Simon Gagne's OT goal extends series for Flyers; Bruins fall 5-4

Mark Recchi tied it up for the Bruins in the final minute of the third period to force overtime, but it was Simon Gagne in his first game back from a toe injury that would prove to be the game's hero. Gagne's game-winner in overtime gave the Phildelphia Flyers a 5-4 win over the Bruins in Game 4 to avoid the sweep and extend the series to Game 5 in Boston.

Mark Recchi gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead 15:37 into the game when he went top shelf ("where momma keeps the peanut butter and where I hide the pornos"). Flyers goalie Brian Boucher made a diving pokecheck to take the puck off Patrice Bergeron's stick, but the puck found it's way to Recchi in the slot. Recchi roofed a shot over the Philly netminder for his 5th goal of the postseason.

The Flyers knotted up at 1-1 with 53 seconds left in the first period. Daniel Briere's snap shot from the right circle found it's way past Tuukka Rask to even the game up before the first break. I think this is one that Rask wishes he could have back. I thought he had a pretty clear look at the shooter.

Chris Pronger gave the Flyers a 2-1 lead 4:28 into the second period with a slapper from the point. Simon Gagne cleanly won the face-off against Vladmir Sobotka. Daneil Carcillo got the puck off the draw at the right wing and dropped it back to Matt Carle, who sent it across to Pronger for the slap shot. Their was some traffic in front of Rask and it looked like the puck may have deflected off  Bruins defenseman Mark Stuart.

Philadelphia extended their lead to 3-1 a few minutes later at 8:35 of the second period. Scott Hartnell kicked the puck out to the front of the Boston net just as Claude Giroux was driving to the goal. Giroux was able to chip the puck over Rask who was sprawling on the ice with a crowd of players around his crease.

The Bruins cut the Philly lead to one 2:21 later on a strange play that led to a goal by Michael Ryder. Ryder's snap shot missed the net wide right and the puck caromed straight back off the end boards. Brian Boucher could not handle the rebound and the puck trickled past the goal line to make it 3-2. Vladimir Sobotka was on the scene at the edge of Boucher's crease, but did not touch the puck. Michael Ryder was credited with his 3rd goal of the playoffs.

Milan Lucic tied it up at 3-3 3:49 into the third. Dennis Wideman floated a soft wrister from the left point towards the net and Lucic deflected it from the slot past Boucher. The goal was Lucic's 2nd of the playoffs.

Chris Pronger's off-speed wrister from out near the blue line was deflected over the glove of Tuuka Rask by Ville Leino to make it 4-3 Flyers with 5:40 left in the third period.

With the Bruins down 4-3 with 32 seconds left in the third period and Tuukka Rask off for the extra attacker, Mark Recchi tied it at 4-4 on a bang-bang play. Patrice Bergeron's pass from the left circle found Recchi down low at the right post. Recchi buried his tough angle shot to send the game to overtime.

Simon Gagne got the game-winner for the Flyers 14:40 into overtime. Matt Carle's pass from the high slot found Gagne all alone in front of the net and Gagne redirected the puck past Tuukka Rask to keep the Flyers' alive in the best of seven series.

Notes:

- That was a playoff hockey game! The B's ended up on the wrong side of this one, but that was a fun game to watch.

- Mark Stuart return to the lineup after missing significant time with an infected finger. He finished the night with 9:46 of ice time and a -2

- Tuukka Rask made 29 saves, including several big stops in overtime.

- Zdeno Chara made a great play late in the second period to swat a puck out of mid-air with his glove and clear it out of the crease.

- Former Bruins defenseman and Stanley Cup of Chowder fan Aaron Ward was working as a studio analyst for Versus tonight.

- This series has a new villain. Darren Powe ran Marc Savard from behind into the boards and was tagged with a boarding minor in overtime. If that wasn't overtime, I think he would have gotten a much steeper penalty, but it would not have been doled out by anyone in a striped shirt.

- Matt Carle had 4 assists and was a +5 on the night.

- Johnny Boychuk blocked 8 shots.

- Dennis Wideman logged a game-high 33:13

- For more on tonight's game from a happier bunch of hockey scribes check out Broad Street Hockey

- Game 5 is Monday night in Boston (7:00, NESN)