Week 7 All GOOD things have to come to an END

Well every winning streak has to come to an end. With the Flyers competing to stay in first place in their Atlantic division cold streaks have hit some players such as Simon Gagne and Robert Esche. I believe these players will come back to their senses and bring our team back to where we belong. Even though in 4 games 3 of them were losses we still were able to scram up 4 points out of a possible 8 since 2 of those losses were handed to the Flyers in OT. Since this is my last post most of you in BUAD 447 will read thank you all for your comments and interest in my blog. I am going to try and stay up to date with my blog so check back regularly to see how our great hockey team is doing. Thanks again. But life must move on and every post must be read so do read on and read how week 7 unfolded.

Tampa Bay Lightning (10-9-3) vs Philadelphia Flyers (11-4-1)
Final Score Lightning-5 Flyers-2

*My three stars of the game*
1)Peter Foresberg (2 Goals)
2)Valclav Prospal (3 Goals 1 Assist HAT TRICK)
3)Joni Pitkanen (2 Assist)

Game Recap: Vinny Prospal led the way as the Tampa Bay Lightning played like the Stanley Cup champions again. Prospal had three goals and an assist to help the Lightning snap a six-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night. Prospal has eight goals and 18 points during a 10-game point streak. His second goal of the game, coming on the power play, put the Lightning ahead 3-2 with 4:15 left in the second period. The center was left alone in the front of the net and scored after taking a pass from Brad Richards. Martin Cibak extended the Lightning's lead to 4-2 on a breakaway with 7:55 to play. Prospal completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal with 37.3 seconds left. Peter Forsberg scored twice for the Flyers, who had won six straight. He has six goals and 31 points in 16 games this season. Tampa Bay was without right wing Martin St. Louis, who is expected to miss at least two weeks after breaking a bone near the tip of his left ring finger at practice on Sunday. It was the first meeting between the teams since Tampa Bay beat the Flyers 2-1 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals on May 22, 2004. The Lightning then defeated the Calgary Flames in seven games to win the Stanley Cup. Forsberg put the Flyers ahead 1-0 on a power-play goal at 17:51 of the first. Prospal tied it at 1 on his goal 17 seconds later. After Dan Boyle's power-play goal gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead 32 second into the second, Forsberg scored his second man-advantage goal to make it 2-all at 3:13. Lightning goalie John Grahame made 22 saves. Philadelphia's Robert Esche stopped 28 shots.

Pittsburgh Penguins(6-9-6) vs Philadelphia Flyers (11-4-2)
Final Score Penguins-3 Flyers-2 (Loss) OT

*My three stars of the game*
1) Joni Pitkanen (2 Goals)
2) Peter Foresberg (2 Assist)
3)Sidney Crosby (2 Goals 1 Assist)

Game Recap: Sidney Crosby scored his second goal of the game on a breakaway with 46.7 seconds left in overtime, leading the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night. Ryan Malone had a goal, and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 45 shots, helping the Penguins improve to 6-3-2 since going winless in their first nine games. Joni Pitkanen scored two power-play goals for Philadelphia, which had won nine straight at home. Crosby took a long, breakout pass from Malone near center ice, skated in alone and beat Antero Niittymaki to win it. Fleury stopped two point-blank shots by Mike Knuble and Mike Rathje in overtime. He started because a puck hit Jocelyn Thibault in the throat in warmups. Thibault's injury didn't appear serious. Pitkanen scored his goals 1:34 apart to tie it after the Penguins had scored twice in a 56-second span early in the third. Pitkanen took a crisp pass from NHL assists-leader Peter Forsberg and one-timed a shot just inside the post to tie it 2-2 at 6:44 of the third. He slipped a shot between Fleury's legs to cut the deficit to 2-1. Malone gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal 2:03 into the third. He got a pass from Crosby and slapped a shot past Niittymaki. Crosby stuffed one in during a scramble in front of the net to make it 2-0. The Penguins played without owner-captain Mario Lemieux, who had a stomach virus and didn't make the trip. Niittymaki, making just his fifth start this season, stoned Erik Christensen on consecutive shots midway through the second during a Penguins' power-play. He made another excellent save on a short-handed breakaway by Matt Murley late in the second, and kept it tied at 2 with an outstanding stick save on a shot by John LeClair in the third.

Atlanta Thrashers (8-11-1) vs Philadelphia Flyers (11-4-3)
Final Score Thrashers-6 Flyers-5 (Loss) OT

*My three stars*
1)Jeff Carter (1 Goal 1 Assist)
2)Branko Radivojevic (1 Goal 1 Assist)
3)Ilya Kovalchuk (2 Goals 3 Assist)

Game Reacp: Poor special teams cost the Philadelphia Flyers.
Greg de Vries scored 3:05 into overtime, after Atlanta wiped out a two-goal deficit with power-play tallies in the final two minutes of regulation, and the Thrashers defeated the Flyers 6-5. After Peter Bondra cut the deficit to one with 1:50 remaining, Patrik Stefan tied it 5-5 with only seven seconds left. De Vries won it on a breakaway for Atlanta, which snapped a three-game losing streak to the Flyers. Philadelphia lost its second straight in overtime and third overall. Ilya Kovalchuk had two power-play goals and three assists, and rookie Michael Garnett made 31 saves to record his first NHL win for Atlanta. It was the Thrashers' second victory in Philadelphia in their six-season history (2-8-2). Branko Radivojevic had two goals and an assist for the Flyers, who entered with the league's worst penalty-killing unit and yielded four goals in 10 shorthanded situations. The Thrashers have the third-best power play in the NHL and have recorded a man-advantage goal in 11 of 13 games. In the first period, Donald Brashear drew three of five Flyers penalties, including two on one sequence, and Kovalchuk took advantage twice. In the second, the Flyers stopped committing penalties and started putting the pressure on Garnett, who made his third career start. Radivojevic had two goals, and Gagne added one in a span of 4:24 to give the Flyers a 4-3 lead. With 1:02 remaining in the period, defenseman Derian Hatcher hopped out of the penalty box and slapped the puck by Garnett to make it 5-3. Atlanta withstood trouble in the third period. Flyers center R.J. Umberger was stopped on a penalty shot, and the Thrashers killed a four-minute power play after Kovalchuk was called for high sticking. Garnett's stop on the penalty shot gave the Thrashers a chance to come back. With 1:50 to go and Garnett on the bench, Bondra scored on what was a three-man skating advantage. Soon after, Gagne had a chance to give the Flyers a two-goal lead but was pulled down as he attempted to score on an empty net. No penalty was called, and moments later Stefan sent the game into overtime with Atlanta's fourth power-play goal.


