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PHILADELPHIA -- The Flyers might have blown another lead tonight and they might have suffered a serious injury scare to their most important defenseman, but really, I'm ready to call up a scientist. This whole "the Flyers don't lose two games in a row thing" is ready to go from theory to law.
First, the injury: Chris Pronger took a puck off the hand or wrist -- he wouldn't say which -- in the third period of tonight's game. X-rays were negative, according to Paul Holmgren, and Pronger seemed just fine when talking to us after the game. There was no noticeable evidence that anything had even happened, and he said that while it was a little tight, he'll be ready to go on Saturday night. Sigh of relief.
Now, the game: Claude Giroux was an absolute monster tonight. He dished out a few big hits, he had two beautiful assists, and he probably deserved at least one goal. Without Giroux's strong effort tonight, I'm not positive that the Flyers would have pulled out this win.
But they did. James van Riemsdyk, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter answered Frans Nielsen's opening goal before Matt f'n Martin's two third period goals tied the score. The fourth line had an absolutely brutal game tonight, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say they could use Blair Betts back there right now.
Sergei Bobrovsky wasn't great tonight, either. I hate to nitpick, especially since the Flyers did get the win, but after all the talk about his stick-handling lately, it was extremely noticeable on the shift where Martin tied the game with 28 seconds left. He stopped them puck behind the net and hesitated for a bit, like he didn't know what he was going to do with the puck. It's a concern.
We won't dwell on that, though. For now we can focus on the way this game ended: a giant Andrej Meszaros celebration at center ice. The Islanders haven't won in Philadelphia since April 7, 2007 and they'll only have one more crack at it this season in Game 82.
After the jump, questions with answers, post-game video and the comment of the night.
Post-Game Video: Paul Holmgren
Post-Game Video: Peter Laviolette
Post-Game Video: Andrej Meszaros
Post-Game Video: James van Riemsdyk
Post-Game Video: Chris Pronger
Questions to Answer (answered by Ben Rothenberg, who will not be Morencyed.)
- Some Islanders fans are still angry with Danny Briere over that thing that happened a few months ago. Given the Isles penchant for revenge lately, does anything happen in that department? Nah. Nothing happened with Briere all night.
- How does Bobrovsky look in back-to-back starts after a bit of a shaky outing the other night? Better, but not spectacular.
- How does SOD look out there on his broken-then-not-broken knee? He was fine, but his presence was still wildly unnecessary.
- Al Montoya is a fun punch line, but he's been pretty darn good with the Isles. Can the Flyers uh, stop that? Al Montoya is pretty legit. But so is a Andrej Meszaros slapshot.
- The Flyers are always determined after losing a game, and they haven't lost back-to-back games in weeks. That continues, right? As I've said before, if the Islanders ever do win in Philadelphia again, the sky is going to turn purple like it did on Lost when they didn't push the button.
(Haiku) of the Night
Jeff Carter just scored
No I mean a hockey goal
Other kind comes soon>> Ben Feldman