Going to be interesting. We are due to come into a series after a battle and have the team we are playing, which cruised through the previous round, be fodder. It’s always the other way around.

I’m hoping guys feel less pressure and supremely more confident knowing Price and Weber aren’t back there.

They got their cup that goes a long way, but yeah losing the coach after a Championship is pretty much unprecedented.
- PLindbergh31

Yeah. I get it. You won but don’t cheap out on the guy who was clearly integral in you getting it. They org has egg on its face. I mean what top coach wants to go there now? You make it work for at least a year or two. If no success, then move on

Going to be interesting. We are due to come into a series after a battle and have the team we are playing, which cruised through the previous round, be fodder. It’s always the other way around.

I’m hoping guys feel less pressure and supremely more confident knowing Price and Weber aren’t back there.
- Flyers1218

I think people underestimate how good this two were and their impact.

Then, you bring in 37 Ilya (frank)ing Kovalchuk.
- PT21

Omfg. Yes. What a gong show. Now Holtby will walk. I think the window for them and Pitt has closed. If I’m pitt, I shop Malkin to get some good young talent and picks or it could be all she wrote for sid.

Yeah. I get it. You won but don’t cheap out on the guy who was clearly integral in you getting it. They org has egg on its face. I mean what top coach wants to go there now? You make it work for at least a year or two. If no success, then move on
- Hextall271

Well they have talent, and Leonsis is a very rich man. The check has enough zeroes on it and they can get any available coach.

I think people underestimate how good this two were and their impact.
- Hextall271

I’m actually more confident going into this series then I was Montreal. They made me worried. Plus the Flyers has just garnered the #1 seed, so the pressure was immense. Also, Montreal was playing “playoff hockey” while the Flyers were coming out of the Round Robin. Factor in Price was scorching and so many of our guys had never played in a playoff series before, it felt like a bad mix.

The Isles are good don’t get me wrong, but I feel like the Flyers are going to play their game more and overwhelm them. We will see after the first 10 minutes of the game and I’ll be totally wrong lol.

I think people underestimate how good this two were and their impact.
- Hextall271

I think they do too. Weber completely nullified Couts. How many times did we see him lose a board battle, or be unable to finish in the blue with the jaws of the Weber Python all around him?

Flyers in 7
- SuperSchennBros

I second that emotion. It won't be easy in any way, but I believe the Flyers will prevail.
Let's Go Flyers!!

Habs and a couple other playoff teams have a couple of nifty deflection plays. I believe Boston is also one of those teams. Now that’s something I wish the Flyers would add to their Repertoire.
- SuperSchennBros

Charlie Coyle's deflection goal last night was pretty nasty.

I’m picking Flyers in 6. I’d be fine with Flyers in 5, Flyers in 4 and really reluctantly, Flyers in 7, but that’s it for my options, not taking anything else.

Let’s go Flyers!

Can you point out which part was political?
- PT21

Could you just (frank)ing stop. Take to pm if you find ANYONE interested. Please (frank)ing stop. Day after day of endless BS and drivel. IT'S A HOCKEY BOARD DURING THE PLAYOFFS!!!!!

So, what the Flyers strategy for containing Barzal? They don't have Weber or Price. But Habs don't have anyone like Barzal.

Does Couturier match up against Barzal or Nelson? Couturier against Barzal may not go to the advantage of Couturier. Usually, the Center he goes up against is a bigger guy. Barzal is shifty.

That could be the single most important matchup: Barzal versus the Flyers.

So, what the Flyers strategy for containing Barzal? They don't have Weber or Price. But Habs don't have anyone like Barzal.

Does Couturier match up against Barzal or Nelson? Couturier against Barzal may not go to the advantage of Couturier. Usually, the Center he goes up against is a bigger guy. Barzal is shifty.

That could be the single most important matchup: Barzal versus the Flyers.
- PT21

the butt end of a stick

So, what the Flyers strategy for containing Barzal? They don't have Weber or Price. But Habs don't have anyone like Barzal.

Does Couturier match up against Barzal or Nelson? Couturier against Barzal may not go to the advantage of Couturier. Usually, the Center he goes up against is a bigger guy. Barzal is shifty.

That could be the single most important matchup: Barzal versus the Flyers.
- PT21

Like Couturier or Giroux vs. Barzal. Not sure if Giroux is staying at center.

