From: seth@cbnewsh.cb.att.com (peter.r.clark..jr)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey
Subject: FLYERS notes 12/28
Date: 29 Dec 92 03:28:31 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T



The FLYERS blew a 4-0 lead and needed Eric Lindros' first NHL penalty shot
with only 19 seconds to escape with a tie. The FLYERS are now just 2-12-3
on the road, winless in their last 7 on the road.

Injuries:

Dominic Roussel was a healthy scratch, marking the first time since last
January that the team has been 100% healthy. I think Mike Emrick said '92,
but he may have said '91. In either case, it's been a long time...

Lines:

Fedyk-Lindros-Recchi
Eklund-Brind'Amour-Dineen
Boivin-Acton-Evans
Paslawski, Snuggerud, Brown - not a line, filling in here and there.
Same defense and goaltender

The first period was well played, but scoreless. Tommy Soderstrom had the more
spectacular saves, but Hrivnak also also got off to a good start.

The FLYERS scored first at 10:21 of the second period with Kevin Dineen and
Calle Johanson in the box both for roughing, creating a four on four situation.
The FLYERS got the good first scoring chance, and that started a little back
and forth play. Ric Nattress fed the puck from deep into the FLYERS zone to
Brent Fedyk to start a 2 on 1 with he and Rod Brind'Amour. Fedyk elected to
shoot from right near the right faceoff dot. Hrivnak made the save but kicked
the rebound right onto the stick of Brind'Amour who shot into the open net
for the 1-0 lead.

Soon after the 4 on 4 ended Kevin Dineen controlled in the Caps end and passed
to Brind'Amour. He went right in on the right side of the net and tried to
slide the puck through the crease to Pelle Eklund. The puck didn't make it
though and followed Brind'Amour behind the net. Brind'Amour fought off the
Cap defending him, regained control, swung behind the net and slipped a pass
to Eklund. This time it found it's mark and Eklund still just left of the net
stuffed it home to make it 2-0 at 13:45

It didn't take long for Nattress to feed Mark Recchi coming out of the FLYERS
zone, then on to Lindros who carried into the Caps zone. He shot from the high
arc of the right circle and cleanly beat Hrivnak between his right pad and arm.
3-0 FLYERS at 14:48 of the second.

Moments later Greg Paslawski intercepted the puck at the Caps blue line. He
dealt to Lindros coming into the zone on the left side, and Lindros fired
a long one from just inside the blue line. Hrivnak got a piece of it, but
it still had some speed as it went into the net for a 4-0 FLYERS lead at
15:42. That's 4 goals in only 5:21. That was all for Hrivnak who was replaced
by Beaupre.

Less than a minute later, May and Brown went off for a fight that never got
started. The unsportsmanlike penalties left the teams in a 4 on 4 situation,
and 50 seconds after that Rod Brind'Amour took a roughing penalty to set up a
4 on 3 power play for the Caps. Kevin Hatcher controlled high at the center of
the zone, passed to Kristich standing at the left of the net, and he slid it
through the crease to Pivonka who easily stuffed the puck into the net at
17:45. 4-1 FLYERS after 2, FLYERS seem in control despite the late goal.

The Caps power play picked up where it left off in the third. With Claude
Boivin the the sin bin for cross checking, Pivonka sent the puck to Iafrate
at the point and Iafrate sent a rocket on net that was stopped by Soderstrom,
but the rebound went to Kevin Miller, and he had an easy time beating Tommy
to make it 4-2 at 3:36.

Moments later May carried through the neutral zone, dished to Miller who
carried into the FLYERS zone, carried through the left circle, may have
almost mishandled but sent a nice centering pass to Hatcher who was crashing
through the middle, and he chipped it past Soderstrom. Very nice play, 4-3
FLYERS at 4:17.

Then the Caps power play strikes again. Brian Benning in the box for holding.
Peter Bondra held the puck for what seemed like an eternity in the right
offensive circle. He passed across to Elynuik who was stationed at the bottom
of the left circle and he one-timed it past Soderstrom to tie the game at
4 at 10:26. Johanson also got an assist.

The Caps got the lead on a hard working goal. A battle started about 1/2 way
up the Caps left offensive boards for the puck. It gradually worked it's
way around behind the goal line. Elynuik finally picked up a loose puck from
behind the net, and he centered to Kristich who one-timed it past Soderstrom
who never knew what hit him. The FLYERS were being outshot 14-1 in the period
at that point.

The rest of the period saw the FLYERS battling hard to tie the game. Then
with 19 seconds left in the game, the FLYERS almost got cheated out of the
goal they fought so hard for. First, the rules: My understanding is this:
If the net comes off it's moorings, the play is to be blown dead. However,
should the net be pulled off by the defense, and should the puck cross the
goal line where the net *would have been* **before** the play is blown dead,
the referee may award the goal.

With time ticking away, the puck found it's way to Brian Benning at the point.
He slapped the puck on net, but the puck hits Kevin Dineen on the way. Dineen
gets taken immediately out of the play. Pelle Eklund gains control as Al
Iafrate gets his hands on the net, and sends a backhander on net as Iafrate
pushes the net off it's moorings. Puck in net, light on, Paul Devorski signals
goal very animately. Then a discussion, a call to the replay booth. The play
happened exactly as I described it, but Devorski chooses to disallow the goal
and award a penalty shot for Iafrate deliberately pushing the net off.

A lousy call, in my opinion. Hell, he called it a goal the first time. Since
the Caps player was ruled to have intentionally pushed off the net, how can
he possibly disallow it given the rule about the puck going where the net
would have been. Maybe he didn't know about the fairly new rule?

But with all the drama you could imagine, Eric Lindros is chosen to take the
penalty shot. He wheels in right up the middle, leans right and fires through
the 5 hole, the puck deflected up off Beaupre's skate and into the net for
a 5-5 tie at 19:41 of the third.

Neither team scored in OT, but I have one more gripe with referee Devorski.
1:21 into OT, a Cap player (Hatcher?) checked Mark Recchi from behind into
the boards. Devorski took Kevin Dineen out of the game for a weak hit from
behind against Rick Tocchet in the 12/23 game and gave the Penguins a 5 minute
power play. But here, late in the game, Recchi gets bulldozed into the boards
and no call. Recchi was not happy, and got a 10 minute misconduct for showing
his displeasure. 5-5 final.

SO the FLYERS started the 5 game west coast trip with a point. They lose ground
on the rest of the division, though, everybody except the Caps picked up a win
over the weekend. They're now 10 points out of 4th place.

Next up it's the Kings Tuesday in LA followed by the Sharks Wednesday, and the
trip ends in Calgary and Edmonton over ther weekend.

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