Flyers Take Game 7!

Talk about a great series... Not only did these two teams take it to 7 games, but they required overtime to settle it. The Caps looked downright scary at times, and for much of the third period, the ice seemed slanted toward Marty Biron and the Flyers goal. But Marty stopped everything during that flurry, and the Flyers came out of the intermission renewed and with some fire. Marty stayed sharp, and eventually the powerplay opportunities in the Washington zone paid off, with Joffrey Lupul emerging from a quiet playoffs to send home the game and series winner.

Never in doubt, right?

Alex Ovechkin ended up having a helluva series, notching another goal tonight and just generally being a factor any time he was on the ice. But he couldn't do it alone, and on this night, Marty Biron was the best player on the ice. Flyers fans were rewarded by seeing their team with heads held high in the handshake line (one of the best traditions in hockey), and now it's time to gear up for Les Habitants.

My neighbors may have called the cops after all the screaming that came on that last goal...

(AP Photo/Nick Wass)

After the jump, by request from our out of town friends, the final goal called by Jim Jackson, the celebration, and the handshake. Thanks for coming to the site for your fix. It's been cool to hear from so many Flyers fans in other markets.

You can even see the pizza box hit Joffrey Lupul while he's celebrating.

Comments

[Benjamin]

I have nothing to say.

Why?

Cuz nothing is like Sudden Death Overtime in a playoff. NOTHING!!

@ Matt P, my wife hasn't been this mad at me screaming, since Nova came back from 21 against LSU this fall.

[Dale Hunter]

Congrats on the wing

Flyers have no shot against the Habs

[Benjamin]

Correction:

There is something better than a sudden death overtime in a playoff.

There's sudden death overtime in a playoff game 7.

awesome

[Nixorbo]

Everybody not named Biron didn't deserve that win at all. Lupul to a lesser extent. Shots were 16-5 Washington in the 3rd period. If Biron doesn't play out of his mind ...

If the Flyers want to have any chance at all, they've got to play a full 60+ minutes a game, none of this taking periods off bullcrap.

[Kevin]

Absolutely amazing!!! I Cant believe they won that game after being completely outplayed in the 3rd period. Hats off to the caps the played a hell of a series but Marty Biron just wouldnt let this team lose tonight. BRING ON THE HABS!!!!!

[El Ricko]

Hey, Dale! After drinking Jobu's rum before overtime to seal the victory for the Flyers, he gets us off on the right foot for the Montreal series.

Thanks, buddy! Don't be a stranger!

[Mike Wise Blows]

I direct you all over to the DC Sports Bog where you can all voice your displeasure over the classless Caps fan(s) who threw their trash onto the ice after losing tonight.

Suck on that Mike Wise.

[Bryan]

Props to the Caps, they played a hell of a series and game tonight. I also have a ton of respect for their fans, applauding their team at the end of the game.

[digi]

when do the caps fans start saying that we were handed that win...?

[Maverick785]

Biron had better get a massage and a ton of ice cream after that...CLUTCH. At the same time, I feel bad for the Caps. They've come so far from where they were a few years ago, and they gave us an amazing series. They'll be back next year, and unless they're playing us, I'll be pulling for them all the way.

[David]

What a great game! Give the Caps credit for pushing us, but I think we just learned a lot about this Flyers team. No matter how much the odds are stacked against them, they'll find a way to pull it out.

Montreal is going down!

[dcflyers]

Yes Flyers!

Living in DC, it's good to see that the Caps have a pretty decent team that'll be around for awhile. Hopefully they made some new fans that'll stick around too.

Biron was terrific. I liked Ovechkin and Richard's handshake.

The CSN team in DC is TERRIBLE. They can't pronounce anything and are just uninformed (except for the guy with the annoying voice). I miss JJ.

Let's go Flyers!

[tom]

@Matt P

Nice recap... and congrats on the win. Good luck against the Habs.

[Displaced Philadelphian]

Dear Dale,

When you reach the fifth grade, and/or move out of the DC Metro area, you may learn about the art of debate.

You may also, in fact, learn how to spell "win."

Regards,
DP

[Thank_The_Refs]

REFS GAVE THE 2nd GOAL TO YOU.....

THAT IS INTERFERENCE, BS

BS

THANK THE REFS

[Bryan]

^^ should have scored more goals then, L0Lz ^^

[doubleh]

Get over the officiating--it was horrible on both sides throughout the entire series. Don't blame the refs for this one, Caps fans.

[johndewar]

Tremendous win. Biron really proved the doubters wrong and if the refs didn't call that second (or third) pull down by a Cap in the OT, I thought Hatcher should have just speared Oveckin when he came on the ice just to see if the Koharski and Devorski (old skool veteran refs, BTW) were paying attention.

