Martin Biron v. Carey Price
The Flyers have their second 3-1 series lead in the playoffs, and this time, they'll try to close it out much quicker. If they win tonight, they'll actually wrap up their series faster than Pittsburgh (or New York,) which I doubt many people thought was possible heading into the round. There's still one more game to win though, and the Flyers are really hoping they don't have to come back home.
Martin Biron will try to earn his 8th playoff victory tonight. He is basically winning this series for the Flyers, and he keeps getting better and better.
Speaking of goaltending, I really think Montreal mishandled this situation. I believe teams should pick one goalie or the other for the entire series. If a guy's struggling in a game, it's okay to take him out late, but now there's a decision to be made. Either go with the original goalie again in the next game, or make the switch for the duration of the playoffs. Going back to Carey Price might not be the best idea tonight, and it was a panic move when Jaroslav Halak started game four.
Although their goaltending situation is a bit murky right now, the Canadiens really have been playing pretty well lately. They're getting a lot of shots, and it took a lot of heart to make the comeback they did on Wednesday. The bounces just haven't gone their way, and Biron has been great. It's not going to be easy to close them out tonight, but the Flyers will have three chances. Hopefully, they don't need all of them again.
Bill Meltzer has his preview up.
Showing posts with label montreal canadiens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label montreal canadiens. Show all posts
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Eastern Semis Game 4: Canadiens at Flyers (1-2)
Carey Price v. Martin Biron
The Flyers just managed to hang on Monday night to defeat Montreal 3-2. The Flyers scored the first three, but a curious five minute major issued to Derian Hatcher allowed the Canadiens to score two power play goals to cut the deficit to one. The Flyers were outplayed for much of the game, and they're pretty fortunate to be ahead in the series.
Martin Biron stole a game for the Flyers. They were outshot by 20, and he made some key saves to preserve the lead. He's beating my expectations in the postseason.
The Flyers need to get more pucks on net in tonight's game. It's great that they were able to score three goals on only 14 shots, but that's not going to cut it more often than not. Carey Price is losing his confident, and if they keep hitting him with shots over and over again, he's going to blow up.
Except for the two PP goals on the same penalty in the last game, the penalty killing has been very good. They killed off a full 5 on 3 (also pretty curious) and several other Montreal power plays. The Canadiens' PP has been off the mark in the playoffs, but it's a unit that still has to be respected. It wasn't an accident that they were #1 in the league; they fire a lot of shots and have a lot of skilled players.
Bill Meltzer just got his preview up.
Ed Moran reports that Mike Knuble will be back tonight. Steve Downie will probably return to the press box.
The Flyers just managed to hang on Monday night to defeat Montreal 3-2. The Flyers scored the first three, but a curious five minute major issued to Derian Hatcher allowed the Canadiens to score two power play goals to cut the deficit to one. The Flyers were outplayed for much of the game, and they're pretty fortunate to be ahead in the series.
Martin Biron stole a game for the Flyers. They were outshot by 20, and he made some key saves to preserve the lead. He's beating my expectations in the postseason.
The Flyers need to get more pucks on net in tonight's game. It's great that they were able to score three goals on only 14 shots, but that's not going to cut it more often than not. Carey Price is losing his confident, and if they keep hitting him with shots over and over again, he's going to blow up.
Except for the two PP goals on the same penalty in the last game, the penalty killing has been very good. They killed off a full 5 on 3 (also pretty curious) and several other Montreal power plays. The Canadiens' PP has been off the mark in the playoffs, but it's a unit that still has to be respected. It wasn't an accident that they were #1 in the league; they fire a lot of shots and have a lot of skilled players.
Bill Meltzer just got his preview up.
Ed Moran reports that Mike Knuble will be back tonight. Steve Downie will probably return to the press box.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Eastern Semis Game 3: Canadiens at Flyers (1-1)
Carey Price v. Martin Biron
Across the league's four playoff series, this is the only one even at one. Out west, Detroit and Dallas have dominated Colorado and on this side of the cost, Pittsburgh has taken control of the Rangers. With the way these two teams played in round one, everyone should have been expecting a tight series.
