The Phanatic Magazine
Martin Biron posted his fifth shutout of the season and second consecutive whitewash as the Philadelphia Flyers topped the Pittsburgh Penguins, 2-0, in the season finale for both clubs from the Wachovia Center.
Biron made 20 stops to record his 30th win of the campaign. He also posted back-to-back shutouts for the second time this year and led the club to season-ending shutout wins for the first time in franchise history.
The workhorse netminder also posted back-to-back blankings of Atlanta on October 16 and New Jersey on October 18, and finished one win off his career-best, set in 2001-2002 with the Sabres.
Scottie Upshall and Mike Knuble tallied while Jeff Carter added a pair of assists for the Flyers, who completed their schedule with seven wins in their last nine games and ended the year at 42-29-11. With the victory, the club vaulted over Boston and Ottawa into the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.
As a result, the Flyers will begin the postseason facing the third-seeded Southeast Division champion Washington Capitals beginning Friday in the nation's capital. The former Patrick Division rivals face each other in the playoffs for the first time since Philly scored a six-game upset over Washington in 1989.
Marc-Andre Fleury was solid in defeat, stopping 20-of-21 shots for the Penguins, who failed to wrap up the top seed in the conference. Pittsburgh dropped into the second spot behind the Montreal Canadiens and will open the playoffs by facing seventh-seeded Ottawa starting Wednesday in the Steel City.
The Penguins faltered offensively without captain Sidney Crosby, who was rested for the club's final regular-season contest.
Philly finally punctured a scoreless deadlock with 90 seconds to play in the second period.
Carter won a right-circle draw and put a shot on net from the faceoff dot. The rebound kicked to Knuble, whose centering feed ticked off Pens defenseman Sergei Gonchar and eluded Fleury. Upshall finished off the play when he buried the puck high into an open net.
Pittsburgh couldn't find the net on three-power play chances in the third period, furiously working in the Flyers' zone for a tying goal.
Fleury eventually went to the bench for an extra attacker with 1:05 left in regulation and the teams skating 4-on-4, and Knuble added the clincher into the empty net with 52.7 ticks to play.
A close-checking first period passed without a goal and only 10 combined shots. Biron made four saves while Fleury turned aside all six his way.
Fleury kept the game scoreless with roughly 6 1/2 minutes to play in the second, as he forced Carter to pull his shot off a 3-on-1 short-handed rush just to the outside of the left post.
On the next Flyers short-handed situation, Richards had a clear breakaway for half the ice but failed to get a shot on net as he fell in front of Fleury while making a stick move.
Biron held up on his end, making eight stops through the middle 20 minutes.
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