The Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series between the Flyers and Sabres has been a six-game labyrinth of in-game plot twists, controversial calls and 32 goals split evenly between the two teams (not counting a Philadelphia empty netter in Game 3) but scored by very different means. It is only fitting that the series go to a seventh and deciding game.

Following are my observations and notes on Game 6:

* Peter Laviolette made a monumental blunder in starting Michael Leighton yesterday. I don't think anyone but the Flyers' coach and the goalie himself believed that Leighton gave the Flyers the best chance at victory coming into the game. The immobile Leighton was put in position to fail, and he did. All three goals he gave up were stoppable, but I blame Laviolette more than the goaltender. Starting Leighton sent a message of sheer panic to the team.

Brian Boucher and Sergei Bobrovsky (at least during the regular season) showed an ability to bounce back strong after bad games. Boucher was awful in the first period of Game 5, but he had been excellent in Games 2-4. Boosh deserved a chance to redeem himself with the season on the line.

Somehow, the Flyers lived to fight another day. Boucher was very strong in relief of Leighton until he, too, allowed a bad long-range goal (off a slight deflection of Sean O'Donnell's stick). I thought Boosh looked a little shaky at times in the third period but he was very calm and back in control by OT.

There is no mystery as to whom will be in goal on Tuesday. Laviolette has already named Boucher the starter for Game 7. Boosh is capable of imploding in any given game, but he's also capable of matching any opposing netminder in a given game. Of the three goaltending options the Flyers have -- as the old saying goes, if you've got three goalies, you really don't have one -- Boucher provides the best opportunity for a good outcome in the final game of the series.

It will be interesting to see whether Leighton or Bobrovsky will be the backup goalie in Game 7. Early indications are that it will be Leighton. I would prefer Bobrovsky as the second option if it comes to that.


* As soon as Ville Leino coughed up the puck near the blueline in OT yesterday, I had a flashback to Michael Grabner's breakaway goal in the final game of the regular season. This time, however, the Flyers recovered defensively, play went the other way and Leino redeemed himself with a second-effort goal on the doorstep of Ryan Miller's net.


* The Flyers generated a huge volume of scoring chances yesterday. The Sabres' defense could not handle the Philadelphia forecheck, and Miller faced some of his toughest saves of the series. The Flyers solved the goalie five times, so it's hard to say that Miller truly rose to the occasion, but I don't know if any of the other elite NHL netminders would have fared better against the same onslaught (especially based on what we've seen from the likes of Roberto Luongo and Ilya Bryzgalov so far in the playoffs).

* After the Flyers battled back to tie the game, 3-3, they let their energy level drop. At the same time, the Sabres dialed up their skating game and took over control of the majority of the territorial play until the third period. When the Flyers don't skate, their goalies start to get exposed.

* The Sabres are in mighty bad shape up front heading into Game 7 without the services of Derek Roy, Jason Pominville and Tim Connolly. Even without Jeff Carter, the Flyers' depth advantage up front is an enormous factor in their favor heading into Game 7.

* Mike Richards deserved a penalty for hit from being on Connolly in the second period. Connolly put himself in a vulnerable position, but the Flyers' captain could not afford to risk leaving his team two-men shorthanded in that situation (which Philly managed to survive before Nathan Gerbe's go-ahead goal seconds later).

Richards was lucky to escape without a major penalty. Then again, he was unlucky to have received a major the other day for what should have been a two-minute elbowing infraction against an oncoming Patrick Kaleta. The result of the play yesterday was very unfortunate. Although not officially confirmed, it seems likely that Connolly sustained a concussion -- and he has already had concussion problems in his career. No one in their right mind would wish that on a player, especially an honorable one like Connolly.

However, I do not think Richards should be suspended for the hit. He was trying to make a legitimate hockey play, not to injure Connolly. To suggest anything otherwise under the circumstances -- a tied elimination game with his team already killing a penalty -- is asinine. I would not be shocked if Richards is banished from Game 7, and he has no one but himself to blame if he is, but the result of the play made it look worse than it actually was.

* Win or lose, James van Riemsdyk has been a beast in this series. Meanwhile, Danny Briere has further built his legacy as Mr. Clutch in the postseason.

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