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98 in 98

April 12, 2012, 8:45 AM ET [3 Comments]
Tim Panaccio
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The numbers speak for themselves and they say volumes about Danny Briere.

98 in 98.

As in 98 career playoff points in 98 career games.

Briere is a $$$ ball kind of hockey player come the playoffs. Two goals in Game 1 to ignite the Flyers 4-3 comeback in overtime against the Penguins in Game 1.

The Flyers had spotted the Pens three early goals.

“It’s pretty amazing,” Briere said. “Sitting here after the first period, all we were saying was, we’ve done it all year. Let’s start with a goal. And you never know what can happen.

“But to make it happen in a hostile environment is a special feeling. You can’t dwell on that. It’s one game, you’ve got to move on, but I think for a few minutes it’s OK to appreciate what we just did.”

Briere be the first to admit he had a bad regular season. He couldn’t find longevity with linemates, couldn’t find sustained chemistry with anyone until the very end when coach Peter Laviolette reunited him again with Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds.

I feel the concussion in the second half hurt his every which way, much like Claude Giroux’s concussion seemed to sap his game both offensively and defensively for quite a while after his return.

But Briere found it at the end and then had back spasms knock him out of the final week of the season.

He said he was fine and he looked it on the ice.

"As far as Danny’s game goes, I thought that he was terrific," coach Peter Laviolette said. "Everybody got going. And certainly, his line was good. Brayden was good, Danny was good, Wayne got going.

"And they started contributing. I think that as far as Danny goes, and his game, he’s done it his whole career. I think it’s a good positive start for his line and for Danny. He’s done it so many times in the playoffs, I don’t think it should surprise anybody. He had a great night tonight."

The Flyers are now 6-1 at CONSOL Energy Center.

Not sure which worries the Penguins more. The Flyers .857 winning percentage in their building or the fact Peter Laviolette’s club has this extraordinary ability to come from behind every game, no matter how many goals they spot you early.

“We’ve done it all year,” Briere said. “And that’s what we had going our way after the first period. But at the same time, we have to find a way to rectify that. We all know it’s not going to happen every night, especially in the playoffs.

“We got away with it tonight. but we have to find a way to get our start. We’ve been talking about it all year. But this is the playoffs, we’re not going to come back from two or three goals every single game. We’ll take it, but let’s be better at weathering the storm in Game 2.”

Club chairman Ed Snider called their comeback “amazing.”

“This team never quits,” he told me.

Briere agreed.

“Weve shown it all year,” he said. “That we have a lot of character, and that’s the only way we know how. The choice was easy after the first period.

“Either you pack it in, or you fight or you battle. You’re in the playoffs, you don’t know how many chances you’re going to get. So that was an easy choice.”

They fought back. Briere led. The Flyers won Game 1.

Game 2 is Friday.
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