Monday, February 11, 2013

JVR caps off Leafs' 5-2 win over Flyers

February 11, 2013

Box Score (from Flyers.NHL.com)


The biggest story going into Monday night's game was the fact that both Luke Schenn and James Van Riemsdyk would be facing their former teams for the first time since they were traded for each other in the off-season.

Van Riemsdyk was sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Schenn was given to the Flyers in return. So far, Van Riemsdyk has made Toronto look like the clear winner in the deal.


With seven goals already under his belt this season, Van Riemsdyk scored his eighth goal at 1:11 in the third period to complete a 5-2 Flyers defeat.



Van Riemsdyk received a pass from Phil Kessel in the neutral zone, then skated the puck into the offensive zone himself. He finished off the play by cutting in towards the net, looping around Schenn in the process, and sliding a backhander past Brian Boucher.

The goal was a case of a former Flyer adding insult to injury to his old team. However, that was not the most deflating moment of the game.

No that honor goes to a blown five-minute power play opportunity in the second period.

For the second straight game, Tye McGinn was checked face first into the boards. In the last game it was Carolina's Tim Wallace who checked McGinn, and this time it was Toronto's Korbinian Holzer who committed the crime.

Like Wallace, Holzer received a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct.

Already down 4-1, the boarding call allowed the Flyers a five-minute man advantage to try and swing momentum back in their favor.

Just one goal would have done the trick, but instead they did nothing. Any hope of a Flyers comeback disappeared once the power play clock expired.

Brian Boucher made his season debut in goal after Toronto scored four goals on Ilya Bryzgalov, but those goals were hardly Bryzgalov's fault. Bad turnovers and poor defense in front of him are more to blame.

In the first period, Toronto's Dion Phanuef (2, 14:49) scored on a slap shot from the point. Bryzgalov never caught site of it because he was being screened by Phanuef's teammate Nikolai Kulemin.

In the second period Colton Orr (1, 2:05) was left open in front of the net and scored on an easy rebound from a shot by Frazer McLaren. Nicklas Grossman was the closest defenseman to Bryzgalov, but could not get the puck away from Orr to help him.

Matt Frattin (7, 2:33) scored on a redirection seconds later when Cody Franson cut off a failed clearing attempt by Braydon Coburn and threw a quick shot on net. The puck also tocuhed the stick of Toronto's Nazem Kadri on the way to give allow him an assist on the play.

Clarke MacArthur (2, 6:15) scored the Leafs' fourth goal of the game and third of the period when he was left wide-open in front of the net, which allowed Kadri to get another assist by connecting with MacArthur on the one-timer.

Four Maple Leaf goals by the end of the second, all due mostly as a result of defensive mistakes by the Flyers and good awareness by the Leafs.

Bryzgalov made 10 saves in 26:15 of play, before being pulled for Boucher.

Boucher played the remainder of the game, making nine saves aside from Van Riemsdyk's goal.

Luke Schenn did earn a point in Monday night's game. He earned an assist on a goal by Wayne Simmonds (3) 38 seconds into the game.

Tye McGinn (2) scored with 32 seconds left in the game. He did not celebrate his goal, but there was no reason to. It was clear to anyone involved with the game that there was no time left for a rally.

Toronto lost their starting goaltender James Reimer four minutes into the second period. After being tended to by team trainers, Reimer was assisted off the ice by his teammate John-Michael Lillies. It looks like Reimer has a left leg injury, as he did not put pressure on it when he was assisted off the ice.

Ben Scrivens filled in for Reimer, and to the Flyers' dismay, did a great job coming off the bench. Scrivens saved 32 of the 33 shots he faced.

The Flyers 46 shots for the game more than doubled Toronto's 24, making their lack of scoring on Monday night a far more frustrating thought.

The Flyers (5-7-1) are now a dismal 1-6-0 on the road. They have five more games left on a six-game road trip.

The next stop is Winnipeg for a Tuesday night game against the Jets (5-5-1).

Extras: Sean Couturier has the flu and was taken out of the lineup. The Philadelphia Inquirer's Sam Carchidi tweets that there is a good chance Couturier will be sent back to Philadelphia and will not travel to Winnipeg with the team.

(Image from CSNPhilly.com)
(Video from MapleLeafs.NHL.com)

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