Greg Wyshynski - The Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers have played six games, each winning three, in their Stanley Cup Playoff quarterfinals.
So why does Tuesday night's Game 7 feel like an entirely different series?
Another goalie change for the Flyers. Questions about Chris Pronger's(notes) role. Tim Connolly(notes) out for the Sabres, along with other lineup uncertainty. Mike Richards(notes) and Ryan Miller(notes) trying to see which one can make the most hyperbolic comparison to murder in condemning dangerous plays.
No matter what the vibe is, there are a few basic factors that will determine who advances and who goes home. And here they are:
Brian Boucher(notes)
Just like it has for the last 14 years, it begins with the goaltending for the Philadelphia Flyers. Because in those 14 years, according to Chuck Gormley, they've used 17 goalies.
Boucher is one of three they've used in this series, and Peter Laviolette broke his tradition by naming him the starter well before Game 7. No surprises, no mysteries; Boucher's their guy. Said Boucher to CSN Philly:
"Personally, I feel like I've had a solid series aside from three minutes. So I feel good about my game, and I give a lot of credit to my teammates. They've battled really hard in front of me, and they've really given me a chance to get back in there with the way they played [Sunday] night down 3-1."
That last time he played at home, Boucher gave up three goals on 11 shots in 15:36 of the first period. The good news is that the Flyers rallied in Game 5 to send the game into overtime, much like they did in Game 6 when Michael Leighton(notes) imploded in the first period — only that time, they won.
So they Flyers have shown resiliency when the goaltending has failed them, but that's playing with fire in a Game 7. They need Boucher to be the steady veteran tonight, not the liability he was in Game 5.
And if he falters ... would you believe that it's Sergei Bobrovsky time again? The circle would be complete.
The Sabres Defense
Ryan Miller pitched two shutouts in this series, facing an average of 33.5 shots in them. In his other four appearances, that average is 36.75, including 49 shots in Game 6's overtime affair.
To the surprise of no one, Miller would like to see them tighten up the defense a bit, via the Buffalo News:
"The times we've beaten the Flyers, we've done a really good job of sticking to one plan all night," said Miller, who faced 49 shots in Game Six. "We can do a little bit better job frustrating them. They're a team that relies on turnovers and getting up ice, and I think if we just keep two, three guys together getting back at all times with good back pressure, it's going to definitely be a frustrating style. It's something I don't think the Flyers have reacted too well to, even in the regular season.
"They were pretty patient early, but I think sometimes they expect to be on offense and they really cheat and push for it. You have to try and make them do that. ... We have to try and use their strengths as weaknesses, and we have to be the organized team and the team that's willing to play the chess match."
Which is tough, when the Flyers want to play checkers.
Which Gamers Will Decide Game 7?
Danny Briere(notes) has five goals in this series. So does Thomas Vanek(notes).
Nathan Gerbe(notes) and Tyler Ennis(notes) have two goals each. James van Riemsdyk(notes) has three, while Ville Leino(notes) has two, including the Game 6 winner.
As much as Game 7 is about which team executes its brand of hockey better, it's also about which players make a difference.
If he plays, does Derek Roy(notes) make a difference, or is he emotional window dressing like Pronger in Game 6? Does Mike Richards tally his first playoff goal of 2011, in the series's most important game?
One got the sense at the end of Game 6 that the Sabres would regret not having closed this thing out. The goaltending might be the great equalizer, but they're in a hell of a spot tonight in front of the orange-clad faithful.
Showing posts with label NHL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NHL. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Sabres Should Have Advantage Over Flyers
Chris Pawling - Can someone please tell me how the No. 2 seed Philadelphia Flyers are trailing the seventh-seeded Buffalo Sabres, 3-2, in the NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals?Sure, the Flyers ended the regular season 8-8-7 in their final 23 games. Sure, the Sabres were one of the hottest teams in the league heading into the postseason, finishing the year 28-11-6 in their final 45 games.
But the fact of the matter is, Ryan Miller is becoming the savior for this Buffalo team that's allowed the Flyers into his crease time and time again and made save after save, not to mention post two 1-0 shutouts in Games 1 and 4.
