The summer has gone by amazingly quick, and the time has come for players to converge once again on the Philadelphia area in preparation for training camp.

One player in particular is expressing his desire to get right back into the fold.  Danny Briere has returned, and sat down with Chuck Gormley of the Camden Courier Post for a quick Q & A session.

http://blogs.courierpostonline.com/flyers/2010/08/30/danny-briere-im-so-excited-to-be-back/

THIS is what summer should look like.  I wish…

If you’re anything like me, you can’t stand this time of year.  Yeah…I know.  Most people are reveling in the hot temps and sunny days  (even though they seem to be in short supply this August), but not me.

Summertime to me means sweating for absolutely no reason, running up the light bill with the A/C blasting, and worst of all…NO HOCKEY.

Well, at least this week I am being appeased by the full day-to-day replay of the greatest comeback in pro sports history (yeah, I said it).  For those of you who haven’t been paying attention, the NHL Network has been re-running the entire Flyers-Bruins semifinal from the 2010 playoffs, one day and one game at a time.  And for those of you who still do not have access to the NHL Network, you have my sincerest condolences.

But soon it will be back to pining for Flyers hockey and building anticipation for the upcoming season.  Luckily, the trip from the end of last season to the start of next season has been pleasingly short.  As of right now, we are just 20 days away from the start of training camp, and even less until the opening of rookie camp.  With the Flyers coming within just 2 wins of their first Stanley Cup championship since 1975, the summer-long wait for the return of hockey has been cut down dramatically.  Sure beats a 1st round exit for more than the obvious reasons.

For us fans, especially the ones who aren’t finding much solace in watching the Phillies stumble their way through the season, the short summer is a blessing.  Soon, the wait will be over.  And I will once again be able to take to my Man Cave and be a hopeless Flyers headcase for the ensuing 8 months.

But for the players themselves, the quick return to the ice isn’t always quite so rosy.  Guys depend on the off months to recuperate from arguably the toughest postseason in sports.  It gives them time to spend with their families and unwind from a grueling season that for most ends in disappointing fashion.

And considering the deep run the Flyers had, they are stricken with the shortest summer of any team that came up short of their goal, as well as the deepest disappointment.

Teemu H of BroadStreetHockey.com had an outstanding article yesterday regarding the cost of coming up just short and how it has affected Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen.

“It felt like ten months had gone down the drain. Actually, it still feels like that.”

Timonen played well over a hundred games last season, including preseason, regular season, Olympics and playoffs. It was demanding physically, but possibly even more so mentally.

“It was the toughest season I’ve ever had. My body was pretty much broken in the end.”

The summer so far has not been enough time to recover from all of that.

“My body is in a relatively good condition, but I haven’t recovered mentally yet. The idea of having to jump back into a similar situation feels pretty hard right now.”

It’s pretty safe to say that Timonen is likely not the only guy on the Flyers roster who feels the same way.  Briere, Hartnell, Laperriere, Pronger…these are guys who are no longer considered young’uns, and each of them beat the hell out of themselves to get as far as they did last year.  In all fairness, they definitely could use more than a mere 9 or 10 weeks to get ready to do it all again both physically and mentally.

For those reasons, it’s also not inconceivable that this short offseason could very well result in a difficult start to the 2010 campaign.

Pronger is expected to miss all of training camp, and still isnt sure that he will be ready for opening night.  Think about the implications.  At training camp one year ago, you could see that Pronger was in command on the ice, directing and helping guys at every phase.  He acted almost as an extension of the coaching staff.  For all his experience and presence on the ice and in the dressing room, Pronger’s absence in practices WILL be felt.

Peter Laviolette made his expectations clear during exit interviews at the end of last season.  He told his team to come to camp in the best shape of their lives.  There will be no rest for the weary.  Laviolette expects this team, with all its improvements and changes, to take that final small step and finish the task.

Flyers fans are going to chomping at the bit once the season does finally get underway.  There will be little quarter given to the team that defied all odds last season and nearly won it all.  But is it fair to expect the Flyers to come out roaring with their asses on fire?

My thinking is not so much that Flyers fans should be tempering their expectations for the 2010 season, but that fans should be willing to give the Flyers a bit of time to get their game together at the start.  We, as fans, need to not get short-sighted if the start of the season is difficult, and avoid running for the nearest bridge.  It was a hellride last year, and one that isn’t going to be easily recovered from.

Despite all the hollering that went on around Flyers circles as the start of free agency came and went, GM Paul Holmgren has managed to remake the Flyers roster without essentially blowing it up.  Alot of new faces and a couple tough departures later,  the Flyers may in fact be in better position to challenge for the Cup than they were just a few weeks ago.

Although it is a bitter pill for nearly all Flyers fans, Simon Gagne is gone.  That is going to take some serious getting used to.  But as a result, the spotlight is going to shine brighter and hotter on a number of Flyers.

