Mike Richards scored with 3 seconds left in overtime to give the Philadelphia Flyers a 2-1 win over the Bruins on Saturday night at TD Garden.
After almost two periods of scoreless hockey, James van Riemsdyk netted the game's first goal for the Flyers at 18:39 of the second period. Jeff Carter carried the puck deep into the zone on the left wing on a 3-on-2. Both Dennis Siedenberg and Andrew Ference collapsed on Braydon Coburn, who was driving to the net, leaving van Riemsdyk wide open in the slot for a one-timer. The goal was the UNH product's 5th of the season.
The Bruins finally got on the board and tied the game up at 1-1 9:43 into the third period on a goal from Nathan Horton. Milan Lucic's attempted centering pass from the right wing was batted down by Chris Pronger in the slot. Pronger could not control the puck and Horton poked it off the stick of Pronger and up to David Krejci. Krejci left the puck for Horton, who fired a quick wrister that beat Brian Boucher up high on the glove side.
With the game tied after 60 minutes of hockey, the game went to overtime. In overtime, Mike Richards gave the Flyers the win with a goal with just 3 seconds left on the clock. Marc Savard had the puck in the offensive zone along the left wing boards. Savard left a drop pass to absolutely no one, allowing the Flyers to have one final rush up the ice. Richards took the puck up the right wing, waited for the trailers to join the play, sold the pass, and took a quick snap shot from the right circle for his 11th goal of the season.
Notes:
- I can't figure out how Claude Giroux was credited with the primary assist on James van Riemsdyk's goal. It was clearly a pass from Carter. I don't even think Giroux was in the offensive zone.
- There was very scary moment early in the second period when Jody Shelley hit Adam McQuaid from behind with a cross-check while the two players were racing for the touch-up on an icing call. McQuaid went crashing hard head-first into the boards. He left the game briefly to be looked at by the training staff, but later returned. Shelley was given a 5-minute major for hitting from behind and a game misconduct. I've always been a proponent of keeping touch-up icing, but plays like this certainly make a case for no-touch icing. This was just a reckless, unnecessary play by Shelley. Thankfully, the outcome was not worse.
- Who was Savard passing that puck to? There was nobody on that side of the ice. Johnny Boychuck had driven to the net and Dennis Seidenberg was stationed at the right point.
- Tim Thomas made 31 saves in the loss.
- Tyler Seguin missed the game with flu-like symptoms.
- Steven Kampfer blocked 5 shots.
- The Bruins are back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres.
- For more on this game, head over to Broad Street Hockey