Martin Biron was much better in game two. He made some incredible saves and really closed the door on Montreal when they began threatening.
How have the Flyers been able to generally control play so far? Montreal was the better team in the regular season, and they proved it head-to-head. However, most objective observers would say that the Flyers have been better in this series. One reason has to be the quick starts. They've gotten off to 2-0 leads early in each game, and although they coughed it up in game one, it can't hurt to force a team to play catch up like that.
A lot of people still bring up the possibility of Gagne coming back if the Flyers keep advancing. Please, let's not do this again. Let him sit in the press box and enjoy the games with street clothes on. He's hurt. He's had three concussions this season, and he can't come back. Is the team really struggling that much for goals that they need to risk the franchise player's career? Come on. Let him get right, and we'll see him in training camp in September.
Bill Meltzer's better preview is here.
This has nothing to do with the Flyers, but I want to talk about the Pittsburgh/New York series anyway. In the regular season, the Rangers matched up pretty well against the Pens. Their defensive system generally held them in check, and it looked like it could potentially be a challenging series for one of the East's best teams. In the first game, the Rangers came out strong and got some early goals. Pittsburgh battled back and eventually won 5-4. I said to some others that the Rangers cannot win if they keep playing that way. That's not their style, and they won't be able to outscore Pittsburgh in a seven game series. On Sunday, they tried a low scoring affair, and now they're down 2-0. I know they've both been one goal games, but nothing the Rangers are trying has worked.
Across the league's four playoff series, this is the only one even at one. Out west, Detroit and Dallas have dominated Colorado and on this side of the cost, Pittsburgh has taken control of the Rangers. With the way these two teams played in round one, everyone should have been expecting a tight series.
Martin Biron was much better in game two. He made some incredible saves and really closed the door on Montreal when they began threatening.
How have the Flyers been able to generally control play so far? Montreal was the better team in the regular season, and they proved it head-to-head. However, most objective observers would say that the Flyers have been better in this series. One reason has to be the quick starts. They've gotten off to 2-0 leads early in each game, and although they coughed it up in game one, it can't hurt to force a team to play catch up like that.
A lot of people still bring up the possibility of Gagne coming back if the Flyers keep advancing. Please, let's not do this again. Let him sit in the press box and enjoy the games with street clothes on. He's hurt. He's had three concussions this season, and he can't come back. Is the team really struggling that much for goals that they need to risk the franchise player's career? Come on. Let him get right, and we'll see him in training camp in September.
Bill Meltzer's better preview is here.
This has nothing to do with the Flyers, but I want to talk about the Pittsburgh/New York series anyway. In the regular season, the Rangers matched up pretty well against the Pens. Their defensive system generally held them in check, and it looked like it could potentially be a challenging series for one of the East's best teams. In the first game, the Rangers came out strong and got some early goals. Pittsburgh battled back and eventually won 5-4. I said to some others that the Rangers cannot win if they keep playing that way. That's not their style, and they won't be able to outscore Pittsburgh in a seven game series. On Sunday, they tried a low scoring affair, and now they're down 2-0. I know they've both been one goal games, but nothing the Rangers are trying has worked.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Eastern Semis Game 2: Flyers at Canadiens (0-1)
Martin Biron v. Carey Price
They played some good hockey, but a few mistakes cost the Flyers what would've been a huge game one win. They got up on the board early and often, but penalties and failed clearing attempts did them in. However, they showed they can play with Montreal, and they need to win this game and come home tied 1-1.
Martin Biron was okay in game one. The post made a couple saves early, and he left a few too many good rebounds for Montreal, including the game winner.
