Blackhawks Strike 1st, Flyers Fall Short

Flyers fall to Blackwaks 6-5

The Flyers came up short in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final -- after losing 6-5 they find themselves having to come from behind again.

Tomas Kopecky scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and the Blackhawks won a wild and high-scoring Stanley Cup Saturday night.

Kopecky, who had been a scratch the previous five playoff games and was in the lineup because of an injury to Andrew Ladd, scored from the left side with a sharp-angled shot that beat backup goalie Brian Boucher at 8:25 of the third.

Danny Briere and Scott Hartnell had a goal and two assists apiece for the Flyers.

Chicago's Troy Brouwer scored two goals, the second putting the Blackhawks ahead 5-4 in the second period and prompting the Flyers to replace starter Michael Leighton with Bouch.

Ville Leino, Blair Betts and Arron Asham also scored the Flyers who came in as heavy underdogs.

Dave Bolland had a short-handed breakaway goal for the Blackhawks, and Patrick Sharp and Kris Versteeg also scored for Chicago.

The Blackhawks are in their first Finals since 1992 and are aiming for the franchise's first championship since 1961. The Flyers, who last made the finals in 1997, are shooting for their first title since the Broad Street Bullies won the second of two straight championships in 1974 and 75.

The Flyers weren't too bullish Saturday night. They played the entire game without a penalty.

Brouwer's second goal, on a pass from Marian Hossa who reversed himself behind the net, came from the left circle with 4:42 left in the second, sending ex Blackhawks goalie Leighton to the bench.

Leighton had been brilliant since taking over in the second round. He entered the game with a 6-1 record, including three shutouts, after replacing an injured Boucher in the Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Boston Bruins. Leighton entered with a 1.45 goals-against average and save percentage of .948. He was pulled after giving up his fifth goal in just 20 shots.

Chicago's Antti Niemi made 27 saves for the win.

The Flyers scored a late goal in each of the first two periods. Asham converted from the left circle after a cross-ice pass from Briere with 1:11 remaining in the second, tying it at 5-5.

Early the Flyers capitalized in the closing seconds of the first when Briere fired a shot from the slot, hustled toward the net and scored on the rebound for his 10th goal of the playoffs, stunning the Blackhawks with just 27 seconds left in the period for a 3-2 lead.

But former Flyers forward Sharp quickly got the Blackhawks even.

On a break with Hossa on the other side of the ice, Sharp held onto the puck and fired from the right circle, beating Leighton just 71 seconds into the second and tying the game.

On Philadelphia's first goal, Leino directed the puck toward the crease from the left circle. Niemi blocked it and then it apparently deflected off Chicago's Niklas Hjalmarsson and went into the net just 6:38 into the game to give the Flyers the early lead.

The raucous crowd of 22,312 at the United Center wasn't quieted for long.

Just 68 seconds later, Hossa made a nice backhanded pass from the right circle to Brouwer in the circle. From high in the slot, he rifled it past Leighton to tie the game.

Game 2 is Monday night at the United Center.

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Copyright AP - Associated Press
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