Pittsburgh Penguins (6-9-6) vs Philadelphia Flyers (12-4-3)
Final Score: Penguins-3 Flyers-6 (WIN)

*My three stars of the game*
1)Simon Gagne (2 Goals 1 Assist)
2)Mike Knuble (1 Goal 1 Assist)
3)Mike Richards (1 Goal 1 Assist)

Game Recap: The Philadelphia Flyers made a third-period lead hold up this time, even while seemingly preoccupied with whether Pittsburgh rookie Sidney Crosby stands up nearly enough. Jeff Carter and Michael Handzus scored in the first 2½ minutes of the third period and the Flyers preserved late lead this time, beating Pittsburgh 6-3 in a feisty rematch of the Penguins' overtime victory four nights before. Simon Gagne scored his NHL-leading 19th and 20th goals of the season and Philadelphia improved to a league-best 10-1-1 on the road after dropping its previous three games, including successive home overtime losses to the Penguins on Wednesday and Atlanta on Friday. Crosby scored the winning goal on a breakaway Wednesday, and also got Pittsburgh's first goal in the rematch. He also had one of his first on-ice confrontations with an established star, yelling expletives at Peter Forsberg when the Flyers' star made a hand gesture suggesting Crosby dives to take penalties -- a theme initiated earlier in the week by Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock. After the Penguins rallied three times from one-goal deficits, Carter put in his own rebound early in the third period after goalie Jocelyn Thibault stopped his initial shot, only to lose sight of a puck that sat on the ice along the goal line. Carter swatted it in for his seventh goal. Handzus followed 41 seconds later with his fifth goal, picking up a loose puck and skating in to beat Thibault with a wrist shot. The Flyers and goalie Antero Niittymaki made the lead hold up, a night after Philadelphia squandered the same 5-3 lead late in the third by allowing Atlanta to score twice in the final 1:50 of what became a 6-5 overtime loss with Robert Esche in net. The Flyers, playing their third game in four nights, led 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 only to have the Penguins answer each time. Gagne's second goal deflected off former teammate Mark Recchi's stick on a 3-on-1 short-handed breakaway at 16:24 of the second. The Penguins got a tying power play goal 9 seconds later on rookie Erik Christensen's shot from the top of the right circle off a Ziggy Palffy pass that deflected off defenseman Joni Pitkanen's stick, but Pittsburgh mounted little offense after that against Niittymaki, who made 27 saves. Christensen's power play goal was set up when Crosby was tripped by Mike Rathje, prompting Forsberg's swim-move motion. The Flyers made the accusations even though Crosby needed four stitches in his lip and repairs to three damaged teeth after twice catching sticks in the face and neck Wednesday from defenseman Derian Hatcher on plays that weren't penalized. Crosby scored the Penguins' initial goal Saturday by stuffing in John LeClair's behind the back pass about six minutes in, his 10th goal of the season.

Week 6 Consider this a winning Streak

3 game this week and what a great week it was. With the Flyers now being one of the best teams in the NEW NHL it is great to see Foresberg gelling with the team so well. Leading the NHL with assists he is on his way to winning another HART trophy. An exciting win with 3 seconds to go on a penalty kill was just one of the exciting occurrences this week with the Flyers keeping their win streak alive at 6 games. Read on for this weeks games in more detailed review:

Boston Bruins (7-10-5) at Philadelphia Flyers (9-3-1)
Final Score Bruins-3 Flyers-3 (WIN) OT



*My three stars of the game*
Joni Pitkanen (2 Goals (Game Winner) 1 Assist)
Peter Foresberg (3 Assists)
Joe Thorton (1 Goal 1 Assist)

Game Recap: Joni Pitkanen made up for a costly defensive mistake. The 22-year-old Finnish defenseman scored the tying goal with 23.4 seconds left and added the winner 1:55 into overtime to give the Philadelphia Flyers a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night. The Flyers won their fourth straight and seventh in a row at home, overcoming a two-goal deficit in the final 3:35 of regulation on goals by Pitkanen and Simon Gagne. Sergei Samsonov and Shawn McEachern also scored for the Bruins, who haven't lost in regulation in nine games since Oct. 20. With goalie Robert Esche on the bench and an extra skater on the ice, Pitkanen took a long pass from Peter Forsberg, streaked down the left side and wristed a shot into the far corner under the crossbar to tie it at 3. In overtime, Pitkanen took a pass from behind the net and his shot went up goalie Hannu Toivonen's shoulder and trickled in to win it. Mike Knuble also scored for Philadelphia, which played without captain Keith Primeau and top defenseman Eric Desjardins. Both have concussions. Samsonov scored during a two-man advantage 56 seconds into the third to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead. Thornton set it up with a nifty pass in front. Soon after, Esche made a sliding save with his left pad on a shot by Thornton to keep the deficit at one. But Thornton scored after Pitkanen's miscue to make it 3-1 with 4:48 left. Gagne cut it to 3-2 a minute later with his NHL-leading 16th goal. Boston tied it at 1 on McEachern's power-play goal late in the second. McEachern's slap shot sailed past Esche's glove. Knuble deflected a slap shot by Kim Johnsson past Toivonen for a power-play goal that gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the final minute of the first. Knuble played his first game against his former teammates. He spent 4½ years with the Bruins and was a member of Boston's top line with Thornton and Glen Murray.

