Flyers-Canucks 12/3/09 Running Diary
This will be my first attempt at a running diary. For those who don’t know how it works, I will take notes during the game of my observations in real time. I would like to give credit to Bill Simmons, ESPN Sports Guy, for giving me the idea. I don’t know if he invented it, but his column is the only place I have seen it. Any commentary/criticism is much appreciated. I hope you enjoy!
First Period
19:31: Carter takes a pass of the boards from Timonen, almost gets a breakaway. The puck was just a bit out of his reach and Luongo played it away from him.
19:20: Canucks work a 2on 1 down low, with great lateral movement from Boucher preventing an early goal.
17:40: Steve Coates is an idiot
17:15 Giroux sets up Carcillo, weak shot. Too bad Giroux can’t have a normal linemate to pass to consistently.
15:29: Carter looks good; he’s had a few chances and seems to be skating well.
14:40: When Vancouver is in the zone, the Flyers are giving them a decent amount of room and allowing them to be creative. Time to tighten up.
14:13: Carcillo wastes another chance. Gotta feel bad for Giroux.
13:27: Laperierre’s line creates a turnover and gets a quick shot. It would be nice for the 3rd and 4th lines to chip in with some offense while the team is struggling.
11:54: A spoiled rush with no result, but Briere showed a little flash of brilliance by easily controlling the puck into the zone and holding onto it for a few seconds in tight space between 4 Canucks.
9:26: Hartnell sound bite clip teaches us: nothing, except that players cheer from the bench.
8:48: JVR beat Luongo for a…post. Damn!
8:19: Captain Richards draws Burrows into a nice penalty. Let’s try to get something going finally.
6:29: Kept the puck in the zone most of the time, but no dangerous chances. Vancouver does a good job of creating pressure.
4:27: Goal by Vancouver doesn’t count, hit by a high stick. Gotta love that rule now.
3:30 Nodl-Kalinksi-Asham line hits a post and has the best sustained pressure for the period for the Flyers.
1:46: Richie draws another PP. Flyers need to move the puck and challenge Luongo a bit more than last time.
0:00: Some nice passing, one good shot early by Giroux, still nothing dangerous created. Kesler gets a penalty as time expire, so Flyers will have a tabula rasa to start the next period.
Second Period
18:05: Neutral zone turnover leads to a 2 on 1 from the blue line in, Booooosh with another clutch save.
16:02: Canucks get 1:31 of 2-man advantage time. This could be a major turning point in a so far slow moving game.
14:58: Carter makes a sick speed move and gets a 2 on1 w/ Coburn but keeps it and gets stopped by Luongo. Awesome play, awesome chance, and pretty much kills the 1st penalty.
14:02: Pronger is out of the box, and Flyers are done killing off the PP, and they too didn’t give up any dangerous shots.
13:16: Flyers have a nice 3 on 2 rush, creating a nice shot, then another one from the point. They seem to be moving a little better since the kill. It’s about time they start playing like a team that’s had a few days off. Vancouver has to be tired from the previous night’s game, and Flyers have to start skating and tiring the Canucks out.
12:50: Carcillo crushes a Canuck in the offensive zone. Yet another sign of life from the Flyers. This after a good shot from the high slot and a rebound that Laperierre had a chance to deposit, but he went a bit wide and had no angle.
7:45: Steve Coates is an idiot.
6:22: After sustained pressure, and the Flyers inability to get the puck and get out of the zone, Willie Mitchell jumps in from the point and buries a backhander from the slot. Flyers have to start scoring first, as they did in the beginning of the year, before their current slide
5:07: A few good chance, as the Flyers try to respond quickly. Briere, Carter and Hartnell seem to be the most dangerous players today. Either one of them capitalizes, or someone else needs to get into this game. It’s frustrating watching a team with so many offense players, and yet, in a looong scoring slump.
4:19: Richards tries getting the team going by fighting Bieksa. Bieksa wins it, but maybe the team gets the inspiration it needs.
5:05: Asham redirects a pass from Giroux that nearly sneaks in near side. Nice play.
2:32: Canucks 2:0 Flyers. Sedin brothers + Burrows get a nice pass out of the corner, and a one timer deflects past Boucher.
1:14: Flyers frustration starts to show in a big skirmish, which leads to a Pronger-Mitchell fight that ends quickly but with a slight Pronger win. It all started with some slashes and spears from Briere and Samuelsson. After some discussion, Briere gets a double minor for spearing, and Flyers are shorthanded for 2:00 minutes because Samuelsson got 2:00 for slashing.
0:05: Giroux uses some fancy stickwork to almost get a late chance, no penalty called as he gets pulled down and still splits someones wickets.
Third Period
Now we need to come back from 2 goals, in the final period, against Luongo? Well….at least it’s not 3. GO FLYERS!
16:57: Flyers having trouble sustaining pressure, Canucks getting more chances.
15:09 As a Flyers PP draws near its end, Vancouver clears the puck after a pretty good flurry and some sustained pressure. A few good point shots, and some nice cycling led to a few good chances.
13:29: Carcillo to Asham almost leads to definite goal, not sure how Luongo stopped it. Asham gets another chance right after that. Scoring drought continues.
10:26: Asham has ANOTHER chance from the slot on a deflection that Luongo stones him on again. You can’t ask for a better chance.
9:52 Luongo stones Carter through a screen after a good faceoff win. What will it take?
8:45: Pronger, very calmly, takes care of a 3 on 1 by himself.
7:20: Canucks turn a defensive zone faceoff into a 2 on 1. Timonen gets a hooking call. This season, it seems to me, his age is really starting to show. He has not looked nearly as good as he did the past two seasons
6:47: Great desperation play by Bieksa to knock the puck from Carter as Carter was about step past him for a long, shorthanded breakaway.
4:55: Briere comes out from behind the net on a backhander, spins around and fires a shot that normally goes in. It’s too bad that Luongo anticipated it and was already up and waiting for it.
3:19: Erhoff rips a one-timer from the right circle gets under Boucher’s arm. Dagger! Game over?
1:00: Flyers leave their half of the ice for the first time in a minute. Solid time killing by the Canucks effectively leaves the Flyers with no time.
0:00: Jim Jackson just informs us that it’s the first time since February 2003 that Flyers have been shut-out in back-to-back games. Pathetic. Not the most fun game for my first running diary.
Flyers continued to play uninspired hockey, although they created some nice pressure in the third period. They need to start playing a little more desperate, and get some chemistry. Hard to do with all the line shifting Stevens loves. Maybe after Gagne comes back to give us a full line-up things will pick-up. Injuries are not the reason this game was lost though. Vancouver played a very, very good defensive game, and capitalized on a few chances.
Thanks for reading.
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