"Ryan was good once again," the Flyers Danny Briere said after Friday's 4-3 overtime loss. "He made the difference tonight with the amount of chances we had. Late on the power play he made a good save on (James van Riemsdyk). That's what you're looking for in a goalie.
"I thought Leighton was great (after coming in for Brian Boucher, who allowed three first-period goals). He made a couple key saves before they scored. For us, we keep playing the same way, as I said. Obviously it's a tough loss, but the worst thing we can do is hang our heads right now. Look up, keep playing hard, and I still believe good things can happen."
The Flyers have outshot the Sabres 165-151 for the series. Leaving out the Flyers' 5-4 win in Game 3 in which the Sabres outshot the Flyers 37-25, Philadelphia holds a 140-114 edge.
"I said it earlier that every game has been a one-goal game," Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff said when asked who he thinks has the edge in today's Game 6. "They are a quick attack team and can take the momentum away from us for ten minutes and all of a sudden we can get them on their heels and get some momentum back. We know that they have some dangerous offensive players and if we make a mistake that they are able to capitalize.
"Who has the momentum? I like the fact that we get to come back and play in our building, but there is some pressure playing at home too."
One big issue for the Flyers has been and could continue to be special teams. The Flyers are a lowly 2-for-26 (7.7 percent) on the power play. Late in Friday's game, Jordan Leopold was sent to the box on a holding call and the Flyers spent all most all of the rest of regulation with a man advantage and failed to capitalize.
"It gave us some confidence," Miller said. "I think that anytime that you have to kill something that late in a game, especially given the score. We were getting our bodies in lanes. We were working, we were pushing. I think we can feel good about that kind of stuff. I think it did really help to get to the locker room after establishing something more positive."
"We can't just rely on our power play, but at the same time, they can be game-changers," defenseman Matt Carle told reporters at Saturday's practice. "Last night we had the opportunity there in the last two minutes to capitalize on that and we didn't. Now here we are down 3-2.
The bottom line here is that the Flyers are, in fact, the better team in this series. But to prove that, they'll need to break Miller's barriers and capitalize on every opportunity they can muster.
"I have a tremendous amount of confidence in the group in that room," Laviolette said. "At no point did I think we were going to lose the game (Friday). Yet, we did. We are going back to Buffalo and we needed to win this next game anyway so nothing changes for us. We have to go Buffalo and win, period."
NOTE: Buffalo's Jason Pominville, who has a goal and three assists in the series' first five games, is listed as day-to-day with an lower-body injury and won't play today. Ruff said it doesn't look good for Pominville for the rest of the series, either.
But the fact of the matter is, Ryan Miller is becoming the savior for this Buffalo team that's allowed the Flyers into his crease time and time again and made save after save, not to mention post two 1-0 shutouts in Games 1 and 4.
"Ryan was good once again," the Flyers Danny Briere said after Friday's 4-3 overtime loss. "He made the difference tonight with the amount of chances we had. Late on the power play he made a good save on (James van Riemsdyk). That's what you're looking for in a goalie.
"I thought Leighton was great (after coming in for Brian Boucher, who allowed three first-period goals). He made a couple key saves before they scored. For us, we keep playing the same way, as I said. Obviously it's a tough loss, but the worst thing we can do is hang our heads right now. Look up, keep playing hard, and I still believe good things can happen."
The Flyers have outshot the Sabres 165-151 for the series. Leaving out the Flyers' 5-4 win in Game 3 in which the Sabres outshot the Flyers 37-25, Philadelphia holds a 140-114 edge.
"I said it earlier that every game has been a one-goal game," Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff said when asked who he thinks has the edge in today's Game 6. "They are a quick attack team and can take the momentum away from us for ten minutes and all of a sudden we can get them on their heels and get some momentum back. We know that they have some dangerous offensive players and if we make a mistake that they are able to capitalize.
"Who has the momentum? I like the fact that we get to come back and play in our building, but there is some pressure playing at home too."
One big issue for the Flyers has been and could continue to be special teams. The Flyers are a lowly 2-for-26 (7.7 percent) on the power play. Late in Friday's game, Jordan Leopold was sent to the box on a holding call and the Flyers spent all most all of the rest of regulation with a man advantage and failed to capitalize.
