For the second game in a row, a national audience got to enjoy a great win by the Flyers. Versus did a good job of capturing the crowd showing their appreciation for the home side as they rolled to a 5-2 win over the Canadiens. Good thing the Flyers continued to give us plenty to cheer about! In the end, the Flyers became the first expansion era team with 1,000 home victories.
Quick history lesson: Prior to 1967, the NHL only had 6 teams. There a few more here and there, but mostly 6 throughout the history of the league. In 1967, the league doubled in size, and continued to grow since then. The Flyers were a part of that first expansion, and so of all the non-Original 6 teams, we’re the first to 1,000 wins in our building. Now you know. And back to the game we go.
Things started off pretty even throughout most of the first. The Flyers overcame my desires for them to hurt PK Subban, knowing he’d end up screwing his own team somehow. His ability to put the team in a bad spot became infectious late in the first, as he and a few teammates all took some penalties within a few minutes of each other. This gave the Flyers some extended 5-on-3 time. Carterscored from in front, and Timonen double the lead about a minute later, blasting a shot from the point through a screen.
Carcillo is making the most of his time back in the lineup (thanks to JVR for being hurt). He extended the lead to 3-0 in the first minute of the 2nd on a nice effort. Pronger made the play happen by getting the puck to the front of the net before any Canadiens d-men could get in position. The Habs broke the shutout, but Giroux got the lead back up to 3 after one-timing a back door pass. In the third, Montreal scored again on a lucky bounce, but Briere the All Star iced the game with an empty netter.
Notes:
- Zherdev crushed somebody into the bench during the first. Sweet hit, I love the aggression. Maybe he doesn’t want this to be a short term relationship. Maybe he’s more committed to the Flyers than some members of the media expected.
- Hartnell laid out the dude that broke Bob’s shutout on a clean hit. Of course, as everyone has noticed, clean hard hits usually lead to gatherings. Play on dammit! You got clocked on a clean hit? Too bad! Next time keep your head up.
- Bob was awesome all night long. You can’t blame him for either goal. One was a screened shot from the point, the other was a bounce off our players glove. He was also saved by the posts a few times. As any good goalie will tell ya, the only reason the puck caught the pipe was because that’s all the keeper was giving up. His lateral movement was great all night. The Habs had plenty of chances to make the game closer, but couldn’t get the disc past him.
- Pronger followed up Giroux’s 4 assist game with one of his own. I don’t care who it is, but if there’s a different guy getting 4 assists every night, then we’re looking at an 80’s style offense.
- As great as the back to back 5-on-3 goals were, that wasn’t the most exciting part of he game. The entire 2nd period was the most exciting part of the game. The Flyers turned on the pressure so much, and kept firing away so many shots, that the normally bias national commentators covering the game were marveling at how the Flyers fans were showing love to the team. The camera panned the crowd, and from my big comfy couch, I had playoff sized goosebumps.
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