Game 1 – Stanley Cup Finals |
5/29/10
  
6-5 Loss
|
| SCORING |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
OT |
Total |
| PHI |
3 |
2 |
0 |
- |
5 |
| CHI |
2 |
3 |
1 |
- |
6 |
_______________________________
| SHOTS |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
OT |
Total |
| PHI |
17 |
9 |
6 |
- |
32 |
| CHI |
9 |
15 |
8 |
- |
32 |
|
|
|
|
*** PostGame Interviews & Coach’s Press Conference ***
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Chicago, IL (Sports Network) – Tomas Kopecky supplied the game-winning goal 8:25 into the third period, as the Chicago Blackhawks defeated Philadelphia, 6-5, in a wild Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals from a raucous United Center.
Troy Brouwer registered two goals and one assist for the Blackhawks, who entered this round as the presumptive favorites after beating three teams with at least 100 points in the regular season, including a four-game sweep of the top-seeded San Jose Sharks, to claim the West title and advance to the Cup Finals for the first time since 1992.
Dave Bolland and Kris Versteeg joined Kopecky with a goal and one helper for Chicago, while rookie Antti Niemi made 27 saves but clearly struggled at times with puck control.
“The first period, physically was a little jittery for both teams,” said Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville. “More so us, and even in the second I still think we were a little bit more emotional than we normally are. And then all of a sudden we picked up the tempo, and pace that we wanted to set and continue. That’s the standard we want to move on going forward to the next game.”
Chicago will host Game 2 on Monday.
Danny Briere had a goal and three assists and Scott Hartnell added a goal with two assists for Philadelphia, which has overcome a bevy of obstacles to reach the Cup Finals for the first time in 13 years.
The Flyers weathered a coaching change from John Stevens to Peter Laviolette in early December, injuries that ravaged the lineup, and needed a shootout win on the final day of the regular season to secure a playoff spot.
Once the postseason started, Philadelphia encountered more injury woes, losing forwards Jeff Carter, Simon Gagne and Ian Laperriere and goaltender Brian Boucher, but still managed to upset New Jersey in Round 1 and rally from an 0-3 series deficit to stun Boston in the semifinals.
The Flyers then dispatched world-beater Montreal in five games in the Eastern Conference finals.
Michael Leighton, drafted by Chicago in 1999, didn’t get much help from a leaky Flyers’ defense and was pulled in the second period after allowing five goals on 20 shots.
“I’m totally disappointed in the way I played,” Leighton said. “I felt all right. Every time they had a good chance they scored.”
Brian Boucher made 11 saves the rest of the way but allowed the decisive tally in his first action since injuring both knees in Game 5 of the semifinals against Boston on May 10.
“We’ve got to be a little bit better defensively than we were,” Laviolette admitted. “It wasn’t a lot of chances. It was probably a dozen chances for them. But some of them were point blank. We have to tighten it up right in front of our goal.”
Philadelphia and Chicago are both looking to end lengthy championship droughts. The Flyers last hoisted hockey’s symbol of excellence following a successful defense in 1975, while the Blackhawks are searching for their first title in 49 years, the longest current dry spell in the NHL.
Boucher made a sprawling save on Bolland 10 seconds into the third to keep the game tied, but the returning netminder couldn’t turn away Kopecky, who took a feed from Versteeg, outwaited the former Blackhawk as he moved below the left circle and slid the puck inside the near post.
The play started with Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook keeping the puck in the zone at the right point. Kopecky, a healthy scratch for the last five games, was in the lineup only because Andrew Ladd was unable to go because of an upper-body injury suffered in the series-clinching win versus San Jose.
“Remarkable comeback. Great play, good patience on the winning goal,” Quenneville said when asked about Kopecky. “I thought that line was very dangerous. Very affective. (Bolland) and (Versteeg) really complemented (Kopecky).”
Niemi snatched a Briere slapshot with two minutes left in regulation, the Flyers’ best chance at an equalizer.
“It’s the greatest trophy to win because it’s so hard,” Kopecky said. “This time of the year it’s all about the battle. Who wants it more is going to win. Today we wanted it more, but I think we can still be better.”
The Flyers and Blackhawks combined for five goals in a the opening period, with Philadelphia emerging with a 3-2 lead. It was the most goals scored in the first period of Game 1 in the Cup Finals since 1982, when the New York Islanders outscored Vancouver, 3-2.
The Flyers lit the lamp moments after failing to convert on the first power play of the series.
Briere kept the puck in at the offensive blueline and swept it to the right circle for Ville Leino, who fired a shot on goal. Niemi made the save with Hartnell planted outside the crease, but the rebound went in off Chicago defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson at 6:38.
Brouwer tied the game 68 seconds later on a nice feed from Marian Hossa, beating Leighton to the far side from the high slot.
A shorthanded goal by Bolland gave the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead. With Patrick Kane off for slashing, Philadelphia defenseman Braydon Coburn mishandled the puck at the Chicago blueline. Bolland gathered the puck and scored on a breakaway, firing a shot toward the gap in between Leighton’s legs. The disc trickled up the goaltender’s stick and snuck under his right arm at 11:50.
Hartnell pulled the Flyers even on the power play, scooping the rebound of Chris Pronger’s heavy point shot behind Niemi with 3:23 to play.
Philadelphia regained the lead when Briere jumped on a loose puck in the low slot and fired a shot over the fallen netminder with 26.1 seconds remaining in the first.
The two teams combined for five more goals in the middle stanza.
Chicago knotted the score at 3-3 1:11 into the middle stanza when Patrick Sharp, a former Flyer draftee, pushed the puck down the right side on an odd- man rush and beat Leighton over the left shoulder.
Blair Betts’ first goal of the playoffs made it 4-3 in favor of the visitors at 7:20 of the second, but Versteeg provided a rebuttal for the Blackhawks, pumping in his own rebound midway through the frame.
Chicago moved ahead 5-4 at 15:18 when Hossa dished from behind the Philadelphia net to Brouwer, who let go a shot earmarked for the top right corner.
A one-timer by Philadelphia forward Arron Asham from the left circle tied the game with 1:11 remaining.
Game Notes
Chicago leads the playoffs with four shorthanded goals, including two by Bolland…The Flyers finished 1-for-4 on the power play and were not whistled for a penalty…Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews had a 13-game point streak snapped. It was a franchise record for a single playoff year, surpassing Stan Mikita’s 11-game streak set in 1962…Toews, Kane and Dustin Byfuglien were each minus-3 for Chicago…The 11 combined goals was the most in a Cup Final game since Pittsburgh beat the Blackhawks 6-5 in Game 4 to complete the sweep in ’92…The Blackhawks’ win on Saturday was their first in a Cup Final since May 8, 1973. The Blackhawks had lost each of their past five Cup Final games…Philadelphia has lost six consecutive Cup Final games…The Flyers scored two goals in the final 2:04 of regulation, including Pronger’s game-winner with just 2.1 seconds left, to edge the Blackhawks 3-2 in the only regular-season meeting in Philadelphia on March 13…The Blackhawks and Flyers have met once previously in the playoffs, a four-game sweep by Chicago in the 1971 West Division quarterfinals…Pronger is playing in the Cup Finals for the third time in the past five years (Edmonton in 2006 and Anaheim in 2007)…Hossa became the first player in NHL history to appear in the Cup Finals for three consecutive seasons with different clubs: Pittsburgh (2008) and Detroit (2009)…This marks the third consecutive year that the visiting club in the Winter Classic has advanced to the Cup Finals. The Penguins traveled to Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo on January 1, 2008 and the Red Wings battled the Blackhawks at Wrigley Field in Chicago a year later. The Flyers began 2010 by taking on the Bruins at Fenway Park in Boston…An Original Six club, Chicago is making its 11th appearance in the Cup Finals. For the Flyers, it is their eighth trip since entering the league in 1967…Laviolette is the eighth head coach to advance to the Cup Finals after joining his club during the season. He won the Stanley Cup as head coach with Carolina in 2006…Quenneville won a Stanley Cup in 1996 as an assistant with Colorado.
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SCORING SUMMARY
1st Period
06:38 PHI Ville Leino (5) Wrist Shot – Assists: D. Briere (10) & C. Pronger (11)
07:46 CHI Troy Brouwer (3) Slap Shot – Assists: M. Hossa (10) & B. Sopel (4)
11:50 CHI SHG – Dave Bolland (6) Wrist Shot – Assists: none
16:37 PHI PPG – Scott Hartnell (4) Wrist Shot – Assists: D. Briere (11) & C. Pronger (12)
19:33 PHI Danny Briere (10) Wrist Shot – Assists: V. Leino (9) & S. Hartnell (6)
2nd Period
01:11 CHI Patrick Sharp (8) Wrist Shot – Assists: T. Brouwer (2) & N. Hjalmarsson (5)
07:20 PHI Blair Betts (1) Slap Shot – Assists: A. Asham (3) & D. Powe (1)
09:31 CHI Kris Versteeg (5) Wrist Shot – Assists: T. Kopecky (2) & D. Keith (10)
15:18 CHI Troy Brouwer (4) Snap Shot – Assists: M. Hossa (11) & N. Hjalmarsson (6)
18:49 PHI Arron Asham (4) Slap Shot – Assists: D. Briere (12) & S. Hartnell (7)
3rd Period
08:25 CHI Tomas Kopecky (4) Wrist Shot – Assists: K. Versteeg (6) & D. Bolland (6)
PENALTY SUMMARY
1st Period
03:26 CHI Ben Eager : Cross checking – 2 min
09:58 CHI Patrick Kane : Slashing – 2 min
15:51 CHI Brian Campbell : Hi-sticking – 2 min
2nd Period
04:49 CHI Adam Burish : Boarding – 2 min
3rd Period
NONE