The Flyers have been getting contributions from all of their lines, and that's going to continue to be important against Montreal. They're content with using their #1 D-pair to shut down Briere's line, so players like Carter, Upshall, Umberger and others will need to step up again. The 3rd and 4th lines each scored in game one, and you want to take advantage when Jim Dowd contributes.
I'm not going to bother complaining about the refs in game one too much. I'm not sure how a ref with his back turned to the play calls penalties, but apparently he has eyes in the back of his head. The Flyers need to not commit penalties and not even give them a chance to call penalties. Montreal cannot have PP opportunities.
Bill Meltzer. Hit it.
They played some good hockey, but a few mistakes cost the Flyers what would've been a huge game one win. They got up on the board early and often, but penalties and failed clearing attempts did them in. However, they showed they can play with Montreal, and they need to win this game and come home tied 1-1.
Martin Biron was okay in game one. The post made a couple saves early, and he left a few too many good rebounds for Montreal, including the game winner.
The Flyers have been getting contributions from all of their lines, and that's going to continue to be important against Montreal. They're content with using their #1 D-pair to shut down Briere's line, so players like Carter, Upshall, Umberger and others will need to step up again. The 3rd and 4th lines each scored in game one, and you want to take advantage when Jim Dowd contributes.
I'm not going to bother complaining about the refs in game one too much. I'm not sure how a ref with his back turned to the play calls penalties, but apparently he has eyes in the back of his head. The Flyers need to not commit penalties and not even give them a chance to call penalties. Montreal cannot have PP opportunities.
Bill Meltzer. Hit it.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Eastern Semis Game 1: Flyers at Canadiens
Martin Biron v. Carey Price
Both teams may be lucky to survive, but the fact is, it's the Flyers and Canadiens still alive, and it's the Capitals and Bruins dusting off their golf clubs. Despite being two of the last series to be decided, this game will kick off round two around the NHL. Will fatigue set in? Hopefully not, but the Flyers went seven games and played some extra hockey on Tuesday. They need to get off to a fast start in the worst way.
Martin Biron's postseason stats were actually worse than his regular season numbers, but what matters is how well he played in game seven. The Flyers hope he can carry some of that momentum over.
Something that's nice for the Flyers is the fact that Montreal doesn't have "that guy" like Washington does. Don't get me wrong though; Montreal can put the puck in the net as well as anyone. They're deep, and their Power Play was awesome. Alex Kovalev revived his career this season when he led Montreal in goals and points. Their other big scorers include Tomas Plekanec, Christopher Higgins, the Kostitsyn brothers and of course, Saku Koivu.
The key for the Flyers is to play disciplined and stay out of the box. 35% of their goals were scored with a man advantage, so it's critical to not give them those opportunities. They had five players score double digit goals on the PP, so they can roll out a couple effective lines. The same can be said for Montreal; the Flyers have the same percentage of man advantage goals.
Who's hot?
The Kostitsyns have combined for six goals and 11 points in the playoffs so far. Alex Kovalev has two goals and six points.
Danny Briere leads the playoffs with six goals and 11 points by himself. Prospal is tied for second in playoff points with nine. Jeff Carter has three goals.
Bill Meltzer previews the game. Who's going to be on the fourth line tonight?
Both teams may be lucky to survive, but the fact is, it's the Flyers and Canadiens still alive, and it's the Capitals and Bruins dusting off their golf clubs. Despite being two of the last series to be decided, this game will kick off round two around the NHL. Will fatigue set in? Hopefully not, but the Flyers went seven games and played some extra hockey on Tuesday. They need to get off to a fast start in the worst way.
Martin Biron's postseason stats were actually worse than his regular season numbers, but what matters is how well he played in game seven. The Flyers hope he can carry some of that momentum over.
Something that's nice for the Flyers is the fact that Montreal doesn't have "that guy" like Washington does. Don't get me wrong though; Montreal can put the puck in the net as well as anyone. They're deep, and their Power Play was awesome. Alex Kovalev revived his career this season when he led Montreal in goals and points. Their other big scorers include Tomas Plekanec, Christopher Higgins, the Kostitsyn brothers and of course, Saku Koivu.
