April 25, 2009. Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals between the Penguins and their then-blood rivals, the Flyers.
The Pens were up, 3-games-to-2, but their series lead was in jeopardy. They’d been shutout, 3-0, in Game 5 and had just fallen behind, 3-0, early in the second period before a packed house in Philly. The Flyers had all the momentum.
Max Talbot, who’d made a mistake that led to one of the Flyers’ goals, figured he’d better do something. That something was to challenge former Baby Pens teammate and NHL penalty king Daniel Carcillo, aka “Car Bomb,” to a fight.
Predictably, the plucky Pens forward wound up on the short-end of the punch-up. Beaten but unbowed, he famously shushed the howling Wachovia Center crowd as he was escorted to the penalty box.
Ruslan Fedotenko scored 14 seconds later for the Pens. Mark Eaton two minutes after that. The black-and-gold ran off five straight goals to triumph, 5-3, in the process vanquishing the hated Flyers on the way to the Cup.
For Talbot, it was a clear-cut case of losing the battle but winning the war.
Why start my recap of last night’s scintillating come-from-behind 5-4 overtime victory over the Flyers with a blast from the past?
It just happened to be Max Talbot bobblehead night at PPG Paints Arena. And, yes, the former Cup hero was in attendance.
Oh, and just like that night in Philly nearly 16 years ago, boiling emotions and physical play had a great deal to do with the outcome.
Fresh off a 6-1 hiding of the Pens on Tuesday night, the Flyers were clearly feeling their oats. They struck on their first shot of the game against Alex Nedeljkovic. Before the game reached the midpoint they’d methodically piled up a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 lead. Worse yet, playing without a discernable pulse, we were offering scant resistance.
Searching for any kind of spark, coach Mike Sullivan opted to make a goaltending switch. Little did he know what was in store.
Ned promptly went berserk. He smashed his stick across the goal cage. Upon reaching the bench, the combative goalie tore off his helmet, slammed the door and hurled a few choice words at his teammates and the coaching staff before angrily stalking down the runway.
Wake up call sent and received.
Less than two minutes later, Philip Tomasino scored from the slot, thanks to a perfect feed off the wall from Evgeni Malkin and his own dazzling sleight of hand. Then Erik Karlsson (the 4 Nations version) struck on a bomb from the right point a scant 30 seconds later to slice Philly’s lead to 3-2.
Cue the second round of pyrotechnics. Flyers tough guy Garnet Hathaway cut down Noel Acciari with a combination shoulder check and trip, then turned, perhaps to admire his handiwork and/or to see if a challenge was coming.
It was. Just not in the direction he anticipated.
Boko Imama plowed into Hathaway from the blind side with a shoulder-to-shoulder hit. The Philly forward dropped like a stone and banged his head on the ice. If he wasn’t knocked out, he was pretty darn near.
No one wants to see anyone get hurt, not even a hated foe. However, as unfortunate as the outcome was, huge props to Imama for standing up for his team and teammate. Although Philly wunderkind Matvei Michkov scored on the ensuing power play (his second goal of the game), Boko’s act seemed to have a galvanizing effect, while putting the Flyers back on their collective heels.
The rest of the game belonged to the black-and-gold. Or more accurately, Karlsson and Malkin.
EK65 once again pared the Flyers’ lead to one at 18:17 of the second period with a wicked snap shot from above the right circle.
Then Geno took over. With Anthony Beauvillier running interference, No. 71 cruised through the left circle and ripped the puck past Sam Ersson glove side at 2:30 of the third period to knot the score at 4-all.
Although Philly controlled the territorial play, the Pens kept them in check, thanks in no small part to some big-time puck stopping by kid goalie Joel Blomqvist.
Again Geno took over. Sixty-three seconds into overtime he worked a give-and-go with Kris Letang, resulting in a 2-on-1. The big guy coolly waited for Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale to go slidin’ on by, then beat Ersson blocker side and off the post for the OT winner.
From his vantage point, one-time linemate Talbot was smiling.
Broadly.
Puckpourri
With two goals and two assists, Malkin was simply superb. In full-on “Machino” mode since returning from IR, he’s tallied three goals and seven points in four games.
In a welcome reversal of form, Blomqvist stopped 21 of 22 shots after relieving Ned, including several saves of the clutch variety. Coming on in relief may have been just what the doctor ordered to help restore Joel’s sagging confidence.
My word, can Karlsson shoot the puck, especially from the circles on down. He’s lethal from close range. His two-goal, three-point effort outburst almost seemed to be an angry, in-your-face response to Stars GM Jim Nill, who basically pooh-poohed the notion that the Stars had any interest in acquiring the quicksilver defender.
Tomasino has nine goals in 32 games for us, a 23-goal pace over a full season. Danton Heinen assisted on the ex-Pred’s goal and now has four points (1+3) in eight games since rejoining the Pens.
Almost quietly, Beauvillier has proven to be a nice addition. He hustles and works his tail off, can slot up and down the lineup, and is capable of making the occasional pretty play, like his drop pass to Geno on the tying goal. On a team where most of the top guns, including Sidney Crosby, are hovering around minus-20, the former Islander remarkably is an even player.
The law of averages finally caught up to poor Ryan Graves. Playing in place of mistake-riddled Pierre-Olivier Joseph, the rangy defender picked up his first assist (and point) of the campaign.
Michael Bunting underwent an emergency appendectomy and will be sidelined indefinitely, perhaps robbing the Pens of a trade chip in the process. In other personnel news, Matt Nieto cleared waivers. Emil Bemström, who didn’t play last night, was recalled from the Baby Pens.
A final word on Imama. His borderline hit on Hathaway won’t win him Lady Byng support, but I love the fact that he stuck up for a teammate. We’ve been like a collection of lambs being led to a slaughter for so ridiculously long, it’s refreshing to finally have someone like Boko who’s ready, willing and able to answer the bell.
Hopefully, it sends a message to the rest of the league. Don’t bleep with the Penguins.
Oh, and not only did Imama touch the ice again, he steamed in on a breakaway but didn’t convert. Seconds later, linemate Blake Lizotte rang one off the post.
Would love to have seen him or his line score a goal.
