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.

Flyers fans, get ready.  Barring some incredibly unforeseen cirucmstance, Michael Leighton will be the starting goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers come opening night in Pittsburgh on October 7th.  That became closer to official today, when CSNPhilly’s Tim Panaccio reported that Marty Turco told him that the Flyers had told the veteran goaltender they were “no longer interested” in pursuing his services.

However, the question that really needs to be asked about this situation is simply: Is Leighton starting in goal for the Flyers really all that bad?

Never before in an off-season have I personally seen the lack of complete support behind the two goaltenders of the respective conference champions as far as returning to their teams is concerned.  This year, it’s been rather public, and rather crazy, to be honest.  Before you read the remainder of my post, please understand this:  I know that both Michael Leighton and Antti Niemi were not amongst the top five, let alone ten, goaltenders last season.  Still, Leighton came off the injury shelf to lead the Flyers to their first Eastern Conference Championship since 1997, and Niemi helped end over 40 years of Stanley Cup suffering in Chicago.  So, what gives?  Niemi was just awarded $2.75 million in an arbitration hearing with Chicago – something that has apparently caused the ‘Hawks to walk away from the Finn and instead purse Marty Turco, and Leighton inked a 2-year deal with the Flyers  in the beginning of free agency.  While Niemi has yet to officially get signed by Chicago, or anyone else for that matter, the Flyers have brought back the masked man who lead them just two wins from a Stanley Cup last season.

Like I said, Flyers fans, get ready for another season of “The Leight Show”.

Michael Leighton needs no introduction in Flyers circles, or any NHL circles, for that matter.  A career NHL/AHL journeyman and back-up, Leighton has played for the Chicago Blackhawks (two seasons), Nashville Predators (one game), Carolina Hurricanes (three seasons), and the Flyers, in a couple different stints over the years.  His stats aren’t impressive by any means, with 34 wins in 91 career starts, a goals-against of 2.94 and a below-average save percentage of .902.  He never was considered a starter-type by, well, anyone.  That was until he was thrust into the front seat on the Flyers goaltending carousel last season and promptly pressed the big, red “STOP” button, with #49 still in front of the pack.

The storybook season started with a 5-2 win in his first Flyers start of this past season against Tampa Bay on December 23, and ended with the unfortunate goal-that-should-not-be-spoken-about on June 9.  In between, however, was when we saw the real Michael Leighton.  Don’t believe me?  Consider this: what current NHL “Journeyman back-up” would honestly have carried a team that was so badly sunk, in such a pressure-packed and championship-hungry hockey market, out of the darkness and back into the light of significance?  And what back-up would then be able to hop off the IR, into an elimination game for his team in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, on the road, in BOSTON, nursing a 1-0 lead, and be able to not only let that score hold up, but proceed to carry his team to the Finals, making a bit of club history in the process?  The answer is, as a matter of fact, no one.  That’s because something has dawned on me since the end of this last season.

Michael Leighton isn’t a back-up.

Say what you will about his weaknesses: we know he has a below-average five hole, and he isn’t the quickest goaltender in the league, but if this past season is any indication, Leights’ positives far outweigh the negatives.  He started 26 regular season games in the Orange and Black in 2009-’10, winning 16 of them, while posting a solid .918 save percentage and recording a fourth of his career total in shutouts (1) in that timeframe.  Of course, it goes without saying that his three shutouts in the Eastern Conference Finals against Montreal were not only worthy of a chapter in the Flyers’ record books, but also left Leighton with more career playoffs shutouts (3) than he had career playoff startscoming into this season.  Obviously, it’s easy to say that Leighton caught lightning in a bottle upon joining the Flyers and was fortunate enough to be surrounded by a solid team that off-set any glaring holes in his game – for the most part – during he and their collective remarkable run.  It’s also easy to say that I may be a bit off my rocker because perhaps more desired goaltenders for the Flyers have either been scared out of their pants by the idea of playing in a pressure situation for less money and bolted to Siberia (Evgeni Nabokov), or thought they should be paid more than an initial Flyers offer and are now struggling to find employment (Marty Turco).  While both of these are legitimate reasons, I want you to know that I’m under the complete belief that Michael Leighton was the real deal last year, and will continue to be great this upcoming season.

