Posted: Monday, May 3, 2010, 9:47 PM | 47 comments |
 

Flyers dig themselves a hole
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The Flyers came to get a game, to take one of the first two on the road in their playoff series against the Boston Bruins. Instead, they left empty-handed.

When Milan Lucic wheeled and fired the puck past Flyers goaltender Brian Boucher at 17:03 of the third period, the Bruins had Game 2 by a 3-2 score. It was tight. It was tense. It was well-played. But it was a loss for the Flyers, who now trail the series by two games to none.

Now comes the test -- of their nerve, and their gumption, and all of that. The series must be disheartening but the 0-2 deficit does not have to be fatal. As they say, it isn’t a series until someone loses a home game -- and no one has, not yet.

Really, this could not be much tighter. The first period ended at 1-1, the second period at 2-2. Both times, the Bruins made the initial statement and the Flyers provided the late-period answer.

Mike Richards scored the Flyers’ first goal, at 17:06 of the first period. It was the product of coach Peter Laviolette’s trying to find a way to scheme a way to get Richards more ice time away from Zdeno Chara, the Bruins’ top defenseman. Chara shadowed Richards relentlessly in Game 1. So, in this one, Laviolette clearly attempted to find chances for Richards to get away from big No. 33. On this one, the coach sent Richards over the boards in the middle of another line’s shift and, without Chara patrolling, Richards was able to maneuver in the offensive zone, wheel around and fire in the goal that made it 1-1.

A period later, Danny Briere scored the goal that made it 2-2. Jumping out of the penalty box after being called for hooking, Briere roared in on the right wing and scored a sniper’s goal, a laser just inside the far post with just 25 seconds remaining in the period. On the Bruins’ bench, coach Claude Julien could be seen turning and angrily punching the glass behind him.

The third period was close, too, exhaustingly so. And when Lucic took a pass from behind the net, turned and fired from between the circles, that was it.

Now, for the Flyers, the real test begins.

 
Posted by Rich Hofmann @ 9:47 PM  Permalink | 47 comments
47
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:52 PM, 05/03/2010
    Please dont put Parent and Krajicek in at such key points late in the game anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    — Will I Ard
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:52 PM, 05/03/2010
    Hartnell would be a Roller Derby Superstar.
    — Dtownfan
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:54 PM, 05/03/2010
    Rask is outplaying Boucher. The Bruins will be bringing their brooms for the trip.....
    — St.Patrick33
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:55 PM, 05/03/2010
    Tough tough loss. 2 dumb penalties in the 3rd period I think sealed it. You can't be having penalties like that, in a tie game, in the 3rd period! They got have better discipline than that if they wanna ties this series up in these next 2 home games. we'll see we'll see
    — Reality Speaks
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:57 PM, 05/03/2010
    It's startling how poor of an NHL player Ryan Parent consistently shows himself to be. He is truly pathetic and his teammates deserve better from the coaching staff and management than to let Parent play in these tight playoff games where the margin for error is so small.
    — Truth B. Told
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:00 PM, 05/03/2010
    Where was crypt-keeper Ed Snider at the end of this one high fiving everyone in sight? Oh.....that's right. Never mind.
    — jibberjabber
  • Comment removed.
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:08 PM, 05/03/2010
    Wah Wah Waaaaaahhhhhh
    — Phillysuckswangs
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:11 PM, 05/03/2010
    Not worried, Richards is a great captain and I have the utmost faith going home. We definately need Gagne back but the boys will pull through. This is going 7.
    — Fabulous
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:12 PM, 05/03/2010
    O my God.....first off, you knew this would be a sloppy game because it's friggin hot and the ice is garbage so the puck was bouncing like an infant on a roller coaster. Then you got Carcillo who obviously has pictures of Matthew Barnaby all over his bedroom wall. Finally, you have the Flyers charging 150 bucks a ticket for games 3 and 4. God god man, give it up already. This team is like breakfast = TOAST
    — jibberjabber


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About Rich Hofmann
Rich Hofmann arrived at the Daily News in 1980 for a job whose status was officially designated as "full-time, temporary." A senior at Penn at the time, he was hired to fill in on the copy desk during a staff illness. The notion of him covering the Eagles or being a columnist did not exist in anyone's imagination. It was supposed to be six weeks and out, but he never left. It is only one of the reasons why so many people have concerns about him as a potential house guest. Rich has blogged the postseasons of the Flyers and Eagles. E-mail Rich at hofmanr@phillynews.com

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