WHAT A NIGHT!!! The Flyers played great once again and grabbed a 2 to 1 series lead against the Capitals. THIS GAME HAD IT ALL... From 2 goals scored 17 seconds apart, to an incredible penalty shot from Mike Richards... AMAZING!!! The Flyers came out again with so much energy and fed off the crowd in South Philly. There really isn't anything like playoff hockey in Philly, because the fans are so crazy and passionate, and I almost had a heart-attack after the first period because of all the craziness. Anyway, I really liked the way they came out and established the forecheck, which gave them the early energy they needed to give them that very important first goal.
Danny Briere scored the first goal while showing great patience and waiting for Huet to commit to put it over his shoulder pad. The Capitals scored right after to tie the game (The Capitals 4th line scored again, we have got to stop that crap from happening). Soon after that, Scott Hartnell got a great pass from Vinny Prospal across ice and slapped one home to make it 2 to 1. Then 17 seconds later, Sami Kapenen forced a turnover and gave the Flyers a 3 to 1 lead after the 1st period.
The Flyers came out a little flat in the 2nd period, and the Capitals got a goal from Mike Green almost midway through the 2nd period to make it a one goal game at 3 to 2. However, the Flyers got a power play goal from guess who... Danny Briere. However, I give credit to Mike Richards for making an incredible shot pass from the point to Briere for the easy goal. For Richards to have the presence of mind to look for Briere and use his fantasic vision of the ice to get him the puck was amazing. That is why you sign him for 12 years... BIG PLAYERS MAKE BIG PLAYS. The Capitals then scored to make it 4 to 3 from a weird goal that went off of Martin Biron's glove. The goal was reviewed to see if it went off a high stick from a Capital's player, but it didn't and it was 4 to 3.
Then the magic happened... The Flyers were getting great pressure from their offense and then someone made a play. Mike Richards forced another Capital's turnover (the Capitals seem to get really jumpy when they are behind late in games) and was tripped on a breakaway. PENALTY SHOT!!! Richards soars in and does his own Forsburg impression: He fakes a shot (which makes Huet commit just barely enough) and scores with a sick backhand goal through the five-hole. He then celebrates by taking dry ice and throwing it in the air... PRICELESS. Mike Knuble made it 6 to 3 with an empty net goal to seal the deal.
The Capitals in-experience and youth really showed tonight as they made tons of dumb mistakes and gave the Flyers two goals off of stupid turnovers. You also have to give the Flyers a hell of a lot of credit for keeping Ovechkin in check for the majority of this series. I said that I would pissed tonight if the Flyers lost because the season priemere of "Deadliest Catch" was on the Discovery Channel tonight, but WHO CARES!!! Danny Briere played amazing yet again. Scoring two goals and giving the Flyers what they needed. They needed to establish physical play and they did with great defense and great checking from not only the defensemen but from the fowards as well.
The Flyers are playing with so much emotion and intensity right now and I really don't see them losing when they play in Philly. A great win for the Flyers who now take a 2 - 1 series lead into Game 4 in Philadelphia . I predicted the Flyers to win in 6 games and so far, so good. The Flyers have everything going for them right now, and they are playing great hockey. FYI for all Flyers fans btw, Kimmo Timonen was injured on a terrible missed call from the ref, in which he was shoved from behind into the Capitals net face first. He looked to be holding his shoulder, but the Flyers are saying it is an "upper body injury". Hopefully he is okay, because he is one of the key players to keeping Ovechkin in check. The Flyers need to keep this kind of play and intensity up, because I believe they will be impossible to stop if they do.
I hope to write tomorrow about the Eagle's 2008 Regular Season Schedule, which was released today. Until then..... LET'S GO FLYERS!!
