There are plenty of those, fans and media, who have complained that a lack of scoring made for boring hockey games.

But, this morning, there are 19,542 in Philadelphia who would probably beg to differ.

After three frenetically paced periods in which pucks clanged off goalposts and riccocheted off crossbars but failed to find the back of the net, the Flyers successfully killed off a penalty in a wild overtime period before defeating the Flames, 1-0, in a shootout. Rookie goaltender Antero Niittymaki made 28 saves before stoning Kristian Huselius, Jarome Iginla and Tony Amonte, while fellow rookie Mike Richards scored the lone goal for the Flyers.

It was an outstanding game with a playoff atmosphere between two teams many have picked to challenge for the Cup. When you consider the recent streak of injuries that has plagued the Flyers, last night's performance is even more impressive. Team captain Keith Primeau and star center Peter Forsberg are still out of the lineup. Dennis Seidenberg and Turner Stevenson are out, Joni Pitkanen needs surgery for a sports hernia, Robert Esche is nursing an injury, and Eric Desjardins left the game in the first period with a partial dislocation of his right shoulder- his second injury of the season.

What the Flyers are left with is a lineup dominated by young, inexperienced rookies. Future Flyers stars and former Phantoms Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and Antero Niittymaki have been asked to play a bigger role, while many current Phantoms have been called up to fill holes left by injury. Ryan Ready, RJ Umberger, Freddy Meyer, Jamie Storr, Ben Eager, and the newly acquired Matt Ellison - though most of those guys were never supposed to step foot into the Flyers locker room this season, they're now all being asked to play key roles.

While playing a collection of youngsters can lead to an abundance of mistakes and a lack of leadership, it also leads to fresh legs. In this new NHL, the pace is faster, so as we approach the dog days of the hockey season, there may be a premium on young, fresh legs that didn't exist pre-CBA.

Of course, come March, the Flyers would prefer to have a healthy lineup that's clicking perfectly as opposed to this young group that's still feeling each other - and the game - out.

But right now the Flyers' future stars and future unknowns are getting a chance to prove themselves while they gain valuable experience, and in the process, are picking up a few wins along the way.