In fact, every section of the Flyers’ roster is going to be under greater scrutiny this coming season than it has in a long, long time.  And not just for the obvious reasons.  Yes, the Flyers were a mere 2 wins from a Cup Championship.  That in itself tends to ratchet up the pressure.  As great as this past spring’s playoff run was (and make no mistake, it was incredible), it left some bitter tastes as weaknesses were exploited in the Finals.  There’s nothing like getting so close to the Promised Land of hockey and just falling short.  But essentially every area (except goaltending) has undergone some notable change.

But beside the natural, aforementioned pressure on the team as a whole, there will also be a ton of pressure placed on individual players.  There are a number of Flyers who were not expected to be on the roster next season, underperformed last season, showed great potential and promise, or have to live up to the contracts they were handed this offseason.

So, which Philadelphia Flyer is going to be under the most pressure in 2010-11?

Click here to cast your vote!!!

Jody Shelley

Even though he has yet to play a single minute as a Flyer, Shelley has already been tagged as a pariah of sorts.  Shelley’s role is clear.  He’s here to crack skulls.  And while that would normally lend itself to some level of respect amongst the Flyers faithful, there are two aspects of Shelley’s signing that are problematic.  First, the addition of a dedicated enforcer would seem to be unnecessary considering that both Ian Laperriere and Dan Carcillo are returning and capable of handling the fisticuffs when duty calls.  Second, Shelley carries a $1.1M price tag…money thought by many to have been better saved or applied to the top shelf goaltender so many were clamoring for.  Fair or not, Shelley is going to have his work cut out for him to justify his presence on the Flyers’ roster.  Who knows…just getting into the lineup on a regular basis may prove difficult considering that Riley Cote was a healthy scratch for most of last season.  Does Shelley offer anything more than Cote could besides a greater ability to whoop ass?  His numbers say no.  We shall see.

Michael Leighton

“Leights” finds himself in both the most exciting yet nerve wracking scenario of his roller coaster career.  Two remarkable runs as the Flyers starter last season, including the final stretch to the cusp of a championship, have afforded the late-blooming Leighton the confidence of the Flyers organization and the chance to secure his first undisputed starter’s job.  Even while much of the Flyers fanbase was collectively pumping their fist in the air demanding a proven elite goaltender, GM Paul Holmgren held firm and resigned Leighton to a new 2 year, $3.1M contract.  But the onus is on Leighton to prove that he deserves the job and can make people forget the soft goal that clinched the Stanley Cup for the Chicago Blackhawks.  He will have plenty of competition as journeyman Brian Boucher (who had his own stretch of playoff brilliance), Johan Backlund, as well as prospects Joacim Ericsson and Sergei Bobrovsky will be attempting to challenge for a spot when training camp rolls around.

Claude Giroux

As one of the most promising young talents to come through the Flyers organization in years, the expectations for Claude Giroux are enormous.  He has shown that he can be one of the most potent weapons the Flyers have, especially during the last playoff run when he was second in Flyers playoff goals with 10.  However, a hot and cold regular season had many wondering if he could really put it together and get up to the pace of the game over the long haul.  Now, with two full NHL seasons under his belt, Giroux will be looked to to provide that breakout year and put more  goals on the board.  The bulk of the goals lost with the departures of Joffrey Lupul and Mike Knuble in the summer of 2009 were never actually replaced.  And now with Simon Gagne leaving for the Tampa Bay Lightning, the need for consistent goal scoring will be even greater.  Time for “Gee-Roo” to put those Peter Forsberg-like puck handling and play-making abilities to greater use.

Scott Hartnell

The struggles of Scott Hartnell during the course of last season were nearly as well publicized as the BP oil spill.  Every beat writer and blogger in Flyerdom was stunned not only with the lack of points production from the multi-faceted winger, but also with his seeming inability to avoid bad penalties at the worst of times.  The result was a tidal wave of trade rumors and speculation that the Flyers would be seeking to convince Hartnell to waive his no trade clause so they could shed his $4.2M cap hit.  As it turns out, Hartnell was rumored to be having some personal off-ice issues.  Fortunately for the Flyers, those issues were also rumored to have been cleared up in time for the playoffs, where Hartnell suddenly became the force Flyers fans expect.  It will now be up to Hartnell to put his personal past behind him and produce a bounce-back season the likes of which will keep him from once again turning into trade rumor fodder.

Nikolai Zherdev

Zherdev may be the most intriguing off season move made by the Flyers.  After a one year trip to the KHL, Zherdev has returned to North America by signing a one year, $2M contract with the Flyers.  Widely touted as a smart move, it also poses the highest risk and highest potential reward.  Zherdev’s explosive offensive abilities are no secret, but he also brings with him a reputed questionable work ethic.  We all know just how well that will go over with Sgt. Laviolette, and one would have to assume that Zherdev was also made well aware of it before putting pen to paper.  But what Zherdev may not be aware of is the fact that his contract is preceived by many to be the reason Simon Gagne was pushed out the door.  The only way Zherdev is going to be able to put those Gagne loyalists at ease is to locate the twine and do it often.

Braydon Coburn

As one of the Flyers’ top 4 defensemen almost since his acquisition in 2007, the talented 25 year old Coburn has had alot on his plate.  In the 2008-09 season, Coburn was actually considered to be the Flyers #2 as he played alongside regular partner Kimmo Timonen.  But the pickup of Chris Pronger at the 2009 draft effectively pushed him back to the second pairing as the Flyers did not want to break up the chemistry between him and Timonen.  The reduction in responsibility and minutes would have seemingly given Coburn the room he needed to mature his game and learn from a veteran like Pronger, who has a comparable size and frame.  However, Coburn struggled through much of the season and did so while losing much of the physical edge he had displayed through the previous year.  Speculation grew regarding his contract status over the summer, but he and the Flyers avoided arbitration by inking a new 2 year, $6.4M contract.  Now, with his potential transformation from young talent to top tier defenseman just over the horizon, Coburn needs to validate the confidence the Flyers have shown in him.

Jeff Carter

As the centerpiece of the most talked-about Flyers trade scenario of the past year, there is undoubtedly going to be alot of pressure on Carter.  Despite his 108 goals over the last 3 seasons, Carter was thought to be the likeliest candidate for a salary dump, mainly based on his lack of a no trade clause and his often frustrating inconsistency.  No one can deny that Carter has a terrific scorer’s touch, however, his defensive game lacks and his lackluster followup play in front of the net easily denies him another 10-15 goals each year.  His inability to produce during the postseason has also become an issue.   His 12 playoff goals in the last three playoff years have been a sore spot at times when the Flyers were looking for a scoring catalyst.  Also, considering that many Flyers fans would have preferred to part ways with Carter than Simon Gagne, many will be looking for Carter to be a monster in 2010-11 to justify the preference Paul Holmgren showed him over the 10 year fan favorite.

Danny Briere

As the most salary cap-expensive player on the Flyers roster, Briere will face alot of scrutiny as long as he wears orange and black.  However, his injury history and respectable-but-not-earth-shattering regular season offensive numbers have made him a target, especially during offensive slumps.  The logjam at center also caused Briere to spend much of last season on the wing, where his weak backchecking stuck out like a sore thumb on many a night.  However, Briere does have something going for him…his playoff production.  The injury to Jeff Carter in the 1st round against NJ gave Briere a chance to return to center, and as a result, there were many hockey writers who believed that Briere should have received the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP despite the Flyers’ loss.  He also may have made a case for the honor back in 2008 had the Flyers gotten past the Penguins in the ECF’s.  This coming season, it is unclear whether or not Briere will get to work the middle again as the riches at center remain.  But in either case, Briere is going to have to work through and earn his top dollar contract.  Showing up for the playoffs alone will not be enough.

Ville Leino

As one of the biggest and most welcome surprises of the Flyers’ 2010 postseason, Ville Leino has earned himself alot of admirers and even more eager observers.  Leino set a Flyers playoff record for points by a rookie with 21, shattering the previous record of 15 set by Brian Propp in 1980.  That number also tied him for the all-time NHL record set by Dino Ciccarelli back in 1981.  And that all happened after sitting out the first 4 games of the ECQF against the Devils.  However, through just more than a year in the NHL, the 26 year old Leino has had a tough time staying in the lineup during the regular season.  Leino was a healthy scratch for weeks on end with the Red Wings before being dealt to the Flyers, where he sat for an additional month before finally getting to dress.   He was in and out of the lineup again until Jeff Carter was injured in the first round of the playoffs.  But once the spotlight shined brightest, Leino was amongst the most dangerous people on the ice every night.  The challenge for him this coming season will be to live up to that performance and show an ability to maintain a high level of play all year long.  Leino has more experience than the average sophomore, so the learning curve is much shorter.

James van Riemsdyk

As the 2nd overall draft pick back in 2007, JVR’s arrival had been eagerly awaited.  Finally, his rookie season came, but the excitement was tempered by an inconsistent and rocky performance.  Much of the difficulties can and should be attributed to the tall order of adjusting to the level of NHL play and the length of the season.  After all, his prior season included just 43 total games between the University of New Hampshire and the Phantoms.  This season, he played in 78 regular season games for the Flyers, and 21 playoff games.  However, he was a healthy scratch in 2 of the Flyers Cup Finals games because it was rather clear that he was in over his head.  Even so, van Riemsdyk showed enormous potential at times.  After adding some strength and muscle in this offseason, hopes are high that he will be able to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump.  The skill set is there and it is deep.  It is up to JVR to now make the leap and help Flyers fans forget that if it hadn’t been for the draft lottery, the Flyers would be watching Patrick Kane in a Flyers jersey instead.

