07-08 Philadelphia Flyers Season Thread

[SD_Eagle5]

habs in 6

Flyers don't match up well with them at all

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

habs in 6

Just remember who called it first, big guy.

[SD_Eagle5]

Re-live the magic

[DH]

EJ Hradek apparantely has no problem hiding his feelings in his ESPN blog...

I don't think I'll ever understand why Alex Ovechkin opted to pass when he had the puck on his stick in the slot in the dying minutes of regulation time with the score tied at 2 during Tuesday's Game 7 between the Caps and Flyers.


I do know I immediately got a sick feeling after the league's shot/goals leader's ill-advised pass sailed past linemate Sergei Fedorov near the left-wing post.

Right then, I knew it wasn't meant to be. Right then, I knew it was too good to be true.


"It" was the idea of a dream playoff matchup between the Capitals and Penguins and Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.


It was just too good to be true.

A few minutes after Ovechkin's move, Flyers forward Joffrey Lupul proved it by turning that dream into a nightmare for people like me who really wanted to see an NHL playoff series get the national attention it certainly deserves. At least Flyers fans can't say the league tried to mess things up for them. Heck, they got a (deserved) power play in overtime. I don't want to hear any more complaining from Philadelphia, OK?

farging dickbag.

[Seabiscuit36]

he's a flag, always has been.  He also has always hated JR, and even though he wrote that, you know it pissed him off

[ice grillin you]

hes a ny guy a huge islander fan and has always hated philly

[BigEd76]

FWIW, Montreal's #1 regular season power play (24%) was only 9% in the Boston series while the Flyers stayed close to their regular one (22%), it took them 7 games to beat a #8 seed that they swept 8-0 in the regular season, and as awesome as he's been, Carey Price is still a rookie and was brutal in games 5 and 6.  You never know...

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

I know.

[Seabiscuit36]

They have balanced scoring on 4 lines, and a great D corp.  Streit is a very good offensive d man.  Komisarek is a beast, dirty, and a guy who i'd love to be a flyer.  Price has as many playoff games under his belt as Biron. 

[ice grillin you]

pretty sure the number of playoffs games biron has been in doesnt change the fact that carey price is 20

[Seabiscuit36]

pretty sure the number of playoffs games biron has been in doesnt change the fact that carey price is Patrick Roy

Hey im all for a monumental meltdown.  I've seen this kid play in the World Jr's and absolutely dominate, same goes for most of this series against boston.  He's going to be a great one day, but i'd love to ruin the quick start. 

[ice grillin you]

this aint the juniors anymore dorothy...im not saying he wont dominate and hes not gonna have a monumental melt down but if he is off for a couple games like last series then the flyers can extend this series.....of course thats if biron doesnt implode himself


espns take...


The Montreal Canadiens go from an emotional Original Six tilt to a series with a longtime playoff foe from yesteryear in the Philadelphia Flyers. The Boston Bruins certainly threw a scare into the Habs, taking them to a Game 7.

The series revealed that rookie Montreal netminder Carey Price is all he's cracked up to be, and that he's human. The series also revealed that while this Habs team is talented, it is extremely young and learning on the go. This time, the Habs once again will be heavy favorites facing another hardscrabble team that has bucked the odds.


Last season, the Flyers finished dead last in the NHL. They then retooled under GM Paul Holmgren, trading for the rights to Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell and signing Daniel Briere as a free agent. A week before the playoffs began, the Flyers were life and death to even qualify for the postseason. But they jumped into the sixth seed and, after blowing a 3-1 series lead, managed to oust the Capitals after a Game 7 overtime winner from Joffrey Lupul, another newcomer to the Philly lineup this season.

FIVE POINTS TO SERIES
 
1. Carey Price, Part II. Price rebounded from two mortal performances in Games 5 and 6 to record his second shutout of the series in the deciding game. Ups and downs are part of the playoffs, and Price seems like the kind of player who easily puts uneven performances behind him. In some ways, he'll be facing his alter ego in Martin Biron. The Flyers netminder is a decade older than the 20-year-old rookie, but, like Price, is emerging from his first playoff series victory.


2. Whither Alexei Kovalev? There was, among some hockey observers, a strong sentiment that Kovalev deserved some consideration for the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player. There's no question the talented Russian winger was instrumental in the Habs' surprising climb to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. He not only produced points (84 to lead the team), but he also helped tutor young Russian stars Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn and Andrei Markov. But Kovalev seemed absent, in spirit if not physically, for stretches during the first round, including a minus-3 effort in Game 6. Coach Guy Carbonneau put Kovalev on a line with captain Saku Koivu and Chris Higgins in Game 7 and that paid dividends as Kovalev chipped in two assists, both at even strength. The Habs will need more of that if they hope to fulfill what fans believe is their destiny of returning to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1993.


3. Are those pylons or defensemen? For much of the Washington/Philadelphia series, forwards seemed to be swirling around defensemen like water around a rock. The Flyers' defensive corps isn't going to get much of a break against Montreal. While the Habs don't have an Alexander Ovechkin or a Mike Green, they do have three dangerous, fast offensive lines that will do their best to take advantage of the Flyers' lack of mobility on the blue line. Expect Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn, who both played most of the time against the Ovechkin line, to try and match up against the Kovalev line.


