Good morning Hockeyworld.
I will keep updating this blog with thoughts from the press box in philly throughout the game today.
* the flyers gave out orange shirts again today. The slogan "stay classy Philly" with a picture of Lou Nolan, longtime flyers PA announcer.
* ran into Giroux, Simmonds, Voracek and friends playing their typical pre-game game of basketball H-O-R-S-E....off the Boxes, catch with left hand, shoot with your right..
* spirited warm up for both sides. Early game for these players who generally have a morning skate prior.
1224
* nervous start for both teams..especially the flyers.
1232
* refs letting them play so far. Building electric.
1240
* flyers have picked it up in the last few minutes first amount of concerted effort in a few games. Obviously trying to score on long shots and deflections. 7:30 left. The shots are only 5-3 in favor of Caps. A lot more action than that implies.
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Scrum by the Caps bench as caps players though Manning purposely shot the puck at a player on their bench.
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So that thing I said about these refs letting them play....not so much. The Caps have been given three straight power plays including a5-3 that will continue into the second period. The Wells Fargo crowd erupted into thunderous applause as the period ended with a few outstanding saves by Neuvirth
1:27
Flyers with a huge opportunity two man advantage. More to come...
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flyers first power play unit continues to struggle. This time on a 5-3 for a full two minutes. Backstrom comes back and scores to break Neuvirth's shutout streak. Midway point of the game.
1:56.
After the Caps goal, the Flyers picked it up getting a few chances as Washington defintely let up on the gas pedal. The period ends 1-0 with the Flyers 20 minutes away from being eliminated. However, 1-0 is hardly a safe lead.
Third period was a battle. Quite a few close misses for the Flyers. Caps win, but Flyers fans give a huge ovation to the the team as they leave the ice. This flyers team battled hard the whole way and the future with players like Provorov, Konecny Sanheim and more is incredibly bright. The Flyers simply ran up against the Presidents trophy winner and with all their key players, guys like Giroux, Voracek and Simmonds playing hurt didn't have enough to get a consistent attack on Washington.