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.
Showing posts with label new york rangers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new york rangers. Show all posts
Monday, April 28, 2008
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.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Game 77 and Hell Week Game 3: Flyers at Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers: 38-28-10, 86 points
New York Rangers: 39-26-10, 88 points
Martin Biron v. Henrik Lundqvist
The Flyers and Rangers will wrap up the season series tonight in New York. The Flyers won the last meeting less than a week ago in a shootout, and they'll look to keep up their momentum. As noted above, they're just two points behind the Rangers, who have a game in hand. If they can find a way to steal the 6th spot, the Flyers could have an easier chance at a playoff series win.
Martin Biron will get another start tonight. He was pretty good against the Rangers in the last game and very good against the Islanders as well.
I mentioned this in the last Rangers preview, but it remains true. The Flyers need to be able to finish off individual periods and games. This has been a huge problem as of late, and it's not only costing them points, they're allowing teams like the Rangers and Bruins to pick up that extra third point that no one likes. In the last game against the Rangers, they blew a two goal third period lead and a one goal lead minutes after that. The game should've been put away, but they started playing bad hockey and let the Rangers back in it. Jim Dowd's penalty against the Islanders almost let them get back into the game, but they're not good enough to take advantage, and you can also argue that a four goal deficit was too much anyway.
King Lundqvist will be back in goal for the Rangers tonight. Steve Valiquette has gotten most of the action against the Flyers this season due to a few good games. Last time Henrik was in goal against the Flyers, he struggled in the first period and got pulled for Valiquette, who ended up winning the game. Lundqvist runs hot and cold against the Flyers, so they'll obviously be hoping he's still cold. His career GAA and SV% against Philadelphia are not good, but he also has two shutouts to his credit, one this season.
Bill Meltzer has scratches.
New York Rangers: 39-26-10, 88 points
Martin Biron v. Henrik Lundqvist
The Flyers and Rangers will wrap up the season series tonight in New York. The Flyers won the last meeting less than a week ago in a shootout, and they'll look to keep up their momentum. As noted above, they're just two points behind the Rangers, who have a game in hand. If they can find a way to steal the 6th spot, the Flyers could have an easier chance at a playoff series win.
Martin Biron will get another start tonight. He was pretty good against the Rangers in the last game and very good against the Islanders as well.
I mentioned this in the last Rangers preview, but it remains true. The Flyers need to be able to finish off individual periods and games. This has been a huge problem as of late, and it's not only costing them points, they're allowing teams like the Rangers and Bruins to pick up that extra third point that no one likes. In the last game against the Rangers, they blew a two goal third period lead and a one goal lead minutes after that. The game should've been put away, but they started playing bad hockey and let the Rangers back in it. Jim Dowd's penalty against the Islanders almost let them get back into the game, but they're not good enough to take advantage, and you can also argue that a four goal deficit was too much anyway.
King Lundqvist will be back in goal for the Rangers tonight. Steve Valiquette has gotten most of the action against the Flyers this season due to a few good games. Last time Henrik was in goal against the Flyers, he struggled in the first period and got pulled for Valiquette, who ended up winning the game. Lundqvist runs hot and cold against the Flyers, so they'll obviously be hoping he's still cold. His career GAA and SV% against Philadelphia are not good, but he also has two shutouts to his credit, one this season.
Bill Meltzer has scratches.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Game 75 and Hell Week Game 1: Rangers at Flyers
It's longer than a week because it's 8 games spread over several weeks, but we'll call it that anyway.
New York Rangers: 39-26-9, 87 points
Philadelphia Flyers: 36-28-10, 82 points
Steve Valiquette v. Martin Biron
The Flyers officially begin the home stretch tonight, when their final eight games are all against divisional opponents. First up are the New York Rangers, who have presented all kinds of problems to the Flyers this year. They're 1-3-2 against the Rangers this season, and those three regulation losses are all shutouts.
Philadelphia needs to find a way to beat the strong defensive system of the Rangers and beat Steve Valiquette. Valiquette has obviously played well against them this year, but one problem is the lack of quality scoring chances. They don't test him much, mostly because the rush has already been cut off by the Rangers' trap like system. The Flyers need to stay patient with the puck, have nice breakouts and find a way to generate some offense. Early.
If the Flyers manage to grab a lead, they need to do a better job of holding it than they've been doing lately. They've become prone to allowing goals late in periods or the game in general, and that's a mistake we were hoping was corrected between last season and this year. They blew the game against Florida, they blew a huge lead against Toronto, they blew the game against Boston and they nearly did it again against Atlanta. It was good to hear they practiced 6 on 5 situations in practice, but they need to execute it in a game.