The key for the Flyers is to play disciplined and stay out of the box. 35% of their goals were scored with a man advantage, so it's critical to not give them those opportunities. They had five players score double digit goals on the PP, so they can roll out a couple effective lines. The same can be said for Montreal; the Flyers have the same percentage of man advantage goals.
Who's hot?
The Kostitsyns have combined for six goals and 11 points in the playoffs so far. Alex Kovalev has two goals and six points.
Danny Briere leads the playoffs with six goals and 11 points by himself. Prospal is tied for second in playoff points with nine. Jeff Carter has three goals.
Bill Meltzer previews the game. Who's going to be on the fourth line tonight?
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Gotta Love It
Never in doubt, right?
The Flyers prevailed 3-2 in an exciting overtime finish to game seven. The Capitals got on top early, but the Flyers battled back. After being outplayed for much of the third period, the game went to overtime. Make no mistake about it. Martin Biron temporarily silenced the critics with his outstanding play. He couldn't play in back to back games. He couldn't handle the pressure of the playoffs. Not last night.
It's about time Joffrey Lupul got on the board. He was huge in the playoffs for Anaheim a few years ago, and it was only a matter of time before he broke out here too. He's probably still suffering the effects of a couple previous injuries, but now's not the time to have a let down. He was huge last night, poor series or not.
Now it's time for Montreal. The Flyers were 0-4 against the Canadiens in the regular season, but you can throw that out the window. Boston lost the first 11 straight to Montreal this season, and they managed to take them to seven games. The Flyers are definitely a better team than the Bruins, and they need to show up tomorrow and prove it right away.
The Flyers prevailed 3-2 in an exciting overtime finish to game seven. The Capitals got on top early, but the Flyers battled back. After being outplayed for much of the third period, the game went to overtime. Make no mistake about it. Martin Biron temporarily silenced the critics with his outstanding play. He couldn't play in back to back games. He couldn't handle the pressure of the playoffs. Not last night.
It's about time Joffrey Lupul got on the board. He was huge in the playoffs for Anaheim a few years ago, and it was only a matter of time before he broke out here too. He's probably still suffering the effects of a couple previous injuries, but now's not the time to have a let down. He was huge last night, poor series or not.
Now it's time for Montreal. The Flyers were 0-4 against the Canadiens in the regular season, but you can throw that out the window. Boston lost the first 11 straight to Montreal this season, and they managed to take them to seven games. The Flyers are definitely a better team than the Bruins, and they need to show up tomorrow and prove it right away.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Eastern Conference Playoff Preview
The NHL playoffs begin tomorrow, which means it's time for a preview of what's to come. I can't guarantee any of my predictions will be accurate, and it's more likely that I get more wrong than right.
#8 Boston Bruins v. #1 Montreal Canadiens
MON 3-2 BOS
MON 6-1 BOS
MON 2-1 BOS
MON 7-4 BOS
MON 4-2 BOS
MON 5-2 BOS
MON 8-2 BOS
MON 3-2 BOS
41-29-12, 94 points:Record:47-25-10, 104 points
4-2-4:Last 10:8-1-1
2.59:GFA:3.20
2.70:GAA:2.70
17.6%, 16th:PP:24.1%, 1st
78.6%, 28th:PK:82.5%, 15th
How can Boston win this series? They need to stop doing what caused them to lose every game in the season series. Judging by how dominant Montreal was, that probably won't be very easy. Patrice Bergeron will probably give them a little bit of a lift, but they're just not a very good team.
How can Montreal win this series? They need to deal with their injuries and not lose focus. They've had a couple players go down recently, but they still have pretty good depth. Their PP has been great all season, and they shouldn't have any problems scoring goals on Boston. Carey Price has been hot, and this is a good opportunity for him to get his feet wet in postseason play. Montreal will take this one in 5.