Game 6 – Stanley Cup Finals

6/9/10 4-3 OT Loss CHI wins series 4-2 SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT Total CHI 1 2 0 1 4 PHI 1 1 1 0 3 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT Total CHI 17 10 12 2 41 PHI 7 6 9 2 24

*** PostGame Interviews & Coach’s Press Conference ***

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Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – Patrick Kane’s goal 4:10 into overtime lifted the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Philadelphia Flyers to take a deciding Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Kane shot from a sharp angle along the left wing, and managed to sneak a low shot through Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton, touching off a wild celebration by the visitors, who claimed their first championship since 1961.

Philadelphia put up a valiant fight, tying the game with 3:59 left in regulation when Scott Hartnell notched his second goal of the contest as he managed to get his stick on a loose puck in the low slot. The Flyers had the best of the early chances in overtime, but Chicago ultimately proved to be the fresher club and capitalized on the final break.

Kane added two assists, while Dustin Byfuglien, Patrick Sharp and Andrew Ladd also tallied for the Blackhawks, who had come up empty since topping the Detroit Red Wings 49 years ago. It was the longest current title drought in the NHL.

Jonathan Toews, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP, collected an assist and tied Denis Savard’s franchise playoff record with 29 points in the postseason. Savard initially set that record through three rounds in 1985.

For Marian Hossa, who did not record a point in the game, the victory was vindication. The 31-year-old Czech avoided becoming the first player in NHL history to lose in a Finals with three different teams in three consecutive years. He’d come up empty with Pittsburgh in 2008 and with Detroit last season.

Antti Niemi looked shaky at times in the third period and overtime, but nonetheless earned his 16th win of the postseason with 21 stops for Chicago, which became the first team to win on the road in the best-of-seven set.

Danny Briere picked up a goal and two assists and in the process set a new Flyers’ single-season playoff points record with 30. Ville Leino added two key assists for Philadelphia, which has fallen short in each of its last six Cup Finals appearances since last winning in 1975.

Leighton acquitted himself well in defeat. After being pulled following the first period in Sunday’s Game 5 loss, he made 37 saves in this season-ending defeat — several of them crucial as his club clawed from behind just to reach the extra session.

The Blackhawks got on the board during their second power-play opportunity of the opening period, with Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger off for high- sticking.

After a scrum to the right of the Philadelphia net, Byfuglien was alone at the top of the crease to shovel home a centering feed by Toews at the 16:49 mark.

Blackhawks backliner Brent Seabrook was given an elbowing penalty seconds after the score, but Philadelphia came up empty. Chicago blueliner Brent Sopel followed with an interference infraction with 53 seconds to play in the first and the home team finally capitalized.

Briere shot from the bottom of the right circle, and the rebound came out to Hartnell, who backhanded the puck through Niemi’s legs while facing away from the cage at 19:33.

Philly took a 2-1 edge thanks to a miscue in the neutral zone. Hawks defenseman Duncan Keith fell while trying to gather the puck, freeing up Leino to swoop in, charge through the middle and dish to Briere, who waited a second to lift the puck high over a fallen Niemi at eight minutes even.

In a 4-on-4 situation, Chicago knotted the game as Sharp was uncovered in front to tip a Dave Bolland centering feed through Leighton’s pads at 9:58.

Ladd then put the Blackhawks ahead with a deflection of a long shot at the 17:43 mark, when Niklas Hjalmarsson unleashed a slap shot from below the left circle that beat Leighton on a tip on the short side.

In desperation, the Flyers kept coming in waves and eventually tied the game inside four minutes left in regulation. Leino came down the right side and dished into the slot. The puck caromed off the skate of a Blackhawks defender near the crease and Hartnell was able to get his stick on the disc before Niemi could seal off the post.

Jeff Carter, who only notched one empty-net goal in the series, was robbed of a game-winner with 90 seconds to play as Niemi dove forward and used the glove to snuff out a wide-open chance.

Game Notes

The last time a Stanley Cup Final was decided in overtime happened on June 10, 2000 as New Jersey topped Dallas, 2-1, in double OT…Kane finished with 10 goals and 28 points…Chicago won for the first time in four tries in Philadelphia this season…The Flyers fell to 3-2 all-time in Cup Finals Game 6 (wins in 1974-75, 1987; losses in 1980 and 2010)…Philly also fell to 9-2 at home this postseason…For Ladd, this was his second career title, with the first coming in 2006 with Carolina and current Flyers bench boss Peter Laviolette his head coach…Byfuglien wound up with 11 goals and 16 points…Leino tied the NHL’s rookie playoff point-scoring mark with 21 (7G, 14A), originally set by Dino Ciccarelli of Minnesota in 1981 (14G, 7A)…Briere ended the postseason with 12 goals and 18 assists…The Flyers and Blackhawks racked up 47 goals in this six-game matchup.