Bill Meltzer posts lineups and scratches. No real surprises, although Jones may be back tonight.
This is it for the Flyers. 8 games, 4 divisional opponents. These are the guys you're chasing, and there's no better way to make up ground than by beating them. They've played poorly in the past month or so, but a good showing in the final couple of weeks can make people feel more confident.
New York Rangers: 39-26-9, 87 points
Philadelphia Flyers: 36-28-10, 82 points
Steve Valiquette v. Martin Biron
The Flyers officially begin the home stretch tonight, when their final eight games are all against divisional opponents. First up are the New York Rangers, who have presented all kinds of problems to the Flyers this year. They're 1-3-2 against the Rangers this season, and those three regulation losses are all shutouts.
Philadelphia needs to find a way to beat the strong defensive system of the Rangers and beat Steve Valiquette. Valiquette has obviously played well against them this year, but one problem is the lack of quality scoring chances. They don't test him much, mostly because the rush has already been cut off by the Rangers' trap like system. The Flyers need to stay patient with the puck, have nice breakouts and find a way to generate some offense. Early.
If the Flyers manage to grab a lead, they need to do a better job of holding it than they've been doing lately. They've become prone to allowing goals late in periods or the game in general, and that's a mistake we were hoping was corrected between last season and this year. They blew the game against Florida, they blew a huge lead against Toronto, they blew the game against Boston and they nearly did it again against Atlanta. It was good to hear they practiced 6 on 5 situations in practice, but they need to execute it in a game.
Bill Meltzer posts lineups and scratches. No real surprises, although Jones may be back tonight.
This is it for the Flyers. 8 games, 4 divisional opponents. These are the guys you're chasing, and there's no better way to make up ground than by beating them. They've played poorly in the past month or so, but a good showing in the final couple of weeks can make people feel more confident.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
If They Get There, How Will They Do?
It's obvious that the Flyers are struggling right now, but do the last 10 games of the regular season have any bearing on playoff success/failures? Let's look at all of the post lockout champions and first round sweeps to see.
06/07 Champion- Anaheim Ducks
L 5-3
L 2-1
W 3-2
L 1-0
W 3-1
W 5-2
W 3-2
L 3-2
L 2-1
W 4-3
So they won five of their last ten. That's obviously worse than their season winning percentage, so they really didn't go into the playoffs very hot. Their goal differential was also only +1, so if there is a correlation between being hot in the last 10 games and winning in the playoffs, the Ducks don't show it.
06/07 Sweep Victim- Atlanta Thrashers
W 2-1
W 4-3
L 5-1
L 2-1
L 3-2
W 3-2
W 3-2
L 3-2
W 4-1
W 3-2
The Thrashers, who went down to the Rangers in four easy games, actually played better than Anaheim in their last 10. They won 6 games with a goal differential of +1. This was the first time they ever made the playoffs, so their defeat was kind of embarrassing. Like the Ducks, the Thrashers show no connection between the end of the regular season and playoff results.
05/06 Champion- Carolina Hurricanes
W 3-2
L 5-2
W 6-5
W 4-3
W 4-3
L 5-2
L 4-3
W 5-4
L 3-2
L 4-0
Another team whose playoff run did not mirror their final 10 games. They too only won 5 of their last 10, and it wasn't pretty with a goal differential of -4. They were playing poor hockey, but when push came to shove, they were able to win the 16 they needed to win the Cup.
05/06 Sweep Victim- New York Rangers
W 5-1
L 4-1
W 3-2
W 3-1
W 4-3
L 3-2
L 3-2
L 5-3
L 4-1
L 5-1
Here we go. The Rangers won 4 of their last 10, but they finished on a five game losing streak with a goal differential of -6. Of the four teams we've looked at, they're really the only ones whose finish helped people predict their playoff run, or lack thereof.
So Flyers fans, if they make the playoffs, it's not a lock that they're four and done. Not because of their poor finish, anyway. If the Flyers are out quickly, it's because they're not good enough. It's a small sample size, but from what we saw, the last 10 games of the regular season don't tell you what a team is going to do in the playoffs.