#7 Ottawa Senators v. #2 Pittsburgh Penguins
PIT 6-5 OTT
OTT 4-1 PIT
OTT 4-3 PIT
OTT 5-4 PIT
43-31-8, 94 points:Record:47-27-8, 102 points
3-6-1:Last 10:6-3-1
3.18:GFA: 3.01
3.01:GAA: 2.63
18.3%, 12th:PP:20.4%, 4th
81%, T22nd:PK:81.0%, T22nd
How can Ottawa win this series? Whoever is in net, probably Martin Gerber, needs to play the best hockey of his life. I know it's easy to say a goalie needs to play well for a team to win in the playoffs, but this is especially true for Ottawa. They haven't gotten consistent play from their goalies all season, whether it's Gerber or Ray Emery. Early in the season, their great scorers such as Alfredsson, who's injured, Spezza and Heatley could cover it up. However, as the season wore on, defense and goaltending just became a big issue. Pittsburgh has great goal scoring ability, and Gerber will have to steal some games for the Senators to have a chance.
How can Pittsburgh win this series? Execute on special teams. If their penalty killing improves, they'll gain a huge advantage on Ottawa. Their power play is great; they have a lot of players with tremendous skill, and they can really take advantage of Ottawa's weak penalty kill. Pittsburgh needs to just relax and play with energy. They're more talented than Ottawa, and the Sens are just in complete turmoil with injuries and this huge collapse they've had. I'll say Pittsburgh takes it in 5.
#5 New York Rangers v. #4 New Jersey Devils
NYR 2-0 NJD
NYR 2-1 NJD
NYR 4-2 NJD
NYR 1-0 NJD
NYR 3-1 NJD
NYR 2-1 NJD
NYR 3-2 NJD
NJD 3-2 NYR
How can the Rangers win this series? They need to score goals, and it's not going to be easy. They play a defensive, conservative system, even though they have very good scorers such as Jagr, Shanahan and Drury. In fact, only three playoff teams scored fewer goals than them, and the Devils are one of them. If they continue to sit back and just try and keep the Devils from scoring, I don't think they have a shot. If they want to match goalies and defensive systems against the Devils, they're going to lose. You can't beat Martin Brodeur at his own game.
How can the Devils win this series? New Jersey needs to stick to the system and play sound defensively. If they don't put Brodeur in too many bad spots, he'll have no problem carrying them to victory again. He's had success against the Rangers in the playoffs lately, and he can probably do it again. The Rangers don't have much firepower, and the Devils should be able to win 2-1, 1-0 and 3-2 games. Despite the season series, I think the Devils have the advantage and take this one in 6.
42-27-13, 97 points:Record:46-29-7, 99 points
5-1-4:Last 10:4-5-1
2.60:GFA:2.51
2.43:GAA:2.40
16.5%, 22nd:PP:15.6%, 25th
84.6%, 6th:PK:82.8%, 13th
#6 Philadelphia Flyers v. #3 Washington Capitals
PHI 3-2 WSH
WSH 4-3 PHI
PHI 6-4 WSH
WSH 4-3 PHI
42-29-11, 95 points:Record:43-31-8, 94 points
7-2-1:Last 10:9-1-0
3.02:GFA:2.95
2.84:GAA:2.82
21.8%, 2nd:PP:18.8%, T8th
83.2%, 10th:PK:80.5%, 25th
How can the Capitals win this series? If someone besides Alexander Ovechkin scores, the Flyers are in a lot of trouble. Ovechkin buries them in every single meeting, so it's safe to assume he's going to be a pain in the ass to Philadelphia all series. In addition to his contributions, if someone else on the team steps up and plays a great series, it's going to be tough to stop Washington. They can score a lot of goals, and guys like Mike Green can also bring a lot to the table. They have a very good PP, so if they can get opportunities there, the Capitals could run the Flyers out of the building.
