PHILADELPHIA -- Good evening from atop the Comerica Center a little less than an hour away from kickoff.
It's the Marlins and Phillies, with plenty of playoff implications.
First off, just got word that Kamil Kreps is out with the flu. Nick Tarnasky will take his place. Assuming Brett McLean slides over to center the fourth line.
Will have more, much more, as we get going here in Philly.
-- Just had a Tastykake with Goldie. We both enjoyed the experience. Now Steve X. is breaking out the peanut M&Ms. Hitting the gym tomorrow.
-- Speaking of Goldie, the On Frozen Pond exclusive ''The Goldie Report'' returns tonight. Heck, let's do the pregame one right now!
-- THE GOLDIE REPORT (pregame): I think if the Panthers win tonight, they make the playoffs. With that said, the key player in the game will be Tomas Vokoun. The Flyers are too good offensively to not get chances and Vokoun will need to do what Craig Anderson did here two weeks ago. He came up with timely saves, and that's what Vokoun has to do.
The key offensively is the power play. The Panthers have scored power play goals in four of the past five games, and those are the games they won. The players realize what's at stake and how far a win tonight will go toward being a playoff team. The Flyers are going to come out strong. They want to get their one point and get it over without. If the Panthers can withstand the early charge, they should be all right.
And the Tastykake was good. I enjoyed it Jerry.
So there you have it...
--And we've got a ballgame folks...started late because the Flyers gave out their end of season awards...would list them here, but I wasn't paying attention...
-- $1 soft pretzels tonight at the game...get 'em while they're hot...
--Lot of empty seats here tonight...wonder if the baseball game next door has anything to do with that?
-- Panthers looking good early; getting the puck in deep, taking some shots...
--Florida is going on the first power play of the night, coming @ 7:42 of the opening period...shots FLA 7-5...Braydon Coburn into the box for ''hooking''...
--Taking a TV (for Philly) timeout with 8:19 left...still scoreless...shots: FLA 11-8
-- Panthers returning the favor...Weiss to the box for holding @ 11:55..It's the Peco Power Play
-- Midway through the first in Nueva York, the Expos and Mets are scoreless..
-- Panthers just dodge a major bullet...empty net with Vokoun out playing the puck and the Flyers can't connect...that could be big as we move along...
--And the Rangers score...6:22 left in the first, up 1-0
-- OK, that's it for the first, both teams getting in some chances...we'll be back with more Goldie and first period stats in a bit...going to grab a pretzel...anyone got a single?
THE GOLDIE REPORT (first intermission): Only discouraging part in the first is that the Panthers didn't score. Strong effort right from the start, with the Panthers controlling play for the most part. They had a pair of 2-on-1s, Biron stopped Zednik then Ballard and Olesz overpassed. But the Panthers have clearly had more scoring chances, and if they keep playing the way they did in the first, should be in good shape. Again, Pete DeBoer was able to use all four lines and get pressure and production from each one. Both goalies were solid. There's a good chance that two goals will win this game.
Stats: Florida leads in shots 13-11; Weiss has three as does Timonen. Florida doing a good job, winning 57 percent of faceoffs so far.
Now, the second period...
SECOND PERIOD -- SECOND PERIOD -- SECOND PERIOD
--Also, Rangers and Montreal tied after one at the Garden...
BRETT MCLEAN MAKES IT 1-0...TAKES A NICE FEED FROM MICHAEL FROLIK AND DRILLS IT HOME...GOAL AT 4:30 OF THE SECOND PERIOD...
--Rangers now up 2-1...
--Panthers back on the power play...Darroll Powe to the box for slashing @ 8:28 of the second...FLA 0-for-1 on the PP
-- PHL going on the PP now after Dvorak gets hooked for hooking...penalty @ 12:12
THE FLYERS TIE IT UP, JOFFREY LUPUL KNOCKS IN WITH SKATE BUT DIDN'T KICK IT IN...AND IT'S 1-1 WITH 4:15 LEFT IN THE SECOND...
--Rangers beating Habs 3-1...
--Well, that's it for the second period...and we go to the third kind of like we went to the second. Tied. Only this time, it's 1-1 and not 0-0. Got it? Good...
THE GOLDIE REPORT (second intermission): The biggest 20 minutes in a decade are coming up for the Panthers. Who will come through and win them this game? They continue to get the chances, but Biron has made some good saves. On the Philly goal, the Panthers missed two chances to clear the zone and then made an error on icing the puck -- that lead to the goal. Florida's playing well enough to win this game and with the Rangers winning, these two points would really put the Panthers in a good spot. Tied with the Rangers, one back of Montreal. They may not win again this year. Play smart, and as always with the Panthers, someone needs to find the back of the net. As I said earlier, two goals may be good enough to win this game.
-- Thanks Goldie! Stats from the second period coming up soon...
--THIRD PERIOD -- THIRD PERIOD -- THIRD PERIOD
-- Shots: FLA 25-23
--FLA back on the PP..Jeff Carter in for slashing @ 2:00
--Florida still generating a lot of chances and Vokoun is getting lucky the Flyers aren't around some of these rebounds...
JEFF CARTER MAKES IT 2-1 FLYERS AS HE FIRES A SHOT FROM THE GOAL LINE, HITS VOKOUN'S LEG AND WATCHES IT GO THROUGH...CARTER'S 45TH OF THE YEAR COULD BE A KILLA FOR THE PANTHERS...WE'RE MIDWAY THROUGH THE THIRD...2-1 FLYERS
-- Well, that's that. The Panthers need a lot of help now. Three back of Montreal, two back of the Rangers. Florida needs to win its final two and hope like hell the Habs and/or Rangers crash.
Good luck.
Drive careful everyone, will check in later...
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