Montreal has been accustomed to having their backs against the wall during these playoffs. They fought back against the Capitals in Round 1 and did the same against the Penguins in Round 2. Having to do the same against the Flyers this round seems like it’s asking too much of the #8 seed in the Eastern Conference. When Brian Gionta scored his ninth goal of the playoffs just 59 seconds into the first period tonight in Game 5, you had to wonder if perhaps the Habs had the Flyers right where they wanted them.
With all that positive momentum going for them, however, Mike Richards took it all away three and a half minutes later scoring shorthanded to knot the game up at 1-1, where the teams sit after one period of play at Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. While the Flyers find themselves being outshot early on in this one 9-6, all of their shots have come off as quality scoring chances, something that has to trouble Canadiens coach Jacques Martin.
Montreal has to do something with their anemic power play in this game as they went 0-3 on the power play with a shorthanded goal allowed. That’s one heck of a recipe for disaster.