How can the Flyers win this series? Stop Alexander Ovechkin. It's stupidly obvious, but as I just mentioned, he kills them. He scores a goal and racks up points every game, and it's almost like he's the only player on the other team. They need to find some way or some matchup to limit his contributions. Lines featuring Hartnell, Richards and Thoresen or Upshall, Carter and Knuble can both play responsible hockey, so one of those lines could be matched up against him. They need to hit him, knock the puck away, take away hot water from the visitor's looker room or something to keep him quiet. I think the Flyers get the upset here in 6 games.
After that, we would have 6 Philadelphia v. 1 Montreal. Montreal will take that easily in 5 games. 2 Pittsburgh will beat 4 New Jersey in 6.
Unfortunately for Flyers fans, the Pittsburgh Penguins will represent the East in the finals. They have stars up front that can pile up goals in bunches and passable defense and goaltending.
#8 Boston Bruins v. #1 Montreal Canadiens
MON 3-2 BOS
MON 6-1 BOS
MON 2-1 BOS
MON 7-4 BOS
MON 4-2 BOS
MON 5-2 BOS
MON 8-2 BOS
MON 3-2 BOS
41-29-12, 94 points:Record:47-25-10, 104 points
4-2-4:Last 10:8-1-1
2.59:GFA:3.20
2.70:GAA:2.70
17.6%, 16th:PP:24.1%, 1st
78.6%, 28th:PK:82.5%, 15th
How can Boston win this series? They need to stop doing what caused them to lose every game in the season series. Judging by how dominant Montreal was, that probably won't be very easy. Patrice Bergeron will probably give them a little bit of a lift, but they're just not a very good team.
How can Montreal win this series? They need to deal with their injuries and not lose focus. They've had a couple players go down recently, but they still have pretty good depth. Their PP has been great all season, and they shouldn't have any problems scoring goals on Boston. Carey Price has been hot, and this is a good opportunity for him to get his feet wet in postseason play. Montreal will take this one in 5.
#7 Ottawa Senators v. #2 Pittsburgh Penguins
PIT 6-5 OTT
OTT 4-1 PIT
OTT 4-3 PIT
OTT 5-4 PIT
43-31-8, 94 points:Record:47-27-8, 102 points
3-6-1:Last 10:6-3-1
3.18:GFA: 3.01
3.01:GAA: 2.63
18.3%, 12th:PP:20.4%, 4th
81%, T22nd:PK:81.0%, T22nd
How can Ottawa win this series? Whoever is in net, probably Martin Gerber, needs to play the best hockey of his life. I know it's easy to say a goalie needs to play well for a team to win in the playoffs, but this is especially true for Ottawa. They haven't gotten consistent play from their goalies all season, whether it's Gerber or Ray Emery. Early in the season, their great scorers such as Alfredsson, who's injured, Spezza and Heatley could cover it up. However, as the season wore on, defense and goaltending just became a big issue. Pittsburgh has great goal scoring ability, and Gerber will have to steal some games for the Senators to have a chance.
How can Pittsburgh win this series? Execute on special teams. If their penalty killing improves, they'll gain a huge advantage on Ottawa. Their power play is great; they have a lot of players with tremendous skill, and they can really take advantage of Ottawa's weak penalty kill. Pittsburgh needs to just relax and play with energy. They're more talented than Ottawa, and the Sens are just in complete turmoil with injuries and this huge collapse they've had. I'll say Pittsburgh takes it in 5.
#5 New York Rangers v. #4 New Jersey Devils
NYR 2-0 NJD
NYR 2-1 NJD
NYR 4-2 NJD
NYR 1-0 NJD
NYR 3-1 NJD
NYR 2-1 NJD
NYR 3-2 NJD
NJD 3-2 NYR
How can the Rangers win this series? They need to score goals, and it's not going to be easy. They play a defensive, conservative system, even though they have very good scorers such as Jagr, Shanahan and Drury. In fact, only three playoff teams scored fewer goals than them, and the Devils are one of them. If they continue to sit back and just try and keep the Devils from scoring, I don't think they have a shot. If they want to match goalies and defensive systems against the Devils, they're going to lose. You can't beat Martin Brodeur at his own game.
