PHILADELPHIA—Anyone who expected a quick Stanley Cup Finals, now can understand it may be quite the opposite. Claude Giroux banged in a rebound at 5:59 of overtime and the Philadelphia Flyers got their first ever Playoff win over the Blackhawks 4-3. The Hawks still lead the series two games to one with game four Friday here at the Wachovia Center and game five is now a certainty at the United Center Sunday night. As expected the sellout was loud and rambunctious as the Blackhawks appeared to have an early edge in play but the game remained scoreless until Marian Hossa was sent off for slashing at 13:54. The Flyers took advantage 1:04 later when Danny Briere tipped in a Scott Hartnell shot. Considering the fact that Bill McCreary and Dan O’Halloran,who did not call a thing against Philadelphia in the United Center,it was a shocker that McCreary sent Dan Carcillo off for charging at 18:05,and he singled out Byfuglien for roughing at the 20:00 mark when about three players on each side got into shoving matches. It was still 1-0 when the second period started and the Hawks killed off Byfuglien’s penalty. Then at 2:49, Duncan Keith beat a partially screened Michael Leighton at 2:49 with a slap shot that the goalie never saw.Patrick Kane got his first point of the series with an assist along with Hossa. Again, Byfuglien was picked out by McCreary and send off for a questionable slashing call at 9:31 This was costly as Chris Pronger took a shot that was tipped by Scott Hartnell, it bounced behind Antti Niemi, and it skidded along the goal line,but the goal light did not go on and play continued even though the sound operator hit the ‘horn’ button. When play stopped.they reviewed it a awarded the goal at 9:55. Once again however, the Hawks struck from out of nowhere when Brent Sopel took a shot from the right point that Leighton again did not appear to ever see and it went past his right side into the net to tie the game 2-2 at 17:52. The goal was Sopel’s first in the playoffs and John Madden had the lone helper. The Blackhawks had a 12-7 shots on goal advantage in the second period giving them a 21-16 edge.The Hawks got their first lead of the game, albeit a short lived one when Jonathan Toews hit Kane in stride on a clean breakaway an d he wristed one past Leighton at 2:50,but that advantage only lasted twenty seconds as Claude Giroux fired a shot and the rebound went to Ville Leino who has an easy tip in to tie the game 3-3. Once the game went to overtime,the Flyers thought they have a game winner a few minutes in, but after a replay review,it was confirmed that the puck did not cross the goal line. The stay of execution was short lived however,

NOTES—The attendance of 20,297 was not only the largest Flyers Home crowd over, but the largest ever in the State of Pennsylvania to watch a hockey game…..Before the game, a tape of Kate Smith single God Bless America was played at the same time a live singer was also performing the song…..The only shot on goal in overtime for Philadelphia was on Guroux’s goal. The Hawks had two SOG on Leighton. Totals shots for the game favored the Flyers 32-27……Philadelphia was 2-3 on the power play while the Blackhawks were 0-3.

LES