The Flyers Spoil a Great Effort From Ilya Bryzgalov, Drop Game Two 4-1

Published: 2^nd May 12 2:05 pm

Johnny Machurek
NHL Featured Writer & Philadelphia Flyers Featured Columnist

RANT It!

Eric Hartline-US PRESSWIRE

The Philadelphia Flyers have had no problem scoring so far in the playoffs, the only thing that has hindered them at times is the play from their netminder. Last night Ilya Bryzgalov gave them a solid effort, but Philly could generate no offense.

Matt Read struck first for the Flyers just 2:53 into the game. That would be the last time Philly would see the back of the net, not so much because of the play of New Jersey Devils netminder Martin Brodeur but because of Philly’s ~~ineptitude on offense~~ ability to generate shots.

The best power play in the first round was shutdown last night and held to just one-shot and finished o-for-5. Philadelphia just seemed to be going through the motions last night.

Not everyone played like that last night though. Bryzgalov was on his game last night and stopped all 25-shots from the Devils through the first two period. In the third he was hung out to dry by his defense. He made the initial saves on shots, but his D failed to clear any pucks for him.

“Bryz was phenomenal tonight, but we have to do a better job in front of him,” Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. “We were not skating the way we needed to be, but I don’t think it was because of the fact that we were relying on him to win a game for us.”

“It is all about the will and desperation. We have to get that back,” Danny Briere said. “So far in this series we have only had it for about three periods. There is no sense in me telling you how good we are. One thing I can tell you is that we need to have more desperation if we want to get back to winning games.”

I think this is maybe how Bryz felt last night: