PHILADELPHIA -- The defining sequence in the Philadelphia Flyers' 4-3 loss to the Boston Bruins last night at the Wachovia Center involved a desperate lunge and dislodged equipment.

When the helmet and mask popped off the head of Bruins goalie Tim Thomas as he was making a remarkable save with his team two skaters down early in the second period, the Flyers got a good look at the guy who had them simmering with frustration for most of the game. Thomas finished with 45 saves.

Indeed, the issue in this game as the Flyers took on the top team in the Eastern Conference was goaltending -- Boston had it, the Flyers did not.

Fortunately for the Flyers with the playoffs rapidly approaching, their goalie was Antero Niittymaki, who again has firmly established himself as Marty Biron's backup. In fairness to Niittymaki, he had not played since March 15 and this was only his fourth game this month. It's enough idle time for rust to accumulate, and the Finn did look rusty.

The goal that ultimately doomed the Flyers was scored by 41-year-old Mark Recchi early in the third period. Before Recchi scored off a rebound, Chuck Kobasew fired a shot into Niittymaki's mitt. But it squirted out and lay on the ice before Recchi teed it up.

The Flyers made for a dramatic finish after Simon Gagne scored with 1 minute, 12 seconds remaining, but the Bruins held on to the one-goal lead for the victory.

By losing, the Flyers squandered a game in hand as they tried to put a little distance between them and the Hurricanes and Penguins, two teams pursuing them for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Instead, the Flyers remained one point ahead of the Hurricanes and two ahead of the Penguins.

Thomas, 34, went into the game leading the NHL in goals-against average (2.11) and save percentage (.931).