Now, onto Montreal. How do you say "rookie goaltender" in French?

[wjeiii]

Now the Verizon Center can go back to being half empty until next April

[WEAPON X20]

@Thank_the _refs

what about that was interference? Thoresen never touched Huet himself... if anything morisson could have been called for holding

[tom]

@wjeiii

Your team just won in overtime in game 7 and the only thing you can think to write is a played out cliche? Niiiice.

[J.P.]

Congrats to the Flyers, and thanks for teaching the Caps some valuable lessons about playoff hockey. Something tells me we'll be seeing each other in Springs to come.

[doubleh]

We could go on and on about suspicious calls in this series...how about the diving call on Upshall yesterday when he was clearly punched in the face and fell backward on the ice? Yet Ovechkin gets no diving calls for either of his dance moves...I think the penalty shot Richards was awarded was suspect, but then again, the Flyers weren't getting many calls at that point, so I'll take it.

[DOC]

tom, isn't that what you did after your team won game 6? niiiice.

[Mike'M]

Ok, the only caps fans I'm inviting to my birthday party are J.P. and Tom. The rest- you're off the list!

[Lou FCD]

Down East here in NC, the neighbors are all wondering "WTF???".

I've had the windows open.

[Mike'M]

Whoops! That's it. It's just gonna be me and T.J. Tom- you were sooo close man, so close! See you next season!

[Matt P.]

Thanks JP, great work on your posts throughout the series. Definitely a good read.

[F.]

Congrats to the Flyers and their fans.

Officiating sucked for both teams but that was an exciting series. Both teams have solid foundations for seasons to come. As much as I'd like to see a Caps/Flyers rivalry of old, I'm sure Bettman has other plans, like creating rivalries via bullshit scheduling and "divisions."

Low class: throwing garbage onto the ice.

I'd hate to see what Habs fans do if they win the next round.

[tom]

@DOC

Yes, but I was responding to a bunch of lone blame the refs comment. Besides, it wasn't the ONLY thing I said. wjeiii's ONLY thought was how the Verizon Center is going to be empty until April... not really what you would expect from a Flyers fan, or should it be?

If it is, then sorry but I think it's pretty pathetic if that's the first thing someone thinks to write following what should be an exhilarating win for them.

[Bryan]

Does ANYONE have a picture of Huet breaking his stick on the net after the game? It's screaming for a FAIL picture.

[Not a fan of five]

great game. i loved the bench shot when the goal was scored. awesome. bring on the Habs and I'll be mispronouncing everything French during this entire series. It's the least I can do. To celebrate this win, tomorrow for lunch I'll have a cheesesteak with a side of american fries. suck it canada. not to disrespect any canadian-americans on the flyers. they've clearly chosen the path to righteousness.

[Mike]

Great win, I am finally starting to breathe normally again. Oh, and good news: Melrose picked the Habs. Can't wait! Let's go Flyers!!

Did anyone else notice how insanely loud the annoying PA system is down there? That is rediculious. A guy on a mic screams chants and does a 5 minute rundown of the last goal scored.....wtf?

[Bryan]

PAT THE MACHIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!!!!!!!!!

[ms]

Lets go PHILS!

[sam]

grats on the win guys, great series

-caps fan

[dmg]

I'm in the same boat as most people here on the officials: they were bad all series and there missed calls or bad calls in every single game. It's the unfortunate (to me, as a Caps fan) that the last big bad one went against the Capitals, but who knows how this series would have played out with decent refs? Either team could have won, in anywhere from 5 to 7 games.

How fitting though, that the Flyers clinched on a rebound goal? That sums up their effort in this series.

Hell of a series and that Flyers are a hell of a team to watch. It'd be hard to say enough about the job Holmgrin did retooling this team.

I will say one thing though - ever since the Capitals got going and Ovechkin signed his extension in January the Verizon Center was pretty full. I think the days of 11,000 fans are gone...for the time being, at least.

[Matt P.]

Video of the final goal and celebration, called by Jimmy Jackson, now posted for our out of towner visitors. Hell I watched it and yelled three times after clipping it.

[ms]

am i dreaming? is this really philly

[TK]

happy to finally see a philadelphia team pull one out when they werent supposed to

[Chamomiles Davis]

This was a HUGE win, but it's not over yet, not by a long shot, and there's little time to dwell on it beyond tonight. Montreal's going to be a hell of a tough opponent (despite Boston taking them to seven games). I would have preferred that the Flyers face Pittsburgh, but oh well.

To the Caps fans on this board: Your team put up a hell of a fight and nearly handed Philly yet another in a long line of heartbreaks. Well played, Washington, and we salute you.

