Flyers rebound with win over Panthers to stay in first

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Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Posted: 9:55 p.m.Updated: 11:39 p.m.
By Tim Panaccio
CSNPhilly.com

BOX SCORE

SUNRISE, Fla.You never know whats going to transpire when you revamp your entire lineup from the forward lines through the defense.

Especially, on The Ides of March.

Its a different look, where every once in a while you do that and by really jamming up those first two lines and the defense back there, it allowed you to push some minutes on guys, said coach Peter Laviolette.

I already told you, March is a month for me to really push it and make sure were ready for when the puck drops.

Despite an inconsistent start, the Flyers had fairly strong overall game Tuesday night at BankAtlantic Center, as they defeated the toothless Florida Panthers, 3-2, to remain a point ahead of Washington in the overall Eastern Conference standings.

The Flyers have 93 points. The Caps, who won their ninth straight, 4-2 over Montreal, have 92.

We have to keep winningthey all won, Laviolette said.

Jeff Carter (32 goals) scored twice while the Flyers blocked 22 shots and held the Panthers to a handful of quality shots, even though the final period was played in their own zone.

This team has responded to challenges very well, Sean ODonnell said. Early in the year, Pittsburgh was playing well, Washington was right there and it was a fight to get into first place in the conference and we were playing our best hockey.

I think maybe we gotI dont like to use the word comfortablebut thats the only word I can think of. And the season got a little long, we got comfortable, padded our lead a little bit and now we haveteams at our heels again.

Brian Boucher won his second straight start, facing just 22 shots. He had two big stops in the final period: a pad stop on Nicklas Bergfors to open it and a pad save on Mike Santorellis power-play attempt late in the game with the Flyers clutching that one-goal lead.

They were in our zone a lot, but I thought we did a great job of blocking shots, Boucher said. Early in the game they kind of came at us a bit and got some chances, but they didnt get any shots on goal. We were blocking them or forcing them wide.

Things got hairy that last stanza when James van Riemsdyk picked up his third penalty of the evening, a double-minor for high-sticking.

A minute of it was erased when Florida was tagged with a hooking call.

We got a break there when they took a penalty on that four-minute power play, Boucher said. We dont want to be killing four minutes in the middle of the third period. That could have been trouble.

Laviolette opened the game with an all-center unit of Claude Giroux between Danny Briere and Carter. He also used six defensive pair combinations.

Doesnt matter who we play with, Scott Hartnell said. If were playing systems with energy and execution, were a tough team to beat.

Hartnell drove the slot for his 20th goal at 4:28 on a pass from Mike Richards, but Florida came right back with a goal on Boucher less than three minutes later.

The gap up the middle of the ice was enormous enough to drive a Hummer through as first Keaton Ellerby had a long pass out of the zone, followed by a second pass by Sergei Samsonov to spring Stephen Weiss past both Matt Carle and Nick Boynton for a slapper from distance that tied it.

Then in the final 1:49, Dmitry Kulikov ripped one from the right point off Darroll Powe, giving the Panthers a 2-1 lead at intermission.

We kind of weathered the storm, Boucher said. We were unhappy to be down 2-1, but we took the game over in the second.

Needing a lift, Dan Carcillo opened the second period with a fight against Mike Duco to get the Flyers going. A minute after the fight, Giroux had a hit in the neutral zone which saw the puck go into the Panthers end. Carter retrieved it and shot from the high slot off Tomas Vokouns glove hand. The puck bounced across the goal line at 4:42 to tie the game.

So often this season, weve seen Laviolette use his timeout and then the Flyers come back with a goal on the ensuing shift. He used his timeout with 4:44 left to give his team a breather.

Sure enough, Carter notched his second goal of the period seven seconds later to give the Flyers a 3-2 lead at 15:23.

Lavy looks like a genius every time, said Carter, who has four goals in as many games.

The goal was an odd-man rush nicely executed by Briere, who gave Carter a backhanded pass in the crease.

That was a fluky play on our part, Briere said. I saw before the faceoff, their winger and defenseman kind of nodded at each other. I thought they had a special play coming up, better be careful

He poked the puck back to the defenseman as he was going in and I looked up and there was no body there. I just tried to get down ice as quick as I could.

It turned into the game-winner.

Theres always a course in the year where youre not real happy with the way youre playing, Laviolette said. Obviously, teams have pressed up on the back side of us. And they all won tonight.

I really liked our game. We didnt give up a whole lot, probably not more than seven or eight chances against. Boosh made some big saves when he had to.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net

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