MONTREAL — The Flyers have overcome obstacles, including themselves, in this postseason.
They will need to show that resilience again after last night's 4-3 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at the Bell Centre. The Flyers blew another two-goal lead, albeit with ample help from the officials.
Tom Kostopoulos won the game 48 seconds into overtime by knocking in the rebound of his own shot. Game 2 begins at 7 p.m. tomorrow.
A high-stick goal by Montreal's Alex Kovalev in the second period and a dubious kneeing call on Mike Richards late in the game resulted in two Canadiens goals as the officials basically handed the game to Montreal.
"You guys can comment on that; we certainly didn't get any breaks," Flyers coach John Stevens said. "I wasn't sure on the high-stick there. It's tough."
Richards was forced "off the ice there, and he's our best face-off guy on the right side," Stevens said, adding that he did not think there had been a kneeing penalty.
Richards appeared to check Kovalev with his shoulder.
"If there was a knee, I obviously didn't mean to, but if it was a shoulder, that was what I was trying to do," Richards said. "I haven't seen the replay, so I guess I'll give him the benefit of the doubt right now."
Joffrey Lupul broke a 2-2 tie 19 seconds into the third period with a goal off his leg.
Kovalev retied the game with 28.6 seconds left in regulation time, as the Canadiens attacked with six players. Richards was in the box on the kneeing call.
The Kovalev goal, which tied the game at 2-2 in the second period, was reviewed, but the officials upheld it. Kovalev practically needed a stepladder to hit the puck out of the air and into the net.
"I thought it was a high-stick right away," Flyers goalie Marty Biron said. "They had to go to Toronto [for the video review], and once they go to Toronto, that's what happens."
Said Kovalev: "When the puck went into the air, I saw that the goalie was looking the other way. I felt I had enough time to let the puck come down far enough to knock it in. You hope they count the goal, but all you can do is wait."
The Flyers had a 2-0 lead, but as we've seen this spring, two-goal leads for the Flyers mean absolutely nothing. Overall, it was another terrific hockey game, played at a high tempo and for stretches at breakneck speed.