For one, Leights now knows that the starting goaltending job is his to lose.  There won’t be any controversy heading into this season, as Leighton was the main netminder down the stretch last season so it should remain the same this year.  However, while many would consider that a situation where Leighton may take his foot off the gas pedal, I’d say it’s far from it.  In fact, it’s a reason for Leighton to push down even harder on that gas pedal and propel the Flyers to those two more wins that eluded them last season and bring glory back to this city.  There are still plenty of people out there in Flyerdom and the hockey world that strongly believe Leighton will be a gigantic bust this season.  They’ll point to it as easily the Flyers’ biggest question mark heading into the 2010-’11 year.  He’ll be playing with a chip on his shoulder, you can count on that.  And with a defense that (if healthy), quite frankly, is superb, Leights will have a little less stress on him as far as shots on goal are concerned night in and night out.  Despite the potential for less shots, there’s still going to be a definite amount of pressure on him, that’s for sure.  After all, he is a goaltender in (gasp!) Philadelphia.  But why not believe?  For crying out loud, this is the same franchise that once had names like Roussell, Cechmanek, and Snow manning the pipes.  Give Leighton a chance, people.  If anything, for the joyous run of emotions he gave us last season, he’s earned it.

Who’s ready for Season Two of “The Leight Show”?

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 ***

_______________________________________________________________________________

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.
_______________________________________________________________________________

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 5 – Stanley Cup Finals

6/6/10 7-4 Loss SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT Total PHI 0 2 2 - 4 CHI 3 2 2 - 7 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT Total PHI 7 10 10 - 27 CHI 13 8 7 - 28

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

_______________________________________________________________________________

Chicago, IL (Sports Network) – Dustin Byfuglien finally broke out, scoring two goals and adding two assists, and the Chicago Blackhawks moved one step closer to a championship with a 7-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Byfuglien, who had been held to just one assist through the first four games, was finally the presence the ‘Hawks had been looking for. His goal with 4:15 left in the second period helped thwart another furious Flyers rally to help give Chicago a 3-2 series lead, with Game 6 slated for Wednesday in Philadelphia.

“I don’t know if I really got off my game. I just wasn’t getting the bounces and the things that makes me happy,” Byfuglien said. “I just knew I had to come in and work hard and do the best I can to help the team. That’s the way I came in today.”

Kris Versteeg had a goal and two assists, while Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Dave Bolland and Brent Seabrook each had a goal and a helper for the Blackhawks, whose power play was lethal after looking lethargic for the first four contests. Entering the game with a 1-for-9 mark on the man advantage, Chicago went 2-for-4 on Sunday to take one step closer to claiming the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1961.

“We just settled down and played our game, and that’s a big factor,” Byfuglien said of the power play. “Even with the even strength, we came out ready to go, controlling the puck a little better. That led into the power play with guys just settling down, confidence and just playing. That’s something we needed to do.”

Antti Niemi, fresh off giving up eight goals in Games 3 and 4 — both losses — allowed four goals on 27 shots to earn the victory. The Hawks now have history on their side, as the team winning Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals when tied, 2-2, has gone on to win the series 14 of 20 times. However, one of those six defeats came last season, when Pittsburgh rallied to beat Detroit in seven games.

Scott Hartnell, James van Riemsdyk, Simon Gagne and Kimmo Timonen scored for the Flyers, who will have to make yet another comeback to finish off their fairy tale with a happy ending. Philadelphia, which recovered from an 0-3 deficit in the conference semis and an 0-2 deficit here in the Stanley Cup Finals, will have to extend the series to a Game 7 if it wants an opportunity to win the championship.

Michael Leighton allowed three goals on 13 shots in the first period, prompting the Flyers to insert Brian Boucher, who made 11 saves the rest of the way. Chris Pronger, who had been a steady defensive force for each of the first four games, took a minor penalty and had a career-worst minus-five rating.

Philadelphia’s power play, which went 5-for-16 in the first four games, was 0-for-3 in Game 5.

Following the game, Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette was non-committal about who would start in net in Game 6.

“I don’t have an answer for that,” Laviolette said. “Our team needs to be better, the whole group, I believe, needs to be better. When we’re successful, we do it as a team. When we lose and we have a night that’s tougher, we do it as a team.”

The Flyers, who had only four scoring chances in the first to Chicago’s 16, showed some life in the opening minute of the second period. Ville Leino took a feed from Danny Briere after a broken play in the Blackhawks’ zone and shoved it toward Niemi from down low. The puck squirted loose, and Hartnell slammed it home 32 seconds into the frame.

