Richards saves Flyers with OT winner

by Bob Herpen
The Phanatic Magazine

Mike Richards' power-play blast 2:05 into overtime sent Philadelphia over Tampa Bay, 4-3, at the Wachovia Center.

With Ryan Malone off for interference, Kimmo Timonen held the puck in the left circle and left a perfect no-look backhand pass for Richards, who blasted the game-winner high and inside the right post.

Richards netted two goals, as did Jeff Carter for the Flyers, who wasted a two-goal lead but recovered to snap a two-game slide. Timonen and Joffrey Lupul each added a pair of assists.

Martin Biron overcame a rough night and made 34 saves for the win.

Mark Recchi, Vinny Prospal and Steve Downie tallied for the Lightning, who have dropped five in a row.

Mike Smith allowed four goals on 32 shots in defeat for Tampa, which failed to secure a win for head coach Rick Tocchet in his return to Philadelphia.

Tocchet played for the Flyers in two stints (1984-92; 2000-02), racking up 232 goals, 508 points and a franchise-record 1,817 penalty minutes in 621 games.

Richards put the Flyers ahead 36 seconds into the third period with a short- handed goal. He finished off a 2-on-1 by dragging the puck from the left wing to the slot and stuck a wrister through on the far side.

Carter added his second of the game on the power play at 4:36, slamming home a loose puck from the left post for a 3-1 lead, but Prospal got credit 21 seconds later on a power-play marker which fluttered in the air and dropped behind Biron.

The game was knotted, 3-3, with 4:35 left in the contest as Biron misplayed a rebound off his glove right to Downie, who lifted the puck high over the Flyers netminder.

Philly forward Scott Hartnell threw his glove at a breakaway chance by Malone with 16.3 seconds left in regulation, and though Biron made the save, a penalty shot was called. Malone shot wide left and the game slipped into overtime.

Carter's power-play wrister from the left circle through a screen put the Flyers ahead 2:58 into the contest.

Tampa equalized with the man advantage, as Recchi tapped in a feed from Prospal in the crease with 8:10 left in the period.

Flyers forward Scottie Upshall was given a major and a game misconduct for boarding late in the first, but the Flyers killed the penalty and the one that followed to Daniel Briere early in the second period.

Both goaltenders were sharp at times in the middle 20 minutes, which ended without a goal. Biron stopped 11 shots while Smith halted nine.

Briere returned to the lineup after missing nine straight games with a groin injury, but left the game in the third period and did not return.