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Flyers play like a two seed, dominate Sabres 5-2 to win series in seventh game

Danny Briere, Andrej Meszaros

Philadelphia Flyers’ Danny Briere, left, and Andrej Meszaros, right, join in celebrating Ville Leino’s (22) goal in the third period in Game 7 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series with the Buffalo Sabres, Tuesday, April 26, 2011, in Philadelphia. The Flyers won 5-2. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

AP

In the night’s first Game 7 the drama never really got going as the Flyers made efficient work of the Sabres and took them out in Game 7 with a 5-2 win. The Flyers got out to a roaring start in the first period outshooting Buffalo 16-2 in the period on the way to taking a 1-0 lead thanks to Braydon Coburn scoring a soft goal from the point that Ryan Miller couldn’t close his five hole fast enough to stop. That goal and the shots in the period set the tone for the rest of the game as the Flyers opened it up in the second.

Former Sabre Daniel Briere continued to be a thorn in Buffalo’s side making it 2-0 4:45 into the period. James van Riemsdyk would make it 3-0 late in the second on a power play goal. With the score at 3-0, things got tenuous as that score has been the bogeyman throughout the playoffs for any team in the lead. The Flyers would make it stick.

Ville Leino scored 1:59 into the third to make it 4-0 and then chase Ryan Miller from the game. The Sabres would score to break the shutout thanks to Tyler Myers, but Dan Carcillo would add a goal to make it 5-1. Brad Boyes would add a power play goal late to make it look more respectable, but the Flyers dominated Buffalo all through the game.

The Flyers sustained pressure all game long and made the Sabres have to burrow in defensively to try and help Miller. Unfortunately for Buffalo, Miller seemed off his game and rattled by the swarming presence Philadelphia brought all game long. The entire Sabres roster tonight didn’t seem to know how to handle the Flyers forcing their play upon them.

Flat out, the Flyers finally looked like the team that had dominated the Eastern Conference for most of the season. Not since February or March have we seen them play a physically and offensively dominating game like that. If they can do that the rest of the way through the playoffs, these Flyers are a force to be reckoned with.