Game 1 – Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

4/14/10 2-1 Win PHI leads series 1-0 SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT Total PHI 0 2 0 - 2 NJD 0 0 1 - 1 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT Total PHI 4 8 2 - 14 NJD 9 6 9 - 24

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Newark, NJ (Sports Network) – Brian Boucher made 23 saves to record his first playoff win in nearly 10 years, as the Philadelphia Flyers held off the New Jersey Devils, 2-1, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at Prudential Center.

Boucher’s play invoked memories of his performance in the 2000 playoffs, when he backstopped the Flyers to within a game of the Stanley Cup Finals before Philadelphia blew a 3-1 series advantage to the Devils.

On Wednesday, Boucher outdueled the most accomplished goaltender in NHL history, the Devils’ Martin Brodeur, who stopped just 12 shots.

Mike Richards and Chris Pronger both scored in the second period for seventh-seeded Philadelphia, which secured a playoff spot with a 2-1 shootout victory over the Rangers on Sunday.

The Flyers fared well against New Jersey during the regular season, outscoring the Devils, 20-13, in winning five of the six contests.

Travis Zajac spoiled Boucher’s shutout bid with 2:43 to play in the third period.

New Jersey is hoping to snap a recent postseason trend. The Atlantic Division champions have been knocked out in the first round in each of the past two years.

Game 2 of this best-of-seven series is scheduled for Friday in New Jersey.

With just over two minutes gone in the third, the Devils were awarded a four- minute power play when Philadelphia defenseman Oskars Bartulis clipped David Clarkson with an errant stick. New Jersey, though, squandered the golden opportunity and continued to stare at a two-goal deficit.

Zajac finally solved Boucher with a one-timer from the right point that was redirected in the slot by Philadelphia’s Ian Laperriere and bounced under the netminder’s glove.

Moments later, Brodeur was beckoned to the bench in favor of an extra attacker, but the tying goal never materialized as Boucher held on for his first postseason win since May 20, 2000.

The Flyers struck for a pair of goals in the second period, the first coming on the power play at 9:25.

Claude Giroux worked the puck to Richards below the right circle and he fired a shot on goal. Pinching down from his point position, Pronger was standing in the crease and backhanded the puck in off Brian Rolston’s skate and past Brodeur.

A turnover in the neutral zone by New Jersey defenseman Martin Skoula resulted in a 2-0 lead for the visitors. Laperriere made a drop pass to the trailing Richards and he unloaded a shot that beat Brodeur on the glove side with 3:33 remaining.

Game Notes

Philadelphia had dropped Game 1 in its last six playoff series…The Flyers and Devils are meeting in the playoffs for the fourth time and first since the 2004 quarterfinals…Philadelphia finished 1-for-3 on the power play, while New Jersey was 0-for-5 with the man advantage.

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Scoring Summary

1st Period
none

2nd Period
09:25 PHI PPG – Chris Pronger (1) Backhand – Assists: S. Gagne (1) & M. Richards (1)
16:27 PHI Mike Richards (1) Slap Shot – Assists: I. Laperriere (1)

3rd Period
17:17 NJD Travis Zajac (1) Slap Shot – Assists: A. Greene (1) & Z. Parise (1)

Penalty Summary

1st Period
08:26 NJD Bryce Salvador : Tripping – 2 min
10:28 PHI Kimmo Timonen : Hooking – 2 min
19:06 PHI Kimmo Timonen : Holding – 2 min

2nd Period
08:09 NJD Dainius Zubrus : Hooking – 2 min

3rd Period
02:12 PHI Oskars Bartulis : Hi stick – double minor – 4 min
08:49 PHI Braydon Coburn : Delay of game – 2 min
14:16 NJD Dainius Zubrus : Interference on goalkeeper – 2 min

03/25/10 4-3 OT Loss SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total MIN 3 11 6 1 - 21 PHI 12 17 6 - - 35 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total MIN 0 1 2 1 - 4 PHI 2 1 0 0 - 3

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Game Wrapup

Minnesota Wild 4, Philadelphia Flyers 3

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – Kyle Brodziak’s fluke score at 2:32 of overtime sent Minnesota over Philadelphia, 4-3, at Wachovia Center.

