Devils Stun Flyers At Home, Take Game 2

Matt Read delivers a hit.

With a Danny Briere Game Winner in Overtime, the Flyers edged out a 4-3 win in Game 1.


The Devils announced before Game 2 they would be without Forward Ilya Kovalchuk, forcing the Offensive load onto guys like Elias, Zajac, and Parise. 


However, their Offensive contributions would not come from those three guys.


But it would be the Flyers who strike first, and only 2:53 in. The goal would come off the stick of Matt Read, who put a weak slapshot past an out of position Marty Brodeur.


For the first two periods, that would be the only scoring. 


The Flyers seemed as though they put the game on cruise control in the 2nd period, and left Bryzgalov out to dry. 


However, Bryz would be more than happy to put the team on his shoulders. After facing and saving 13 shots in the 1st period, he would stop all 12 shots that came his way in the 2nd period. 


He did not lose track of the puck at all, and did not allow the Devils to take advantages of any lose puck situations in front of the net.


Yet the offense supplied no help. Their first shot of the 2nd period came with less than two minutes in the period. They would end up with two shots in the period.


The Flyers were lucky to survive the 2nd period holding on to a 1-0 lead.


They would not be so lucky in the 3rd.


Three minutes into the 3rd, rookie Defensemen Adam Larsson would finally beat Bryzgalov with the Devils 27th shot of the game. It would be his first career playoff goal, and it tied the game at 1-1.


For the second period in a row, the Devils brought the intensity, while the Flyers play could at best be described as pedestrian.


And at 11:17, David Clarkson would make them pay. Bryz looked to have been screened, and Clarkson had his first of the Playoffs as well.


The wheels had not completely fallen off the wagon yet. That was until the 14:01 mark.


On an assist from Stephen Gionta, Travis Zajac made it 3-1, with his 5th of the Playoffs.


The Flyers would try and take advantage of a Power Play by pulling Bryzgalov from the net, but Bryce Salvador would send a prayer down the ice that would end up in the back of the Flyers net.


4-1 would be the final, and the Series is now locked at 1-1.


This loss was by no means the fault of Ilya Bryzgalov, but rather everyone else in front of him.


They lacked the hustle and intensity they had brought in the Penguins series, and the Devils made sure to take advantage of that.


Matt Read and the Brayden Schenn would be the only Flyers with a positive +/- rating.


Claude Giroux, who had played stellar throughout the Playoffs had a miserable night. In 21:05 minutes of ice time, Giroux registered just two shots.


Game 3 is Thursday in Newark, a game the Flyers need to restore some confidence.