Wow, now that was a hell of a way to open up your home schedule. The Flyers and Capitals went at it in a back and forth shootout all night long, and by the time the dust had settled, the Flyers had pulled off a 6-5 overtime win. The game started out slowly, but as the second period started, both teams went at it, scoring a combined seven goals in the period.
The big story of the night was the hat trick that Mike Richards nailed down last night. All three of his goals came in the second period, and he became the first Flyer to ever score a hat trick in Philadelphia's home opener. Defenseman Matt Carle also had a good night, piling up four assists, all in the second period. Of course, the Caps wouldn't go quietly. I don't think that's possible when you have Alexander Ovechkin on your team. Ovechkin scored twice in the second and was backed up by Alexander Semin, who scored two goals of his own. Luckily for the Flyers, they had just enough to get them through the night. With just over a minute to play before a shootout, Danny Briere capped off the game, and his birthday with an overtime winner, giving the Flyers their third win of the year.
The game was a lot of fun, but it wasn't all good. The defense that had been solid through the first two games got undressed a bit by Washington, as Ovechkin and Semin were able to get some easy turnovers and goals on Ray Emery. You can't really pin the blame for that many goals on Emery, as the Capitals scored once on the power play, and had too many chances in front of the net. The Capitals are too good of a team to be turning the puck over to them in odd man rush situations. The Flyers aren't built for these shootout type games, and if they get into them, odds are they won't always end up on top.
There were also a couple of injuries last night. James VanRiemsdyk had to leave the game with what looked like a concussion. He's going to be looked at today, while Blair Betts is going to miss at least a month with a dislocated shoulder. Both the injuries sting, as VanRiemsdyk and Betts had been contributing to the team. Hopefully, VanRiemsdyk can get back quickly, and the Flyers can find a replacement on the penalty killing team for Betts.
The refs also had a bit too much to say in this game. You know the whistles are going to be out any time you play Washington, but there were some shaky calls on both teams. The Flyers were able to take advantage of the power plays more than the Caps, as they netted three goals with a man advantage, compared to Washington's one. Either way, these teams shouldn't be getting stopped by calls every five minutes. They're both top tier NHL teams. Let them play like everyone knows they can.
I can't stress how good it was to see Mike Richards pick up a hat trick in the home opener. He's already got five goals on the young season, and has looked solid in each of the three games. Hopefully, he can keep up his pace and keep the Flyers moving in the right direction.
Overall, it was a great way to open up the Wachovia Center for hockey this season. The Flyers picked up the win, the fans were treated to one hell of a show, and Mike Richards pulled in a hat trick. The defense has got to be more disciplined on Thursday night, though, because Sidney Crosby and the Penguins are coming to town. If the Flyers make the same mistakes they did last night against Pittsburgh, they'll give up more than five goals.
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