06/07 Champion- Anaheim Ducks
L 5-3
L 2-1
W 3-2
L 1-0
W 3-1
W 5-2
W 3-2
L 3-2
L 2-1
W 4-3
So they won five of their last ten. That's obviously worse than their season winning percentage, so they really didn't go into the playoffs very hot. Their goal differential was also only +1, so if there is a correlation between being hot in the last 10 games and winning in the playoffs, the Ducks don't show it.
06/07 Sweep Victim- Atlanta Thrashers
W 2-1
W 4-3
L 5-1
L 2-1
L 3-2
W 3-2
W 3-2
L 3-2
W 4-1
W 3-2
The Thrashers, who went down to the Rangers in four easy games, actually played better than Anaheim in their last 10. They won 6 games with a goal differential of +1. This was the first time they ever made the playoffs, so their defeat was kind of embarrassing. Like the Ducks, the Thrashers show no connection between the end of the regular season and playoff results.
05/06 Champion- Carolina Hurricanes
W 3-2
L 5-2
W 6-5
W 4-3
W 4-3
L 5-2
L 4-3
W 5-4
L 3-2
L 4-0
Another team whose playoff run did not mirror their final 10 games. They too only won 5 of their last 10, and it wasn't pretty with a goal differential of -4. They were playing poor hockey, but when push came to shove, they were able to win the 16 they needed to win the Cup.
05/06 Sweep Victim- New York Rangers
W 5-1
L 4-1
W 3-2
W 3-1
W 4-3
L 3-2
L 3-2
L 5-3
L 4-1
L 5-1
Here we go. The Rangers won 4 of their last 10, but they finished on a five game losing streak with a goal differential of -6. Of the four teams we've looked at, they're really the only ones whose finish helped people predict their playoff run, or lack thereof.
So Flyers fans, if they make the playoffs, it's not a lock that they're four and done. Not because of their poor finish, anyway. If the Flyers are out quickly, it's because they're not good enough. It's a small sample size, but from what we saw, the last 10 games of the regular season don't tell you what a team is going to do in the playoffs.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Game 66: Flyers at Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers: 33-25-7, 73 points
New York Rangers: 33-24-8, 74 points
Antero Niittymaki v. Henrik Lundqvist
After a relatively easy win over the Islanders, the Flyers wrap up their Big Apple Weekend at Madison Cubed Garden this afternoon. This game has pretty big playoff implications. The games in hand are gone, so the Flyers have no room for error if they want to pass the Rangers. They're one point behind now, so a win would get them the 7 seed in the East and then only one point behind Boston.
Antero Niittymaki should be in goal today. Stevens usually likes using both guys in back to backs.
The story of this game will be the goaltenders. The Rangers are 4-1-0 against the Flyers this year, and three of those wins have been shutouts, including the last two meetings, featuring backup goalie Steve Valiquette. Lundqvist is expected to be in the lineup this time, which will come as a relief to Flyers fans. He's a great goalie, but the Flyers have had some success against him.
On the flip side, despite getting hot and building some momentum, Martin Biron will likely get the day off. Antero Niittymaki is going to get his first start in over a week. His career GAA against the Rangers is over 3, but his SV% is also over .900, which I consider to be a little benchmark for competent goaltending. However, this season, he has gotten killed by the Rangers. His GAA is well over 4 in two starts, and he needs to have a better effort than that today.
The Rangers are a very good defensive team from the net out. It starts with Lundqvist, but they have some very good defensemen and many of their forwards are very responsible. Fortunately, the Flyers' goal scoring is starting to wake up again, and they're going to need to work hard today to get a win here.
I beat Meltzer for the second game in a row. Check out his page for the scratches and lines closer to game time.
I'll try and get an entry up about my day in New York later.
New York Rangers: 33-24-8, 74 points
Antero Niittymaki v. Henrik Lundqvist
After a relatively easy win over the Islanders, the Flyers wrap up their Big Apple Weekend at Madison Cubed Garden this afternoon. This game has pretty big playoff implications. The games in hand are gone, so the Flyers have no room for error if they want to pass the Rangers. They're one point behind now, so a win would get them the 7 seed in the East and then only one point behind Boston.
Antero Niittymaki should be in goal today. Stevens usually likes using both guys in back to backs.
The story of this game will be the goaltenders. The Rangers are 4-1-0 against the Flyers this year, and three of those wins have been shutouts, including the last two meetings, featuring backup goalie Steve Valiquette. Lundqvist is expected to be in the lineup this time, which will come as a relief to Flyers fans. He's a great goalie, but the Flyers have had some success against him.