"It gave us some confidence," Miller said. "I think that anytime that you have to kill something that late in a game, especially given the score. We were getting our bodies in lanes. We were working, we were pushing. I think we can feel good about that kind of stuff. I think it did really help to get to the locker room after establishing something more positive."
"We can't just rely on our power play, but at the same time, they can be game-changers," defenseman Matt Carle told reporters at Saturday's practice. "Last night we had the opportunity there in the last two minutes to capitalize on that and we didn't. Now here we are down 3-2.
The bottom line here is that the Flyers are, in fact, the better team in this series. But to prove that, they'll need to break Miller's barriers and capitalize on every opportunity they can muster.
"I have a tremendous amount of confidence in the group in that room," Laviolette said. "At no point did I think we were going to lose the game (Friday). Yet, we did. We are going back to Buffalo and we needed to win this next game anyway so nothing changes for us. We have to go Buffalo and win, period."
NOTE: Buffalo's Jason Pominville, who has a goal and three assists in the series' first five games, is listed as day-to-day with an lower-body injury and won't play today. Ruff said it doesn't look good for Pominville for the rest of the series, either.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Buffalo Sabres Ryan Miller Shut Out Flyers 1-0 To Even Series 2-2
Travis Hughes - Ryan Miller was fantastic yet again for the Buffalo Sabres as they held off the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4 of their first round NHL playoff series, 1-0, to even the series as we head back to Philly for Game 5.
Jason Pominville scored the lone goal of the game on a tap-in right along the goal line about midway through the first period. At that point, the Sabres were all over the Flyers, as they came out flying right from the opening puck drop. As it turned out, that was the deciding factor in the game, as Miller and the Sabres defense just proved too difficult to crack.
In that sense, Game 4 felt a whole lot like Game 1, where the Sabres also won 1-0. The Sabres clogged the crease, limited those cross-ice passes the Flyers like to use to get Miller moving, and just generally weathered a strong, fierce Philadelphia storm that lasted for much of the latter half of the game.
Perhaps the biggest save of the game came on Danny Briere in the third period, when Miller was face-to-face with his old teammate in a one-on-one battle. Briere tried to open him up with some stick moves, but ultimately Miller got his glove on the puck as Briere went to lift it over him.
It's a series again, and now we're locked in a best-of-three beginning on Friday night in Philadelphia. If Miller can play like he did in Game 4, it could be another frustrating night for the Flyers.
Jason Pominville scored the lone goal of the game on a tap-in right along the goal line about midway through the first period. At that point, the Sabres were all over the Flyers, as they came out flying right from the opening puck drop. As it turned out, that was the deciding factor in the game, as Miller and the Sabres defense just proved too difficult to crack.
In that sense, Game 4 felt a whole lot like Game 1, where the Sabres also won 1-0. The Sabres clogged the crease, limited those cross-ice passes the Flyers like to use to get Miller moving, and just generally weathered a strong, fierce Philadelphia storm that lasted for much of the latter half of the game.
Perhaps the biggest save of the game came on Danny Briere in the third period, when Miller was face-to-face with his old teammate in a one-on-one battle. Briere tried to open him up with some stick moves, but ultimately Miller got his glove on the puck as Briere went to lift it over him.
It's a series again, and now we're locked in a best-of-three beginning on Friday night in Philadelphia. If Miller can play like he did in Game 4, it could be another frustrating night for the Flyers.
2011 NHL Playoffs: Sabres vs Flyers Game 4 Preview
Mark - Needing a boost heading to Buffalo for game number three, Philadelphia got just what the doctor ordered when they skated away with a 4-2 victory and a 2-1 series lead. In the process the Flyers regained the home ice advantage and perhaps some much needed momentum with consecutive victories after the Sabres won the series opener. The offense received goals from four different players for another strong performance following a five goal explosion in game two. However, the biggest boost came from Brian Boucher who recorded 35 saves after getting the nod over Sergei Bobrovsky. He relieved Bobrovsky in the first period of game two while posting 20 saves to give Philly a much needed win.