New York Islanders (10-10-0) vs Philadelphia Flyers (10-3-1)
Final Score: Islanders-2 Flyers-3 (WIN)

*My three stars of the game*
1)Patrick Sharp( 2 Goals GW)
2)Jeff Carter (1 Goal 2 Assists)
3)A. Nittymaki (38 saves .950 Save %)

Game Recap: Patrick Sharp picked the perfect time to show his offensive side. Sharp scored two goals, including the tiebreaker early in the third period, and the Philadelphia Flyers overcame a two-goal deficit to beat the New York Islanders 3-2 Thursday night for their fifth straight victory. Sharp's performance -- with help from linemates Jeff Carter and Brian Savage -- came when the Flyers' high-scoring line of Simon Gagne, Peter Forsberg, and Mike Knuble had a rare off night. That trio was blanked after combining for 67 points in Philadelphia's previous 13 games. Gagne had scored seven goals in the previous four games. Forsberg leads the NHL with 24 assists, including 12 in the previous six games. Carter had a goal and two assists, and Antero Niittymaki made 38 saves for the Flyers, who have won eight straight at home. Miroslav Satan and Mike York scored power-play goals in the first period to give the Islanders a 2-0 lead. New York held a 40-30 shots advantage, including 20-5 in the first period. Sharp put Philadelphia ahead 3-2 with a slap shot from the right circle. He cut the Flyers' early deficit in half 3:35 into the second period when he fired a shot from almost the same spot. Islanders coach Steve Stirling said Sharp's winner was the result of a defensive zone breakdown. The Islanders scored twice in a 37-second span in the first period. With New York skating with a 5-on-3 advantage, Satan took a centering pass from Alexei Yashin and one-timed a shot past Niittymaki at 14:39.York scored on a slap shot from just inside the blue line at 15:16 with the puck bouncing off Flyers defenseman Joni Pitkanen and into the net. Niittymaki, making his first start since allowing seven goals in an 8-6 loss at Carolina on Oct. 28, was sensational early. He stopped Mark Parrish on a breakaway and then turned away Jason Blake's rebound attempt in the opening minutes. Later, he made a sprawling save on Parrish's close-in attempt. Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock said Philadelphia easily could've been down 5-0 if not for Niittymaki's first-period effort. Jeff Carter tied it 2-2 with 3:07 left in the second. Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro stopped R.J. Umberger's breakaway but couldn't control the rebound. Carter flipped the puck in off defenseman Alexei Zhitnik.


Florida Panthers (6-11-4) vs Philadelphia Flyers (11-3-1)
Final Score: Panthers-4 Flyers-5

*My three stars of the game*
Mike Knuble (2 Goals)
Simon Gagne (1 Goal 1 Assist)
Mike Handzus (2 Assist)

Game Recap: Mike Knuble hopped the boards at the perfect moment for Philadelphia. Knuble scored a short-handed goal with 3.2 seconds left to give the Flyers a 5-4 victory over the slumping Florida Panthers on Saturday night. Knuble jumped off the bench for a shift change, caught the puck and rifled a slap shot from the right circle past a stunned Jamie McLennan to lead the Flyers to their sixth straight win and ninth straight at home. Knuble scored twice, Simon Gagne added his 17th goal, Peter Forsberg had his NHL-best 25th assist and Robert Esche stopped 26 shots. Gagne is tied for the NHL goal lead with the New York Rangers' Jaromir Jagr. The Panthers lost their eighth straight game and have gone nearly three weeks since they last won, against Pittsburgh on Oct. 25. Philadelphia's 5-4 win two nights later started Florida's skid and helped the Flyers skate away to a sensational start. While the Flyers won their fourth straight game by one goal, the Panthers lost by a goal for the fifth time in their losing streak. The Flyers appeared to go ahead in the waning minutes of the third period when the puck slipped past McLennan, but the whistle blew and the refs ruled play was stopped before the goal. Only moments later, Joni Pitkanen was called for hooking and left the Panthers with the advantage, but Knuble scored his 10th goal of the season. Florida's Martin Gelinas tied it at 3 early in the second period when he took a sharp pass from Stephen Weiss in the slot and flicked in his fifth goal of the season. Pitkanen scored on a power play to give the Flyers a 4-3 lead, but Hagman flipped the puck over for Esche for his first goal of the season. So much was expected out of the Flyers this season -- like win a Stanley Cup -- and they've done little to disappoint with an 11-3-1 record. One concern Saturday was how they were unable to hold their leads. Gagne and Knuble scored in a 2:01 span early in the period for a 2-0 lead. But Kristian Huselius and Gary Roberts scored goals 1:17 apart to even the score. Roberts caught Esche leaning and had a wide-open net for his second goal of the season. Jeff Carter made it 3-2 when he took the puck nearly the length of the ice and scored a short-handed goal, his sixth, late in the period. That gave the Flyers a whopping three goals on only six shots.

Week 5 Two games Two WINS

This week was a good week for the Philadelphia Flyers. With only two games this week they won both of them. Starting with the Washington capitals who were spanked 8-1. And following that with a great performance by the team to win a squeaker(4-3) against the Atlanta Thrashers. My one quote of the week is "Foresberg to Gagne" GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL, WOW has this duo been on fire all year. Foresberg has been everything I have expected and was a great addittion to this team. I was sad to see my two favorite players go (Roenick and LeClair) but Ill say that Foresberg has absolutley made me forget how bad I miss them. So with this week approaching, hopefully the flyers can pull out 3 more wins with the Bruins, Islanders, and Panthers all visiting us at the Wachovia Center.

Washington Capitals (6-8-0) vs Philadelphia Flyers (8-3-1)
Final Score Capitals-1 Flyers-8 (WIN)

*My 3 stars of the game*

1. Jeff Carter (2 Goals)
2. Peter Foresberg (1 Goal 2 Assist)
3. Jon Sim (2 Goals)

Game Recap: From feisty goals to finesse ones, Jeff Carter showed he can do it all. Carter, Simon Gagne and Jon Sim each scored twice, leading the Philadelphia Flyers to an 8-1 victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night.Mike Knuble and Peter Forsberg also scored and Robert Esche had 29 saves for the Flyers, who have won three of their last four games and five straight at home.Chris Clark had the only goal for struggling Washington, which has lost six of eight. The Capitals haven't won in Philadelphia since 1998, going 0-14-1 in that span. The Flyers, already missing captain Keith Primeau because of a concussion, lost defenseman Eric Desjardins to a concussion.Carter gave the Flyers a 2-1 lead with a hard-fought goal in the first period. Carter went strong to the net after his slap shot was stopped, outmuscled defenseman Mike Green and backhanded the rebound into the top corner over goalie Brent Johnson. Carter made some nifty moves to score on a short-handed breakaway in the final minute of the first to give the Flyers a 3-1 lead.
He stripped the puck from Alexander Ovechkin, went around defenseman Jamie Heward, skated down the left side, deked defenseman Steve Eminger and beat Johnson for his fourth goal and first multigoal game in the NHL. The Capitals took a 1-0 lead on Clark's goal 3:40 into the game. But the Flyers scored the next eight. Sim knocked a rebound past Johnson to tie it at 1. Gagne scored twice in the second period to put it out of reach. Gagne has 12 goals in 11 games. It took until the 57th game for him to score his 12th in the 2003-04 season, and he finished with 24. His career best is 33 in 2001-02. Forsberg, who came in tied for the league lead with 17 assists, assisted on both of Gagne's goals. From behind the net, Forsberg fed a pass to Gagne for a power-play goal that made it 6-1.

