From: seth@cbnewsh.cb.att.com (peter.r.clark..jr)
Subject: FLYERS notes 12/18
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 15:58:33 GMT



The FLYERS lost their 6th consecutive game 5-4 in overtime to the Pittsburgh
Penguins. That ties the longest losing streak in team history, drops the team
to 6 games below .500, and marks the first OT loss of the season for the
FLYERS. It also drops the team to 2-7-0 without Eric.

Injuries:
No changes, but Eric skated in his second full practice and the team is very
hopeful that he will play Saturday.

Lines:
Eklund-Recchi-Dineen
Boivin-Acton-Evans
Pederson-Brind'Amour-Paslawski
Lomakin-Brown
Galley, Yushkevich, McGill, Carkner, Benning, Hynes, Cronin
Soderstrom

Nattress and Barrie were healthy scratches. Note 7 defensemen and only 11
forwards, that's not a mistake. I would've played Barrie over Brown, and I
can't understand why he (Brown) continues to get ice time when the team is
clearly struggling to score, and certainly is not in need of Brown's physical
presence. But hey, I'm not an NHL coach...

Game Summmary:

"When you're winning, all the bounces go your way, and when you're losing
it seems like they all go the other way." - unknown

The FLYERS scored first only 0:50 into the game when Mark Recchi won a
faceoff in the right offensive circle back to Hynes who fired the puck from
the point past Barasso. Kevin Dineen deserved an assist for the perfect
moving screen he created as Barrasso didn't have time to react when he
finally saw the puck coming at him.

The FLYERS got a power play when Jagr went off at 2:26, and showed some more
improvement on the advantage, but were unable to convert. Just after the PP
ended, in the Ryan McGill was chasing down the puck behind his own goal line
when Rick Tocchet gave him a little shove in the back, and McGill went into
the boards. McGill took exception to the shove, though, and when he got up
he decked Tocchet with a right. He got one more punch in before Kevin
Stevens came in and grabbed McGill. The result (well called by the ref, IMHO)
was 2+game for instigation and 5 for fighting to McGill, 2 roughing and
game for third man in to Stevens.

Giving the Penguins a 5 minute power play is not the sort of thing you want
to do, and the Pens converted twice. The first goal came when Mario set
himself up with the puck a little high along the left offensive boards.
He sent a cross ice pass (I saw it coming :-( ) to Larry Murphy who had
slipped into the right circle. Murphy tried to shoot through two FLYER
defenders (a nice screen if it gets through), but the puck caromed off of
both of them. Soderstrom had come out to take Murphy's slap shot, and the
puck pinballed past him to the other side of the net where Tocchet was
waiting, and he shot it into the empty net at 5:59.

Then it was Mario again setting himself up in the same spot. He gave the
puck to Francis at the top center of the zone, who fired a low slapshot
wide right of the net to Tocchet who easily deflected the puck past
Soderstrom to give the Pens their first lead at 7:43.

But the FLYERS would tie it at 15:38 of the first. Claude Boivin took a
pass as he was crossing the offensive blue line on the left side, and
dropped it between his feet to Dmitri Yushkevich. He sent the puck right
back to Boivin, who had trouble reaching the pass, but got control as he
was arriving at the crease. He then slipped it through the crease to Acton
who deflected the pass past Barrasso with Mario draped all over him (a
little ironic since Acton is the normally shadowing Lemieux, and usually
keeps him quiet at even strength). 2-2 after one period, a period that the
FLYERS dominated except for the 5 minute major, outshooting the Pens 16-8.

The second period was played fairly evenly, but it was Jagr regaining the
lead for the Pens at 2:19. He picked up a loose puck at the FLYERS blue
line and skated in all alone on Soderstrom. This was probably the only
bad play Soderstrom made all night as Jagr showed forehand and I think
Tommy made the mistake of watching the body rather than the puck. Jagr
skated across the crease, waited for Soderstrom to give him space, and
slipped an easy backhander past him. Larry Murphy got an assist after
further review.

Then the FLYERS gave up another power play, with Carkner (who had a VERY
strong game, and I'm not a fan of his at all) taking a necessary penalty.
The FLYERS seemed like they were going to kill it off, and kept the Pens
penned in (pun intended) their own zone for much of it. But Rick Tocchet
dug the puck out from behind the FLYERS goal and sent it to Lemieux at the
left of the net. Lemieux shot the puck off Gary Galley (who I think was
in on the first goal as well, and it would only get worse later) and
Larry Murphy this time was in the right place at the right time, and he
one-timed it past Soderstrom for a 4-2 lead at 12:48 of the second.

But the FLYERS refused to give up, a trait I wish they'd carry out on the
road. With Troy Loney in the box, Dave (?) Tippett gave the FLYERS a brief
2 man advantage at 15:58. The FLYERS converted for the first time in a long
while. Mark Recchi controlled in the right circle and drifted towards the
goal line. He sent a pass between Ulf's legs to Rod Brind'Amour who was
planted right in front of the crease. Brind'Amour fanned, but the FLYERS
finally got a break of their own as the puck went off his stick right onto
the stick of Paslawski who was standing right behind him, and Greg fired it
into the open net to close the gap to 4-3. The FLYERS scored just before
the end of the 2 man advantage, but despite some good pressure could not
convert on the remaining tim on the Tippett penalty. 4-3 after 2 periods.
Shots were only 6-5 in favor of the FLYERS.

The FLYERS tied the game 5:16 into the third. Mark Recchi carried the puck
out of the FLYERS zone and into the Pens end. He tried to get past the
Pens defense, but was squeezed into the boards and taken down. But the puck
kept going and Pelle Eklund picked it up behind the net, and centered to
Dineen who dances around Barrasso and beats him with a backhander.

Tons of action in the rest of the period, and both Soderstrom and Barrasso
earned their paychecks as both teams had some great scoring chances. But
the game went to overtime.

And if you have to lose in OT, you at least want it to be because of some
great play or a nice pass or something. But not tonight. Just over 2 minutes
left, Lemieux gets the puck from Stanton at the left side of the FLYERS net.
He has no angle, but send a prayer at the net anyway about waist high. The
puck hits the shaft of Gary Galley's stick and bounces right out in front
to Jagr who one-timed it past Soderstrom for the win.

So the FLYERS showed a lot of fire tonight but are again simply outmanned
by the potent Penguins. Hopefully it will be a different story next Wed.
when the Pens come calling again, as Eric should definitely be back by then.

Next up it's the Blackhawks in a matinee at the Spectrum, the last game I'll
be seeing live until 1/14 when the Flames come calling. I will likely only
have radio coverage again this Sunday when the FLYERS travel to Tampa Bay,
but I'll report what I hear.

pete clark jr - rsh FLYERS contact.