NEW YORK (Reuters) - It is do-or-die for the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup finals and coach Peter Laviolette is refusing to announce the host netminder for Game Six against the Chicago Blackhawks Wednesday.
Michael Leighton has started all five games in the best-of-seven series which Chicago leads 3-2.
However, he has been pulled off the ice and replaced by Brian Boucher twice during defeats including Sunday night's 7-4 loss in the Windy City.
"I don't comment on lineups ... unless I want to," Laviolette told reporters after Chicago moved within one win of ending a 49-year wait for Stanley Cup glory.
The coach added he had made up his mind about his starting goalie but had yet to tell him.
Laviolette was hopeful his seventh-seeded team could rebound to force a Game Seven in Chicago and keep alive Philadelphia's pursuit of a first Stanley Cup since 1975.
"When you get to this point there's a tremendous amount of confidence in your team to win hockey games," he said.
"To have our back against the wall, we'll be comfortable with this ... I have no question our team will respond."
Captain Mike Richards blamed Sunday's defeat on the defense.
"We gave them a lot of great looks at the net and great shots," the center said. "It was us leaving our goaltender out to dry."
Leighton was pulled off the ice in Game Five after allowing three goals in the first period of a 7-4 defeat. He was also replaced in the second session of the opening game after yielding five goals in a 6-5 loss.
"Any time you get pulled you're upset," said the goalie who gave up three goals on 13 shots Sunday.
The series shifting back to Philadelphia might work in Leighton's favor.
In two games at home in the finals he has a 2.86 goals-against average compared to 5.31 in three games on the road.
Boucher said: "I needed to go in and shut the door (on Sunday) to give us a chance to win. It didn't happen."
(Writing by Larry Fine, editing by Tony Jimenez)
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