Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted on Wed, May. 14, 2008
PITTSBURGH - MAY 13: Sergei Gonchar #55 (L) and Ryan Whitney #19 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrate after Whitney scored a goal during the first period of game three of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wachovia Center on May 13, 2008 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Like the penalty shot in Game 3 of the first round against Washington or the shorthanded goal in Game 2 Sunday against Pittsburgh, this looked so much like another Mike Richards moment.
The Flyers' best forward in these Eastern Conference finals had squirted loose on a breakaway after out-hustling Pittsburgh's Ryan Whitney to the puck along the boards in the neutral zone.
Just as Richards closed in on goalie Marc Andre-Fleury, Sergei Gonchar, sliding on his belly in a desperate lunge, reached around Richards for a textbook poke check, breaking loose the puck before Richards could snap off a shot.
The frustrated crowd roared for a penalty shot after Richards went tumbling into the net, and Richards did a little pleading of his own. But the video replay clearly showed Gonchar cleanly knocked the puck out of harm's way.
Afterward, Gonchar spent a lot of time in the trainer's room. After all, he is 34, and he's been getting more ice time than any other Penguin. But the guy who's paired with him said it was just another typical Gonchar performance.
"I thought Gonch made a great recovery," Brooks Orpik said. "Richards is so good at picking spots, especially shorthanded and on breakaways. He's got such good speed he'll get behind you, but Gonch made a great recovery there."
It may have been the most critical defensive play for the Penguins in their 4-1 win over the Flyers last night at the Wachovia Center, one that brought them within one victory of a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals as they built a lead of three games to none in the best-of-seven series.
The play occurred midway through the second period with Pittsburgh holding a 2-1 lead. A tying goal on a shorthanded breakaway in a game with such high stakes would have sent a jolt of electricity through the Flyers and their crowd. But Gonchar pulled the plug.
During an NHL career that dates back to the 1995-96 season, Gonchar built a reputation as a scoring defenseman who wasn't terribly interested in shutting down opponents. Before the series began, Flyers coach John Stevens noted how responsible the Russian had become in protecting Pittsburgh's end of the ice.
"He's been great all year. He's been consistent all year. It's too bad he wasn't nominated for the Norris" Trophy, said Orpik, referring to the award that goes to the NHL's top defenseman.
"He plays against top lines every night."
Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien has employed the Gonchar-Orpik pairing against the Flyers' Danny Briere line. Briere and Vinny Prospal have yet to score a goal in this series. Meantime, Gonchar picked up his fifth assist in the series, this one coming on Ryan Whitney's power-play goal that opened the scoring early in the game.
But it's Gonchar's defense, and that of the Penguins, that has pretty much shut down the Flyers, holding them to five goals in the three games. After two periods, the Penguins had a 2-1 lead and had limited the Flyers to eight shots.
Contact staff writer Ray Parrillo at 215-854-2743 or rparrillo@phillynews.com.
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