Atlanta Thrashers (4-9-1) vs Philadelphia Flyers(8-3-1)Final Score Thrashers-3 Flyers-4 (WIN)

*My 3 stars of the game*

1. Simon Gagne (3 Goals 1 Assist *HAT TRICK*)
2. Peter Foresberg (1 Goal 2 Assist)
3. Mike Knuble (2 Assist)

Game Recap: Simon Gagne is proving he can be a premier goal scorer in the new NHL.
Gagne had his second career hat trick, and Peter Forsberg added a goal and two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-3 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers. Gagne leads the NHL with 15 goals, and has scored five goals in his last three games. Forsberg leads the league with 21 assists. The Flyers' top line of Gagne, Forsberg and Mike Knuble accounted for three of the Flyers' four goals in the win.Forsberg had assisted on each of Gagne's goals this season before his linemate's second goal.Gagne's first hat trick came in March 2002 in New York against the Rangers, in a game the Flyers lost. Since then, Gagne believes he's developed into a more complete player. Robert Esche made 28 saves and won his fourth straight game for the Flyers.Marian Hossa, Peter Bondra and Serge Aubin scored for Atlanta, and Mike Dunham recorded 14 saves, falling to 2-7-1 overall against the Flyers. Atlanta outshot Philadelphia 26-11 in the last two periods, including 13-3 in the third.
Philadelphia had a two-man advantage when Gagne opened the scoring 3:46 in, redirecting Forsberg's pass and beating Dunham to the stick side. Forsberg added to the lead with less than 2 minutes remaining in the period, scoring his fourth goal on his own rebound after a pass from Gagne. Hossa scored Atlanta's first goal 8 minutes into the second on a power play, beating Esche to the stick side. Hossa, who has six power-play goals this season, has recorded a point in 10 of 14 games. Esche stopped Marc Savard on a breakaway seconds later, preserving Philadelphia's lead. Gagne scored his second goal less than 2 minutes into the third period with Philadelphia on another two-man advantage. He beat Dunham with a shot from the slot. fter Peter Bondra cut the lead to 3-2, Gagne scored his third goal with less than 5 minutes left, beating Dunham while lying on the ice. Serge Aubin made it a 4-3 game 52 seconds later, beating Esche on the short side.

Week 4 Goals Goals and more Goals

The story of this week was the amount of goals scored by both the Flyers and their opponents. 4 games and 36 goals were scored (Flyers scored 18 and thier opponents 18). I liked what I saw in each game and even though 2 losses came about out of the 4 games 1 was in OT and the other game should have down right been won. I did like to see them win against the Senators who are one of the best teams in the NHL this year. Sad to see them let Rod Brindamor and Justin Williams score. I was happy to see Cory Stillman even though he plays for the Hurricanes but he is one of my favortie players because when I went to Canada to play he gave me one on one advice on how to improve. He is a very nice guy. Twice they had the lead against the Hurricanes by 2 goals and they still allowed 8 goals. I am impressed they have as many points as they do with playing about 4 less games. This blog entry is going to give you in detail more about those 4 games.

Montreal Canadians (7-3-1) vs Philadelphia Flyers (5-3-1)
Final Score Candians-3 Flyers-2 (OT Loss)

*My 3 stars of the game*

1. Mike Ribeiro (2 Goals)
2. Mike Richards (1 Goal 1 Assist)
3. Mike Handzus (2 Assist)

Game Recap: Mike Ribeiro and the Montreal Canadiens felt as though they passed a test after rallying for another home win. Ribeiro scored his second goal of the game 2:28 into overtime to give the Canadiens a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night. The Montreal center also tied it midway through the third, taking advantage of a big rebound off goalie Robert Esche. In overtime, the Canadiens had a couple of good chances before Ribeiro finally scored, holding the puck along the right boards before moving out to snap a shot past Esche. Montreal, 4-0 on the road this season, rallied for the third straight game to improve to 7-2-0 overall. Philadelphia, which had won three straight, dropped to 4-2-1. Flyers rookie Mike Richards had a goal and assisted on Brian Savage's goal as Philadelphia scored a pair of power-play goals during a penalty-filled second period to build a 2-1 lead. Michal Handzus assisted on both goals. Referees Blaine Angus and Craig Spada called a total of nine minors between the two teams in the second before calling all five minors in the third against the Flyers. On Montreal's tying goal, Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov spotted Ribeiro behind the Flyers' defense at the Philadelphia blue line and fired a long wrist shot on goal. Esche stopped the shot easily, but left the rebound to his right. Ribeiro swooped in and picked up the puck in the left faceoff circle, moved in on Esche and cut across the goalmouth to tuck the puck inside the right post. Montreal opened the scoring with 4:36 left in the first period, with Pierre Dagenais cutting across the goalmouth from the right corner and rapping Esche's rebound of defenseman Francis Bouillon's point shot off the left post and into the net. The Canadiens were unable to convert any of its four power play chances in the second. The Flyers, who entered the game 25th in the NHL with the man advantage, scored on two of their five power-play opportunities in the period. Richards tied it 5:48 into the second, just 14 seconds after Jan Bulis was sent off for boarding. Handzus set up the goal, holding the puck along the boards before firing a cross-ice pass to an unguarded Richards, who swooped in behind Bouillon and Mathieu Dandenault to redirect the pass into a wide open left side. Richards set up Savage's go-ahead goal with 4:13 left in the period as Philadelphia converted late in a 5-on-3 advantage that left the Canadiens two men short for nearly two minutes. Ribeiro was already in the penalty box serving a double minor for high-sticking Flyers defenseman Kim Johnsson when Alex Kovalev was penalized for delay of game with 5:47 left in the period. Theodore and the Canadiens' three-man penalty killing unit did a good job of fending off the attack when Handzus found Richards to the left of the net after Montreal just failed to clear the zone. Richards fed the puck in front to Savage, who swiped the puck into a wide open net with 23 seconds left in Ribeiro's second penalty.

