 Event Spotlight:
Cechmanek Blanks Canucks 3-0
Tuesday, March 4, 2003
The Flyers are playing some of their best hockey as the team finishes the final four weeks of the regular season and much of the credit belongs to goaltender Roman Cechmanek. His eighteenth career shutout with the Flyers came at the hands of the torrid Vancouver Canucks who lost for only the second time in their last eleven games (7-2-2).
The team credits Cechmanek’s recent success to a better understanding of his role with the team.
Giving him the starting assignment has given him the confidence that if he lets in a bad goal, he will still play the next game, said Flyers Head Coach, Ken Hitchcock. He is at ease being a leader and he is as competitive as anyone I have coached.
(Cechmanek) is stopping the puck with great confidence and not looking behind for anything, said Flyers Captain Keith Primeau. That gives us confidence up front that he’s going to make the stops.
Not only did Cechmanek make the stops but many of the 41 shots on net required circus moves which thrilled the fans and frustrated the Vancouver shooters.
That frustration set in early as the high-scoring Canucks dug an early hole than proved inescapable.
The fans were still getting settled in their seats when the Flyers jumped to a 1-0 lead courtesy of Michal Handzus.
Handzus took the puck behind the Vancouver net, being chased by Trevor Linden. Goalie Peter Skudra missed the poke-check and Handzus stepped into the slot and slipped the puck between the pads.
The goal was Handzus’ eighteenth of the season and his team high, eighth game-winning goal.
Donald Brashear and Eric Desjardins teamed up to give the Flyers an early two-goal cushion knocking out Skudra in the process.
Desjardins fought off a check along the boards and found Brashear between the circles who rifled it past Skudra for his eighth goal of the year.
The Flyers added to their lead on Radovan Somik’s fourth goal of the season at 8:23.
While things looked sweet in Flyer Town, it wasn’t easy to forget that they were facing the mighty Vancouver Canucks (remember when people would laugh at you for saying that).
The Canucks had a 12-3-2 record against Eastern conference teams and have a road record of 21-7-5.
I think we played a great first period and third period, said Hitchcock. We did everything relied a little too much on Cechmanek in the second. It’s hard when you have a lead that early to not play the clock out.
We are happy in our own skin right now…we go out and find ways to win. When you have significant injuries like we do you find out a lot about what you have. This has forced us to play guys like Handzus and Somik a lot and they have responded.
We were disappointed to get off to the start that we did but I thought our guys battled as hard as they could with one or two exceptions, said Canucks Head Coach, Marc Crawford. We have nothing to hand our heads about. It was a game that we knew was going to be tough to win and we needed to have great goaltending to do it…we didn’t get the good start we needed.
It’s not a matter of us not being able to beat them, added Vancouver Captain Markus Naslund. It’s just that we put ourselves behind too much and we just couldn’t make up for it.
Fans can visit the Flyers web site for schedule and ticket information at: www.philadelphiaflyers.com.
SCORING
1st Period: PHL Handzus 18 (Somik, Warriner) 00:37; PHL Brashear 8 (Desjardins) 2:49; PHL Somik 4 (Warriner, Handzus) 8:23.
2nd Period: No Scoring.
3rd Period: No Scoring.
SCORE BY PERIOD:
Vancouver 0-0-0
Philadelphia: 3-0-0
SHOTS ON GOAL:
Vancouver: 13-17-11
Philadelphia: 10-7-7
POWER PLAY:
|
PPG
|
ATT
|
TIME
|
| Vancouver: |
0
|
5
|
8:00
|
| Philadelphia: |
0
|
6
|
11:26
|
PENALTIES:
1st Period: VAN Bertuzzi (roughing) 18:34.
2nd Period: VAN Langdon (obstruction-hooking, unsportsmanlike conduct) 4:08; VAN Jovanoski (fighting) 8:58; PHL Primeau (fighting) 8:58; PHL Handzus (roughing) 10:26; VAN Baron (roughing) 15:20; VAN Langdon (roughing) 15:20; PHL Brashear (roughing) 15:20; PHL Brashear (tripping) 19:35.
3rd Period: VAN Langdon (obstruction-hooking) 2:40; VAN Langdon (double minor roughing, fighting) 7:04; PHL Brashear (fighting) 7:04; PHL Primeau (roughing) 7:04; PHL Yushkevich (holding) 8:30; VAN Kavanagh (roughing) 11:05; PHL Handzus (roughing) 11:05; PHL Roenick (tripping) 11:27; PHL Brashear (roughing) 19:26.
| GOALIES: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Goals-Shots Against)
|
|
|
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
T
|
Time
|
| VAN-- |
Skudra |
2-3
|
0-0
|
0-0
|
2-3
|
2:49
|
| VAN |
Auld |
1-7
|
0-7
|
0-7
|
1-2
|
56:36
|
| PHL |
Cechmanek |
0-13
|
0-17
|
0-11
|
0-41
|
60:00
|
|
Officials:--
|
Referees: Paul Devorski and Rob Shick |
|
Linesmen: Jonny Murray and Stephane Provost. |
ATTENDANCE: 19,348
STARS OF THE GAME:
1. Roman Cechmanek (PHL)
2. Michal Handzus (PHL)
3. Keith Primeau (PHL)
Chosen By: Tim Saunders 610 WIP Radio
NOTES:
1. The Flyers lead the all-time series between these two teams with a 65-26-13 record, including a 36-16-1 record at home.
2. The Flyers reassigned defensemen Dennis Seidenberg and Jim Vandermeer to the Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL) prior to the game.
3. Roman Cechmanek is now tied with Ron Hextall for second place on the Flyers All-Time list with 18 shutouts. Bernie Parent holds the record with 50 shutouts.
4. Michal Handzus has scored 12 points in 15 career games against Vancouver 3-9-12.
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