The relentless pace of the first period of Game 7 between the Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres was as exciting as hockey gets, and the feeling here at Wells Fargo Center was palpable. It's the first Game 7 in this building since 2003, and you can tell the fans are revved up extra tonight. Not that it takes a lot to get a Philly crowd going.
Sabres Vs. Flyers, Game 7: Braydon Coburn Scores Late, Caps Off Philly-Dominated First Period
The orange-clad faithful loved that first 20 minutes of hockey, but if you're one of the few dressed in blue (or a member of the Sabres), you can't like the way things went. Ryan Miller held strong on 13 Flyers shots as Philadelphia completely dominated zone time, possession time and every other metric that can weigh the tilt of the ice during a hockey game.
It was the 14th shot, a blast from the point by Braydon Coburn off a faceoff win in the Buffalo end, that caught Miller napping a bit. In a way, it looked like one of the many poor goals the Flyers goaltenders have allowed in this series, and frankly, it's one of the first poor goals Miller has allowed in the series.
For the Flyers, they have something to show for a period in which they allowed just two shots and barely even allowed their opponent to gain center ice, let alone the offensive zone. If you’re the Sabres after one period, you have to feel lucky you’re out of it with just a one goal deficit.
If the Sabres want to win Game 7 and advance to face the Washington Capitals in the second round, they're going to have to start controlling play a bit.
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