Buffalo got goals from Nathan Gerbe and Drew Stafford while Ryan Miller gave up three goals on 25 shots. Jeff Carter gave the visitors a 1-0 at 4:42 of the first when his shot from the right circle eluded Miller. Drew Stafford tied on a power play chance at 11:55 of the opening period and this seemed destined for another shootout. Scot Hartnell took advantage of a Buffalo turnover and slid a pass to Briere whose shot found pay dirt just 2:44 in to the second. Philadelphia led 3-1 when Mike Richards found an open Nikolay Zherdev on the right side of the net for an easy tip in with over three minutes left in regulation.
Buffalo made things interesting when Gerbe pounced on a long rebound that he deposited behind Boucher with just 1:48 left in the middle period but Boucher stoned the Sabres after that with 13 saves to finish out the game. Kimmo Timonen finally put this in the win column with an empty net tally at 19:42 setting up a must win for Buffalo. Both teams have had obvious problems after three games and from a Buffalo standpoint much of it revolves around the play of Ryan Miller who was unbeatable in the Sabres 1-0 win in the opener but has allowed eight goals on 59 shots in both defeats.
Buffalo turnovers led to two Philadelphia scores in game three which seemed to come after their own goals and killed momentum. The Flyers have a few issues of their own and the goalie situation is a good place to start. Boucher took over for Bobrovsky and will likely be the number one for the remainder of this series while Bobrovsky’s immediate future is clouded with the recall of Michael Leighton as backup. Philadelphia has got to get the power play untracked also as it was only 1 of 15 in two home games before Carter’s first period strike. The Flyers need this as much as Buffalo and seem to be have a little bounce in their step and I think three consecutive wins is in their future.
Buffalo got goals from Nathan Gerbe and Drew Stafford while Ryan Miller gave up three goals on 25 shots. Jeff Carter gave the visitors a 1-0 at 4:42 of the first when his shot from the right circle eluded Miller. Drew Stafford tied on a power play chance at 11:55 of the opening period and this seemed destined for another shootout. Scot Hartnell took advantage of a Buffalo turnover and slid a pass to Briere whose shot found pay dirt just 2:44 in to the second. Philadelphia led 3-1 when Mike Richards found an open Nikolay Zherdev on the right side of the net for an easy tip in with over three minutes left in regulation.
Buffalo made things interesting when Gerbe pounced on a long rebound that he deposited behind Boucher with just 1:48 left in the middle period but Boucher stoned the Sabres after that with 13 saves to finish out the game. Kimmo Timonen finally put this in the win column with an empty net tally at 19:42 setting up a must win for Buffalo. Both teams have had obvious problems after three games and from a Buffalo standpoint much of it revolves around the play of Ryan Miller who was unbeatable in the Sabres 1-0 win in the opener but has allowed eight goals on 59 shots in both defeats.
Buffalo turnovers led to two Philadelphia scores in game three which seemed to come after their own goals and killed momentum. The Flyers have a few issues of their own and the goalie situation is a good place to start. Boucher took over for Bobrovsky and will likely be the number one for the remainder of this series while Bobrovsky’s immediate future is clouded with the recall of Michael Leighton as backup. Philadelphia has got to get the power play untracked also as it was only 1 of 15 in two home games before Carter’s first period strike. The Flyers need this as much as Buffalo and seem to be have a little bounce in their step and I think three consecutive wins is in their future.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
2011 NHL Playoffs: Philly Flyers Brian Boucher Slam Door On Sabres 4-2
How it happened: Nik Zherdev pushed a well-placed, cross-slot pass from Mike Richards past Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller at 16:44 of the second period to put the Flyers ahead 3-1. It came after the Flyers survived a lopsided first period onslaught and before they survived a third period in which the Sabres had a five-on-three power play.
Heroes: Brian Boucher's play in the last 10 minutes of the first period saved the Flyers from what might have become an imposing Sabres lead. Released from the press box, Zherdev scored the third goal. Defenseman Kimmo Timonen was great, as usual.
