Bruins get by Flyers thanks to power-play scores

by Bob Herpen
Phanatic Hockey Editor

A sad fact of life that still carries over from the "old NHL" to the "new NHL" is that, whenever two conference rivals at the top of the playoff picture get together within the final three weeks of the season, some of the most boring, stiff and passionless hockey is played.

Usually games of this magnitude are decided not by the level of play or one club turning on the red light more than another, but from one or two mistakes. For the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday night, it was two -- penalties to Blair Betts in the second period and Mike Richards late in the third period -- which enabled the Boston Bruins to sneak away from South Broad Street with two points in a 2-1 victory.

Richards was sent off with 4:27 left in regulation after a high stick that was not purposeful -- yet still struck Bruins defenseman Tomas Kaberle in the face -- creating an unwanted short-handed situation late in a tie game.

It took all of 44 seconds for the chickens to come home to roost, as Brad Marchand was left alone on the doorstep to slip a Dennis Seidenberg rebound between Brian Boucher's pads to give Boston the lead for good.

Nathan Horton provided the other power-play score for the Northeast Division leaders, who took the season series from the Flyers 3-1-0 and increased its lead over idle Montreal to seven points. Tim Thomas, who stymied Philly here on December 1, picked up the win again after stopping 27-of-28 shots.

The Bruins also clinched a playoff berth with the decision, their fourth straight.

Kris Versteeg turned in one of his more inspired performances since arriving from Toronto, but only had to show for it was the Flyers' lone goal of the contest early in the first period. Brian Boucher fought the puck at times but still performed admirably with a 34-save setback.

The home team seemed to carry over the momentum from Saturday night's road win over the dead duck New York Islanders in the first period, and benefitted with the first goal.

Once again, Richards and Versteeg worked their magic to put the Flyers up 1-0 less than five minutes after the opening faceoff. James van Riemsdyk forced Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid into a turnover behind Thomas, and the puck slid back to the point. Richards one timed the rolling disc to the left wing, where Versteeg seemed to whiff on his shot, but it still beat an out-of-position Thomas to an open net.

It was the sixth goal for Versteeg since coming to Philadelphia, putting him over the 20-goal mark as a whole, and unofficially giving the Atlantic Division leaders six players with 20-or-more goals this season.

As usual, with Chris Pronger or not, the Flyers entered cruise control mode in the second period and paid for it dearly as the Bruins assumed a 14-7 shot advantage. Zdeno Chara slung one of his patented blasts off the crossbar before his club tied the game thanks to a play which could have been avoided.

Betts was clipped for sticking his knee out and catching a Boston forward near center ice at the 7:36 mark of the period, a play which could have resulted in a big hit, but changed for the worse.

Only four seconds later, David Krejci won a faceoff back to Kaberle, whose slap shot from the point skidded right out to Horton for an easy rebound conversion into a half-open cage.

Recchi, the two-time former Flyer, nearly gave the visitors the lead less than nine minutes into the third when he lost control of the puck near the right side of the crease, but Boucher wasn't looking down and allowed it to slide all the way off the outside of the post before reacting.

Versteeg was denied his chance to knot the game with 2:47 remaining when Thomas slid across the crease just in time to snag his right-wing shot.

Matt Carle then prevented a score with the net empty, coming across with his stick to deny Horton's chance inches from the goal line of the vacated net.

Those were the only flashes of brilliance in an otherwise rote, chess-match of a contest that often defines the start and end to any NHL campaign when playoff teams are involved. It was a far cry from the 1980's-style 7-5 Bruins victory in Boston on January 13 which saw multiple lead changes.

But it was right up the B's alley. Claude Julien's team is still in the mix for the Jennings Trophy, which awards the club that allows the fewest goals. The Bruins have given up just 178 in 75 games, and with the exception of that January contest, gave up three in other three games to the Flyers.

Notes: For the Flyers, it was their eighth game in the last 10 that was decided by one goal...They fell to 3-5 in that span...Philadelphia also sunk to 13-6-5 without Pronger in the lineup...Thomas improved to 10-2-2 all-time against the Orange and Black...Boston has also won seven of its last eight trips to Philadelphia in the last four years.