The ‘Hawks, though, came right back with goal No. 4. Andrew Ladd skated into the Philadelphia zone with the puck and tried to send it past Pronger, who deflected it back to Ladd. Armed again with the puck, Ladd sent it across the ice to Kane, who was all alone and deposited the disc into the wide-open net at 3:13 for a 4-1 lead.

The Flyers, as they have all playoffs, refused to go away, cutting its deficit to two again. A scrum in front of the net saw Niemi go low to the ground to protect the bottom portion of the net. The puck squirted out to Timonen, who fired a perfect shot from the slot into the top left corner of the net at 4:38 for a 4-2 contest.

The visitors gained a power play nearly midway through the period, and the Flyers had several good opportunities to make it a one-goal game. Niemi was able to stick out his right pad to deny Mike Richards off a perfect pass from Simon Gagne, and Leino was unable to tip in another pass in front of the net toward the end of the power play.

Just as the man advantage expired, Chicago skated into Philadelphia’s zone on a 2-on-1, but Boucher was able to stop a Jonathan Toews shot from the slot.

The Blackhawks were able to regain a three-goal advantage after Pronger was called for a hooking penalty. Each of the five Chicago players on the ice touched the puck in the sequence, which ended with Toews dishing a feed to the mouth of the crease for Byfuglien, who tipped it into the net for his first goal of the series at 15:45.

“I think (Byfuglien) has been a big factor as we’ve gone along here in the playoffs,” said Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville. “Maybe everybody said he was quiet. I still thought he had a presence early in the first two games here at home…I thought he made a big imprint in the outcome in the game tonight.”

Chicago was content in the third period to stuff the neutral zone and thwart the Philadelphia attack. The Blackhawks were rarely on the offensive, instead making sure they had the defensive manpower in their own zone to prevent a comeback.

The Flyers still managed to draw to within two on van Riemsdyk’s rebound putback with 13:24 still to play, but Philadelphia failed on its final power play with just under 10 minutes remaining.

The Blackhawks were able to put the game away with 3:52 left, taking advantage of the Flyers defensemen pinching in the offensive zone. Chicago broke out on a 3-on-2 rush, and Sharp fired a wrister past Boucher from the slot for a 6-3 lead.

Gagne was able to score with 2:36 left to maintain a glimmer of hope for Philadelphia, but Byfuglien iced the win with an empty-net tally 31 seconds later.

In the early minutes, it was all Chicago.

Philadelphia defenseman Braydon Coburn committed a turnover at his own blue line within the first 90 seconds, and Byfuglien recovered it for the ‘Hawks and drove toward the net. Coburn and Leighton were able to cut off the angle and prevent the goal.

The Blackhawks also got the first power play after Lukas Kraijcek was called for cross-checking at 2:50. Chicago created several good shots, but many of the attempts sailed wide of the net.

After the hosts recorded six of the first seven shots on net, the Flyers went on the power play after a cross-check call on Bolland with 10:45 to go in the frame.

Despite the advantage, it seemed as though the ‘Hawks had as many chances as the Flyers during the two-minute stretch, which went without a goal. A second after Bolland’s infraction expired, Hartnell was called for high-sticking, and the Blackhawks took advantage of the opportunity.

Versteeg held the puck behind the Philadelphia net and dished it out to Seabrook in the left circle. Seabrook waited and fired a shot that deflected off Pronger’s skate and into the left side of the net at 12:17.

Chicago kept the pressure on and increased its lead with 4:34 left in the frame. With the ‘Hawks maintaining possession with a delayed penalty waiting on Philadelphia, Bolland shoveled the puck from behind the net off Leighton’s skate and in for a 2-0 lead.

“It was clearly something (that was wrong in the first period),” Laviolette said. “I guess if it was nerves, it was nerves. But we got outworked pretty good. We got out-battled. They were quicker to loose pucks. Quicker on the forecheck.”

The Flyers’ best chance came almost by mistake. With 3 1/2 minutes left, Jeff Carter sent a harmless shot toward the net from just inside the blue line. The disc bounced off a Chicago player and slid just wide of Niemi, who was out of position.

The Blackhawks, though, kept pouring it on and were again rewarded. Versteeg skated in on a 3-on-2 and cut back to the top of the slot, firing a wrist shot past a screened Leighton with 1:45 left for a commanding 3-0 cushion.

