UPDATE: The Flyers announced the Michael Leighton will start Game 2 on Monday a couple of hours after he and coach Peter Laviolette met the press.
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Flyers coach Peter Laviolette would not say Sunday whether or not Michael Leighton, who was pulled in the second period of Game 1 after allowing five goals on 20 shots, would start tonight in Game 2 at the United Center or if Brian Boucher would get the nod.
“We will keep everything internally with regards to lineups, lineup changes, lines, goaltenders,” Laviolette said. “Our goaltenders will know well enough in advance to make sure they’re ready.
“I can tell you whoever is on that ice in the lineup [tonight], and I say this wholeheartedly, there’s 100 percent confidence that the people we’re choosing to go out and represent our organization we’re very confident in their ability to do the job. And whoever gets the start [tonight] is really going to shine.”
Leighton rebounded from a five-goal night against the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference finals with a shutout in the next game. The game Saturday was the first time Boucher has played since suffering injuries to both knees late in the Boston Bruins series.
If he didn’t get the start, Leighton, an ex-Hawk, said he “would be disappointed.”
“We’re in the Stanley Cup Final,” he said. “That’s not the time to be mad at someone if I’m not starting. If Boucher goes in, he did a great job going in the other night. If he gets the start, then I have to support him.”
Leighton watched film with goaltender coach Jeff Reese and saw some positives and negatives in his performance.
“I didn’t let any really bad goals in,” Leighton said. “That’s the way I look at it. I didn’t make some big saves. That’s pretty much what it came down to. Every good scoring chance they had, they scored. And a couple of them were good shots. There’s one or two that I was mad at myself for what I did. But that’s the way it goes. That’s the game of hockey.”