How can the Devils win this series? New Jersey needs to stick to the system and play sound defensively. If they don't put Brodeur in too many bad spots, he'll have no problem carrying them to victory again. He's had success against the Rangers in the playoffs lately, and he can probably do it again. The Rangers don't have much firepower, and the Devils should be able to win 2-1, 1-0 and 3-2 games. Despite the season series, I think the Devils have the advantage and take this one in 6.
42-27-13, 97 points:Record:46-29-7, 99 points
5-1-4:Last 10:4-5-1
2.60:GFA:2.51
2.43:GAA:2.40
16.5%, 22nd:PP:15.6%, 25th
84.6%, 6th:PK:82.8%, 13th
#6 Philadelphia Flyers v. #3 Washington Capitals
PHI 3-2 WSH
WSH 4-3 PHI
PHI 6-4 WSH
WSH 4-3 PHI
42-29-11, 95 points:Record:43-31-8, 94 points
7-2-1:Last 10:9-1-0
3.02:GFA:2.95
2.84:GAA:2.82
21.8%, 2nd:PP:18.8%, T8th
83.2%, 10th:PK:80.5%, 25th
How can the Capitals win this series? If someone besides Alexander Ovechkin scores, the Flyers are in a lot of trouble. Ovechkin buries them in every single meeting, so it's safe to assume he's going to be a pain in the ass to Philadelphia all series. In addition to his contributions, if someone else on the team steps up and plays a great series, it's going to be tough to stop Washington. They can score a lot of goals, and guys like Mike Green can also bring a lot to the table. They have a very good PP, so if they can get opportunities there, the Capitals could run the Flyers out of the building.
How can the Flyers win this series? Stop Alexander Ovechkin. It's stupidly obvious, but as I just mentioned, he kills them. He scores a goal and racks up points every game, and it's almost like he's the only player on the other team. They need to find some way or some matchup to limit his contributions. Lines featuring Hartnell, Richards and Thoresen or Upshall, Carter and Knuble can both play responsible hockey, so one of those lines could be matched up against him. They need to hit him, knock the puck away, take away hot water from the visitor's looker room or something to keep him quiet. I think the Flyers get the upset here in 6 games.
After that, we would have 6 Philadelphia v. 1 Montreal. Montreal will take that easily in 5 games. 2 Pittsburgh will beat 4 New Jersey in 6.
Unfortunately for Flyers fans, the Pittsburgh Penguins will represent the East in the finals. They have stars up front that can pile up goals in bunches and passable defense and goaltending.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Games 58 and 59: Flyers at Canadiens and Vice Versa; Gary Bettman Sucks
I'm just going to do this as one entry because the preview for the second game likely won't be drastically different from the first.
Philadelphia Flyers: 30-22-5, 65 points
Montreal Canadiens: 30-19-9, 69 points
Antero Niittymaki v. Carey Price
Now on a 5 game losing streak after their humiliating loss at the hands of the Lightning, the Flyers try to get back on track against the Canadiens, who have given the Flyers headaches this season.
Antero Niittymaki will get the start tonight, after Biron's poor performance against Tampa. John Stevens is going to keep switching goalies until one of them gets hot again. If Niittymaki plays well tonight, it wouldn't surprise me to see Stevens go right back to him in the next game.
The Canadiens have systematically destroyed the Flyers in the previous two meetings, each one ending in a 3 goal Montreal win. In the first meeting, Montreal jumped out to a 2 goal lead after 2 periods, and added on 2 more in the 3rd to win 5-2. The Flyers were never really in it. The Canadiens lead was 5-1 before Upshall scored a meaningless PP goal in the last minute.