Game Notes

The last time a team scored seven times in a single Stanley Cup Finals game was when New Jersey beat Dallas, 7-3, in Game 1 of the 2000 series…Leino had three assists, giving him 19 points this postseason. That point total breaks ex-Flyer and ex-Blackhawk Jeremy Roenick’s record for most postseason points as a rookie, as he accomplished the feat with Chicago in 1990…The Flyers dropped to 5-7 on the road in the playoffs, while the Hawks improved to 8-3 at home…Briere had two assists, putting him one point behind Brian Propp’s franchise record of 28 points in the 1987 postseason…Toews finished with one assist, moving him to within one point of Denis Savard’s franchise record of 29 points in the 1985 postseason.

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

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period
12:17 CHI PPG – Brent Seabrook (4) Wrist Shot – Assists: K. Versteeg (7) & T. Brouwer (4)
15:26 CHI Dave Bolland (8) Wrist Shot – Assists: B. Sopel (5) & D. Byfuglien (4)
18:15 CHI Kris Versteeg (6) Wrist Shot – Assists: B. Seabrook (7) & D. Byfuglien (5)

2nd Period
00:32 PHI Scott Hartnell (6) Wrist Shot – Assists: V. Leino (10) & D. Briere (15)
03:13 CHI Patrick Kane (9) Wrist Shot – Assists: A. Ladd (3) & P. Sharp (11)
04:38 PHI Kimmo Timonen (1) Wrist Shot – Assists: D. Briere (16) & V. Leino (11)
15:45 CHI PPG – Dustin Byfuglien (9) Tip-In – Assists: J. Toews (21) & D. Keith (14)

3rd Period
06:36 PHI James van Riemsdyk (3) Wrist Shot – Assists: L. Krajicek (2) & K. Timonen (10)
16:08 CHI Patrick Sharp (10) Wrist Shot – Assists: P. Kane (16)
17:24 PHI Simon Gagne (9) Wrist Shot – Assists: V. Leino (12)
17:55 CHI EN – Dustin Byfuglien (10) Wrist Shot – Assists: K. Versteeg (8) & D. Bolland (7)

PENALTY SUMMARY

1st Period
02:50 PHI Lukas Krajicek : Cross checking – 2 min
09:15 CHI Dave Bolland : Cross checking – 2 min
11:16 PHI Scott Hartnell : Hi-sticking – 2 min

2nd Period
07:19 PHI Scott Hartnell : Elbowing – 2 min
09:51 CHI Brent Seabrook : Closing hand on puck – 2 min
15:18 PHI Chris Pronger : Hooking – 2 min

3rd Period
10:38 CHI Kris Versteeg : Slashing – 2 min

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 ***

_______________________________________________________________________________
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.
_______________________________________________________________________________
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 ***

_______________________________________________________________________________

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.

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

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 2 – Stanley Cup Final

5/31/10 2-1 Loss CHI leads series 2-0 SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT Total PHI 0 0 1 - 1 CHI 0 2 0 - 2 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT Total PHI 3 15 15 - 33 CHI 9 13 4 - 26

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

_______________________________________________________________________________

Chicago, IL (Sports Network) – Marian Hossa and Ben Eager scored 28 seconds apart in the second period, and Chicago held on for a 2-1 win in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals at United Center.

This game was a different beast from the 6-5 offensive show in Game 1, which Chicago won, and the Hawks now hold a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series after winning their seventh playoff game in a row.

Antti Niemi, lit up for five goals on 32 shots in the first game, had a terrific performance over the last two periods of this contest, as he stopped 29 shots in the final 40 minutes and finished the game with 32 saves.

Simon Gagne scored the lone goal, while Michael Leighton, back in net after being pulled late in the second period of Game 1, stopped 24 shots for the Flyers, who will look to rally at home, as the series heads to Philadelphia for the next two games with Game 3 set for Wednesday at the Wachovia Center.

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.

Trailing 2-0 in the third period, the Flyers made it a one-goal game 5:20 in with a power-play marker. Mike Richards backhanded a pass from the left boards, and Gagne one-timed the rolling puck past Niemi, who was being screened by Jeff Carter.

The goal sparked the Flyers, as the team took the play to Chicago over the next several minutes and generated several opportunities, but they were unable to bury any of them.

A shot from the left point was redirected on net and the rebound kicked out to the right side. It went off of Gagne, but Niemi was able to stretch the left pad out to stop it with around 7 1/2 minutes to play.

