MONTREAL — After letting a two-game series lead slip away in the first round of the playoffs, the Philadelphia Flyers did their utmost to avoid the same fate and close out their second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens.
Scottie Upshall scored with 3:04 remaining in the third period and Philadelphia advanced to the Eastern Conference finals with a 6-4 win over Montreal on Saturday night.
Upshall deflected Jeff Carter’s shot past Carey Price to give the Flyers their second and final lead of the game as Philadelphia won the conference semifinal in five games.
“It was a great feeling,” Upshall said. “A tie game with three minutes left, it’s anybody’s game, it’s one shot, it’s one bounce. (Carter) made a great shot on net. I was in the lane to see the puck and I thought I could get a stick on it and redirect it, and to get a big goal like that is pretty uplifting for your spirits.”
The Flyers are the second team to reach the conference finals after the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Detroit Red Wings got there in the West by sweeping the Avalanche.
Philadelphia will face the winner of the Pittsburgh Penguins-New York Rangers series. The Penguins lead 3-1 and Game 5 is today in Pittsburgh.
R.J. Umberger had two goals and an assist to finish the five-game series with eight goals and one assist after he had a goal and an assist in seven games against Washington.
“Well, maybe someday I’ll tell my grandkids or something like that, that would be fun,” Umberger said.
Martin Biron stopped 31 shots for the Flyers.
Philadelphia 1 3 2 — 6
Montreal 2 1 1 — 4
First period — 1, Montreal, Plekanec 4 (Brisebois, A.Kostitsyn), 4:29 (pp). 2, Philadelphia, Umberger 8 (Smith, Lupul), 10:20. 3, Montreal, Kovalev 5 (Lapierre, Komisarek), 11:28. Penalties — Thoresen, Phi (hooking), 2:43; Prospal, Phi (hooking), 6:03; Kovalev, Mon (hooking), 15:04.
Second period — 4, Montreal, Higgins 3 (Koivu, Gorges), 8:15. 5, Philadelphia, Richards 4 (Umberger), 14:02. 6, Philadelphia, Umberger 9 (Hatcher, Richards), 15:44. 7, Philadelphia, Hartnell 3 (Timonen), 17:00. Penalties — Thoresen, Phi (interference), 3:52; Komisarek, Mon (elbowing), 8:31; Price, Mon, served by Lapierre (holding), 9:36.
Third period — 8, Montreal, A.Kostitsyn 5 (Plekanec, Kovalev), 2:13. 9, Philadelphia, Upshall 3 (Carter, Kukkonen), 16:56. 10, Philadelphia, Knuble 3 (Carter), 19:10 (en). Penalty —Smith, Phi (elbowing), 13:00.
Shots on goal — Philadelphia 7-20-10 — 37. Montreal 11-12-12 — 35. Power-play opportunities — Philadelphia 0 of 3; Montreal 1 of 4.Goalies — Philadelphia, Biron 8-4 (35 shots-31 saves). Montreal, Price 5-6 (36-31).
Attendance — 21,273 (21,273). T — 2:36. Referees — Don Koharski, Kelly Sutherland. Linesmen — Scott Driscoll, Jean Morin.
