The Flyers, who needed a shootout victory to get into the playoffs on the last day of the regular season, are two wins shy of reaching the Stanley Cup finals.
Third period, 0:20, Flyers 3-0: I'll tell you what. Those crazy fans in Montreal are going to be steamed about the Flyers fans mocking the "Ole!" chant on Tuesday night. Coming from someone who has seen the Bell Centre at its best — or worst, depending on how you view it — it's really not a smart move to fire up those people.
Third period, 3:20, Flyers 3-0: Philly killed Montreal's power play, and Danny Briere soon found himself on a breakaway into the Montreal zone. Young defenseman P.K. Subban made a lame flail at Briere before the Flyer was stoned by Jaroslav Halak, and Briere got two minutes for slashing. Put this one to bed. It's officially over.
Third period, 4:39, Flyers 3-0: Even if the Canadiens don't make a miraculous comeback, it might go a long way if they can at least crack Michael Leighton. They're being outscored 9-0 in this series, and the Habs need something — anything — to hang their hats on.
Third period, 5:39, Flyers 3-0: It's pretty tough to imagine the Canadiens making a comeback here, but if they've got any shot at all, they have to quickly take advantage of this power play. Arron Asham was called for slashing to give Montreal the man-advantage.
Third period, 9:36, Flyers 3-0: It didn't come on the power play, but the Flyers padded the lead nonetheless. Just a couple of minutes after getting stoned on the doorstep, Ville Leino scored a weak goal from a poor angle low in the left circle. Jaroslav Halak might not want to go back to Montreal after this game.
Third period, 12:06, Flyers 2-0: Philly has a chance to wrap this up with another power-play opportunity. The Flyers have two man-advantage goals so far, and they're heading back on the power play after Hal Gill was whistled for interference. Montreal has actually been extremely fortunate to avoid an interference penalty and a high-sticking infraction already in this period, but the Habs weren't so lucky this time. This was actually the least severe of the three incidents.
Third period, 14:39, Flyers 2-0: There's been a lot of nonstop play so far in this period, but there was just a whistle after the puck stalled in the corner. Tomas Plekanec was leaning hard on Kimmo Timonen, and Timonen shot up quickly and went madly after Plekanec for the unnecessary pile job. Somehow, both escaped penalties.
Third period, 19:59, Flyers 2-0: Who likes third-period hockey? The Flyers and Canadiens sure do.
End of second period, Flyers 2-0: The first 40 minutes have gone pretty swimmingly for the Flyers, but this game isn't over by any stretch of the imagination. Sure, Philly is outscoring the Canadiens 8-0 in this series and has scored 12 consecutive playoff goals dating back to its last series against the Bruins. But Montreal is playing well and has controlled much of the play in Game 2. The Habs are outshooting Philly 26-13.
Second period, 1:12, Flyers 2-0: I wonder how many Flyers fans know Evan Turner is going to be suiting up for the Sixers in this building next season. Boston fans must hate this, but it's a really good sports night in Philly.
Second period, 3:04, Flyers 2-0: Wow, the Philly fans are mocking Montreal's "Ole!" chant during the stoppage in play. For my money, I'd do a little more to exploit "Bro Hymn" by Pennywise. That's always been a favorite, and it dominates the Wachovia Center after every Flyers score.
Second period, 4:11, Flyers 2-0: Simon Gagne was part of Philly's bombardment of the Montreal net, and he banked home the puck from the right post. It was Philly's second power-play goal of the night, and it came from a lot of hard work and good chunk of mucking.
Second period, 5:28, Flyers 1-0: Brian Gionta was bagged for holding way behind the play, and the Flyers have a chance to spread the lead on the power play.
Second period, 6:01, Flyers 1-0: Hey, an icing call. Haven't seen any of these before.
Second period, 10:52, Flyers 1-0: The Canadiens have used their timeout after another icing call. This game tape isn't going to be stashed in a prominent position at the NHL library.
Second period, 11:52, Flyers 1-0: Jaroslav Halak hasn't had to do a whole lot to make his eight saves, but he just dodged a bullet after a Kimmo Timonen cross and then made a strong save on an Arron Asham bid.
Second period, 19:50, Flyers 1-0: They're back at it in Philly.
End of first period, Flyers 1-0: Philly was much, much sturdier on its most recent penalty kill, and Michael Leighton made 16 saves in a perfect first period. This is some slow, physical hockey at the Wachovia Center.
First period, 4:08, Flyers 1-0: Montreal has its third power play of the game after Philly was called for too many men. The Habs had five shots on their last advantage, so this is a big kill for Philly.
First period, 7:30, Flyers 1-0: If you've ever wondered what it would feel like to ice skate through the Sahara Desert after a week-long rain storm, watch Philly defenseman Matt Carle in his own zone in this one.
First period, 9:30, Flyers 1-0: Canadien-on-Canadien crime. Replays just showed Mike Cammalleri drilling teammate Tomas Plekanec in the face with a high stick in front of the Philly net.
First period, 10:35, Flyers 1-0: Absolutely no idea how Michael Leighton denied Mike Cammalleri from the low slot there. Montreal pounded the Flyers' net on that man advantage, but Philly managed to kill it off. Leighton doesn't have a snowball's chance to keep this up if his team doesn't get it together in its zone.
First period, 12:49, Flyers 1-0: Whoa, did anyone else just see Scott Hartnell in that Geico commercial? Oh, that was the caveman again? Huh.
Oh, by the way, Ville Leino is in the box for holding, and the Habs are back on the power play.
First period, 15:44, Flyers 1-0: Just a few seconds into Philly's power play, Danny Briere waltzed into the Montreal zone and sent the puck to the VIP room — top shelf. Jaroslav Halak had almost no chance, and the blame can go to defenseman Hal Gill, who didn't do a whole lot to agitate the Philly sniper.
First period, 17:05, 0-0: Montreal forward Scott Gomez took a pretty poor hooking penalty to end the Habs' advantage. The teams will play 4-on-4 for 1:07, and the Flyers will have a 53-second power play afterward.
First period, 17:58, 0-0: Montreal has a power play after Lukas Krajicek got sacked for slashing.
First period, 19:58, 0-0: The Flyers and Canadiens have put down their cheese steaks and picked up their hockey sticks. It's hockey time in the city where Canadian sportswriters apparently are never safe.
6:44 p.m.: The Flyers and Canadiens are about 20 minutes from their Game 2 faceoff in Philly, where the Flyers can take a commanding series lead or the Canadiens can level up this unpredictable Eastern Conference final.
8 a.m.: Merely a few days after Canadiens fans tried to burn down their own city, the Flyers torched the Habs in Philly. With the help of one 6-0 drubbing, there's a goaltending controversy in Montreal, and panic has stricken the streets. Meanwhile, the Flyers have won five in a row, and they're looking like an Eastern Conference powerhouse a month after narrowly sneaking into the playoffs.
These types of storylines are only existent in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Stay with NESN.com's live blog for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals to see what unfolds next.
