UPDATE 10:30 AM EDT

Per Tim Panaccio, Sergei Bobrovsky will be the backup goaltender for the Flyers tonight. I've never seen a series before where it's equally -- or more -- relevant to know who the backup is than the starter. But that's the way this series has gone for Philly.


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PREVIEW 7:30 AM EDT

One team will advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinal and the other will go home after the Flyers play the Sabres in the seventh and deciding game of their first-round playoff series tonight at the Wells Fargo Center. It has been a wild series, with fives games decided by one goal and the other by one goal plus a late empty netter.

There have been two 1-0 games, two overtime games and two games in which Philadelphia waged multi-goal comebacks against Ryan Miller. There have been three games in which three different Flyers goalies have been pulled as a result of poor play and five in which a Flyers goalie (Sergei Bobrovsky in Game 1, Brian Boucher in relief in Games 2 and 6 and Boucher as a starter in Games 3 and 4) played well.

The three constants in the series so far have been that the Flyers' power play has struggled to produce, the Sabres defense has been unable to handle the Flyers' forecheck when the Philly players keep their feet moving and that the only reliable way to beat Miller has been to get traffic around him and avoid blocked shots. Both clubs have scored 16 goals in the series, not counting the Flyers' ENG in Game 3.

The X-factors in the series have been the Sabres' skating and transition games, the Flyers PK and, as so often noted, Philadelphia's goaltending. All three areas have been awful at times and strong at others.

Chris Pronger was clearly at far less than 100 percent in Game 6, and was limited to power play duty (partially at the point and partially as a forward in front of the net). He may play the same role tonight, with Danny Syvret taking some even strength shifts. Jeff Carter (sprained MCL) is out. No official word on the availability of Andreas Nodl (deep cut under his eye).

For Buffalo, Jason Pominville (laceration) and Tim Connolly (suspected concussion) are definitely out. Under Game 7 conditions, Derek Roy is expected to make his first appearance since December.

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