Content Copyright 2007, The Sports Network. Distributed by XML Team Solutions.
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Scoring Summary

1st Period
16:49 CHI PPG – Dustin Byfuglien (11) Wrist Shot – Assists: J. Toews (22) & P. Kane (17)
19:33 PHI PPG – Scott Hartnell (7) Backhand – Assists: D. Briere (17) & C. Pronger (14)

2nd Period
08:00 PHI Danny Briere (12) Snap Shot – Assists: V. Leino (13) & L. Krajicek (3)
09:58 CHI Patrick Sharp (11) Wrist Shot – Assists: D. Bolland (8) & D. Keith (15)
17:43 CHI Andrew Ladd (3) Tip-In – Assists: N. Hjalmarsson (7) & P. Kane (18)

3rd Period
16:01 PHI Scott Hartnell (8) Tip-In – Assists: V. Leino (14) & D. Briere (18)

OT Period
04:06 CHI Patrick Kane (10) Wrist Shot – Assists: B. Campbell (4)

Penalty Summary

1st Period
08:42 PHI Chris Pronger : Holding – 2 min
13:28 CHI Brent Sopel : Interference – 2 min
16:29 PHI Chris Pronger : Hi-sticking – 2 min
16:59 CHI Brent Seabrook : Elbowing – 2 min
19:07 CHI Brent Sopel : Interference – 2 min

2nd Period
01:56 PHI Scott Hartnell : Hi-sticking – 2 min
08:09 PHI Braydon Coburn : Cross checking – 2 min
09:29 CHI Marian Hossa : Interference on goalkeeper – 2 min
18:32 PHI Danny Briere : Cross checking – 2 min

3rd Period
none

OT Period
none

Game 4 – Stanley Cup Finals

6/4/10 5-3 Win SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT Total CHI 1 0 2 - 3 PHI 3 0 2 - 5 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT Total CHI 11 13 10 - 34 PHI 8 10 13 - 31

*** PostGame Interviews & Coach’s Press Conference ***

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Game Wrapup

Philadelphia Flyers 5, Chicago Blackhawks 3

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – Michael Leighton turned in a 32-save performance and a three-goal first period helped Philadelphia survive a late Chicago rush to take a 5-3 win in Game 4 and even the Stanley Cup Finals.

Chicago took Games 1 and 2 in the Windy City, but the Flyers returned to the City of Brotherly Love to even the series with Wednesday’s 4-3 win in Game 3 courtesy of Claude Giroux’s overtime goal and Friday’s victory.

Mike Richards, Matt Carle, Giroux and Ville Leino each lit the lamp for the Flyers, who have won seven straight at home after a Game 3 loss to Boston in the semifinals. Leino’s goal in the third period proved to be the game-winner while Jeff Carter’s empty-netter sealed the win.

Brian Campbell, Dave Bolland and Patrick Sharp each notched a goal while Antti Niemi stopped 26-of-30 shots for the Blackhawks, who will look to grab the series lead back on Sunday in Game 5 at the United Center. Duncan Keith tallied three assists in the loss.

Holding a 3-1 lead, Leighton made a nice save on Keith’s blast with traffic in front about 4 1/2 minutes into the third and the Flyers made it a three-goal game a bit later.

Leino took a feed from Danny Briere in the neutral zone and skated in down the right wing. He then cut to the front and sent a shot on net that was going wide, but it hit off of Kris Versteeg and floated over Niemi at the 6:43 mark.

The Flyers got a power play at the 8:03 mark when Brent Seabrook was called for cross checking and generated several chances, but Niemi came up with the stops to keep the game from getting out of hand.

Skating with a 5-on-3 advantage after penalties to Scott Hartnell and Braydon Coburn, the Blackhawks made it a two-goal game as Keith sent a slap-pass from the right circle to the low left side where Bolland redirected it in with 7:59 to play.

With 4:10 to play, Chicago cut its deficit to one. Campbell led a rush into the Philadelphia zone and threw the puck on net from the left boards. It hit off the stick of Kimmo Timonen and trickled past Leighton as Timonen and Jonathan Toews were tussling in front.

The Blackhawks continued to apply pressure and Keith threw a shot on net that hit off the skate of Coburn, but it trickled just wide of the net with under two minutes to play.

Niemi headed to the bench for the extra attacker shortly after, but Carter’s empty-netter with 24.6 seconds to play sealed the win.

The Flyers had the first power-play opportunity of the game when Andrew Ladd was called for interference just 36 seconds in. The best chance came when Richards centered the puck with Leino in front, but the Flyers were unable to find the back of the net.

A few minutes later, Niemi made a nice save on a blast by Carter, and Leighton followed with a stick save on a point blank shot from Patrick Kane.

Shortly after the save on Kane, Tomas Kopecky was called for high sticking and the Flyers struck just five seconds after the call. After losing the right circle faceoff, Richards stole the puck off of Niklas Hjalmarsson behind the net and threw a quick backhander from the left side that found its way past Niemi at the 4:35 mark. It was Richards’ first goal of the series.

Chicago got a power play with 11:44 left in the first when Timonen was called for hooking, but the Flyers’ penalty killing unit kept the chances to a minimum. Leighton made a pad save on a Campbell blast near the end of the advantage.

Then with 5:12 to play in the frame, the Flyers made it a 2-0 game. James van Riemsdyk had the puck behind the net and sent it out front for Giroux, who threw a turnaround shot on net. The shot never made it to Niemi and Hjalmarsson tried to clear it, but the puck went to Carle in the slot and he buried it for his first goal of the playoffs.

Chicago made it a one-goal game with 1:28 to play in the frame as Keith kept in a clearing attempt at the right point and fed it over to the high slot for Sharp, whose blast hit a stick in front and got past Leighton.

Philadelphia, though, got the goal back just 51 seconds later to restore the two-goal edge. Hartnell had the puck at the left boards and sent it high for Timonen, who took a stride down and dished the puck to the left side where a wide-open Giroux deposited it into the empty net.

Philly got a power play 1:27 into the second when Bolland was called for high sticking, but it was ineffective as the team was unable to generate any solid opportunities.

Leighton made a nice stop on a Versteeg redirection at the 6:54 mark of the second to keep it a two-goal game. A few minutes later, Richards attempted a quick wraparound from the right side, but Niemi was able to make the stop and cover up the rebound.

With around 8 1/2 minutes left in the second, Chicago nearly got one into the net as the puck was sitting on the doorstep with several bodies in front, but Leighton was able to cover the puck.

Leighton again came up big as a turnover in Philadelphia’s end resulted in Marian Hossa getting a shot on net, but Leighton turned it aside, and a slashing call against Sharp moments later gave the Flyers their fourth power play of the game with 7:07 to play in the second.

However, the two minutes passed without any significant opportunities, as the Chicago penalty killers were efficient in keeping the Flyers and the puck away from Niemi.

Game Notes

Vice President Joe Biden and his wife were in attendance for the game…The second period was only the second scoreless period of the series…Leino has seven goals and 16 points in the playoffs, both of which are Philly rookie records…Philly went 1-for-6 on the power play and has notched a power-play goal in every game of the series…Chicago went 1-for-3 on the power play. It was the first time in the series the ‘Hawks scored on the power play…Each team made lineup changes for the game, as Chicago dressed Ladd, who missed the first three games with an upper body injury, and defenseman Nick Boynton while scratching defenseman Jordan Hendry and right wing Adam Burish. Philadelphia inserted forward van Riemsdyk into the lineup and benched forward Daniel Carcillo, who had taken van Riemsdyk’s spot for Games 2 and 3…The Flyers improved to 9-1 on home ice in the playoffs, while Chicago fell to 7-3 on the road this postseason…Philly is 13-6 all-time when a series is tied 2-2, while Chicago is 13-18 when splitting the first four games of a playoff series.
Last updated: June 5, 2010 at 0:09 AM

Content Copyright 2007, The Sports Network. Distributed by XML Team Solutions.
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Scoring Summary

1st Period
04:35 PHI PPG – Mike Richards (7) Backhand – Assists: none
14:48 PHI Matt Carle (1) Wrist Shot – Assists: none
18:32 CHI Patrick Sharp (9) Slap Shot – Assists: D. Keith (11)
19:23 PHI Claude Giroux (10) Wrist Shot – Assists: K. Timonen (9) & S. Hartnell (9)

2nd Period
none

3rd Period
06:43 PHI Ville Leino (7) Snap Shot – Assists: D. Briere (14) & J. van Riemsdyk (3)
12:01 CHI PPG – Dave Bolland (7) Tip-In – Assists: D. Keith (12) & P. Kane (15)
15:50 CHI Brian Campbell (1) Tip-In – Assists: A. Ladd (2) & D. Keith (13)
19:35 PHI EN – Jeff Carter (5) Wrist Shot – Assists: none

Penalty Summary

1st Period
00:36 CHI Andrew Ladd : Interference – 2 min
04:30 CHI Tomas Kopecky : Hi-sticking – 2 min
08:16 PHI Kimmo Timonen : Hooking – 2 min

2nd Period
01:27 CHI Dave Bolland : Hi-sticking – 2 min
12:53 CHI Patrick Sharp : Slashing – 2 min
18:22 CHI Nick Boynton : Slashing – 2 min
18:22 PHI Scott Hartnell : Cross checking – 2 min

3rd Period
08:03 CHI Brent Seabrook : Cross checking – 2 min
10:46 PHI Scott Hartnell : Unsportsmanlike conduct – 2 min
11:49 PHI Braydon Coburn : Holding – 2 min
19:42 CHI Kris Versteeg : Slashing – 2 min

Game 3 – Stanley Cup Finals

6/2/10 4-3 OT Win CHI leads series 2-1 SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT Total CHI 0 2 1 0 3 PHI 1 1 1 1 4 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT Total CHI 9 12 4 2 27 PHI 9 7 15 1 32

*** PostGame Interviews & Coach’s Press Conference ***

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Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – Claude Giroux’s tally at the 5:59 mark of overtime lifted the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals from Wachovia Center.