On the flip side, despite getting hot and building some momentum, Martin Biron will likely get the day off. Antero Niittymaki is going to get his first start in over a week. His career GAA against the Rangers is over 3, but his SV% is also over .900, which I consider to be a little benchmark for competent goaltending. However, this season, he has gotten killed by the Rangers. His GAA is well over 4 in two starts, and he needs to have a better effort than that today.
The Rangers are a very good defensive team from the net out. It starts with Lundqvist, but they have some very good defensemen and many of their forwards are very responsible. Fortunately, the Flyers' goal scoring is starting to wake up again, and they're going to need to work hard today to get a win here.
I beat Meltzer for the second game in a row. Check out his page for the scratches and lines closer to game time.
I'll try and get an entry up about my day in New York later.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Game 54: Rangers at Flyers
New York Rangers: 27-24-6, 60 points
Philadelphia Flyers: 30-18-5, 65 points
Steve Valiquette v. Martin Biron (not positive on Biron; it would make sense though)
After two days off after a back to back set against Atlanta and Washington, the Flyers will begin another back to back set with the Rangers today and Penguins tomorrow. The Flyers are looking for retribution today; they want to get back at the Rangers for their humiliating 4-0 defeat recently, and they want to get back on the winning side after an all-around poor game against Washington on Wednesday.
Martin Biron should get his second straight start today. He didn't play well against Washington, but he has a 1.84 GAA in three appearances vs. the Rangers this year. Niittymaki would then likely get the nod tomorrow.
One key for the Flyers this afternoon will be solving Steve Vezinaquette. He earned his first career shutout against them in their last meeting, and they obviously need to score more than 0 goals to get the win today. There's a reason this guy averages one win per NHL season. He's not that good. Stay patient, pepper him with shots and catch some breaks. He's beatable.
Right now, the Atlantic Division is extremely close. The Flyers and Penguins are currently tied at the top with 65 points, but the Flyers have one game in hand. Pittsburgh hosts LA today. The Devils check in at third with 64 points, but they've played one more game than Pittsburgh. The Rangers are back in the mix; they're 5-4-1 in their last 10, and they're only 5 points behind the PA teams. However, with four more games played than the Flyers, they're going to have a lot of ground to make up. The Islanders just seem to be out of it right now.
The Flyers need to try and win both games this weekend. You cannot let the Rangers get two points closer, even if you have four games in hand over them. The Penguins are pretty hot right now, and keep in mind, they still don't have their best player. With the Pens playing back to back this weekend too, you're not losing the game in hand over them, but the win tomorrow is critical to lead the division outright.
Bill Meltzer. Scratches.
Lasse Kukkonen
Scottie Upshall
Rory Fitzpatrick
Mike Rathje
Bill also posted some projected lines. Downie will join Hartnell on Briere's line, but I'm not sure that's going to work. Keeping Carter, Umberger and Knuble together is probably a good idea.
Philadelphia Flyers: 30-18-5, 65 points
Steve Valiquette v. Martin Biron (not positive on Biron; it would make sense though)
After two days off after a back to back set against Atlanta and Washington, the Flyers will begin another back to back set with the Rangers today and Penguins tomorrow. The Flyers are looking for retribution today; they want to get back at the Rangers for their humiliating 4-0 defeat recently, and they want to get back on the winning side after an all-around poor game against Washington on Wednesday.
Martin Biron should get his second straight start today. He didn't play well against Washington, but he has a 1.84 GAA in three appearances vs. the Rangers this year. Niittymaki would then likely get the nod tomorrow.
One key for the Flyers this afternoon will be solving Steve Vezinaquette. He earned his first career shutout against them in their last meeting, and they obviously need to score more than 0 goals to get the win today. There's a reason this guy averages one win per NHL season. He's not that good. Stay patient, pepper him with shots and catch some breaks. He's beatable.
Right now, the Atlantic Division is extremely close. The Flyers and Penguins are currently tied at the top with 65 points, but the Flyers have one game in hand. Pittsburgh hosts LA today. The Devils check in at third with 64 points, but they've played one more game than Pittsburgh. The Rangers are back in the mix; they're 5-4-1 in their last 10, and they're only 5 points behind the PA teams. However, with four more games played than the Flyers, they're going to have a lot of ground to make up. The Islanders just seem to be out of it right now.
The Flyers need to try and win both games this weekend. You cannot let the Rangers get two points closer, even if you have four games in hand over them. The Penguins are pretty hot right now, and keep in mind, they still don't have their best player. With the Pens playing back to back this weekend too, you're not losing the game in hand over them, but the win tomorrow is critical to lead the division outright.
