CHICAGO, Ill – This strange series between the Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks just keeps getting odder and odder. Game 1 of the series was a 6-5 track meet and people expected the second game of the series to be tighter, which it was. Yet the game was not a pure tense 2-1 defensive struggle as the game had several peaks and valleys.
Game 2 had several different stages, there was the physical stage in the first period, a back and forth phase in the second period and the final period saw an all-out blitz by the Flyers as they attempted to tie both the score and the series.
The first period saw an increased level of physicality compared to the opening tilt. Philadelphia coach Peter Laviolette inserted grating winger Daniel Carcillo into the lineup and the lineup change set the tone of the period as the clubs took turns battering each other.
Yet the second period was different as the clubs combined for nearly half (28) of the game’s 59 shots. The two clubs skated up and down the ice trading chances, but unlike Game 1 both netminders were up to the task.
The contest was scoreless until late in the middle period when Chicago opened things up with a pair of goals within 28 seconds of each other. Marian Hossa got on the board first when he chipped a loose puck over Philadelphia netminder Michael Leighton with 17:09 expired in the second period. Patrick Sharp started the sequence when he fired a shot on Leighton, the Philadelphia goaltender could not control the rebound and Troy Brouwer and Hossa each took a turn to bat the loose puck into the Flyers goal before Hossa succeeded in doing so.
“Well, I just think that we did a lot of things better than we did last game as far as managing the puck and being better positionally, defensively,” said Duncan Keith after the game. “I still think those are things we all think that as a group we still feel we can be better at than we were tonight. I just think we’re looking forward to the next game now and just keep on improving as the series goes on here. ”
The game-winning goal was scored when Ben Eager picked up his first goal of the playoffs with a wicked wrist shot from the top of the faceoff circle to the left of Leighton. Dustin Byfuglien pushed the puck up to Eager who used Flyers defender Matt Carle to partially screen Leighton.
“It was pretty exciting,” Eager said of his game winner. “You know, (we’ve) been working pretty hard this post-season. It was definitely a nice feeling to see that one go in. It was a big shift before us. Hoss scored a big goal for us and really got the bench going. We got out there next and got a nice bounce,” Eager continued.
The final period was all Philadelphia as they outshot the Blackhawks by a 15-4 margin while slicing the ‘Hawks lead in half. Simon Gagne registered the Flyers lone score when he fired a bouncing puck past Antti Niemi. Philadelphia continued to push for the game-tying goal, but Niemi was up to the task.
Asked about the Flyer pressure in the third Keith said, “Obviously, it’s a 2-1 lead, it’s a close game. They are pressing for a goal. So there’s pressure on them to score, and there’s pressure on us to defend. I would rather be in our position trying to defend, if you go in the third period late like that and having the lead.”
“But definitely they were pressing and making some plays and they had some chances there,” Keith added. “I thought Antti made some nice plays, took up a lot of the net. We did a good job clearing some pucks out to not let them get any rebounds.”
With the win the Blackhawks take a 2-0 series lead back to Philadelphia with Game 3 scheduled for Wednesday, June 2. The Flyers have a 7-1 record at home during the playoffs, but their advantage may not be so clear cut as the Blackhawks have an identical road record in the postseason.
Contact Tom.Schettino@prohockeynews.com
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