Florida Panthers (6-4-1) vs Philadelphia Flyers (5-3-1)

Final Score Panthers-4 Flyers-5 OT (WIN)

*My 3 stars of the game*

1. Simon Gagne (2 Goals 1 Assist)
2. Peter Foresberg (1 Goal 2 Assist)
3. Joni Pitkanen (1 Goal 1 Assist)

Game Recap:Peter Forsberg no longer has to be embarrassed with the big zero in the goal column. His first goal with Philadelphia took a little longer than expected, but it could not have come at a better time. Forsberg tied the game with 49 seconds left in regulation and Joni Pitkanen scored early in overtime to lead the Flyers to a 5-4 win over the Florida Panthers on Thursday night. After missing a penalty shot that could have tied it minutes earlier, Forsberg knocked one past Roberto Luongo after the Flyers pulled goalie Robert Esche. Forsberg, the free-agent center who was the centerpiece of a major roster reshuffling, pumped his fists and was mobbed by his teammates. The goal was reviewed, making Forsberg nervous. The Flyers' celebration resumed 1:13 into overtime when Pitkanen scored from the left side. Nathan Horton, Olli Jokinen and Kristian Huselius each scored power-play goals for the Panthers. Martin Gelinas also scored and Luongo stopped 35 shots for the weary Panthers, who will practice this weekend in Kissimmee, Fla., with no home ice available because of Hurricane Wilma. The storm already forced the postponement of Saturday's scheduled home game against Washington, and the Panthers aren't going to play at home until Nov. 9 against the Rangers. The tough loss won't make it any easier to tolerate the unexpected, unwanted six-game road trip. Jeff Carter scored his first career goal and Simon Gagne added his eighth and ninth goals for the Flyers. Philadelphia entered as one of the worst penalty-killing teams in the NHL and continued to struggle. The Flyers killed off only five of Florida's eight power plays. Jokinen gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead midway through the second period when he knocked in his third goal of the season after Pitkanen was whistled for hooking. Gelinas made it 3-1 on Florida's only even-strength goal. After Gagne pulled the Flyers to 3-2 on Philadelphia's lone power-play goal, Philadelphia again was done in by penalties. Keith Primeau was hit with a double-minor in the waning minutes of the second period for holding and unsportsmanlike conduct. With the penalty carrying over into the third, the Panthers again capitalized. Huselius scored from the slot off a rebound, catching Esche out of position. Esche had 30 saves. Gagne made it 4-3 when he scored with each team a man down. Forsberg assisted on both of Gagne's goals, giving him a league-high 14. Gelinas was called for freezing the puck in the crease with 4:28 left in the third, setting up Forsberg's penalty shot. With the crowd standing and going wild, Forsberg couldn't convert -- shooting high and wide of the net. The Panthers wasted little time in scoring on the power play. Horton scored his sixth goal only 10 seconds after Derian Hatcher was called for hooking midway through the first. Carter made it 1-1 on his first goal on the same ice where he led the Flyers' AHL-affiliate Phantoms to the Calder Cup months earlier.

Carolina Hurricanes (8-2-1) vs Philadelphia Flyers (5-3-1)

Final Score Hurricanes-8 Flyers-6 (Loss)

*My 3 stars of the game*

1. Eric Staal (3 Goals "HAT TRICK)
2. Jon Sim (2 Goals)
3. Cory Stillman (1 Goal 1 Assist)

Game Recap: The Carolina Hurricanes are quite comfortable at home when playing from behind. Matt Cullen beat Antero Niittymaki from the right side late in the third period Friday night and Eric Staal had a hat trick as the Hurricanes rallied again and beat the Philadelphia Flyers 8-6. Carolina overcame a two-goal deficit for the third straight game and extended the best start in franchise history (7-2-1). And it proved to be just the latest boost for a team already brimming with confidence. The Hurricanes scored eight goals in a game for the first time since 1996, and have outscored their opponents 16-7 in the third period this season. The team's previous best start after 10 games was a 6-3-1 opening in 1984 as the Hartford Whalers. Carolina had trailed 3-1 before scoring the last three goals in a 4-3 overtime win against Boston on Wednesday, and rallied from a 2-0 deficit in a 3-2 victory over Ottawa on Monday. The Hurricanes pulled this one off despite trailing 2-0 early and 5-3 heading into the third period. They also allowed Philadelphia to get 34 shots on goal and committed 11 penalties, helping the Flyers tally four power-play goals. Cory Stillman had a third-period goal and assisted on Staal's first-period tally, while Rod Brind'Amour also had a final-period score to go with two assists. Jonathan Sim scored twice for the Flyers, who were coming off an overtime win against Florida on Thursday. Both teams were 4-0-1 in their previous five games, with Carolina leading the Southeast Division. They each put on an offensive show in a game that featured 16 power-play opportunities. Ultimately, Cullen, Staal and Stillman kept the Hurricanes unbeaten in five home games, setting a record for consecutive home wins since relocating from Hartford. The Hurricanes outscored the Flyers 5-1 in the final 20 minutes, fighting back with three straight goals to take a 6-5 lead on Staal's third of the night. The Hurricanes then answered Sim's tying goal with Cullen's score. With Carolina on the power play, Cullen took a pass from Oleg Tverdovsky, skated inside of Joni Pitkanen and beat Niittymaki for a power-play goal and a 7-6 lead at 14:45 of the third. Staal -- who turns 21 on Saturday -- got the hat trick when he tried to beat Niittymaki with a wraparound. He recovered the puck and fired a shot directly in front of the crease. Niittymaki made the stop, but Staal got the puck again and fired it in for the 6-5 lead. He scored his second goal when he took a long pass from Wesley and beat Niittymaki midway through the second period as he skated in from the blue line. Staal's first goal came off a short pass from Stillman. He scored from the left side just seconds before the opening period ended. Officials first ruled that the puck bounced off a Philadelphia player, and credited the goal to Stillman. It was changed shortly after the game. Josef Vasicek added an empty-netter to seal it for Carolina, which also got goals from former Flyers Brind'Amour and Justin Williams.