In the second meeting, they faced the same problem. Even strength, PP or even PK, the Canadiens just had all the answers. They were in complete control of the entire game. The Canadiens just seem to magnify the Flyers big problem; the gap between the Defensemen and Forwards gets too big, and they can't get out of the zone. They might be one of those teams that just always gives the Flyers problems, and if that's the case, they need to get over it in a hurry because these two games are huge.
Braydon Coburn and Scottie Upshall could potentially return to the lineup tonight, but no one knows for sure. Bill Meltzer will have that for you soon.
Anthony SanFilippo reports that the Washington Capitals are the dumbest franchise in pro sports and Gary Bettman is the worst commissioner ever.
Basically, the Flyers were fined $25,000 because of their Ron Hextall celebration. They knew that if they did it before the game, it's possible that not everyone would be in their seats to seat the ceremonies. They decided to do everything during the first intermission to make sure the building was full and give Ron Hextall the sendoff he deserves. However, the celebration ran a little too long and the Capitals cried about it. Grow up. I don't care if there are rules about how long intermissions need to be. Who cares? The Flyers were doing something special for a great player and their fans. Honestly, I'm not sure if anyone would've cared if this was Pittsburgh or Edmonton celebrating Lemieux or Gretzky.
Next year, if the Capitals want to hold intermission ceremonies for that one time they won the East or when they failed to make the playoffs with Jaromir Jagr, go ahead. They can last half an hour if they want. I'm sure their two dozen fans won't mind, and neither will I.
Philadelphia Flyers: 30-22-5, 65 points
Montreal Canadiens: 30-19-9, 69 points
Antero Niittymaki v. Carey Price
Now on a 5 game losing streak after their humiliating loss at the hands of the Lightning, the Flyers try to get back on track against the Canadiens, who have given the Flyers headaches this season.
Antero Niittymaki will get the start tonight, after Biron's poor performance against Tampa. John Stevens is going to keep switching goalies until one of them gets hot again. If Niittymaki plays well tonight, it wouldn't surprise me to see Stevens go right back to him in the next game.
The Canadiens have systematically destroyed the Flyers in the previous two meetings, each one ending in a 3 goal Montreal win. In the first meeting, Montreal jumped out to a 2 goal lead after 2 periods, and added on 2 more in the 3rd to win 5-2. The Flyers were never really in it. The Canadiens lead was 5-1 before Upshall scored a meaningless PP goal in the last minute.
In the second meeting, they faced the same problem. Even strength, PP or even PK, the Canadiens just had all the answers. They were in complete control of the entire game. The Canadiens just seem to magnify the Flyers big problem; the gap between the Defensemen and Forwards gets too big, and they can't get out of the zone. They might be one of those teams that just always gives the Flyers problems, and if that's the case, they need to get over it in a hurry because these two games are huge.
Braydon Coburn and Scottie Upshall could potentially return to the lineup tonight, but no one knows for sure. Bill Meltzer will have that for you soon.
Anthony SanFilippo reports that the Washington Capitals are the dumbest franchise in pro sports and Gary Bettman is the worst commissioner ever.
Basically, the Flyers were fined $25,000 because of their Ron Hextall celebration. They knew that if they did it before the game, it's possible that not everyone would be in their seats to seat the ceremonies. They decided to do everything during the first intermission to make sure the building was full and give Ron Hextall the sendoff he deserves. However, the celebration ran a little too long and the Capitals cried about it. Grow up. I don't care if there are rules about how long intermissions need to be. Who cares? The Flyers were doing something special for a great player and their fans. Honestly, I'm not sure if anyone would've cared if this was Pittsburgh or Edmonton celebrating Lemieux or Gretzky.
Next year, if the Capitals want to hold intermission ceremonies for that one time they won the East or when they failed to make the playoffs with Jaromir Jagr, go ahead. They can last half an hour if they want. I'm sure their two dozen fans won't mind, and neither will I.
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