The Flyers, despite another slow start in the 1st period on Sunday afternoon, were able to defeat the NJ Devils in overtime of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, 4-3.
Danny Briere has truly lived up to his title of "Mr. Playoffs" yet again this year, netting 2 goals (the Flyers' first and GW in OT) en route to the Flyers victory.
In case you missed the game, here are the highlights, courtesy of NHL.com:
Here are some QUICK HITS from Game 1 between the Flyers and Devils:
Obviously, like we've mentioned, Danny Briere took the game under his own control. He actually got a goal overturned in OT (kicked in) but netted another one just a few short minutes later.
Claude Giroux continues to live up to the hype. He scored the Flyers 3rd goal on the power play in the 3rd period on a rope of a one-timer goal. He led all forwards with 24:54 TOI.
James van Riemsdyk and Eric Wellwood may have been two of the Flyers best players on Sunday. JVR scored his first goal of the playoffs and probably could have had a few more if it weren't for the solid play of Martin Brodeur.
JVR finished the game with 1 G, 5 shots, and a +3 rating.
Wellwood certainly made his presence felt as well. He drew 2 key penalties, and despite not putting up big numbers, was a key factor towards the end of the game for the Flyers.
Ilya Bryzgalov did what it took to get the win. While he wasn't stellar, his 23 saves on 26 shots proved to be enough to outduel Marty Brodeur. We'd still like to see him be more of a difference maker.
The Flyers were only 1 for 6 on the power play. Keep an eye on this matchup moving forward in this series. The Devils' penalty kill was ranked 1st during the regular season and the Flyers had the league's top ranked power play unit these playoffs.
Game 2 will be played on Tuesday at 7:30pm. You can watch the game on NBC Sports Network and follow it on 610 WIP.
BUZZ ON BROAD 3 STARS OF THE GAME:
1) Danny Briere (2G, GWG)
2) Claude Giroux (1G)
3) James van Riemsdyk (1G, 5 S, +3 rating)
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