Welcome To Iconocast |
How to add a URL link from your web site to the Iconocast web sites |
|
|
|
|
Apr 24, 2008 10:17 PM
MONTREAL'When Flyers goalie Martin Biron was growing up in Lac-St-Charles, Que., he hated the Montreal Canadiens. Now the former dyed-in-the-wool Quebec Nordiques fan has two more reasons to hate Montreal: Alex Kovalev and Tom Kostopoulos. Kovalev scored twice, including one with 29 seconds to go in the third to force overtime, and Kostopoulos scored the winner as Montreal rallied to take Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal Thursday night. Kostopoulos scored just 48 seconds into the fourth period, pouncing on his own rebound as Montreal gritted out a 4-3 victory. In the fired-up atmosphere of the Bell Centre, it was hard to tell which of this province's native sons was hated more. Both Biron, and Daniel Briere, of Gatineau, were jeered and booed all evening. Briere has some bad history here, having rejected a free-agent contract from the Habs last summer to sign with the Flyers. Briere darted about the ice, displaying the kind of speed and puck control that might have brought back memories of the Flying Frenchman had he been wearing bleu-blanc-rouge. Biron was more of a force, holding the fort ' especially in the all-Montreal second period that included stopping a Tomas Plekanec penalty shot ' as the tired Flyers turned advantages into disadvantages with penalties and turnovers. They gave up a shorthanded goal, they gave up a goal with 29 seconds to go and they blew 2-0 and 3-2 leads as Montreal ' which had the better chances all evening ' refused to capitulate. The speedy Canadiens ' especially Alexei Kovalev - took advantage of the fact the Flyers were playing their third game in four nights. Oddly enough, the first period went to the Flyers, with Jim Dowd and R.J. Umberger scoring. Montreal tied it 2-2 in the second on goals from Andrei Kostitsyn and Kovalev's controversial shorthanded goal. It looked like it might have been batted with a high stick. But video review was on Kovalev's side. 'Video review was conclusive that it was not struck with a highstick,' the NHL said on its website by way of explanation. But what goes around comes around, and Joffrey Lupul put Philadelphia up 3-2 just 19 seconds into the third period. It went off his skate, and despite protests from Montreal players, video review was on Lupul's side, ruling there was no 'distinct kicking motion.' After that, it was up to Biron in a fast-paced third period. He stopped a hard Steve Begin shot off his mask near the eight-minute mark, and had a big pad save of Chris Higgins at the 12-minute mark and a pad save on Bryan Smolinski with two minutes to go. But he couldn't do it all. With 1:09 left, Flyers forward Mike Richards drew two minutes for kneeing Kovalev. With goalie Carey Price pulled, the Habs were 6-on-4. Kovalev's ensuing power play goal forced overtime. Saku Koivu won the draw back to Kovalev, who one-timed a wrister past Biron with 28.6 seconds on the clock.
|
|||||||||
|
|||
| Continue News With: News8 ; News9 ; News9A | |||
Iconocast Home PageContact Iconocast |
| © 2003-07. ICONOCAST is a trademark of iconocast.com. |
