In the Corners: Flyers win without stars
By Brian A. Shactman
ESPN.com
From the Flyers' perspective, there are many positives to take away from their 4-3 victory over the Devils in Game 2 of the East finals.
Philly not only evened the series but also came from behind to do so -- a two-goal deficit no less. It was physical, Flyers-style hockey. And an unsung hero emerged in the form of tough veteran Rick Tocchet, who scored twice and added an assist.
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PHILLY'S GAME 2 PRODUCTION
|
|
Player
|
G
|
A
|
+/-
|
Shots
|
|
Recchi
|
0
|
0
|
even
|
2
|
|
LeClair
|
0
|
0
|
even
|
0
|
|
Tocchet
|
2
|
1
|
plus-4
|
6
|
|
Desjardins
|
1
|
1
|
plus-2
|
1
|
|
Langkow
|
1
|
0
|
plus-1
|
7
|
But as the Flyers prepare for Game 3 on Thursday, Tocchet's performance underscores the most important component of the Game 2 victory, something that should boost the Flyers confidence even more: Philly can win a big game when Mark Recchi and John LeClair don't produce.
Arguably, LeClair and Recchi have been the best players on the team. They have led Philadelphia in points for most of the postseason, and are looked upon as the A-list, go-to guys.
However, in Game 2, neither had a point. In fact, LeClair didn't even have a shot on net. Recchi had two. That doesn't mean they played poorly; they just didn't make the scoresheet, which usually is a death knell for the team.
|  | | Desjardins helped pick up the slack for Recchi and LeClair in Game 2. |
Tocchet's contributions already have been documented, but a few other Flyers filled in as well. Defenseman Eric Desjardins -- a grossly under-appreciated offensive component -- had two points, including the game-changing second goal late in the middle period. Desjardins snuck in the back door and put home a beautiful pass from Tocchet. That score made it a one-goal game and shifted the momentum Philly's way heading into the third period.
Then, there's Daymond Langkow. Before getting absolutely throttled by a Scott Stevens open-ice check in the third, Langkow scored the game-winning goal. Langkow missed the final 17 minutes of the game, but he still led all players with seven shots on goal. He showed great speed all night, which complemented Recchi, whose feet never seem to stop moving.
And Tocchet's three points aside, he also added six shots and was a game-high plus-4. Tocchet can be a punishing player, forechecking and working the corners tenaciously. But he had been struggling offensively and was told to shoot more. He did in Game 2, and the shoot-first mentality seemed to spark his all-around game.
And finally, Keith Primeau showed he'll do whatever is necessary to win. This is a guy likely playing with a concussion, who was throwing his body around with abandon. He's not really a goal scorer and might have only garnered one assist, but Primeau should get a helper for his second-period fight with Randy McKay. The fisticuffs might not have had a direct affect on the game's momentum swing, but it certainly energized the home crowd -- which, as loud as it gets, sometimes fatalistically sits on its hands when the team is losing.
The Flyers won't win the Stanley Cup if LeClair and Recchi string a bunch of point-less games together. But just knowing Philly can do more than get by the odd time its stars struggle could have a tremendous impact in the series.
Brian A. Shactman is the NHL editor for ESPN.com. |