Brodziak took a hard wrister from the bottom of the left circle, which deflected off the crossbar, then onto the back of Brian Boucher, who accidentally knocked it back into the net while scrambling to cover.

Marek Zidlicky, Martin Havlat and Andrew Brunette scored for the Wild, who rallied from two goals down to post their second win in five contests.

Niklas Backstrom got the win with a 32-save performance.

Oskars Bartulis, Simon Gagne and Dan Carcillo hit the net for the Flyers, who skidded to their fourth straight defeat but moved two points ahead of eighth-place Boston, which lost to Tampa Bay in regulation.

Boucher allowed four goals on just 21 shots in the loss.

Game Notes

Last updated: March 25, 2010 at 10:01 PM

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Scoring Summary

1st Period
03:39 PHI Oskars Bartulis (1) Backhand – Assists: I. Laperriere (14) & B. Betts (8)
04:18 PHI Simon Gagne (16) Snap Shot – Assists: none

2nd Period
00:34 MIN PPG – Marek Zidlicky (6) Slap Shot – Assists: A. Miettinen (20) & M. Havlat (34)
11:11 PHI Daniel Carcillo (11) Tip-In – Assists: S. Hartnell (28)

3rd Period
06:37 MIN Martin Havlat (17) Snap Shot – Assists: G. Latendresse (12)
13:23 MIN Andrew Brunette (22) Assists: J. Scott (1) & O. Nolan (17)

OT Period
02:33 MIN Kyle Brodziak (9) Snap Shot – Assists: A. Miettinen (21) & N. Schultz (16)

Penalty Summary

1st Period
00:55 MIN Kyle Brodziak : Hooking – 2 min
18:07 MIN Greg Zanon : Tripping – 2 min
19:04 PHI James van Riemsdyk : Hooking – 2 min

2nd Period
01:27 PHI Lukas Krajicek : Too many men/ice – bench – 2 min
13:30 MIN Guillaume Latendresse : Hooking – 2 min

3rd Period
09:43 MIN John Scott : Roughing – 2 min
09:43 PHI Daniel Carcillo : Roughing – 2 min
17:05 PHI Daniel Carcillo : Interference on goalkeeper – 2 min
17:05 MIN Marek Zidlicky : Slashing – 2 min

OT Period
none

12/23/09 5-2 Win SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total PHI 2 0 3 - - 5 TBL 0 2 0 - - 2 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total PHI 16 4 16 - - 36 TBL 9 14 10 - - 33

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Tampa, FL (Sports Network) – Mike Richards tallied twice as the Philadelphia Flyers halted a four-game losing streak by downing Tampa Bay, 5-2, at St. Pete Times Forum.

Blair Betts recorded his first career two-goal game while Simon Gagne added a goal and one assist for the Flyers, who kicked off a six-game road trip by winning for just the third time in 14 contests.

Michael Leighton, in his first start since November 30, picked up the win with a 31-save performance.

Zenon Konopka and Victor Hedman scored for the Lightning, who had won two straight games. Mike Smith yielded four goals on 35 shots in the setback.

Oskars Bartulis took a shot from the high slot which deflected off Betts to give the Flyers a 3-2 edge with 9:59 left in regulation, and Richards finished off a 2-on-1 break for a two-goal visitors’ edge with less than three minutes to play.

Gagne put the clincher into an empty net with 34 seconds remaining.

“We let ourselves down in the second period,” Betts acknowledged. “We weren’t keeping the game simple enough and making the most of our opportunities but that all turned around in the third.”

The Flyers took a 1-0 lead one second less than four minutes in, as Bolts defenseman Andrej Meszaros accidentally redirected a Betts rebound try into his own net.

It was 2-0 on a Philly power play at 9:34 when Richards was alone at the side of the net to tap in a Gagne feed.