4. Welcome home, Danny Boy. Daniel Briere has incurred the wrath of Montreal fans ever since he signed with Philadelphia last summer instead of joining the Habs. He'll no doubt get a warm reception from the Bell Centre faithful throughout the series. Not that it'll bother the talented center. Still, with Mike Knuble out indefinitely (hamstring), there is more pressure on Briere not just to produce points, but also to be a leader in the dressing room. He leads all playoff performers with 11 points in the postseason.


5. The buzz factor. These are two cities starved for playoff success. The Flyers advanced to the 2004 Eastern Conference finals, but haven't been to a Stanley Cup final since 1997 and haven't won it all since 1975. Montreal is the last Canadian team to hoist the Cup, but that was back in 1993. They haven't been close to winning another since. Yet, in Montreal and the entire province of Quebec, there is a sense of destiny surrounding this team. Whether that puts too much pressure on the young Canadiens or serves as motivation, time will tell.


KEY MATCH-UP
 
• Montreal power play vs. Philadelphia penalty killers: Although Montreal boasted the top-ranked power-play unit during the regular season, it was impotent against the Bruins (3-for-33). The Habs should enjoy more power-play time given their speed (that's how you draw penalties), but if they can't capitalize, it will give the Flyers life as it did the Bruins.


HOT & NOT
 
• Canadiens: Rookie Sergei Kostitsyn has a share of the team lead with six points, and he's also plus-4. Big winger Guillaume Latendresse has zero points and is a team-worst minus-3.


• Flyers: Vaclav Prospal, picked up at the trade deadline from Tampa to play with Briere, has nine points. Joffrey Lupul's overtime winner in Game 7 was his first of the postseason.


PREDICTION
 
The Flyers have depth up front, but they'll miss Knuble's leadership. Their defense can be exploited by Montreal's speed, and the Habs should have an edge in goaltending. Montreal in five.

[phattymatty]

so because it's the first time in 15 years that they have a really good team, it's destiny for them to win it. 

farg off you cheese eating surrender monkeys.

[Seabiscuit36]

http://www.thehockeynews.com/article...w-Round-2.html

MONTREAL CANADIENS vs. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
Season Series
Montreal – 4-0-0 (15 GF; 6 GA)
Philadelphia – 0-4-0 (6 GF; 15 GA)

Leading Scorers vs. Opponent
Montreal– Alex Kovalev, 6 (2G, 4A); Andrei Markov, 6 (0G, 6A)
Philadelphia – Vaclav Prospal, 6 (4G, 2A); Mike Richards, 3 (2G, 1A); five players with 2

First Round MVP
Montreal – Carey Price. Rebounded from giving up 10 goals over Games 5 and 6 to earn his second shutout of the series in Game 7 versus the Bruins.
Philadelphia – Daniel Briere. Put an average regular season behind him by blowing up with six goals and 11 points in seven games against the Caps. The man who spurned Montreal's free agent offer last summer is about to be peppered with boos.

Special Teams
Montreal had the league's best power play in the regular season, Philadelphia the second best. The Flyers maintained their man-advantage excellence in the opening round, while the Habs went 3-for-32 against Boston. Edge: Philadelphia

Forwards
The Flyers are deep up front and feature a good mix of skill and grit. Losing Mike Knuble to a hamstring injury hurts, but it's nothing Philly can't overcome with Briere, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter doing their thing. Edge: Philadelphia

Defense
There's heavy speculation the Canadiens' top blueliner, Andrei Markov, is hurting. The Flyers will get after him hard and make sure he isn't feeling better anytime soon. Mike Komisarek and Roman Hamrlik have to keep pounding. Edge: Montreal

Goaltending
Carey Price had the better numbers in Round 1, but he wasn't facing Alex Ovechkin bullets. Both goalies have just seven games of playoff experience, but the 30-year-old Martin Biron must have a few more tricks stuffed in those veteran pads. Edge: Philadelphia

Coaching
Neither Guy Carbonneau nor John Stevens is very experienced at the NHL level, but Stevens won an AHL championship with some of the same players he has now. Carbonneau played a winning hunch in uniting Saku Koivu and Alex Kovalev in Game 7. The Habs sophomore bench boss likely has a couple others in his gut. Edge: Montreal

X-Factor
The Canadiens' power play carried them all season, but they still managed to beat the Bruins when it went stone cold in Round 1. Montreal really missed Koivu through its first five games and if he can get the man advantage turned around, the Canadiens could start to chug offensively against a team that won't be as tight as the Bruins.

Prediction
Philly had to be at its best throughout the series to beat the Caps, while the Habs survived a scare. Montreal, playing a team it didn't lose to all year for the second straight round, is just now finding its legs. The betting is the Canadiens will gain some traction after their slip and start to more closely resemble the fast, confident team that scored the most goals in the NHL during the regular season. Montreal in seven

[SunMo]