From: seth@cbnewsh.cb.att.com (peter.r.clark..jr)
Subject: FLYERS notes 11/16
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 05:38:38 GMT


What a weekend for the FLYERS!

First, Saturday night at the forum in Montreal...

No lineup changes or injury status changes. Roussel gets the start
after the bad game from Beauregard vs the Islanders.

Claude Boivin opened the scoring for the FLYERS (two in a row they
scored first! what the heck's goin' on here?) when Yushkevich pushed
the puck forward to Keith Acton. Acton either was making a weak shot
from about 15 feet, or he was trying to pass to Brown who was being
tied up, but the puck went off the Montreal defender and caromed onto
the stick of Boivin. Boivin crossed right to left in front of Roy,
then shot right and threaded the needle to give the FLYERS a 1-0
lead at 2:56.

Brent Fedyk made it 2-0 (from Benning and McGill) at 8:58, and for
the first time this season the FLYER carried a lead into period 2,
a 2 goal lead as well!!!

Although the shot totals were close, the Canadiens only had one decent
scoring chance. Other than that, the first period was all FLYERS. It was
also a penalty free 1st period.

John LeClair, who was being pounded into the ice by Lindros all night,
got some revenge as he got Montreal on the board when Benning mishandled
behind the FLYERS net and sent a weak clearing pass onto a Montreal stick.
Muller got a shot off, and LeClair pumped home the rebound.

But then it was the crazy 8's line who got back the 2 goal lead with only
1:18 left in the second. Recchi and Lindros dug the puck out of the corner
and handed it to Fedyk. All of the Montreal players picked up somebody,
but nobody went after Fedyk who moved out from the boards left to right
and shot left and beat Roy. The Canadiens failed to convert on the only
power play of the period (Stewart really let them play).

This period was all Canadiens until about the last 5 minutes.

In the 3rd, the FLYERS seemed in control. But in a prophetic moment, I
had just been thinking to myself earlier in the day that I like the FLYERS
chances with a 1 goal lead, and I like them a lot with a 3 goal lead :-),
but a 2 goal lead could be trouble. Why? Because with a relatively young
team, there is a tendancy to try and sit on that lead, and when you give
up the first goal, it makes you risk panicking and trying to just sit harder.

So there they are with a two goal lead with time running out, and wouldn't
you know it, the FLYERS give up yet another too many men on the ice penalty
at 12:36. And sure enough on the ensuing power play, Stephane Lebeau takes
a feed from Savard and makes it 3-2. Exactly 3 minutes later, Muller gets
a shot off, Desjardins hacks the rebound to the point, and former FLYER
J.J. Daigneault fires a long slapshot by a screened Roussel to tie the game
at 17:24. Montreal outshot the FLYERS in the period, but I'd be willing to
bet that a good portion of those shots came in the last 8 minutes.

But during the 2 minute break before OT, somebody musta reminded Roy that
he's never beaten the FLYERS in 11 previous tries, and the the FLYERS haven't
lost at the forum since 1987 (!). All regular season.

In the OT, Montreal got the first shot, but Kevin Dineen got the only one that
mattered. Skating 4 a side with Carbonneau and Recchi in the box, Terry Carkner
carried into the Montreal zone. He dropped to Brind'Amour just inside the
blueline, who held on for a couple of seconds and then lofted a perfect pass
to Kevin Dineen right in front of Roy.  Dineen chipped it past him for the
goal, the FLYERS first OT win of the season. Goodbye 12 game unbeaten streak
for the Habs! The road teams still win when the FLYERS play the Canadiens.

Then it was Sunday night at the Spectrum to face the lowly Senators from
Ottawa. As my wife and I were driving out, I was calling for a blowout and
my wife was worried about a letdown after the emotional win and plane ride
the night before. I was right. It was also the night that the FLYERS were
selling Lindros scorecards. At every game this year, the FLYERS are putting
the lineups on the back of a picture of a different FLYER. The pictures are
numbered, 4500-5500 being produced of each. You get one with a program, but
you can also buy just the picture at a lower price. Well, it was Lindros night.
I was in the door within 3 minutes, and by the time I got to the front of my
line, the pictures were sold out (limited to 10 per customer, yea, the guy
arriving 1/2 hour before game time mighta had a chance at one...gates open
an hour before game time...I was annoyed) and the programs were about gone.

