Flyers Win Thrilling Game 3 in OT
The Philadelphia Flyers beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, thanks to their rough play and an overtime goal by Claude Giroux. Giroux had a huge game in front of the home crowd at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. Along with his game-winner at 5:59 in OT, he notched 2 apples, giving him 3 points and top player honors. Game 3 held many similarities to Game 1 in the respect that both teams battled for goals back and forth and neither team held a lead for an extended period of time. Philadelphia grabbed an early 1-0 lead with a power play goal by Danny Briere, which was answered eight minutes later, in the second period, by Duncan Keith. Philadelphia charged back minutes later and Scott Hartnell grabbed another power play goal for the Flyers at 9:55 in the second, giving the Flyers a 2-1 lead. Chicago defensemen Brent Sopel tied the game for the Hawks, once again eight minutes later.
The Blackhawks came out of the second intermission with some fire and intensity that had lacked for much of Game 3. Patrick Kane finally found his way into the net at 2:50 with a breakaway shot that went over the right shoulder of Michael Leighton. Kane, along with his line teammates, have struggled this series, but thanks to a Philly turnover, Kane was able to turn that around. Philadelphia answered right back with a goal from Ville Leino only 50 seconds later. The Flyers outshot Chicago 14-3 after Kane’s goal, and were rewarded for their persistence and solid puck control with a goal by Giroux: a deflection off of a Matt Carle shot. Philly simply looked like a team with nothing to lose, because they didn’t. They are showing the resiliency of a championship team, and only time will tell if Mike Richards and crew will be hoisting the cup above their heads. Chris Pronger once again grabbed the most time on the ice in Game 3. He was on the ice for over 32 minutes in this one, the second time he’s done that in this series. He has been an absolute workhorse for the Flyers in the Finals, and it’s proving to be successful. He has held Dustin Byfuglien to one point with a combined minus-3 rating for the series. Jonathan Toews has also been kept in check this series, garnering only one point and a minus-1 rating.
Chicago’s top line has been virtually non-existent with a total of four points and a minus-6 rating. Before Patrick Kane scored early in the third, two Chicago defensemen had been providing the offense. A goal from Duncan Keith early in the second and a wrist shot from Brent Sopel later in the period kept the Blackhawks in this game. For Chicago to win in Philadelphia, where the Flyers are now 8-1, they are going to need some more help from their superstars. Philadelphia has been tremendous on both sides of the power play. The Flyers scored on two out of the three power play chances in Game 3, and didn’t allow a goal on all three of Chicago’s opportunities. Chicago needs to find a better way to kill penalties in Game 4, but most importantly, score on the man-advantage. Chicago has two of the best forwards in the game with Toews and Kane, and they can’t seem to score on a power play. Something doesn’t feel right. If Chicago drops Game 4, they could be in some big trouble. Game 4 is Friday, 8 p.m. EST at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. Find it on Versus, CBC and RDS.
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