The play began with Danny Briere carrying the puck down the left wing. He stopped below the circle, and dished to the point for Matt Carle. The young defenseman’s slap-pass found Giroux in the slot for a deft deflection that managed to trickle through Blackhawks netminder Antti Niemi and in.

Giroux finished with a goal and two assists for the Flyers, who got back in the series after a pair of one-goal defeats in Chicago to start the best-of- seven set and look to tie things up in Game 4 on Friday.

Scott Hartnell added a goal and one helper while Ville Leino and Briere also tallied. Michael Leighton stopped 24-of-27 shots for the win by Philadelphia, which had lost seven straight championship-round games dating back to Game 6 of the 1987 Finals against Edmonton.

Patrick Kane, Brent Sopel and Duncan Keith tallied for the Blackhawks, who could have taken a near-insurmountable 3-0 series edge with a victory.

Niemi yielded four scores on 32 shots in defeat.

The game-decider came less than a minute after the Flyers thought they had walked away with a key victory. Just after the five-minute mark of the extra session, the home team had a potential game-winner wiped out by replay.

Chris Pronger sent a lead pass to the left wing side for Simon Gagne, who pushed the puck into the Chicago zone to Jeff Carter. He dished back to Gagne, whose floater caromed on net. The disc hit the right post and slid all the way to the left side and parallel to the goal line, where Niemi covered up. Although Carter came in late to poke it into the cage, play was ruled to be dead at that point.

The Flyers were awarded the game’s first advantage when Chicago forward Marian Hossa was called for slashing, and Philadelphia cashed in on the back end of the two-minute minor.

Stationed in the high slot, Giroux fed to Braydon Coburn for a blast from the right point which Niemi stopped but could not control. Hartnell, while falling in front, pushed the puck across the crease to the left side for Briere, who swept the puck into an open net at 14:58.

For Briere, it was his team-best 11th score of the playoffs.

Mike Richards missed a golden chance from the right circle with an open net on a power play early in the second period and the Blackhawks responded when Keith’s point drive deflected off the stick of Carter for a 1-1 tie at 2:49.

Philly took a 2-1 edge on a man advantage just prior to the midway point of regulation on a play which was reviewed minutes after it occurred. Chris Pronger unleashed a shot from the point which knuckled in on net after a deflection from Hartnell and trickled through Niemi.

The puck rolled on edge and was swept away quickly, but a relatively brief review determined that the disc was fully over the line at 9:55.

Chicago didn’t convert on a power play with a little more than five minutes to play in the second when Leighton was given a delay-of-game call for pushing his net off the moorings, but nevertheless tied the game, 2-2, at 17:52 when John Madden won a right-circle faceoff to Sopel, who pushed a long shot through traffic and in.

Kane gave the Blackhawks their first lead of the contest, 3-2, at the 2:50 mark of the third period, taking a stretch pass from Jonathan Toews up the middle and scoring stick-side on the forehand.

Only 20 seconds later, Leino was right on the doorstep to slam home the rebound of a failed Giroux opportunity.

Game Notes

This was Giroux’s first-ever overtime goal, and his three points were his first time on the scoresheet in the series…It was also the Flyers’ first overtime win in the Cup Finals since Bobby Clarke scored in Game 2 of the 1974 series against Boston…Briere has five points (2G, 3A) in the Finals…Philadelphia improved to 3-1 in OT during these playoffs, while Chicago fell to 2-1…Chicago had been an NHL-best 7-1 on the road in this postseason, and has won seven in a row away from home prior to Wednesday…Philadelphia upped its home mark to 8-1 and has won six in a row in the Quaker City…Kane’s goal was his first point in the series, and Toews’ assist on the goal was his first point in the series…The Blackhawks haven’t won in a Cup Finals extra session since May 4, 1971, Game 1 of that set against Montreal.

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Scoring Summary

1st Period
14:58 PHI PPG – Danny Briere (11) Wrist Shot – Assists: S. Hartnell (8) & B. Coburn (3)

2nd Period
02:49 CHI Duncan Keith (2) Assists: P. Kane (14) & M. Hossa (12)
09:55 PHI PPG – Scott Hartnell (5) Assists: C. Pronger (13) & C. Giroux (10)
17:52 CHI Brent Sopel (1) Slap Shot – Assists: J. Madden (1)

3rd Period
02:50 CHI Patrick Kane (8) Snap Shot – Assists: J. Toews (20) & B. Eager (2)
03:10 PHI Ville Leino (6) Wrist Shot – Assists: C. Giroux (11) & M. Carle (11)

OT Period
05:59 PHI Claude Giroux (9) Tip-In – Assists: M. Carle (12) & D. Briere (13)

Penalty Summary

1st Period
13:54 CHI Marian Hossa : Slashing – 2 min
18:05 PHI Daniel Carcillo : Charging – 2 min
20:00 CHI Dustin Byfuglien : Roughing – 2 min

2nd Period
03:36 PHI Chris Pronger : Hi-sticking – 2 min
09:31 CHI Dustin Byfuglien : Slashing – 2 min
14:59 PHI Michael Leighton served by Ville Leino : Delaying the game – 2 min

3rd Period
none

OT Period
none

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.

