Lightning doesn't strike twice as Flyers return to winning ways

Lightning 3 - 4 Flyers (OT)

Center and captain Mike Richards may have won the game for the Flyers last night, two minutes into overtime, but his teammate Scott Hartnell could have cost them the game in regulation, with one of the most extraordinary penalties you are ever likely to see.

With 16 seconds left in the third period, Lightning winger Ryan Malone broke away from a tired Flyers unit to go one-on-one with goaltender Martin Biron when, in an act of desperation, Hartnell threw his glove in front of Malone to try and put him off.

Malone's shot, which if scored would have won the game, was saved by Biron, but the referees correctly called a foul on Hartnell, giving the Lightning a penalty shot and with it, another chance to clinch the win.

Thankfully for the winger, Biron again produced a stunning save to send the game to overtime.

Here it is...I have never seen anything like it:


Some would say it was a great heads-up play as no-one was going to catch Malone, especially with Biron having saved 6/10 regulation penalty shots already this season.

Others would call it a moment of madness, that gave the visitors two chances to steal the win.

Richards took advantage of Philly's good fortune, scoring his second goal of the night early in the extra period to get the Flyers back on track, after two losses in two days at the back end of last week.

Ironically it was Malone that gave the Flyers the power play from which they scored the winner, after he was called for interference on Biron.

The Flyers had led the game 3-1 early in the third period, before allowing Tampa Bay to come back and level the scores with less than five minutes remaining.

It was a feast of a game for the Flyers' centers as they scored all 4 goals, with Jeff Carter's power play goal giving Philly the lead with less than three minutes on the clock.

After Tampa pegged the Flyer's back midway through the first, Philly regained their advantage just seconds into the third with Richards' first goal of the night.

Despite being a man short, the Flyers created a two-on-one break which the Canadian duly converted.

Carter doubled Philly's lead just four minutes later, grabbing his second of the night on another Flyers power play.

The goal was Carter's 18th of the season, which ties him with Buffalo's Thomas Vanek for the league's leading goal scorer.

The center was also credited with an assist for Richards' game winner, giving him three points on the night and 25 on the season.

However, it was not such a good night for the Flyers' other main center Danny Briere, as he left the game after the second with yet another injury.

By this point winger Scottie Upshall had already left the game in the opening period, but he was ejected in the first period after getting a game misconduct call for a boarding penalty.

The result avenged Philly's 2-1 loss to the Lightning back in November, when two former Flyers came back to haunt their former team.

The same nearly happened again last night, with four ex-Flyers combining to have a part in all three Tampa goals.

Ex-Philly winger Mark Recchi brought the Lightning level at 1-1 in the first, with another former Flyer Vaclav Prospal getting an assist on the play.

Prospal then scored Tampa's second, just seconds after Philly had gone 3-1 up.

The center was assisted by Steve Eminger, who the Flyers traded to the Lightning less than a month ago for defenseman Matt Carle.

Another player leaving Philadelphia in the Carle trade was winger Steve Downie, and it was he who knotted the scores late in the third before all the last gasp drama.

With the win the Flyers move up to 12-7-5 on the year and 6th in the Eastern Conference, just two points behind division rivals Pittsburgh, who lie second in the Atlantic Division.

Meanwhile the Lightning have now lost five straight games and slipped to second bottom in the East, a position the Flyers found themselves in not too long ago.

That time appears to be way in the past for Philly, who are now one of the hottest teams in the conference, having gone 7-1-2 in their last 10 games.

General Manager Paul Holmgren will be hoping his team can continue this form and build on it Thursday, when the New Jersey Devils visit the Wachovia Center.