Tampa Bay failed to convert during a lengthy 5-on-3 early in the second period, but halved its deficit at 5:58 on a rebound score from Konopka.

Hedman tied the game with 7:58 left in the period on his top-shelf slap shot from the left circle.

“I’m sure guys were tired, especially after that road trip,” said Lightning forward Steven Stamkos of his club’s flagging energy after the second period burst. “Pretty much going with three lines, some of us were struggling, but you have to leave everything out there.”

Game Notes

Leighton was picked up off waivers from Carolina last week, and made his first start with Philly since February 24, 2007. He also picked up his first win in a Flyer uniform since February 12, 2007, a 6-1 thrashing of Detroit…Flyers forward Darroll Powe returned after a 16-game absence due to a strained shoulder…Bartulis, Ian Laperriere and Claude Giroux all picked up two helpers for Philadelphia.

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Scoring Summary

1st Period
03:59 PHI Blair Betts (2) Wrist Shot – Assists: D. Carcillo (5) & I. Laperriere (4)
09:34 PHI PPG – Mike Richards (14) Wrist Shot – Assists: S. Gagne (6) & C. Pronger (18)

2nd Period
05:58 TBL Zenon Konopka (1) Backhand – Assists: S. Downie (8)
12:02 TBL Victor Hedman (3) Slap Shot – Assists: K. Foster (7) & M. St Louis (34)

3rd Period
10:01 PHI Blair Betts (3) Tip-In – Assists: O. Bartulis (4) & I. Laperriere (5)
17:22 PHI Mike Richards (15) Wrist Shot – Assists: C. Giroux (15) & O. Bartulis (5)
19:26 PHI EN – Simon Gagne (2) Wrist Shot – Assists: C. Giroux (16) & M. Richards (15)

Penalty Summary

1st Period
09:01 TBL Steve Downie : Cross checking – 2 min
10:31 PHI Daniel Carcillo : Cross checking – 2 min
10:31 TBL Vincent Lecavalier : Slashing – 2 min
13:25 TBL Vincent Lecavalier : Hooking – 2 min
18:09 TBL Steve Downie : Roughing – 2 min
18:09 TBL Zenon Konopka : Roughing – 2 min
18:09 PHI Daniel Carcillo : Roughing – 2 min

2nd Period
01:55 PHI Oskars Bartulis : Slashing – 2 min
03:23 PHI Simon Gagne : Roughing – 2 min
14:57 PHI Arron Asham : Hooking – 2 min

3rd Period
none

12/05/09 8-2 Loss SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total WAS 3 4 1 - - 8 PHI 1 0 1 - - 2 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total WAS 14 11 5 - - 30 PHI 13 8 15 - - 36

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Game Wrapup

Washington Capitals 8, Philadelphia Flyers 2

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – Nicklas Backstrom posted a goal and four assists as the Washington Capitals thoroughly embarrassed the Flyers, 8-2, at Wachovia Center, in the first game for new Philadelphia head coach Peter Laviolette.

Mike Green contributed two goals and two helpers for the Capitals, who tallied seven times over the first 40 minutes to pick up their fifth consecutive win. Tomas Fleischmann lit the lamp twice, while Brooks Laich, Chris Clark and David Steckel scored once each.

Jose Theodore stopped 34 shots for Washington, which missed a handful of regulars — including Alex Ovechkin who was serving the final game of his suspension — but managed to score four times on the power play and record the most goals in one game at Philadelphia in franchise history.

Scott Hartnell and Mika Pyorala provided the offense for the Flyers, who put together their worst home performance of the season.

Laviolette was brought in on Friday evening, just hours after the club fired John Stevens who had been behind the bench since October, 2006.

Starter Ray Emery was tagged in the loss for five goals on 17 shots in 31-plus minutes. Brian Boucher yielded three scores on 13 shots over the remainder of the game for Philadelphia, which suffered its seventh loss in eight contests.

The long night for the home team began with just 57 seconds played, as Brendan Morrison connected with Fleischmann for an easy tap-in.