[Joe]

I hope this excitement can put even more energy into Sixers fans. Oh, and the Phillies pulled it over .500 thanks to Pat the Bat. Things are looking up, Philadelphia.

[Loqiel]

There was no way we deserved that series. I was at the game yesterday and we were just BAD, sloppy as all hell, but you know what?

I'll take it.

Bring on the Habs!

[Phils Phan]

At least the pizza box was empty. It'd be a crime to waste a perfectly good slice.

[El Ricko]

Wow, the Caps players are as classy as some of their fans. From the AP write-up:

“To have the referee decide the series like that, with two teams battling like that, is tough to swallow. I definitely didn’t think it was a penalty,” Poti said [referring to the penalty in overtime].

He then made reference to Philadelphia’s second goal, when a Capitals defenseman was knocked into Huet by an opponent, and said: “It’s tough to beat the officials as well as the Flyers.”

Sportsmanship lives in the nation's capital.

Credit it where it's due, great job by a young Caps team to push back after going down 3-1 (and making me quite certain I was witnessing another total playoff collapse by the Flyers). Young team that we could be seeing a lot of in the future.

And I'd take the tough-minded Ovechkin for the Flyers over nancy-boy Crosby any day of the week.

[Paul D]

woohoo!! I don't even consider myself much of a hockey fan but even I was on the edge of my seat in this one.

Hopefully this team can defeat Montreal and take it all the way!

[Maverick785]

I REALLY hope attendance at the Verizon Center goes up and stays there. The Caps are an exciting team - They deserve an excited fanbase to back them up. If the passion of the fans next season is anywhere close to what it was in this series, nobody's going to want to play in DC.

As for the habs...if they trashed the streets after a 5-0 game 7 win, I can't wait to see what they do after getting their ASS handed to them.

[Steve J]

Philly sports are absolutely going to be the death of me! The Flyers pull it out (I had to listen to it on the radio and scared the shit out of my sister in the car raising my fist and screaming in celebration, happy birthday sis!) and the Phils come back (how the hell are you going to walk Ryan Howard when he's hitting .190 to get to Burrell right now? Crazy Rockies!)! What a night!

Flyers have a really tough series ahead of them with Montreal, but if they keep the energy up and play smart defense (like in game 2 of this series) I think they can pull it out.

LET'S GO FLYERS!

[Flyers Fan in DC]

Congrats to the Flyers on a hard fought win. But there's still work to be done. According to VS the first game is on Thursday in Montreal. That's not a lot of time to rest up following these back to back games.

[Carl P]

plain old awesome

[Sanganoski]

Great series and even greater win!!! I thought that when they blew the 2 man advantage that the "make-up" calls would start coming, but I was definitely wrong on that idea. Ovechkin is a very crafty and talented player and after he "laser beamed" the second goal, I thought, "How come this Russian ain't stuck on a sub somewhere patroling the Atlantic?" but again a great series and a greater win. Marty Biron was in a "zone of his own" and played like "HUMAN VELCRO" so now we go against the Canadiens, hope the "fly-guys" get new edges on their blades because those "frogs" can skate!

[jd]

as i said before, given the results of the past few years, we are playing with house money at this point.

the reffing was equally bad for both sides; wherein kappinan might have interfered, huet also threw his stick at umberger in game 6. it evened out.

thanks again to this blog for posting the JJ calls-those of us in DC greatly appreciate them.

for the caps-good season! you will be back.
for the caps fans-for most of you, thank you for coming to these posts. for the most part, your input has been greatly appreciated and enjoyed.

[JimMc]

On the winning goal, I jumped up in the air and hit my hand on a moving ceiling fan! Totally worth it!!

Thanks for posting the CSN footage for us out-of-towners! Not many Flyers fans down here in Knoxville!!

[PJ]

To all the genius analysts who picked the Caps before the series (5 out of 6 on espn.com) because of their "hot" winning streak at the end of the season, do some homework. Not one team the Capitals played in the last 8 games made the playoffs, and they play in the worst division in the East. The Capitals have some great stars and made the smartest moves at the trade deadline but based on the schedule at the end of the season I don't think they were playoff ready. Streaks don't mean shit when your team plays against AHL plugs all year. The Flyers went 6-1-1 in the last 8 games in a division where 4 of 5 teams made the playoffs and 3 of 5 are in the second round. It is a proven fact that they have the most balanced scoring in the NHL having six players with 20 or more goals (7 if you count Prospal). I'm all for a little underdog spirit, but I'm sick of people acting like this team doesn't deserve to be where they are.

[lol]

they barely made it where they are. go pens

[enrico]

lol! go pencils

[Kulp]

Awesome.