The never-say-quit team tied it twice and took their first lead of the game when it counted, 48 seconds into overtime. Tom Kostopoulos, the first star of game #1 against the Bruins, scored the OT winner giving the Canadiens a 1-0 lead in the series. Alex Kovalev tied the game on a power-play goal with 29 seconds left in the third period.
The Canadiens started the game well showing their speed, winning face-offs and controlling the play. After 12 minutes of the first period the Habs had a 8-5 shot advantage with 2 hit goalposts.
Then there were a few moments that changed the course of the period. A gamebreaker is the kind of player that can change an outcome in one (or two) shifts (like Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin). The would-be gamebreaker for Philadelphia wore #71 in red tonight. Unable to catch a speedy Sami Kapanen, Patrice Brisebois reached out to intercept a Umburger pass and promptly deflected the puck into his own net. Three minutes later, in his next shift, Brisebois provided the perfect goaltender screen to allow a hard slapshot by Jim Dowd find the net. An Andrei Markov goal was disallowed as time expired in the period. Flyers had a 2-0 after one.
In the second period, Andrei Kostitsyn called for a pass that put him in all alone. He was dragged down and a penalty shot was called. AK-46 made a good deke but Biron dragged his pad and made the save. Three minutes later Andrei K. got the better of Biron with a quick shot after some good work gaining the zone by his brother Sergei. The Flyers lead was cut to 2-1.
Tomas Plekanec was very good in the second period. After a steal he pulled away from the a defender but was poke checked by Biron as he went in alone. Later while shorthanded after a Kovalev blocked shot and steal, Plekanec took a shot that Biron only partially blocked. Kovalev slapped the puck out of the air into the net. Video conclusively confirmed the goal.
Video review was needed again early in the third period to confirm a Flyer power-play goal. After Tomas Plekanec lost one of the few faceoffs, a Braydon Coburn point shot was saved and then slipped through Carey Price’s glove. The puck went in off the leg of Joffrey Lupul.
Mike Richards was called for a kneeing penalty with just over a minute left in the game. With Carey Price on the bench, Saku Koivu won the draw back to Alex Kovalev and the game was tied 3-3.
Twenty seconds into overtime, Carey Price made a great save on a Mike Richards wraparound attempt. The Smolinski line then took the puck into the Philly zone. Andrei Markov took a big hit from Scott Hartnell at the Flyer blue-line but still managed to get his shot on goal. On his second attempt, Tom Kostopoulos put the rebound behind Biron.
The game included special teams goals, and some strange bounces and fluky goals. It was a game with speed but there seemed to be a lack of intensity on the ice (and in the stands) especially after the first two Flyer goals. Canadiens outhit the Flyers 38-28. Sergei Kostitsyn led the Canadiens with 5 hits. Mike Komisarek had a solid game with 4 hits and 5 blocked shots. The Canadien centres all performed well at the faceoff dot but particularly Saku Kiovu who was 17-7.
Guy Carbonneau seemed determined to keep Koivu and Kovalev together even though it was obvious that they didn’t have the chemistry in this game. In the 3rd period, while Kovalev double-shifted, he returned to the Plekanec line and Sergei K. went back to the Koivu line.
Fan Note: disgusted by the idiotic fans who dumped beer on Mike Richards in the penalty box at the end of the game. How do you expect that the Philly fans will treat our players now??
Referees Don Van Massenhoven and Mike Hasenfratz called another good game. They have been two of the better refs in the playoffs so far.
Best line of the post-game: When asked if he would be getting a Mohawk to match his teammates, Kovalev replied, “not everyone needs to be Indians, some have to be chiefs”.
Pregame:
Weird fact: Ed Snider pursued an NHL franchise after ‘falling in love’ with the play of Gump Worsley.
Flyers line-up: Downie will play. Knuble not available until late in the series.
Joe Kaiser sings the anthems. Some booing still overheard during U.S. anthem. Jean Beliveau sings along with American anthem. Bryan Smolinski does the same during the Canadian anthem.
Rocket’s 3 stars:
1. Alex Kovalev
2. Tom Kostopoulos
3. Mike Richards
(photo credit: Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images)