The officials have been in control of this series between the Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers from the outset, but at the end of the second period of Game 4, referee Francois St. Laurent made perhaps the loudest statement of them all.
Flyers Vs. Sabres, Game 4: Defense Reigns Supreme In Second Period; Buffalo Still Up, 1-0
Mike Richards got his elbow up as he endured a hit from Patrick Kaleta with just two seconds left in the period, and St. Laurent called Richards for that elbow. Instead of the expected two minute minor, though, Richards will be in the box for five minutes to start the third period.
With the Flyers down 1-0 after a second period that saw few quality scoring chances in either direction, the kill is obviously huge for their hopes of winning Game 4. If they can kill off the major penalty to their captain (one of their best penalty killers), they’ll obviously hold a ton of momentum for the final 15 minutes of regulation.
If Buffalo scores a goal or maybe even more than one, this game is likely all but over. It’ll certainly be interesting to see what happens. This could be the turning point of the series right here.
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