So Boston it is

[raptorlife4]

This should be a hell of a series. Totally expect this to be a very physical series. The team that takes advantage of the PP should have the upper hand. Boston will be driving the net with their big forwards. Im excited about this series. Im just glad the FLyers look like they are getting their act together.

Flyers in 6

 

[KS32790]

I said Tampa earlier today but really like the Boston matchup now. We are deeper offensively then they are. Tim Thomas is playing really good right now and might b able to steal a game or 2. Chara appears to be hurt (anyone see his dive tonight??) which is also nice. If the Flyers can get consistent goaltending and play the way they did in game 6 and 7, they should be fine. I want to pick Flyers in 5 but most likely 6. I also dont look into the 1-3 record vs. Boston either.

 

[Maverick426h]

Amazingly, we'll be playing a team that is in the midst of an even worse slump on the power play than we are...lol I like our chances because we've been so dominant at even strength and if that continues while both power plays struggle, we will take the series.

Also, there's always hope that our power play is finally getting it together with a few goals in the last two games coinciding with the return of Pronger.

The regular season record vs. Boston is completely meaningless at this point. I think that our Flyers have played some pretty decent hockey in the last couple games to say the least. We got 85 shots and were 3 for 9 on the power play. Continue that aggressive offensive pressure and we'll be fine moving forward.

I feel like we've improved more over the last year than Boston has.

 

[Maverick426h]

The additions of Meszaros, Versteeg, Zherdev and O'Donnell coupled with the emergence of a guy like JvR will do us wonders in the series this time around. I don't expect to lose three games again.

 

[WOOTPOKER]

i feel like last years series with the bruins from games 1-3 reminded me of parts of the sabres series from this year from games 1-5.. against boston we dominated most of the play in the first 3 games but just could not get results on the scoresheet. this is much like how we dominated buffalo for most of the first 5 games but they got lots of bounces, fluke goals and soft goals by our goalies and we couldnt beat a great goalie. we are the better team this year..and its really hard to believe how much this team is better on paper. last year our real threats in the boston series were richards, giroux, briere, hartnell, leino, gagne, prongs and timonen. this year, as previously mentioned, we have the emergence of guys like JVR, additions of mez, o'donnell, versteeg. our team has become such a threat, it would really be an epic failure to not win a cup. if this team got to within 2 wins last year, the current team we have now should most definitely be cup or nothing.

 

[Maverick426h]

I feel like Cup or bust is definitely the feeling now more than ever, especially since the previous champion has been eliminated in addition to the Habs who we played in the conference finals last year and a Pittsburgh team that has a lot of playoff experience too.

Also, we are not missing Gagne at all with the play of JvR. He has 4 goals on 43 shots already while Gagne produced 9 goals on 52 shots throughout the entire playoff year last season. Anyone who thinks the Flyers have less depth this time around has to be out of their mind.

We also were without Carter for half of the postseason last year too and it didn't slow us down any. He's obviously a player that hasn't had much playoff success, so there's no need to rush him back, but I still hope he returns at 100% and starts to contribute.

 

[ProppRules]

We actually have an opponent with a worse PP. THey were an 0 fer against the Habs, and they even gave up at least a pair of shorties.

 

[TOX1]

I'm looking forward to seeing a real war. Boston is very balanced and they play a great "team" game, but if.....IF Boucher holds up, our ridiculous overall depth at every position will eventually be the difference maker.


Philadelphia Flyer's in 6.

 

[Maverick426h]

Maybe this is wrong of me, but I feel that when we get to the finals this year, the task of winning four games will be easier this time around than it was last year.

Why? I feel like there isn't a team left out west that is as strong as the Hawks were in the finals last season and our team has improved by leaps and bounds. It has yet to really even show, but it will in this series. We may also have home ice for the finals and the added experience of most all of our players being in the finals just last year when the other teams players have not will pay big dividends.