Ottawa Senators (8-2-0) vs Philadelphia Flyers (6-3-1)

Final Score Senators-3 Flyers-5 (WIN)

*My 3 stars of the game*

1. Mike Knuble (2 Goals)
2. Robert Esche (39 saves, Save % .929)
3. Simon Gagne (1 Goal 1 Assist)

Game Recap:Mike Knuble scored twice and Simon Gagne had a goal and an assist to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night. Jeff Carter and Jon Sim also scored for Philadelphia. Peter Forsberg and defensemen Eric Desjardins and Joni Pitkanen each had two assists. Zdeno Chara scored twice and assisted on Wade Redden's goal for Northeast Division-leading Ottawa, which won 8-0 in Toronto one night earlier. Philadelphia, which blew an early 2-0 lead, went back ahead on a power-play 14:52 into the second when Knuble was credited with his fifth goal of the season. The Flyers went up 3-2 as Eric Desjardins' point shot struck Knuble after it deflected off Senators forward Chris Kelly on its way past goalie Dominik Hasek and into the net. Sim scored Philadelphia's third power-play goal of the game at 19:40 of the second period to make it 4-2. Knuble made it a three-goal lead 1:14 into the third. Hasek, who recorded his second shutout of the season against the Maple Leafs, lost for just the second time in eight starts as the Senators suffered their first loss in five home games. Carter opened the scoring at 9:20 of the first period and Gagne made it 2-0 at 14:52, just eight seconds after Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson was sent off for hooking. Chara drew the Senators within 2-1 with a power-play goal at 17:37. The 6-foot-9 defenseman tied it with a similar effort 7:16 into the second. He got his third point of the game as Ottawa drew to within two midway through the third, combining with Alfredsson to set up Redden's fifth of the season on a power play at 9:58.

Week 3 One Game One Win

Well only one game this week Im sort of wanting to see more of my Flyers but as long as they are winning I will watch them anytime. It was nice to see them rebound and beat the Leafs after being defeated just a 2 games prior to that. Cant believe they allowed Lindros to score again but hey winning the war was nicer then losing the battle. Im defiently looking forward to the 4 games upcoming (Canadians, Panthers, Pantheres, and Senators). This week was showdown was as follwed:

Toronto Maple Leafs (4-2-2) vs Philadelphia Flyers (4-2-0)
Final Score Leafs -2 Flyers-5 (WIN)

*My 3 stars of the game*

1. Branko Radivojevic (1 Goal 1 Assist)
2. Eric Desjardan (1 Goal 1 Assist)
3. Donald Brasher (1 Goal 1 Assist)

Game Recap: Peter Forsberg hasn't scored yet for the Philadelphia Flyers this season, but it hasn't mattered. Donald Brashear had a goal and an assist in the third period and the Flyers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 for their third straight victory. Forsberg has no goals in six games, but he leads the team with 12 assists. Forsberg, a perennial All-Star and the league's most valuable player in 2003, left the Colorado Avalanche during the offseason to sign a two-year, $11.5 million contract with the Flyers.He remembered one year when he didn't score until his ninth game.But his line with the Flyers has 29 points. He had two assists against Toronto. Knuble, Mike Richards, Eric Desjardins, and Branko Radivojevic also scored for the Flyers, who played their first game since last Saturday. They spent part of the week taking part in team-building activities at the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.
Tomas Kaberle and Eric Lindros had goals for the Maple Leafs, who had their four-game win streak snapped. Lindros has seven goals in eight games with his hometown team.He spent his first nine NHL seasons with Philadelphia and was the league MVP in 1995. A bitter dispute with general manager Bob Clarke led to Lindros being traded to the New York Rangers in the summer of 2001. Lindros signed with the Maple Leafs after the lockout ended.After Lindros tied it at 2 at 1:27 of the third, the Flyers scored three straight goals to put the game away.Gagne put a rebound off Knuble and in at 3:46. Brashear tipped Desjardins' shot from the point at 6:07 of the third, and he assisted on Radivojevic's goal at 15:33. Kaberle's one-timer on the power play gave Toronto a 1-0 lead at 10:46 of the first, but Desjardins tied it on the power play with a one-timer on a power play at 13:38 of the second. After Toronto' Jeff O'Neill turned the puck over in Philadelphia's end in the second, Richards skated up the ice and put a weak wrist shot off the cross bar and past goalie Ed Belfour with 2:39 left in the period. Lindros tied it at 2 at 1:27 of the third by putting a one-timer past goalie Robert Esche. McCabe recorded his 11th assist on the play. He is among league leaders with 13 points.

Week 2 Getting a little better

This week in Flyers world was a little better looking then the first. I am impressed with the Simon Gagne line where he is leading the points in the NHL. Disappointing loss to Toronto and to add salt to the wound we let Eric Lindros score. That’s like letting the devil into church. Life goes on though and brings on the Penguins where Nittymaki needs to stop watching Foresbergs replays on the big screen. If you watched the game you would indeed agree when a goal was scored off of a face-off at the neutral zone and slap shot from above the blue line went squealing by to tie the game at 5-5. Finally a nice win against the Islanders sure put us in a good setup to start week 3 of the NHL. (oh yea congrats to Esche for FINALLY getting his 1st win of the season).

Game # 3 Toronto Maple Leafs (3-1-2) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (2-2-0)
Final Score Leafs-4 Flyers-2 (Loss)

*My 3 stars of the game*
1) Simon Gagne (1 Goal 1 Assist)
2) Jeff O Neill (1 Goal 1 Assist)
3) Mike Knuble (1 Goal)

Game Recap: The game seemed to be following the right script for ultimate success for the Flyers, but then came the third period. The idea of a rested team battling a weary team would seem to mean good things for the Flyers in their game against the Maple Leafs. Toronto played last night, losing a 6-5 shootout decision in Ottawa, while the Flyersin almost a week. For the third consecutive game, the Flyers allowed the first goal of the contest as Toronto’s Darcy Tucker scored an even-strength goal at 7:38 of the first period. The Flyers battled back as Mike Knuble scored a shorthanded goal as Eric Desjardins was serving a two-minute minor penalty for tripping. Left wing Simon Gagne centered a pass from the left faceoff circle to Knuble who was planted in the crease in front of Toronto goaltender Mikael Tellqvist. Knuble batted Gagne’s pass into the open side of the net for his second goal of the season. Flyers defenseman Randy Jones posted an assist on Knuble's goal for his first career NHL point. Flyers again found themselves down a goal early in a period as Toronto’s Kyle Wellwood scored his first career NHL goal at 4:16 of the second period. Gagne then scored for the third consecutive game to tie the score at 2-2 with just over two minutes to play in the second period. The Flyers outshot the Maple Leafs, 25 to 14, through two periods of play and seemed to be the fresher team as the teams entered the second intermission. An uneventful third period was interrupted at 6:45 as Flyers center Mike Richards was called for hooking as a Maple Leaf defenseman fell behind his net as Richards reached for the puck. Toronto took quick advantage of the call as Jeff O’Neill hammered a one-timer past Flyers goaltender Robert Esche at 7:34. Defenseman Bryan McCabe sent a cross-ice pass from the right point to O’Neill who was waiting to shoot at the left point. The Flyers were again on the wrong end of a referee’s call as Gagne was called for tripping at 11:09. As Gagne battled Toronto’s Tie Domi behind the Flyers net, Domi fell to the ice and Gagne was whistled for the two-minute penalty. The Flyers seemed to successfully kill off the penalty as the puck came to Eric Lindros in the right face-off circle. Lindros closed in on Esche and fired a shot short side past the Flyers goaltender to give the Maple Leafs a two-goal lead, 4-2, as the Flyers' penalty expired. The Flyers failed to mount much of an attack over the final seven minutes of the game and suffered their second loss in three games.

Game # 4 Pittsburgh Penguins (0-2-4) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (3-2-0)
Final Score Penguins-5 Flyers-6 OT (WIN)

My 3 stars of the game
1) Simon Gagne (2 Goals 2 Assists
2) Peter Foresberg (4 Assists)
3) Mike Rajthe (1 Goal Game Winner in OT 1 Assist)

Game Recap: A fluke goal and impressive comeback weren't enough to end Pittsburgh's winless streak. Mike Rathje scored a power-play goal 3:17 into overtime, leading the Philadelphia Flyers to a 6-5 victory over the Penguins. Maxime Talbot's goal from the other side of center ice with 8:03 left in regulation completed Pittsburgh's rally from a four-goal deficit, but the Penguins (0-1-4) couldn't pull out their first victory in their fourth consecutive overtime game. Shortly after the Penguins killed Philadelphia's two-man advantage in the extra session, Rathje took a slap shot that bounced in off the crossbar. Simon Gagne had two goals and two assists, and Keith Primeau, Joni Pitkanen and Derian Hatcher also scored for Philadelphia, which won for the second time in four games. Sidney Crosby, John LeClair, Ryan Malone and Dick Tarnstrom also scored for Pittsburgh. The Penguins, who fell behind 5-1 early in the second period, tied it when Talbot, after winning a faceoff, flicked a shot from beyond center ice that bounced off unaware goaltender Antero Niittymaki and in for his first career goal. Talbot said he was just dumping the puck into Philadelphia's zone for a line change.
Niittymaki said he was watching a replay on the video screen and didn't see the shot. The Penguins closed within 5-4 when Tarnstrom scored during a two-man advantage 5:20 into the third. Malone and Crosby scored 57 seconds apart in the second period, and Pittsburgh had a goal early in the third disallowed. Penguins goaltender Sebastien Caron made an outstanding, sprawling save with 1:11 left to preserve the regulation tie. After a shot hit the post, Caron, while laying flat on his back, reached around and gloved a rebound shot by Brian Savage.
Primeau and Pitkanen scored to put the Flyers ahead 2-0 in the first. LeClair's goal with :03 left in the first cut it to 2-1. But Gagne answered with a pair of goals early in the second.
Forsberg set up both with nifty passes, and finished with four assists for nine this season. Forsberg slid a crossing pass to Gagne, who one-timed a shot from the side of the net into the top corner. Just 2½ minutes later, Forsberg and Gagne played give-and-go around Zigmund Palffy, with Gagne scoring on a wrister for his sixth goal. Caron replaced Marc-Andre Fleury in net after the goal. Gagne and Hatcher broke in short-handed midway through the second. Hatcher took a pass from Gagne and his shot deflected off defenseman Ric Jackman's skate into the net to give the Flyers a 5-1 lead. LeClair, a five-time All-Star in 9½ seasons with the Flyers, and Mark Recchi, whose second stint in Philadelphia lasted five-plus seasons, played against their former team for the first time since signing with the Penguins in the offseason.

Game #5 New York Islanders (2-3-0) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (3-2-0)
Final Score: Islanders-1 Flyers-5 (WIN)

*My 3 stars of the game*
1) Michal Handzus (2 Goals)
2) Kim Johnsson (1 Goal 1 Assist)
3) Robert Esche (20 Shots 1 Goal Allowed Save %-.950)

Game Recap: Philadelphia kept building its lead instead of blowing it. The Flyers showed how quickly they learned the importance of playing with a purpose for all 60 minutes. Michal Handzus scored twice and Simon Gagne added his NHL-leading seventh goal to lead the Flyers to a 5-1 victory over the Islanders. One night after blowing a four-goal, second-period lead in an overtime win against Pittsburgh, the Flyers dominated all three periods and showed no signs of letting New York rally. Robert stopped 19 shots for the Flyers, who out shot the Islanders 46-20.Handzus scored the first and last goals of a four-goal first period for the Flyers. He gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead off a one-timer on a pass from Richards. New York's Mike York tied on a two-man advantage, but the Flyers took over from there. After the Islanders had the first four power plays, the Flyers had the next seven. Philadelphia scored twice off the power play on 12 attempts. The Islanders failed to score with a 5-on-3 advantage with the score tied and couldn't covert on seven other attempts. Penalties continued to be a problem for both teams, with 27 combined penalties for 68 minutes called in the game. With players shuffling in and out of the lineup and players skating hard to kill of the advantage, Hitchcock worries about the stamina of his team. He's playing all three lines more than he has in the past. With goalie Rick DiPietro out with a concussion, the Islanders turned to backup Garth Snow. Snow couldn't keep up with a Flyers' offense scoring from all angles. Keith passed the puck out from behind the net to Patrick Sharp, who scored a power-play goal for a 2-1 lead. Kim Johnsson scored less than 3 minutes later for a 3-1 lead. Then Handzus scored the nicest goal of the game. He knocked his shot off Snow's leg and the puck bounced back as his body slid across the crease. Handzus reached back with his stick as far as it could go and tapped it in for a 4-1 lead. After the Islanders were called for interference and a holding penalty, Gagne scored his seventh goal, redirected from Eric Desjardins' pass that made it 5-1.Gagne has scored a goal in all five games. He said he had no idea he was leading the league in scoring until earlier in the day.

Week 1 Same Old FLYERS!!!!!

Week 1 got of to a very disappointing start with losing to the Rangers after being up 3-1. Robert Esche broke down and the Flyers showed their weakness once again "GOAL TENDING" With the new rule improvements it is meant for more goals to be scored and with the weakness in net for Philadelphia we might be in big trouble. After game 2 against the Devils it looked a little more promising but still all it showed is we can come from behind. Even though we are 2 games in the new rules might hurt the Flyers in the long run but only time will tell. The rest of this post will recap those first 2 games.

