Final Thoughts: Flyers vs. Atlanta (11-16-08)
Coming off, perhaps, their best effort of the season, a 2-1 win Saturday night in Montreal, the Flyers had to feel confident facing an Atlanta team that they have dominated. Atlanta came into the game on a five game winning streak. The Flyers just ended an extremely successful three game road trip. The only hiccup was a shootout loss in Pittsburgh, but even that was highlighted by an impressive four goal comeback in the second period.
Atlanta seemed to have the jump at the outset, until Simon Gagne intercepted a pass at the Flyer blue line and skated away on a breakaway. He scored a beautiful goal on a play that seems to be becoming his signature move, a forehand/ backhand fake. After that, the momentum seemed to shift toward the Flyers, who went on to dominate the period, outshooting Atlanta 18-4. The Flyers also got a goal from Mike Knuble with 20 seconds left. The Flyers are playing their best hockey of the season. They are showing patience playing defense first and making good first passes out of their end that are leading to good scoring chances and sustained pressure in the offensive zone.
Atlanta got on the board in the second when Erik Christensen finally solved Antero Niitymaki. The goal ended a shutout streak of 94:55 against the team he seems to own. Only Chris Osgood has more consecutive wins versus one team, seventeen wins against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Flyers got the goal back on the power play. Kimmo Timonen’s shot from the point was deflected out high and changed direction on Johan Hedburg. The Flyers power play has settled in. They rank fifth in the league, and have been averaging at least one goal a game with the man advantage. The Flyers only had a few lapses in the first two periods, but they came back to back. With Lasse Kukkonen already off for hooking, Jeff Carter took another hooking penalty. The Flyers now faced a 5 on 3 for 1:12. Enter “The Captain”. Mike Richards single handedly forced both Atlanta Point men out towards the blue line and eventually forced them to turn the puck over. Richards continues to have an impressive season. He just does all of the things the team needs at just the right time.
Maybe it was because they were playing their fifth game in nine days. Or maybe it was that they didn’t arrive home from Montreal until 2:30 this morning. Whatever the reason, the Flyers came out flat in the third. They seemed perfectly willing to try to passively protect their two goal lead. The same team that dominated the game for forty minutes suddenly had the tables turned on them. Atlanta outplayed the Flyers the majority of the period and managed to tie the game midway through the third.
The Flyers, tired and reeling, could have closed up shop. But, Joffrey Lupul saw a moment, and seized it. Coming out of his own zone, Lupul found a seem and went end to end. Putting on the brakes at the top of the circle, he fired a shot past Hedburg and into the net to give the Flyers the lead back, a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. Lupul’s play showed the kind of grit and determination a good team will reach for when on the ropes. The play also showed that this team has the ability to but a bad stretch behind it and move forward and reclaim the game.
Positives:
- Simon Gagne had a three point night, he now has a five game point scoring streak.
- Antero Niitymaki, quiet most of the night, stood on his head in the third and allowed his team to regroup and find a way to win this game.
- Penalty Killing: The Flyers killed off another big 5 on 3. Their penalty killing has really come on as of late. It is lead, as always, by “The Captain”.
- Joffrey Lupul played his best game since being demoted last week. He such a talented player. It’s hard to figure out why he seems to disappear at times during the season.
Negatives:
- Fatigue was a factor, no doubt. But, The Flyers seem to still rely on sitting back with the lead in the third period. Doing it again tonight allowed Atlanta to tie the game. Only the stellar play of Niitymaki and the great individual effort by Lupul saved the game for the Flyers.
- Lasse Kukkonen continues to struggle defensively.
Notes:
Antero Niitymaki has now won eleven straight games against Atlanta; Mike Richards had his career-long eight game point streak snapped; Jared Ross was called up from the Phantoms to fill in for the injured Danny Briere.
The Flyers are off until Friday, when they travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres.
-MT
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