Big Mistake May Have Cost Montreal Canadiens Critical Win in Game 5

Only a minute into the game, it looked like the Habs were ready to fight for their lives as they scored their first goal.  But it didn’t take them long to fight a little too hard.

The Canadiens’ Jaroslav Halak was a bit too aggressive when trying to keep the Flyers from scoring soon after the Habs’ goal.  Mike Richards broke away from Halak’s defense and put himself in a one on one situation with Halak.  As Halak came out from the net to meet the Flyers captain, one of his defensemen flew in to help.

It was obvious that both Habs players were focused on the puck as they collided and Richards flew past them.  The open net opportunity was too good a chance for the Flyers and they tied the game less than five minutes in.

The whole first period had a desperate overtone to it from both teams and there were multiple penalties.

It was nearly a tennis match on ice with both ends of the rink being used extensively and the puck not staying on one side for more than a minute or two. 

When the puck was on the Flyers side, it looked like there were five goalies in the net.  The players surrounded Leighton and worked overly hard to make sure the puck did not get through to where the goalie could touch it.  The Canadiens found a few openings in the man made wall, but no shot ever hit its mark.

The beginning of the second period was physical and started with a goal by Asham to take the lead for the Flyers.  The Flyers scored again only 4:30 into the second with a nice pass from behind the net.  The Canadiens seemed to lose a little fire with two goals against them so close together and the Flyers took command. 

Their dominance of the second was intensified when they gained a two-man advantage with 3:30 left in the period.  The Flyers made shot after shot on goal until the two-man advantage was over (but a power play was still in effect) but they never scored.  Once the Canadiens gained another player, the Flyers weren’t as dominate but still played like they owned the puck.

The Canadiens came out with a vengeance in the third period.  It looked like their spirit had come back after a pep talk in the locker room during intermission.  They played more physical and tried to steal the puck whenever they had a chance.  The Flyers counteracted every move the Habs attempted to make and protected their net with multiple men.

The Canadiens’ Scott Gomez snuck through and scored a goal with 13:07 left in the period much to the chagrin of the Flyer fans.  Both teams seemed to be fired up by the goal with the Flyers playing more defensively and the Canadiens keeping the puck down on the orange side of the ice. 

The Flyers’ Pronger accidentally hit P.K. Subban eleven minutes into the period and earned a four-minute penalty when it was found Subban was bleeding.  The Flyers penalty killers did their job by keeping the four-minute power play goalless while also sending a Canadien player to the penalty box for tripping.

The game ended with a score of 4-2 in favor of the Flyers with a last minute empty net goal.  But Canadien players and fans have to be wondering what would have happened if the Flyers wouldn’t have scored during the accidental open net early in the first.

The Flyers are making their first appearance in the Stanley Cup finals since 1997 and will be meeting the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday away from home.  And for all you wondering, Flyers captain Mike Richards did pick up the trophy.  The question now is, did he just jinx his team or did Crosby break the jinx forever when he picked it up last year?