Pyorala then snapped the Flyers’ long scoreless streak, slamming home the rebound of an Oskars Bartulis point shot with 7:54 left in the first, but the contest took a decisive turn a little more than two minutes later.

Philly enforcer Dan Carcillo was given minors for cross-checking and instigation, a fighting major, a 10-minute misconduct and a game misconduct for knocking down Caps forward Matt Bradley with one punch. Bradley had not been prepared to meet Carcillo’s challenge, then was bloodied a split second before he was able to drop his gloves and steady himself.

Armed with a nine-minute advantage, the Caps struck for a pair of scores 20 seconds apart by Fleischmann and Green for a 3-1 game.

Still on the extended power play, Laich’s fluttering shot eluded Emery 36 seconds into the second period and Washington led by three.

Clark then sent a blistering shot home from the right circle with 8:46 left in the second for a 5-1 game just after a Flyers power play expired. Boucher came on for Emery but Backstrom converted a rebound from the top of the crease 48 seconds later.

It was 7-1 for the visitors when Backstrom fed Green for a one-timer in the slot at 15:23 and the Caps took the six-goal bulge to intermission.

Hartnell’s one-timer off a dish from Jon Kalinski at 6:09 of the third period brought the Flyers’ deficit to five once more, but Hartnell’s slashing penalty led to Washington’s eighth and final goal, from Steckel, at 10:57.

The Capitals sat back for the remainder of regulation but the Flyers were unable to put a further dent in their deficit despite a 15-5 shot advantage.

Game Notes

Washington’s most decisive prior triumph in Philadelphia came on January 8, 1984, a 7-1 win where Bengt Gustafsson scored five goals…Pyorala’s goal snapped a scoreless string of 172 minutes, 10 seconds dating back to the end of the first period in last Friday’s home game against Buffalo…Pittsburgh was the last club to score eight against the Flyers at home, in an 8-2 victory on October 28, 2006…Philly hadn’t lost a home game by six goals since a 6-0 setback to Tampa Bay on January 28, 2006.
Last updated: December 5, 2009 at 10:03 PM

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Scoring Summary

1st Period
00:57 WSH Tomas Fleischmann (9) Wrist Shot – Assists: B. Morrison (14) & E. Fehr (6)
12:06 PHI Mika Pyorala (2) Wrist Shot – Assists: O. Bartulis (3) & D. Carcillo (3)
16:40 WSH PPG – Tomas Fleischmann (10) Wrist Shot – Assists: E. Fehr (7) & T. Poti (5)
17:00 WSH PPG – Mike Green (4) Wrist Shot – Assists: N. Backstrom (22) & A. Semin (11)

2nd Period
00:36 WSH PPG – Brooks Laich (10) Wrist Shot – Assists: M. Green (24) & N. Backstrom (23)
11:14 WSH Chris Clark (3) Wrist Shot – Assists: K. Alzner (2)
12:02 WSH Nicklas Backstrom (8) Wrist Shot – Assists: M. Jurcina (3) & T. Poti (6)
15:23 WSH Mike Green (5) Wrist Shot – Assists: N. Backstrom (24) & A. Semin (12)

3rd Period
06:09 PHI Scott Hartnell (9) Snap Shot – Assists: J. Kalinski (1) & A. Nodl (1)
10:57 WSH PPG – David Steckel (1) Wrist Shot – Assists: M. Green (25) & N. Backstrom (25)

Penalty Summary

1st Period
14:33 PHI Daniel Carcillo served by Jon Kalinski : Cross checking – 2 min
14:33 PHI Daniel Carcillo served by Jon Kalinski : Instigator – 2 min
14:33 PHI Daniel Carcillo served by Jon Kalinski : Fighting (maj) – 5 min
14:33 PHI Daniel Carcillo : Misconduct (10 min) – 0 min
14:33 PHI Daniel Carcillo : Game misconduct – 0 min

2nd Period
03:07 PHI Scott Hartnell : Interference – 2 min
03:07 WSH Tyler Sloan : Roughing – 2 min
09:09 WSH Karl Alzner : Hooking – 2 min

3rd Period
10:41 PHI Scott Hartnell : Slashing – 2 min

11/12/09 5-1 Win SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total OTT 0 1 0 - - 1 PHI 0 2 3 - - 5 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total OTT 5 10 8 - - 23 PHI 4 10 13 - - 27

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Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – Ray Emery’s first start against his former team was an uneventful affair, as he stopped 22 shots to lead Philadelphia past Ottawa, 5-1, at Wachovia Center.