Content Copyright 2007, The Sports Network. Distributed by XML Team Solutions.
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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

Game 2 – Eastern Conference Finals

5/18/10 3-0 Win PHI leads series 2-0 SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT Total MON 0 0 0 - 0 PHI 1 1 1 - 3 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT Total MON 16 10 4 - 30 PHI 6 7 10 - 23

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Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – Michael Leighton stopped all 30 shots he faced, as the streaking Philadelphia Flyers stonewalled Montreal, 3-0, in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals at Wachovia Center.

Coming off his first career playoff shutout in the series opener, Leighton is 4-0 in his four postseason starts, allowing just four goals in those outings, since replacing an injured Brian Boucher during Game 5 against Boston.

Leighton will take a shutout streak of 165 minutes, 50 seconds into Game 3 on Thursday, when the series shifts to the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Danny Briere and Simon Gagne scored power-play goals for the seventh-seeded Flyers, who used a punishing forecheck to suppress the smaller Canadiens and come away with a resounding 6-0 win Sunday.

Ville Leino registered an even-strength goal and one assist for his third consecutive multi-point game.

Philadelphia has ripped off six straight wins since falling behind three games to none in its previous series with the Bruins, and is now remarkably two wins away from its first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals in 13 years.

History says a 2-0 start is a huge asset for Philadelphia. The Flyers are 16-0 all-time when winning the first two games of a postseason series.

Jaroslav Halak, yanked midway through the second period after allowing four goals on 14 shots in Game 1, made 20 saves for the eighth-seeded Canadiens, who have lost six straight playoff games to Philadelphia.

Montreal had not been blanked in successive playoff games since Bob Sauve of Buffalo did so in Games 1 and 2 of the 1983 Adams Division semifinals.

Briere staked the Flyers to a 1-0 lead with his team-leading ninth goal of the playoffs. On an abbreviated power play, Briere gathered a Claude Giroux pass and snapped a wrister from the outer edge of the right circle that deflected in off Halak’s glove at 4:16 of the first period.

Leighton was up to the task in the opening 20 minutes, turning aside all 16 shots fired his way. He came up big at the tail end of a Montreal power play midway through the frame, making three successive stops on Andrei Kostitsyn and a pair of follow-up chances by Michael Cammalleri from in tight.

Gagne gave the Flyers a two-goal cushion at 15:49 of the second. Philadelphia captain Mike Richards centered the puck from behind the Montreal net to Leino, whose backhander was denied by Halak. Gagne crashed the crease and swatted the rebound past the fallen goaltender.

Philadelphia led 3-0 when Halak whiffed with the glove hand on a long shot from a sharp angle along the outer edge of the left circle by Leino at 10:24 of the third.

After seeing the opposition put 26 shots on net in the first two periods, the Flyers erected a defensive wall around Leighton in the third. Montreal mustered just four shots on net — none of which were quality chances.

Game Notes

Leighton is the second Flyers goaltender to post back-to-back playoff shutouts, joining Bernie Parent (April 15-17, 1975, against Toronto)…Briere has a goal in each of the last four games and nine points (5g, 4a) during a six-game point streak…Gagne has a goal in three straight games and seven points (6g, 1a) in six games since returning from a broken toe…The Flyers are 6-1 as the host in this year’s playoffs…Philadelphia had lost its last four Game 2s…This series marks the first matchup between the two lowest seeds since the current playoff format was adopted in 1994…Montreal right- winger Brian Gionta had a game-high eight shots.

Content Copyright 2007, The Sports Network. Distributed by XML Team Solutions.
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Scoring Summary

1st Period
04:16 PHI PPG – Danny Briere (9) Snap Shot – Assists: C. Giroux (8) & K. Timonen (6)

2nd Period
15:49 PHI PPG – Simon Gagne (6) Wrist Shot – Assists: V. Leino (8) & M. Richards (13)

3rd Period
10:24 PHI Ville Leino (3) Snap Shot – Assists: L. Krajicek (1) & C. Pronger (8)

Penalty Summary

1st Period
02:02 PHI Lukas Krajicek : Slashing – 2 min
02:55 MTL Scott Gomez : Hooking – 2 min
07:11 PHI Ville Leino : Holding – 2 min
15:52 PHI Arron Asham : Too many men/ice – bench – 2 min

2nd Period
14:32 MTL Brian Gionta : Holding – 2 min

3rd Period
07:54 MTL Hal Gill : Interference – 2 min
14:21 PHI Arron Asham : Slashing – 2 min
16:40 MTL PK Subban : Slashing – 2 min