Bill Meltzer. Scratches.
Lasse Kukkonen
Scottie Upshall
Rory Fitzpatrick
Mike Rathje
Bill also posted some projected lines. Downie will join Hartnell on Briere's line, but I'm not sure that's going to work. Keeping Carter, Umberger and Knuble together is probably a good idea.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Game 50: Rangers at Flyers
New York Rangers: 24-22-6, 54 points
Philadelphia Flyers: 28-16-5, 61 points
Steve Valiquette v. Antero Niittymaki
After a 3-2 overtime win against the Kings on Tuesday, the Flyers return to action tonight against the rival Rangers. Since a January 10th meeting at Madison Cube Garden in which the Flyers sent many Rangers fans home early with a 6-2 win, the Flyers are 6-1-1 and have risen to the top of the division. The Rangers have been 4-3-1 since that game, and are fighitng hard to get out of the bottom of the Atlantic.
Despite two straight wins from Martin Biron, Antero Niittymaki will get the start tonight. Biron had a good game on Tuesday despite not being tested very much, and he will get Saturday's start against Anaheim. Considering how well he played down the stretch in the first half, getting Niittymaki some work might not be a bad idea, especially considering he stopped 39 of 41 shots against the Rangers in that 6-2 win earlier this month.
The Flyers catch a huge break tonight. Steve Valiquette will be in net for the Rangers. Although it seems like Lundqvist never plays his best hockey against the Flyers, it's never bad to get some shots at the opponent's backup. There's a reason why Lundvqist plays so much, and the Flyers should look to take advantage of the lineup change and put on lots of pressure with lots of shots.
Before the 6-2 win in New York, the Flyers were 0-1-1 in meeting with the Rangers this year. Lundvist shut them out in the first meeting, and the Rangers emerged victorious in a shootout in the second.
Cue Bill Meltzer with the scratches:
Lasse Kukkonen
Joffrey Lupul
Rory Fitzpatrick
After only playing 8 minutes and change against the Kings, Steve Downie is likely to return to the line featuring Scott Hartnell and Mike Richards. Downie committed a couple of giveaways that could've hurt the Flyers, so he had his ice time reduced in the third in favor of Sami Kapanen. He probably wasn't the only player that struggled in returning from the weekend off. At times, the Flyers seemed rusty, and they won't be able to get away with mistakes against the superior Rangers.
Philadelphia Flyers: 28-16-5, 61 points
Steve Valiquette v. Antero Niittymaki
After a 3-2 overtime win against the Kings on Tuesday, the Flyers return to action tonight against the rival Rangers. Since a January 10th meeting at Madison Cube Garden in which the Flyers sent many Rangers fans home early with a 6-2 win, the Flyers are 6-1-1 and have risen to the top of the division. The Rangers have been 4-3-1 since that game, and are fighitng hard to get out of the bottom of the Atlantic.
Despite two straight wins from Martin Biron, Antero Niittymaki will get the start tonight. Biron had a good game on Tuesday despite not being tested very much, and he will get Saturday's start against Anaheim. Considering how well he played down the stretch in the first half, getting Niittymaki some work might not be a bad idea, especially considering he stopped 39 of 41 shots against the Rangers in that 6-2 win earlier this month.
The Flyers catch a huge break tonight. Steve Valiquette will be in net for the Rangers. Although it seems like Lundqvist never plays his best hockey against the Flyers, it's never bad to get some shots at the opponent's backup. There's a reason why Lundvqist plays so much, and the Flyers should look to take advantage of the lineup change and put on lots of pressure with lots of shots.
Before the 6-2 win in New York, the Flyers were 0-1-1 in meeting with the Rangers this year. Lundvist shut them out in the first meeting, and the Rangers emerged victorious in a shootout in the second.
Cue Bill Meltzer with the scratches:
Lasse Kukkonen
Joffrey Lupul
Rory Fitzpatrick
After only playing 8 minutes and change against the Kings, Steve Downie is likely to return to the line featuring Scott Hartnell and Mike Richards. Downie committed a couple of giveaways that could've hurt the Flyers, so he had his ice time reduced in the third in favor of Sami Kapanen. He probably wasn't the only player that struggled in returning from the weekend off. At times, the Flyers seemed rusty, and they won't be able to get away with mistakes against the superior Rangers.
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