Friday, April 22, 2011
Posted: 11:59 p.m.
By Sarah BaickerCSNPhilly.com
The doors to the Flyers bench swung open and Michael Leighton, to a round of cheers from the crowd, took his first strides out onto the Wells Fargo Center Ice. He looked on as starting goalie Brian Boucher hung his head and left the game.
To be clear, this was late in the first period of Game 5 this year. You know, 2011. We understand if you might feel a bit misledafter all, the Boucher-for-Leighton mid-game switch has notoriously happened more than a few times in the past.
But Friday night, the circumstances were different. Boucher had lasted less than 16 minutes, allowing three ugly goals on only 11 Buffalo Sabre shots. And Leightons last 30 games were spent playing with the Adirondack Phantoms in the American Hockey League.
Of course, this is Flyers hockeywere all used to goalies making headlines.
This time, though, Leightons return was not enough to help the Flyers cap an impressive comeback in which they surged from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game at 3 in the third period, before falling to the Sabres 4-3 in overtime.
These are big games, Danny Briere said. Its the playoffs. Its a tough job. Sometimes you can be a hero quick, it can go the other way quick as well. Its the nature of the position. But youve got to give Leights a lot of credit.
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After entering the game at 15:36 of the opening period, Leighton wasnt tested much by the Sabres. He faced just two shots in the closing minutes of the first period, and only five through all 20 minutes of the secondhe saved 20 of 21 in all.
But if his entrance in the game had an effect on his teammates, it was a wildly positive one. The Flyers play picked up almost immediately. After a tough start to the game, the Flyers finally put ample pressure of Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, catching him out of position twice during the second period. During that same period, they outshot Buffalo 15-5. Just minutes into the third period, they knotted the score.
At that point, when it was 3-0, we needed to make a change, coach Peter Laviolette said. I thought Michael came in and he did a good job for us. He just settled it down in there. There werent a lot of chances in the game or throughout it.I thought Michael came in and did a good job.
Said Claude Giroux, We decided to switch it up I bit, and I think we got momentum, we just kind of switched it up and were able to come back.
There was a feeling amongst those whove followed the team so far this postseason that Leighton would make an appearance at some point before the Flyers run endedit just didnt seem likely to happen so soon.
But after Boucher allowed one soft goal, and then another, and still another, Leighton finally got the call. And he was ready for it.
Ive kind of been prepared the whole time, Leighton said. (Goalie coach Jeff) Reese has told me he doesnt know whats going to happen in the playoffs with injuries and stuff, so Ive been really working hard in practice and preparing for this situation and sure enough it comes up.
By now, its rather old news that this was a rough year for Leighton. Originally re-signed over the summer with the belief that he would begin the 2010-11 season as the Flyers starting goalie, he was quickly thwarted by back problems that continued to affect his play well into the season.
He played just one regular-season game with the Flyers this year, a 7-4 victory on Dec. 30 in Los Angeles. Though he got the win, he looked shaky and uncertain through all 60 minutes and the Flyers did not again seek his services.
Until now.
When the Flyers recalled him, Leighton had just sealed up his season with two shutout victories for the Phantoms, but he hadn't played at the NHL level in months.
So he must have been feeling the pressure, right?
No, not really, Leighton said. Theres not much pressure on me. Its 3-0, if they score on me its 4-0.We played a great game and we battled back and like I said we should be proud.
Leightons shutout streak was finally ended by Tyler Ennis at 184:31.
From goalie who shut out the Montreal Canadiens a team record three times in the Eastern Conference Final, to netminder banished to the minors, to Bouchers relief in 2011, its already been a wild ride for Leighton.
The biggest question facing him now is: Does he start Game 6 in Buffalo?
Definitely I want to play, he said. But Boosh has done a great job to get us in this situation and tonight was one of those nights where two of those goalsyou could probably take 100 shots from there and you might score one, so its a tough bounce. We have confidence in Boosh. Hes going to bounce back and play a good one in Buffalo."
Laviolette, true to form, would offer no clue as to his
"Im going to sleep on that," he said, when asked about goalie choices for Game 6. "And then probably give you nothing."
E-mail Sarah Baicker at sbaicker@comcastsportsnet.com
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