For the third straight game, the FLYERS scored 1st. This time, Yushkevich
(who had a great game defensively) fed Recchi, who handed it to Eric for
the 1-0 lead at 0:41. Mark Pederson scored at 11:03 on the power play when
after the FLYERS looked like they might not get a shot on it, Brindamour
controlled just inside the blue line. Galley, who had just came from the
bench, was flying in and Brind'Amour hit him about 1/2 way into the zone
on the other side of the rink. Galley held until about 10 feet before
the net, and he saw Pederson standing on the opposite side of the crease.
Galley made a perfect pass, and it was 2-0. But with Galley in the box,
Ottawa got back as close as they would the rest of the night when Brady
scored from Jelinek and Lavoie.

In the second period, it was just too fast for me to remember. How fast?
Recchi from Carkner at 4:04. Fedyk from Lindros and Recchi at 4:46. Lindros
from Recchi and Fedyk at 7:37. Boivin from Acton and 8:15. 4 goals in 4:11.
The Lindros goal I remember. There was a big pileup in front of the net.
Fedyk got a shot off a Recchi rebound, and then Lindros picked up that
rebound for his second goal of the night.

Ottawa did get one back with 1:26 left in the second. Maciver got the
puck from Brady and fluttered it chest high towards the net. Lazaro
picked it right out of the air to bang it past Roussel, who got his second
straight start and put out his second straight strong outing. If we ever
get consistent goaltending from these two, the FLYERS will have a good
shot at the playoffs. Lindros had the only penalty of the period, the
crowd didn't like it :-). 6-2 FLYERS after two.

In the third period, the only goal came on more beautiful passing from
the crazy 8's line, and Lindros banged it home for his first NHL hat trick
at 1:53 on the power play. Final score, 7-2. The closest they came to scoring
after that was when (I think it was) Sylvain Turgeon got a strong shot off
that Roussel thought he had covered. The crowd suddenly roared behind the
net, and Roussel turned around just in time to stop the puck that was moving
slower than a turtle on a bad day towards the line.

FLYERS 2-2 on the advantage, Ottawa 1-5. The FLYERS have given up a power
play goals in all of their games this year. Most of the Ottawa PP's came
in the 3rd. Bobby Taylor said it best: "So McGeough, who's been letting
them play all night, has figured out that his whistle works and darn
it, he's gonna use it!" But here's an amazing stat: SOG Ott 33, Phi 27,
but the score was 7-2 FLYERS.

So the FLYERS end a streak for one of the top teams in the league and
continue one for the worst. Ottawa winless in 17 and 0-11 on the road!

And the FLYERS move into sole possession of 4th place, only 3 points
behind the second place tied Devils and Rangers, the latter they face
in their next game this Thursday. They are now only 1 game under .500
and are riding a 4 game winning streak. And Eric is leaving opponents
in heaps left and right.

Recchi's 5 point night moves him into 4th place in scoring with 35. And
speaking of 35, the Crazy 8's line has 35 points in the last 4 games (Mario
WHO????:-) ). 15 goals and 20 assists. Eric Lindros is now 1 point behind
Teemu Selanne for 1st in rookie scoring (TS 14-12-26, EL 14-11-25, Juneau
has 21 points). Eric's 14 goals leads the FLYERS. For all of those people
talking about Selanne for the Calder, I have a couple of questions. Does
Selanne hit people like a Mack truck hitting a Yugo? When somebody takes
a cheap shot at one of his teammates does Selanne step right in and "suggest
that they not do that again?" When somebody takes a shot at Selanne, does
he beat them to a pulp? Can Selanne score when the other team has the same
number of player on the ice? NOT! (ok, that was cheap, I admit it :-)

I've only seen him play once, and he looked like a damn fine hockey player.
No question that he could be a top 10 type scorer some day. But Teemu Selanne
is no Eric Lindros. Barring injury, the vote won't be close. Trust me.

So as I said above, the 4 game winning streak gets put on the line Thursday
when the Rangers come calling, the first home game I won't be attending :-(.
The Rangers already beat the FLYERS twice at both ends of a 4 game road trip.
The FLYERS then travel to Boston Saturday and return home Sunday to meet Buffalo
to play 3 games in 4 days for the second consecutive weekend. Then it's a
4 day layoff followed by a home and home with the Islanders on Friday and
Saturday after turkey day.

That's all for now!

pete clark - rsh FLYERS contact
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey