Flyers February 28-March 6 Game Thread

[mplant]

For the Philadelphia Flyers, the month of February ended with the team going through its first extended rough patch of the season. Though they're still winning more often than not, the quality of play has taken a noticeable dip recently. As the season enters the home stretch, the Flyers will look to turn things around and further solidify their place atop the Eastern Conference

After four days off, the Flyers will close out the week with three games in four days against opponents they have gone a combined 8-0 against so far this season. Here's a look at the matchups

Thursday, March 3: Toronto Maple Leafs (7:00, Comcast SportsNet)
Saturday, March 5: Buffalo Sabres (1:00, Comcast SportsNet)
Sunday, March 6: at New York Rangers (12:30, NBC)

This will be the third of four meetings between the Flyers and Maple Leafs this season. The Flyers skated off with three-goal victories in both previous matchups, winning 5-2 at the Wells Fargo Center on October 23 and 4-1 at Air Canada Centre on December 9. The teams won't have to wait very long to see each other again, as they'll wrap up the season series in Toronto on March 10...Like the Maple Leafs, the Flyers will be facing off against the Sabres for the third time this season. Also like the Maple Leafs, the Flyers have won both previous meetings with the Sabres this season by a three-goal margin. The Orange and Black picked up a 6-3 victory at home on October 26 and shuffled off with a 5-2 win in Buffalo on January 11. The season series will conclude on April 8 in Buffalo, which will be the next-to-last game of the regular season, and final road game...The Flyers and Rangers will be meeting for the fifth of sixth regular season games between the teams. It's been all Flyers in the season series to this point, as they're 4-0 against the Rangers thus far. The Orange and Black defeated the Broadway Blueshirts at the Wells Fargo Center by matching 4-1 scores on November 4 and December 18 and have also picked up a pair of victories at Madison Square Garden, 3-2 on January 16 and 4-2 on February 20. The teams will wrap up the season series on April 3 in Philadelphia

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No Carcillo, Carter, or Powe with the flu. JVR was originally out with a lower body injury but will play now. Ben Holmstrom called up to make his debut. Pronger and Betts are back

[Jimmerz]

Bob just made a huge save in the 2nd on a Leafs PP. That is all.

[Jimmerz]

Holy shit Bob is making crazy saves

[Jimmerz]

Versteeg giving the Leafs the old FU!

[Jimmerz]

.. and there's the weak goal late in the 3rd. Flyers down 3-2.

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Sorry to leave you hanging, Jimmerz. Had some unexpected company last night

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Work stuff today, will try to check in from time to time for this one against the Sabres

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Carter and Powe back

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Underway against the Sabres

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Flyers had a power play, negated by a highly questionable hooking call on Carle, then Powe goes for interference. Sabres with a 5-on-3 for 1:10

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Vanek with a redirection, Stafford with a poke, Bobrovsky says no twice

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Ennis skates in with speed, but is crushed by Richards before he can get a shot off. Richards then swipes the puck out of the zone. Nice shift from the captain there

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Another power play coming up, Morrisonn goes for delay of game

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Carter and Briere creating traffic in front, deflection finds its way to Miller

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SCORE! Loose puck in front makes its way to Versteeg, who deposits it into the yawning net for the game's first goal. Power play goal

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SCORE! JVR with a pretty backhander up and over Miller to make it 2-0. Didn't look like he had much to shoot at, but he squeezed it in there somehow

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Myers gets sticked and bloodied. He was already down, which is why there was no high stick called

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Versteeg interfered with, Flyers will get a power play late in the first

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Leopold gets the gate

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ae0l5wTwb7s/RnwHgZuUrwI/AAAAAAAAAGY/-holwNPuEUY/s320/PDVD_004.BMP

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On second look, Myers was struck by a teammate

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The first period comes to a close. Good one for the Flyers, who lead 2-0 after 20 minutes

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I've seen this Lisa Hillary and Andreas Nodl skating thing entirely too much. Whatever happened to Coatsey's Corner?

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Second period underway

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Stafford gets the Sabres on the board as he beats Bobrovsky top shelf nearly seven minutes into the second

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Ennis sends one towards the net, Kaleta takes a header into the net. The puck ends up in there, too. Looked like it may have been off O'Donnell. At any rate, the game is tied, 2-2

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Buffalo goal credited to Ennis

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Bobrovsky with one save on Sekera, but he regains control and wraps the puck around the other side to give the Sabres a 3-2 lead. Unreal

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Timeout Flyers. Laviolette looks somewhat calm. Gum stays in

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Little scrum around the net, Hartnell and Kaleta to the box

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Versteeg is going to get called for a goalie interference penalty. Made light contact with Miller, possibly before the whistle blew. Ay-yi-yi

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SCORE! Vanek alone, denied by Bobrovsky. Coburn and Timonen 2-on-1 the other way, Miller makes the initial save on Timonen, Coburn chases down the puck and finds Timonen again, who fires past Miller for a shorthanded goal, the 100th of is career. We're tied, 3-3 and man did the Flyers need that

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Giroux and JVR 2-on-1, Giroux's pass is broken up. Looked like Giroux had some net to shoot at

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Ennis in alone, off the post

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Giroux turns it over to Connolly, save Bobrovsky

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The second period comes to a close. After 40 minutes, it's a 3-3 tie

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They really need to come up with new material for between periods

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Third period underway

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Leino with a laser, glove save Miller

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Sabres with a 3-on-1, Bobrovsky gets enough of Gaustad's shot to keep it out

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Sabres go back ahead as Vanek threads the needle to Pominville in front of the net

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Flyers catch a break as Miller clears the puck into the stands. That's a delay of game, can they capitalize?

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Stafford in unmolested, Bobrovsky denies him twice

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Bobrovsky out

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Sabres ice the puck with 1:17 left

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Sabres win the faceoff and quickly get the puck out of the zone, Gaustad flips to Gerbe for a slam dunk into the empty net, 5-3

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Last minute of play in the third period

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Bobrovsky out again

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Time runs out on this one. Flyers lose their third straight in regulation for the second time this season as the Sabres come back to win it, 5-3. Quick turnaround for the Orange and Black, they'll try to bounce back tomorrow against the Rangers in Manhattan

[Jimmerz]

off to a great start @ MSG. heads officially in their asses right now..

[Jimmerz]

garbage

[mplant]

Was kind of coming and going yesterday, so I didn't get to see much of that abomination. Probably a good thing. Hopefully that's the low point and things pick up from here

[Jimmerz]

I had to turn it off.