Game #1 New York Rangers (1-0) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (0-1)
Final Score Rangers-5 Flyers-3 (Loss)

*My 3 stars of the game*
1) Jaromir Jagr (2 Goals 1 Assist)
2) Simon Gagne (1 Goal)
3) Mike Richards (1 Goal)

Game Recap: Once Jaromir Jagr figured out how to spend more time in the offensive zone than the penalty box, he spoiled Peter Forsberg's Philadelphia debut. Jagr scored a pair of power-play goals in the third period, leading the New York Rangers to a 5-3 victory over the Flyers on opening night as the NHL returned after a lockout canceled the 2004-05 season. Jason Strudwick, Jamie Lundmark and Marcel Hossa also scored for the Rangers, who overcame a two-goal deficit with four straight goals. Forsberg had two assists in his first game with the Flyers after leaving Colorado, where he helped lead the Avalanche to two Stanley Cup championships. Mike Richards, Mike Knuble and Simon Gagne scored for the Flyers, who hadn't played a game that counted since losing Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Tampa Bay 16½ months ago. With Forsberg in the penalty box for tripping, the Rangers went ahead 4-3 on Jagr's second goal with 8:34 remaining. Jagr wristed a shot from inside the right faceoff circle past goaltender Robert Esche. Hossa gave the Rangers a two-goal lead 33 seconds later, stunning a sellout crowd of 19,821 fans that turned out to see the new-look Flyers. Philadelphia general manager Bob Clarke quickly revamped the roster once the lockout ended, putting together a team that came in as a strong favorite to win the Stanley Cup. The Flyers added Forsberg, Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje while letting go veterans John LeClair, Mark Recchi, Jeremy Roenick and Tony Amonte. They also brought up highly touted rookies Jeff Carter and Richards from the AHL champion Philadelphia Phantoms. But the Rangers weren't intimidated. New York tied it at 3 on Jagr's first power-play goal early in the third. Just 13 seconds into the man-advantage, Jagr snapped a wrist shot past Esche.
Lundmark's goal following an errant clearing pass by Carter in the second period cut it to 3-2. Forsberg, who was the 2002-03 NHL MVP and arguably the best player in the league, showed off his impeccable passing skills with a pair of assists in the opening 15 minutes. Forsberg picked up a loose puck after New York's Jed Ortmeyer turned it over, skated down the left side and slipped a pass to Gagne, who one-timed a shot inside the right post to tie it. The Flyers capitalized on a two-man advantage to take a 2-1 lead 2:15 later. With Jagr and Kasparaitis in the penalty box, Eric Desjardins sent a pass into the right faceoff circle to Forsberg, who fed it to Knuble in the slot. Knuble one-timed a shot past goalie Kevin Weekes for his first goal since joining the Flyers after spending the last four-plus seasons with Boston. Richards made it 3-1 in the second period with a hard-fought goal. Richards took an outlet pass from Desjardins, outmuscled defenseman Fedor Tyutin and lifted a shot over Weekes' left shoulder. Esche stoned Michael Nylander on a penalty shot after Forsberg pulled him down on a breakaway in the second period. Strudwick gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead midway through the first. He slapped a shot from just inside the blue line that took a tricky bounce off the ice and went past Esche. There was no lingering resentment over the lockout in Philly. Known for their loyalty and devotion to the Flyers in a city that's notoriously tough on its teams, orange-clad fans filled the Wachovia Center and welcomed back the defending Atlantic Division champions with rousing ovations and familiar chants of "Let's Go Flyers!" They roared when Forsberg was introduced during an electrifying pregame ceremony that included a video montage reflected off the ice. And they taunted Jagr and cheered loudly -- no surprise -- when Donald Brashear sent the perennial All-Star to the ice with a hard check in the first period. Midway through the third, the first boos were heard after New York tied it up and controlled play for several minutes. The boos grew louder after the Rangers took the lead.

Game# 2 New Jersey Devils (1-1) vs. Philadelphia Flyers(1-1)
Final Score Devils-2 Flyers-5 (WIN)

*My 3 stars of the game*
1) Simon Gagne (2 Goals)
2) Michael Handzus (1 Goal 1 Assist)
3) Antero Niittymaki (26 saves 2 goals allowed .929 Save %)

Game Recap: Simon Gagne is benefiting from Peter Forsberg's presence.Gagne scored twice and Jon Sim had the go-ahead goal, leading the Philadelphia Flyers to a 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Friday night. Michal Handzus and Turner Stevenson also had goals for the Flyers, who scored five straight. Jamie Langenbrunner and Alexander Mogilny netted power-play goals to give New Jersey a 2-0 lead. Forsberg, the Flyers' biggest offseason acquisition, has four assists in two games. Three have come on goals by Gagne. Sim put the Flyers ahead 3-2 just 39 seconds into the third period. Sim took a pass from behind the net from Mike Richards and lifted a slap shot past goaltender Martin Brodeur. Handzus gave Philadelphia a two-goal cushion, beating Brodeur with a shot on the stick side almost six minutes later. Stevenson, a former Devils player, scored on a short-handed breakaway to seal the victory. The Flyers and Devils last met in the first round of the 2003-04 playoffs. Philadelphia eliminated its longtime nemesis in five games and went all the way to the seventh game of the Eastern Conference Finals, before losing to eventual Stanley Cup winner Tampa Bay. New Jersey, which won the Cup in 2003, is trying to overcome losing defensemen Scott Stevens (retired) and Scott Niedermayer (Anaheim). Gagne tied it at 2 with help from a video replay late in the second. He wristed a shot that was knocked down by defenseman Richard Matvichuk. But Matvichuk kicked the puck under Brodeur then pulled it out with his glove from behind the goal line. Gagne was awarded his third goal after the replay. Gagne cut the Flyers' deficit to 2-1 midway through the second, backhanding a shot past Brodeur after a nifty pass from Forsberg across the front of the net. Langenbrunner gave the Devils a 1-0 lead 3:07 in. He deflected a shot from the point by Paul Martin past goaltender Antero Niittymaki. Mogilny made it 2-0 with a one-timer off a pass from Martin early in the second. Both of New Jersey's goals were scored with defenseman Chris Therien in the penalty box. In the first, the Flyers had a goal by Sim nullified because the whistle had blown. Right before that, Brian Savage hit the post with a slap shot. Niittymaki, who helped the Philadelphia Phantoms win the AHL championship last spring, made 26 saves.