we need the win saturday lets atleast go 3&2 during the home stand. stevens deserves to get to 100 @ home. i think once danny gets his timing back he'll be alright.
    — flip77
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:32 AM, 03/13/2009
    lionpres - you are correct! The Flyers traditionally have been a big, physical team, but also slow on their skates. They were always able to outmuscle teams, and beat them down physically, but had problems with teams that were faster and had better skaters. Things have changed with Paul Holmgren (a former Flyer himself) as GM. He's assembled a team that's a lot faster than the Flyers of old, and are also highly skilled as well. They have their holes, and aren't perfect, but are a very good team that has a lot of promise. Let's hope they can deliver on it!
    — uncle meat
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:03 PM, 03/13/2009
    Re: the Avery comments - you're right, he doesn't do a lot on the ice in terms of getting on the scoreboard. But, and this is huge, look at the Rangers record last year with him in the lineup, and without him. The difference is staggering - they are about a .750 team with him, and under .500 without him.
    — uncle meat


6 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.

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