Flyers

Shutouts have been rare for the Flyers in the playoffs, but not against the Sabres this year. Consider: The 1-0 shutout Wednesday was the first time in franchise history that the Flyers have been shut out, 1-0, twice in the same series. The two shutouts are just the third and fourth 1-0 shutout losses in the playoffs in franchise history. The Flyers had not been shut out twice in a series since the 2002 Eastern Conference quarterfinals, when they were shut out in Games 2, 3 and 4 by Ottawa.

KEY STATS 2.77: Goals per game in 2013. 7th: Rank in scoring in East. 3.22: Goals per game in 2011-12. 50-43-37: Goals by period for the Flyers this season, which tells a huge story. Their 37 third-period goals were 26th in the NHL; their 50 first-period goals were third. 25: Percent of games in which the Flyers scored one or fewer goals this season (12 games). 14-1-0: Flyers' record when scoring four or more goals this season (31 percent of games). 21.6 percent: Power-play success rate (37 goals on 171 opportunities)

Nashville, the NHL's hottest team with 10 wins in its last 11 games, will try to continue the Flyers' home struggles on Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center. Once upon a time, opponents feared facing the Flyers in their South Philly rink, and it wasn't uncommon for foes to mysteriously come down with what was known as the "Philadelphia flu" because they knew a physical, punishing game was ahead of them. Not anymore. The Flyers have won just half of their 22 home games (11-7-4)

FLYERS 4, STARS 3 SCORE BY PERIODSSHOTS ON GOAL Dallas. . . 1 2 0 - 0Dallas. . . 5 12 8 - 25 Flyers. . . 2 1 1 - 4Flyers. . . 14 4 7 - 25 SCORING First Period No. TeamPlayerAssistAssistTimeS-F 1. FlyersUpshall (3)Lupul (2)-3:170-1 2. StarsWilson (1)Sydor (2)-11:331-1 3. FlyersKnuble (9)Gagne (15)-16:001-2 Second Period 4. StarsModano (7)Eriksson (5)Parrish (2)2:302-2 5. FlyersCarter (15)Hartnell (6)-14:222-3 6. StarsModano (8)

The last time the Flyers won the Stanley Cup, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was a box-office sensation, sentences were handed out for the Watergate cover-up, and gas was about 57 cents a gallon. Yeah, it's been a while. Thirty-eight years, to be exact. No one is more frustrated than Ed Snider, the Flyers' founder and chairman of Comcast-Spectacor, the team's parent company. The frustration grew this season. First there was the senseless lockout. Then the Flyers' head-scratching, inconsistent play caused them to miss the playoffs for just the second time in the last 18 years.

The Flyers have scored 13 unanswered goals in these playoffs. The last NHL team to do that was the Anaheim Ducks in 2006. This is the fourth time the Flyers have scored 10 or more unanswered goals in the playoffs: 13: 2010, Bruins & Canadiens 12: 1980, North Stars 11: 1987, Rangers & Islanders 10: 1974, Flames & Rangers  

Game 4 can be summarized in three words: Marc-Andre Fleury. This was a classic case of a hot goalie stealing his team a game. The Pens goalkeeper was phenomenal, making 45 saves in Pittsburgh's 3-1 win. After a shaky performance in Game Three, Fleury was clearly the difference in sending the Penguins home with a three-games-to-one series lead. The Flyers came out hard in the first ten minutes of the game and had three power plays and plenty of quality scoring chances, in the first period, but could not crack the former No. 1 overall pick.

If Danny Briere is emotional about possibly playing his last home game in a Flyers uniform, he isn't showing it. Because of his high cap hit - $6.5 million per year - the Flyers' 35-year-old forward is expected to be bought out or traded after the season. If that happens, that would make Thursday's game against the New York Islanders his finale at the Wells Fargo Center as a member of the Flyers. "I'm not thinking about that. . . . Things change fast in the hockey world," the always-classy Briere said after Wednesday's practice at the Skate Zone in Voorhees.

DEAD ON Tuesday. Kidding themselves on Thursday. Rallying on Saturday. Two points out of a playoff spot on Sunday. With that, welcome to the Flyers' week that was. The ride is now officially absurd. It was certified as such on Sunday night when the Flyers came back from a 4-2 deficit in the middle of the third period and stunned the Washington Capitals, tying the game with just under 10 seconds remaining in regulation and winning the game in overtime, 5-4. Seven teams are now fighting for the final playoff spot in the NHL Eastern Conference.

It was one timeout that Peter Laviolette, the master of such things, actually regretted. Never mind that Laviolette's team scored just 55 seconds after he whistled them together, providing a last-minute reminder for the pending five-on-three advantage the Flyers were about to enjoy. Game 3 against Pittsburgh was tied at that point Sunday afternoon. Danny Briere scored to make it 2-1. Less than four minutes later, Briere piled on to make it 3-1. The Flyers never looked back.