FLYERS NEWS

Usually when you take a 4-1 lead early in the 3rd period it is game, set, and match. Unfortunately that was not the case for the Orange and Black tonight. Before that all was well. Offensively, Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell, and Ville Leino each had a goal and an assist and Matt Carle collected another 2 assists. Defensively, Sergei Bobrovsky looked impenetrable, saving 14 of the San Jose Shark's measily 15 shots through 2 periods and the Flyers penalty kill had erased all 4 Shark's power play opportunities. They were basically in control. Then San Jose ratcheted up the pressure in the 3rd period. They had 15 shots on goal in the 3rd period and Bobrovsky only stopped 11 of them and that was that. Still, the Flyer's defense can't be blamed for this one. They also failed to score on the power play again, when even one power play score would have made the difference, and they lost twice as many faceoffs as they won. Frankly, it's hard to hold a lead late when you can't win faceoffs, particularly in your zone.

Tbe Sharks actually had the early lead as Ryan Clowe scored with 5 seconds left in the first period for a 1-0 lead. The 2nd period was all Orange and Black. 6 minutes into the period Jeff Carter setup Giroux to knot thing up at 1 apiece. 5 minutes later Hartnell and Kimmo Timmonen setup Leino for a 2-1 lead. Just a minute later Giroux and Carle setup Nikolay Zherdev for a 3-1 lead and the route was on, seemingly. Just 6 minutes into the 3rd, Carle and Leino setup Hartnell for a 4-1 lead and proverbial nail in San Jose's coffin. Unfortunately no one told the Sharks the game was over. Just a minute later it was down to 4-2. Then 3 minutes after that it was 4-3 and just a minute after that Joe Pavelski tied it at 4 with a power play goal that. The two the teams went scoreless for the remainder of regulation. Then in the final seconds of overtime Mike Richards seemed to score the game winner, but it hit the back of the net just a second after time expired and did not count, forcing a shootout. There Bobrovsky was beaten twice while the Flyers failed to score to complete the collapse and a 5-4 loss to San Jose. It's now been a decade since they last beat the Sharks.