 

[TOX1]

I'm with you Mav. When the Flyer's play to their potential, there isn't a team in the league that can stop them. We caught a glimpse of that team in game 7 and if that continues and the PP keeps heading in the direction it is.......shit, plan the fucking parade boys! lol

 

[Maverick426h]

I'm with you Mav. When the Flyer's play to their potential, there isn't a team in the league that can stop them. We caught a glimpse of that team in game 7 and if that continues and the PP keeps heading in the direction it is.......shit, plan the fucking parade boys! lol

Right. That was JUST a glimpse. I think that's what people who do not closely follow this team do not realize. We averaged over 41 shots per game in the last three games of that series and without Jeff Carter, who usually leads the team in shots by a mile, sometimes even the league. Those weren't just poor quality shots and they didn't come as a result of a ridiculous amount of power plays. That was even strength domination and I feel it was just the beginning of our team attempting to hit it's stride. Game seven was an absolute clinic. It could've been 4-0 after the first period. It ended up being 4-0 later in the game anyway because our boys just kept coming...lol

Miller was standing on his head and we still scored 13 goals on Buffalo in the last three games. The only reason we gave up as many goals as we did were because of a few very poor starts from our goalies, two of which may never start another game in the playoffs. Boucher is statistically locked in. We will stick to our guns now and that is him. The defense is going to be better in front of him anyway with the return of Pronger.

 

[Maverick426h]

You can't argue with a 2.10 gaa and .934 sv% out of Boucher when for the most part he didn't even have Pronger on the ice in front of him and he was having to come off the bench cold through much of it as well.

That's good enough to put him third in both categories among the top starting goalies who played in round one. Only Roloson and Neuvirth have been better statistically and they'll be facing each other in the second round, so one of them is going bye bye...lol

 

[jerseyjigroe]

All I know is that it's gonna be a battle!!!

 

[Maverick426h]

Obviously there will be the revenge factor for the Bruins. I don't know if that will matter at all in the playoffs where the intensity level is so high all around, but I expect it to get emotional for them and that could be a good thing or a bad thing.

And if we do manage to lose three games in this series, we sure as hell won't have any trouble coming back...lmao

 

[sportfan09]

 

[raptorlife4]

The thing that worries me is Bostons size. Guys like Lucic and Horton could be huge headaches. I see them pounding Pronger at every chance. We have to be physical as well on guys like Recchi,Krejchi(sp) Kelly.

 

[FlyerFinFan]

Caught a break with the series starting on Sat gives Pronger more time to heal....and he'll be fresh very fresh let them try to pound on him. : )

Hopefully Carts does come back he was starting to look a lot looser but if not they still have enough scoring especially if Steeg keeps getting better....they'll have 3 lines rolling. I love it!

 

[SLY]

Gonna be a war.

 

[PhillyBoston781]

I'm with you Mav. When the Flyer's play to their potential, there isn't a team in the league that can stop them. We caught a glimpse of that team in game 7 and if that continues and the PP keeps heading in the direction it is.......shit, plan the fucking parade boys! lol

I hate to be the bed wetter, but I'd be very surprised to see this team win the Cup. They just don't have the goaltending.

At some point, they will run into a team that's playing well enough where the Flyers can't spot them 2-3 games on goaltending (either getting shut out by a goalie standing on his head, which our goalies are literally incapable of doing, or letting in three soft goals in the first ten minutes). Honestly, the Flyers spotted a BAD Buffalo team THREE GAMES on that and swept them the other four.

I don't think it'll be Boston because I don't think the Bruins have a good enough team outside of Thomas. It could definitely be Washington or Vancouver.

 

[Maverick426h]

I hate to be the bed wetter, but I'd be very surprised to see this team win the Cup. They just don't have the goaltending.

At some point, they will run into a team that's playing well enough where the Flyers can't spot them 2-3 games on goaltending (either getting shut out by a goalie standing on his head, which our goalies are literally incapable of doing, or letting in three soft goals in the first ten minutes). Honestly, the Flyers spotted a BAD Buffalo team THREE GAMES on that and swept them the other four.

I don't think it'll be Boston because I don't think the Bruins have a good enough team outside of Thomas. It could definitely be Washington or Vancouver.

That's just it. No other team seriously puts the fear in me right now. Vancouver just barely got by Chicago (a team that is supposedly a shell of it's former self) in a series that went all the way to overtime in game seven, Washington lost game one to Tampa after dismantling a team that just couldn't score any goals and Detroit lost game one as well while getting dominated at times by the Sharks.

If we just manage to beat Boston in 6 or fewer games, I like our chances moving forward.