Philadelphia Flyers win in over-time 5-4 to force Game 7 against Buffalo Sabres – NHL Play-offs
The Philadelphia Flyers were able to combat back into the series as they made the game-winner in over-time to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 5-4, forcing a game seven, at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York on Sunday.
The Eastern Conference quarter-final has been an extremely thrilling series. With five of the six matches played so far won by only a goal’s lead. Luckily for Philadelphia, the deciding game will be played in their stadium in Pennsylvania, but throughout
the series, having a home-ice advantage has not seemed to make a huge difference in either team’s performance.
Buffalo grabbed an early lead in the match sending the sell out crowd into a trance ending the first period 3-1. Rob Niedermayer and Thomas Vanek scored back-to-back goals within the first nine minutes. Niedermayer opened the scoring while Vanek added the
second on Philadelphia’s second penalty of the period. Danny Briere put the Flyers up on the board while Thomas Vanek scored his second of the match with 33 seconds remaining on another power-play.
The home team managed to kill over eight minutes of an added man advantage they gave to the other team during the first 20 minutes including a 5-on-3 difference in the final moments. Philadelphia goalie Michael Leighton started off the match for them and
was replaced near the end of the first period when Vanek scored his second. He managed to block only five of eight attempts on the net and was replaced by Brian Boucher who rejected 24 shots and let one slip through.
James van Riemsdyk scored for Philadelphia in the opening 49 seconds of the first and Briere contributed his second of the night on a power-play to tie up the match 3-3. Nathan Gerbe made the tie-breaker with less than four minutes remaining when he fired
it from the circle hitting the stick of Flyer defenseman Sean O’Donnell to redirect it into the net.
The crowd was in an electrifying mood entering the final period with a lead. Scott Hartnell washed away the Sabres hopes of eliminating them when he tied up the match midway through and saved Boucher and Leighton from criticism.
"You're not going to get a team quitting when the season's on the line," said Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, who stopped 44 of 49 shots. "We have to push back."
Ville Leino made the game-winning goal after a scramble for the puck in front of Miller to force the series into a seven game decider. It was hard to tell who made the goal because of so many players just fighting to gain control of the puck, but after a
thorough examination, Leino was revealed to have put it in at the 4:43 mark.
"We haven't done it the easy way, and we're not going to bail out now," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "We've got to win the next one."
The Sabres are confident of their win in game-seven against the Flyers. It will be a thrilling showdown in Philadelphia to end the quarter-final series on Tuesday.
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