It was tense. It was stressful. It was… playoff hockey, basically.
Needing a win desperately, the Flyers flew out of the gate and Dan Carcillo, fresh off of his two game suspension, scored on the first shot of the game. The Flyers would jump out to a 2-0 lead before a few unlucky goals got Detroit back into the game by the end of the period.
But the orange and black didn’t give up, continuing to assert themselves like a playoff team should. They’d get the two goal lead back by the end of the second period, but the Wings wouldn’t go away, scoring early in the third to get within one. Detroit spent most of the third period in the Flyers end, but with a little luck, some solid defense and solid goaltending from Brian Boucher, the good guys were able to hold on for the win.
They needed a big performance against a really, really strong opponent who hadn’t lost in regulation in 12 games. Everybody chipped in and got the job done. One down, three to go, right?
After the jump, questions with answers and the comment of the day.
Questions with Answers
- Chris Osgood hasn’t played in two months. Does this create a weakness the Flyers can take advantage of? Osgood looked terrible for most of the game, although he did look strong down the stretch of the game. Still, at least two goals were a direct result of him just not playing well.
- How does Ville Leino play against the team that threw him away? Leino actually had a pretty physical game, by my count. He banged bodies, and he had a pretty typical “good Ville” style game.
- Can the Flyers show the same intensity all game today as they did in the second half against MTL — really, the last five periods dating back to the NYI game? Yes, and it lasted the entire game, even as Detroit took the pressure to them in the third.
- Do the Flyers control their playoff destiny by the end of the game today? Yes they do.
Comment of the Day
I’m hungry but I refuse to eat until this game is over.
>> kmblue
