Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Posted: 9:40 p.m.Updated: 11:03 p.m.
By Sarah Baicker
CSNPhilly.com
BOX SCORE
It came down to a battle of the Russians.
For the Flyers, rookie goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. For the Phoenix Coyotes, veteran netminder Ilya Bryzgalov. In a low-scoring game that could have gone to either side, the ultimate victor was decided by which goalie was able to steal the win for his team.
And it took overtime to do it, but it was the Coyotes who prevailed, 3-2.
They have a good team, really fast, Mike Richards said. I thought the pace of play was good tonight. We played well, we had a lot of chances. But they were very opportunistic and they got the last shot.
NHL
That last shot, whipped home by Coyotes captain Shane Doan, wasnt without controversy. It was scored during a 4-on-3 power play, after Kimmo Timonen was called for hookinga debatable call that didnt please the Flyers coach.
I didnt like it, Peter Laviolette said. I didnt like that one or a lot of others. Were preaching discipline in therethats all we talk about, staying out of the box. Well kill the ones we have to, but when a games on the line, and a points on the line, those things are really valuable and important at this time of the year. I didnt like it.
The Flyers sustained four minor penalties and one fighting major Tuesday. Nonetheless, they took away one point from the game, bringing their record against Western Conference teams to 7-5-4.
I think there was a lot of speed there, theyre obviously pretty fast, Claude Giroux said. We actually played a pretty good game, weve just got to find a way to get those two points at the end of the game.
Lately, it seems the Coyotes only troubles have come off the icewhile the fate of the franchise remains somewhat in jeopardy, the Pacific Division leaders have now won eight games in a row.
The two teams hit the ice with a quick pace that lasted through the opening period, but the shots were slow to come. Through the first five minutes, each team had hit the net just once. But it was Flyers winger Ville Leino who bested Bryzgalov first, tipping in a point shot from Matt Carle at 6 minutes, 24 seconds.
The Flyers carried their narrow lead through the second period, but the middle 20 minutes were not without their share of shaky moments. For instance, Bobrovsky, though he stopped 26 of 29 shots he faced in the game, seemed unsteady and lost sight of the puck on a few occasions.
And then, former Flyer Scottie Upshall made his presence known.
It was no secret that Upshall, back in Philadelphia for the first time since being traded to Phoenix, hoped to make an impression on his former club. But he likely didnt intend to make the one he did: an early second-period hit on Oskars Bartulis beside Bobrovsky sent Bartulis to the ice, where he writhed in pain for minutes.
Bartulis, in the lineup for the first time since Jan. 11, skated off the ice with some assistance. General manager Paul Holmgren said the young defenseman suffered a shoulder injury and will have an MRI on Wednesday.
"You know, I was just going hard to the net," Upshall said. "I couldnt see where the puck was actually. I didnt intentionally go to hit him or drive him into the boards. I think he was kind of off balance."
The hit was scary, sure, but it appeared largely clean. Upshall was awarded a boarding call, and Holmgren expressed displeasure at what hed seen on the ice.
Oskars was just standing there minding his business, Holmgren said. It was a late hit, depending on how Oskars is, I have a little bit of a problem with it, yeah. Its not like Scottie to do that.
Despite being forced to play with five defensemen for the second game in a row, the Flyers blue line was a highlight of the game, managing to keep the Coyotes chances largely to the periphery.
I think weve been playing pretty tight defense these last few games, Timonen said. Thats the way youre going to win games down the road, so hopefully we can keep it up.
Jody Shelley, after remaining disciplined and drawing a penalty on Nolan Yonkman, couldnt resist squaring off the Coyotes defenseman moments after Yonkman returned to the ice. The fight was quick, and Shelley was its decisive victorthough he later received 60 stitches in his face.
The fight, and a timeout called by coach Peter Laviolette shortly after it, failed to rally the Flyers to add to their 1-0 lead, which remained into the third period despite a 22-16 advantage in shots on goal.
Going out in the second period, I just had a nervous feeling, Laviolette said. I thought the game should have been 4-0 at that point. It wasnt, it was 1-0.
And hopes for a season-first shutout were ended 2:44 into the third period, when Mikkel Boedker, planted besides Bobrovsky, hit Eric Belanger with a perfect pass as Belanger crashed the net.
Taylor Pyatt followed it up seven minutes later, knocking the puck past Bobrovsky to score a goal Bobrovsky really should have had and bring the score to 2-1. As fans on Twitter chided, the goal looked far more Leighton-esque than what is expected of the Flyers rookie netminder.
Bryzgalov was stunning as the third period ticked down, seeming nearly impenetrable. But the Flyers never quit, and Giroux finally whipped one high over the Coyotes goalies shoulder to send the game into overtime.
They werent able to seal the deal in extra time, but the Flyers were mostly pleased with the efforts they brought despite it.
We played a good game, Kris Versteeg, playing in his first home game at the Wells Fargo Center, said. Its just about taking the positives away from what we did out there tonight.
Loose pucks
The Flyers are now 2-3 in overtime games this season ... Richards is still recovering from an illness he suffered in Carolina. "I'm not playing my best hockey," he said after Tuesday's game ... Giroux scored for the second straight game, the first time he's had goals in consecutive games since Dec. 14-15. ... The game marked the fourth time this season the Flyers did not win when leading after the second period.
E-mail Sarah Baicker at sbaicker@comcastsportsnet.com
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