“There was more urgency to win for Ray,” said Flyers head coach John Stevens. “It was just another game for him, I didn’t see any anxiety before the game or anything to tell me he was less than focused.”

Emery played with the Sens from 2002-08 and backstopped the club to a 2007 Stanley Cup Finals appearance before being released from his contract following the 2007-08 season. The 27-year-old spent last season in Russia after no NHL club offered him a deal.

In Danny Briere’s first game back from a four-game absence with a quad muscle injury, he notched a pair of goals for the Flyers, who have won five consecutive games. Blair Betts, James van Riemsdyk and Darroll Powe also scored for the victors.

Mike Fisher provided the lone tally for the Senators, who have lost four of six. Pascal Leclaire was battered for five goals on 27 shots in the loss.

“They pressured us hard the whole night,” said Senators head coach Cory Clouston. “The two goals in the second was a little bit deflating. The third one and the goals at the end didn’t help either.”

Briere batted a rebound out of the air from the low slot just prior to the seven-minute mark of the third period, and the Flyers moved in front, 3-1.

Powe added extra insurance with just over eight minutes remaining, and Briere ripped home his second of the contest under two minutes later to provide the final four-goal margin.

“Yes, a little bit. These are fun ones to play,” said Emery if he was keyed up to face his former team. “Nerves are definitely going. It’s a little personal story for myself to come out ahead.”

Betts’ short-side score on a Flyers power play 9:34 into the second broke a scoreless tie, but Fisher’s backhander on a Sens advantage knotted the game with 5:01 to play.

Van Riemsdyk’s one-timer off a cross-ice dish from Jeff Carter put Philly back ahead 1:24 later on another man advantage, and the Flyers protected the one- goal lead to intermission.
Game Notes

Emery finished his Ottawa career with a 71-40-14 record and eight shutouts in 134 appearances…Ottawa had won three of four meetings last season…Flyers defenseman Oskars Bartulis skated in his first NHL game…Betts tallied his first goal of the season and first since the final game of last season, when he was with the New York Rangers in a game against Philadelphia…Carter, Kimmo Timonen and Chris Pronger all had two assists for the Flyers.

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Scoring Summary

1st Period
none

2nd Period
09:34 PHI PPG – Blair Betts (1) Backhand – Assists: C. Giroux (7) & C. Pronger (12)
14:59 OTT PPG – Mike Fisher (7) Backhand – Assists: A. Kovalev (4) & D. Alfredsson (13)
16:23 PHI PPG – James van Riemsdyk (4) Snap Shot – Assists: J. Carter (10) & K. Timonen (9)

3rd Period
06:56 PHI Danny Briere (6) Slap Shot – Assists: J. Carter (11) & K. Timonen (10)
11:47 PHI Darroll Powe (5) Wrist Shot – Assists: A. Asham (1) & C. Pronger (13)
13:39 PHI Danny Briere (7) Slap Shot – Assists: B. Coburn (4)

Penalty Summary

1st Period
06:17 OTT Brian Lee : Roughing – 2 min

2nd Period
04:05 OTT Matt Carkner : Fighting (maj) – 5 min
04:05 PHI Ian Laperriere : Fighting (maj) – 5 min
07:39 OTT Chris Kelly : Holding – 2 min
14:47 PHI Blair Betts : Cross checking – 2 min
16:03 OTT Jarkko Ruutu : Hooking – 2 min

3rd Period
04:48 OTT Matt Carkner : Hi-sticking – 2 min