This grueling two-week run of games begins Saturday night at Boston’s TD Garden against the Bruins. Yes, the club has won at the arena in prior years, but there have been some heartbreaking losses in Boston around this time of the season, which has previously been the sentence of death for securing a playoff spot. It’s understandable that it happens once or twice throughout numerous seasons; it’s part of the sport. But when the Flyers have been in these games just to have something horrible happen in the final moments or seconds, it’s beyond perplexing.
Perhaps the stunning 2010 playoff comeback from 3-0 down against the Bruins compensates for these losses (eight since 2008). Perhaps it’s a trade-off for future prosperity vs an aged Marchand and company. Regardless, the Flyers cannot have a ninth heartbreaker on Saturday night, as they had in the previous eight games. (Stats courtesy of Hockey-Reference.)
1) March 15, 2008: Bruins 3, Flyers 2 (OT).
The contest begins with a three-minute battle between Riley Cote and Shawn Thornton. Later in the first, Derian Hatcher breaks his leg while blocking a shot by the Bruins’ Andrew Ference. Despite the setback, Mike Richards and Danny Briere score to give the Flyers a lead heading into the third period. However, with the game in their hands in regulation, the Flyers saw Ference score to tie the game 2-2 with 27 seconds remaining. Jeff Carter is stopped by Tim Thomas in overtime (which was originally 4-on-4, but coincidental penalties made it 3-on-3), before the Bruins’ Aaron Ward (who had scored the victory in overtime against the Flyers two months earlier) defeats Martin Biron.
According to the Associated Press, the Flyers were tied with Boston for eighth place in the conference with 10 games remaining. It was also the first time the Bruins had scored three goals in the same calendar month. But hey, there’s only one game.
2) January 13, 2011: Bruins 7–Flyers 5
It does not fit the calendar, although the script is very similar. Two minutes into the game, there’s a brawl between Jody Shelley and Thornton of the Boston Bruins.
After 40 minutes, the Flyers lead 3-2 thanks to a go-ahead goal by Jeff Carter 36 seconds before the period ends. However, this is where things go really odd. Mark Recchi (Bruins’ Mark Recchi) ties the game at 38 seconds. According to CBS News, Recchi’s “fluke goal” takes a terrible bounce off Flyers goalkeeper Brian Boucher (who was behind the net at the time) and bounces out in the slot to Recchi for an open net. 70 seconds later, Michael Ryder scores for the Bruins, putting them up 4-3.
Exactly five minutes later, Briere ties it up, and Sean O’Donnell (remember him?) scores 53 seconds later to put the Flyers ahead 5-4. Marchand ties it up with less than nine minutes to go. Then, with 1:14 remaining on the clock, Bruins’ Steven Kempfer breaks the tie. Gregory Campbell scores an empty-net goal, costing Boston another two points. But that’s only two games. It is not like a curse.
3) March 17, 2012: Bruins 3, Flyers 2 (defeat via overtime shootout).
The Orange and Black did not suffer a crushing defeat in the TD Garden on St. Patrick’s Day. Under two minutes in, there is a brawl between Philadelphia’s Zac Rinaldo and the Boston Bruins’ Gregory Campbell.
The Bruins take a 2-0 lead in the first before Matt Read breaks the shutout in the second and Jacob Voracek ties it up with 4:17 remaining in the third. Nothing is resolved in overtime, but the Flyers, who have typically struggled in shootouts, light up Tim Thomas after successful tries by Read and Claude Giroux. Unfortunately, Ilya Bryzgalov is also lighting up. Briere must score in the Flyers’ final attempt. He does not. Another chance at two points is gone.
According to CBS News, Bryzgalov had won his previous seven games prior to the Boston game, with a 0.99 goals against average. Prior to the Flyers game, the Bruins had lost four straight, allowing 21 goals. The Count on Sesame Street once said, “Three, three very crappy endings…ah ah ah.”
4) March 9, 2013: Bruins 3 – Flyers 0.
The script is slightly changed here, as Rinaldo and Thornton wait until halfway through the second period to fight. However, by then, the game has already been decided. The Bruins take a 3-0 lead after scoring three goals in 2:18 before the game is 15 minutes old. Tyler Seguin opens the scoring on a power play, followed by Chris Kelly and Daniel Paille less than a minute later. Thankfully, this game does not last 50 minutes or longer before the Bruins come in for the kill.
5) April 5, 2014: Bruins 5–Flyers 2.
Eleven minutes into the game, the Bruins’ Thornton confronts another Flyer, Jay Rosehill. Both serve five minutes for fighting, but Rosehill returns to the game, scoring a goal with 3:39 left in the second to tie things up. However, with just over six minutes remaining, Johnny Boychuk and Milan Lucic score 31 seconds apart to break the stalemate. Chris Kelly scores an empty-net goal, and the Flyers are once again without a win at TD Garden.
6) March 7, 2015: Bruins 3, Flyers 2 (OT).
The Flyers led 2-1 in the first of the aforementioned non-fighting games when Chris VandeVelde scored with 4:30 left. Victory is within reach, right? Wayne Simmonds takes a tripping penalty with 2:03 remaining, making this a nail-biter to the end. Claude Giroux loses a faceoff to the left of Flyers goaltender Steve Mason with 18.6 seconds remaining and the Bruins goalie is withdrawn, and the puck returns to Bruins blueliner Dougie Hamilton. With 14.1 seconds remaining, a wrister from the blueline finds its way between the defensive pairing of Luke Schenn and Andrew MacDonald, and Marchand deflects it to tie the game.
In overtime, things become worse when Sean Couturier coughs up the ball in the neutral zone and Maxime Talbot (then with the Bruins) feeds Marchand at the blueline. Marchand easily disposes of a sprawling Michael Del Zotto before firing a backhander at goaltender Steve Mason. Del Zotto’s right skate blade deflects the puck like a slow knuckleball over Mason, winning the game in OT. Couturier vents his wrath on his stick twice more, but the result is another heartbreaker.
Two minutes in Brandon Manning and the Boston Bruins’ Matt Beleskey each receive five minutes for fighting. After two periods, the game is tied at one courtesy to a goal by Jordan Weal, and the Flyers, who were clinging to a wildcard place (31-27-8 entering the contest), are still in the game. But with 10 seconds left in regulation, the Bruins’ Drew Stafford glides down the boards, performs a poor man’s Savardian spinorama, and fires a soft, easy shot at Flyers goalie Steve Mason. With 5.6 seconds remaining, Manning deflects the ball precisely into his own net. Manning recognizes his error, and this writer goes for a long late afternoon post-game walk in freezing suburban Toronto, mumbling profanities.
If you aren’t already numb from reading this, I promise it will be the last one. For now. A fight-free game ended 2-2 after two periods, with Flyers speed demon Jori Lehtera scoring a short-handed goal through Tuukka Rask’s five-hole after receiving a feed from Valtteri Filppula.
With less than seven minutes remaining in the third, Brad Marchand draws a hooking infraction, but the Bruins kill it. As the seconds tick away, Zdeno Chara takes a shot from the point. The errant puck eludes David Pastrnak, but the Flyers’ goaltender Alex Lyon can’t retrieve it because it’s behind them. Marchand wins with 22 seconds remaining over Lyon (and Shayne Gostisbehere, who had positioning). The Flyers appeal for offsides, but Marchand maintains control when crossing the blue line. Bruins win, Flyers lose. Please make it stop!
Posted in Flyers.
