Whether you were a Flyers fan or a Leafs fan, whether you were at the John Labatt Centre or at home, you were on the edge of your seat for this game. As some say, it is only preseason, but it was on hell of a game.
The Flyers were once again wearing the road whites, even though they were the official home team in front of a crowd full of Leafs fans. For the Flyers, the offensive lines continued to get changed throughout the game, but on defense, Andrej Meszaros & Marc-Andre Bourdon were paired up, Matt Carle & Oskars Bartulis were together, and Matt Walker & Joonas Lehtivouri were with each other. Brian Boucher came into start the game. Like two nights ago, Bobrovsky was expected to come in for the 3rd period.
5 minutes and 46 seconds into the game, the Leafs and Flyers went on a 4 on 4. Less than a minute into that 4 on 4, Marc-Andre Bourdon took a slapshot toward Maple Leafs goaltender Jonas Gustavsson but missed the net. The puck came hit off the boards behind the net and went to the side of the crease. Gustavsson kicked it into his own net while Carter was right in front of the keeper. Carter was originally credited with the goal but after the play was looked at again, it showed that it definitely was Bourdon's goal. That was Bourdon's first goal as a Flyers.
"I thought [Carter] scored the goal," the defenseman said. "I know I'm not going to score too many goals without getting the puck on net. It was lucky, but I'll take it. It was a good feeling." During the 2nd period, after a turnover in the Flyers offensive zone, Leafs had a 3-on-1 the other way. The puck was passed from one side to the other, and what looked to be a sure goal was stopped by a sliding Brian Boucher. He made a great stop on that one, but another pass came from behind the net, Greg Mckegg was there to hit it in. There was nothing Boosh could of done about that one.
Late in the 2nd, Guerin centered the puck from behind the net, and it hit off two Leafs players and went in. That would also be Guerin's first career goal for the Flyers.
The 3rd period started, and Sergei Bobrovsky once again came in. In the 2 periods that Brian Boucher played, he stopped 19 of 20 shots.
Bobrovsky let in just one goal which deflected off Colby Armstrong on a Leafs powerplay. That sent the game into OT. 5 minutes went by with no score, so for the 2nd time in a row, Flyers would be in a shootout.
As the home team, the Flyers chose to go first. They didn't have their great shootout takers, Richards, Giroux, and Briere this game.
- Andreas Nodl went in on James Reimer, and Reimer stopped it with the left pad.
- Kadri skated in for the Leafs and with a nice deke, he put the Leafs up 1-0.
- VanRiemsdyk skated up the ice and with a shot that went under Reimer's pad. The puck was just inches from going in.
- With a chance for Versteeg to win the game, he was stopped by Bobrovsky.
- Carter tied the shootout with a backhand shot that he put top shelf.
- Mckegg had a chance to win the game, but Bobrovsky blocked it.
- In the 5th round of the SO, Guerin took a wrist shot and put it past Reimer.
- With pressure on Caputi, he scored and kept the Leafs alive.
- Now in the 8th round of this long shootout, it appeared that Rowe had Reimer beat, but Reimer had a great glove save.
- The Leafs 8th shooter could not score on Bobrovsky.
- Lehtivouri was next for the Flyers and he had a nice backhand goal.
- Christian Hanson had to score for the Leafs, and he did, making Bobrovsky's Gatorade spill all over the ice.
- Now in the 11th round of the shootout, Kalinski put it right into Reimer's chest.
- Colby Armstrong, with a chance to win, skated in and took a slapshot on Bobrovsky, ending the 22 man shootout.
It was a great, physical game by both teams, especially the prospects.
The Flyers and Leafs will face each other again tonight, this time at the Air Canada Centre. The game will start at 7PM.
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