Much of the remainder of the game was played in Chicago’s end as Philadelphia continued to dominate play.

With just over two minutes to play, Ville Leino made a move to get past his defender for a clear shot at the inside left circle, but Niemi came up with the save.

Philly got Leighton out of the net with just under two minutes to play for the extra attacker, but Niemi came up with the stops.

The game was nearly sealed as Patrick Sharp had a clean look at the open net, but his shot hit the right post, and Philly was called for icing with 19.4 seconds to play.

The Flyers were able to quickly get the puck down the other end, but Chicago grabbed control of the puck and cleared it for the win.

The first goal came 17:09 into the second period, as Duncan Keith lobbed a shot on net from the slot and the rebound sat in front. Sharp, parked in front of the net, took a swipe at it before Hossa was able to chip it in from the right side.

Moments later, a neutral zone turnover enabled Chicago to gain the zone, and Eager’s wrister from the right wing found its way over the glove of Leighton for a 2-0 lead.

Philadelphia’s best chance in the opening frame came with about 12 1/2 minutes to play. The Flyers had an extra player on the ice due to a delayed penalty call on Chicago, and Ian Laperriere found himself wide open for a one- timer from the slot, but he banged the shot off the post.

Chicago had a power play, its first of the series, later in the first when Blair Betts was called for cross-checking, but the Philadelphia penalty killers kept the Blackhawks from setting anything up.

The Blackhawks got another power play with 2:33 left in the first when Richards was called for elbowing. This power play was much more active as the Blackhawks set up a couple of plays, but they were unable to cash in, and the game went into the first intermission with no score.

The Blackhawks got their third power play of the game 5:08 into the second when Richards was called for hooking, but they were unable to get anything going on the advantage.

Shortly after the power play expired, Richards found himself on a breakaway, but Niemi came up with the pad save to keep it scoreless.

Chicago had a 3-on-2 break a bit later and got an open shot as Sharp threw a one-timer from the slot on net, but Leighton came up with the pad save, and Chicago was unable to take advantage of the rebound.

With under six minutes to play in the second, Jordan Hendry cranked a shot from the top of the left circle with traffic in front, but Leighton came up with the save and didn’t give up a rebound.

Moments later, Aaron Asham was wide open for a one-timer at the left circle that was going to the right corner, but Niemi flashed the glove and swallowed it up.

Game Notes

Philadelphia has lost seven straight Cup games dating back to Game 7 of the 1987 Finals against Edmonton. The team was then swept by Detroit in 1997…Chicago forward Andrew Ladd sat out again with an upper-body injury. He sat out Game 1 and was replaced by Tomas Kopecky, who scored the game- winning goal in the opening contest and played again in Game 2…Philadelphia had forward Dan Carcillo and defenseman Oskars Bartulis in the lineup in place of forward James van Riemsdyk and defenseman Ryan Parent…Philly went 1-for-3 on the power play while Chicago was 0-for-3…Hossa’s goal was his third of the playoffs and first since Game 3 against Vancouver in the Western Conference semifinals.

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

Scoring Summary

1st Period
none

2nd Period
17:09 CHI Marian Hossa (3) Slap Shot – Assists: T. Brouwer (3) & P. Sharp (10)
17:37 CHI Ben Eager (1) Wrist Shot – Assists: D. Byfuglien (3)

3rd Period
05:20 PHI PPG – Simon Gagne (8) Slap Shot – Assists: M. Richards (16) & J. Carter (2)

Penalty Summary

1st Period
07:26 CHI Kris Versteeg : Interference – 2 min
14:48 PHI Blair Betts : Cross checking – 2 min
17:27 CHI Tomas Kopecky : Roughing – 2 min
17:27 PHI Mike Richards : Elbowing – 2 min
17:27 PHI Daniel Carcillo : Unsportsmanlike conduct – 2 min

2nd Period
05:08 PHI Mike Richards : Hooking – 2 min
19:24 CHI Troy Brouwer : Roughing – 2 min

3rd Period
03:21 CHI Patrick Sharp : Tripping – 2 min
20:00 PHI Chris Pronger : Misconduct (10 min) – 0 min
20:00 CHI Ben Eager : Misconduct (10 min) – 0 min

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 ***

_______________________________________________________________________________

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.
_______________________________________________________________________________

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