Like Couturier or Giroux vs. Barzal. Not sure if Giroux is staying at center.
- NC Flyers Fan

I doubt it, really.

Does Raffl stay on 1LW or does Giroux replace him there?

(I hope he stays).

So, what the Flyers strategy for containing Barzal? They don't have Weber or Price. But Habs don't have anyone like Barzal.

Does Couturier match up against Barzal or Nelson? Couturier against Barzal may not go to the advantage of Couturier. Usually, the Center he goes up against is a bigger guy. Barzal is shifty.

That could be the single most important matchup: Barzal versus the Flyers.
- PT21

I’m not at all underestimating Barzel but I don’t wanna overrate him as if he’s McDavid or Matthews. Probably the second coming of Giroux. Barzel is under a point per game in the regular season and the playoffs. He can be shutdown. The Flyers need to worry about that entire offensive group.

So, what the Flyers strategy for containing Barzal? They don't have Weber or Price. But Habs don't have anyone like Barzal.

Does Couturier match up against Barzal or Nelson? Couturier against Barzal may not go to the advantage of Couturier. Usually, the Center he goes up against is a bigger guy. Barzal is shifty.

That could be the single most important matchup: Barzal versus the Flyers.
- PT21

Provy will do just fine.

I doubt it, really.

Does Raffl stay on 1LW or does Giroux replace him there?

(I hope he stays).
- PT21

It’s also possible they test them both out a bit. I guess we see tonight. Reports of NAK maybe returning also.

Provy will do just fine.
- Deasr1

You know who is clueless? Caps management. Guy wins t he cup, you don’t want to pay him, let him walk and now you suck. He even goes to a team in your div who beats you senseless. I’d be livid as a fan.
- Hextall271

Well said. Caps current problems are the same as the ones they were having Pre Trotz. They’re like the big strong muscle guy with all the talent and athleticism in the world but no brains.

big ol post
- PT21

Yup, you're absolutely right. Hoping for a magic bullet is a fool's errand. The world has changed for good because of this and so have every one of our lives. Some people are unable/unwilling to grasp that unfortunately.

Freaking bats, man

Anyway, hope these guys don't get smoked too bad this series. Here we go

By the way, browsing (aka wasting time) through the playoff stats, another unusual piece of info caught my eye.

Guess who is quite pedestrian on the pp at 15.8% on the pp? Not quite as bad at 7%, of course, but still very average.

And guess who is 4rth from last among all playoff teams and by far the worst among the remaining teams on the pk?

It's the Islanders.

They were not good in the regular season either in both of those.

We need to win those special teams battles and should win them if our pp recovers to a semblance of what it was.

You know who is clueless? Caps management. Guy wins t he cup, you don’t want to pay him, let him walk and now you suck. He even goes to a team in your div who beats you senseless. I’d be livid as a fan.
- Hextall271

It was more like Caps gambled by not paying him and taking a wait + see approach, then he goes and wins a Stanley Cup, and then Caps were like "ok, we'll pay you" and he's like "Nah man, good luck." Up until that point you couldn't argue with their logic. Before they won he was the Andy Reid of hockey. Good teams, high expectations, no championships. If that season turned out like all of his other seasons then they'd be geniuses to let him walk without paying him. But that's life, I guess. They're the goat now (not the good kind of GOAT).

Yup, you're absolutely right. Hoping for a magic bullet is a fool's errand. The world has changed for good because of this and so have every one of our lives. Some people are unable/unwilling to grasp that unfortunately.

Freaking bats, man

Anyway, hope these guys don't get smoked too bad this series. Here we go
- Giroux_Is_God

We cannot let our own lives be held hostage to the shouting thick-headed fools.

I have no problem whatsoever asserting that case logically, and with a smile.

And they are not getting smoked. You are far too young to be so pessimistic.

Stay safe, bud.

By the way, browsing (aka wasting time) through the playoff stats, another unusual piece of info caught my eye.

Guess who is quite pedestrian on the pp at 15.8% on the pp? Not quite as bad at 7%, of course, but still very average.

And guess who is 4rth from last among all playoff teams and by far the worst among the remaining teams on the pk?

It's the Islanders.

They were not good in the regular season either in both of those.

We need to win those special teams battles and should win them if our pp recovers to a semblance of what it was.
- PT21

The power play HAS GOT to start going if they want to go any deeper, regardless of the opponent. Hopefully they can come in a bit more relaxed in this series knowing they got the first round monkey off their back finally.