Goat: Buffalo defenseman Chris Butler whiffed on a clearing attempt. Scott Hartnell hustled to the puck and fed Danny Briere for the go-ahead, second-period goal.
Did you know? Buffalo's 16 shots in the first period were its most in a period of the series so far. The Flyers had 16 shots in the second period of Game 1.
Hit parade: Once again the Sabres were the more physical team. Especially given their status as one of the league's most penalized teams, the Flyers have done an amazing job taking extra shots without retaliating. Briere was choked after a whistle and Hartnell took a punch to the neck without retaliating.
Living on the edge: Whether he was taking penalties, drawing penalties, knocking his own net off its moorings or picking up loose pucks to create goals, Hartnell was a force.
History lesson: The Sabres had won five straight home playoff games against the Flyers before last night, outscoring them 26-7. The Sabres are now 9-9 all-time in Game 3s.
Heroes: Brian Boucher's play in the last 10 minutes of the first period saved the Flyers from what might have become an imposing Sabres lead. Released from the press box, Zherdev scored the third goal. Defenseman Kimmo Timonen was great, as usual.
Goat: Buffalo defenseman Chris Butler whiffed on a clearing attempt. Scott Hartnell hustled to the puck and fed Danny Briere for the go-ahead, second-period goal.
Did you know? Buffalo's 16 shots in the first period were its most in a period of the series so far. The Flyers had 16 shots in the second period of Game 1.
Hit parade: Once again the Sabres were the more physical team. Especially given their status as one of the league's most penalized teams, the Flyers have done an amazing job taking extra shots without retaliating. Briere was choked after a whistle and Hartnell took a punch to the neck without retaliating.
Living on the edge: Whether he was taking penalties, drawing penalties, knocking his own net off its moorings or picking up loose pucks to create goals, Hartnell was a force.
History lesson: The Sabres had won five straight home playoff games against the Flyers before last night, outscoring them 26-7. The Sabres are now 9-9 all-time in Game 3s.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
2011 NHL Playoffs: Flyers Survive Sabres 5-4
AP - Ville Leino and Danny Briere scored clutch goals, goaltender Brian Boucher delivered again in the postseason, and the Flyers outlasted the Buffalo Sabres, 5-4, yesterday at Philadelphia to even their first-round series at a game apiece.
Boucher, who relieved Sergei Bobrovsky after the rookie allowed three goals on seven shots, stopped 17 straight shots into the third period.
Thomas Vanek scored two power-play goals for the Sabres.
The teams combined for six goals, almost 30 penalty minutes, and three goalies in the first period.
The Flyers’ frustration from Game 1’s punchless offense was taken out with punches almost from the opening faceoff. Paul Gaustad cross-checked Briere on a faceoff, and Scott Hartnell backed Briere by triggering a quick fight with Gaustad. It wasn’t much of a bout. Gaustad yanked Hartnell’s sweater over his face and unloaded his fists on his face.
The Philadelphia crowd, which had nothing to cheer about in Game 1, went wild.
At that point, it was already 1-1. Claude Giroux needed only four minutes to put the Flyers in front, but Vanek tied it just 2:43 later.
Kings 4, Sharks 0 — Drew Doughty had two goals and two assists, Jonathan Quick made 34 saves and visiting Los Angeles evened its first-round series at one game apiece.
Jack Johnson and Kyle Clifford also scored for the Kings, who bounced back from an overtime loss in Game 1 to seize home-ice advantage heading back to Los Angeles for Game 3 Tuesday night.
The Sharks took too many undisciplined penalties and were unable to generate many good offensive chances against Quick. Antti Niemi allowed the four goals on 23 shots to lose for the first time in four postseason starts at the Shark Tank.
Johnson and Doughty each scored power-play goals in the first period and the Kings took control when Doughty blasted a forehand from just inside the blue line through a screen and past Niemi to make it 3-0 with 4:18 left in the second period.
Red Wings 4, Coyotes 3 — Pavel Datsyuk scored a goal and added two assists in the first period — including a marvelous move to set up Darren Helm — and the Red Wings held on at Detroit to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.
Detroit led, 2-0, when Datsyuk poked the puck past a Phoenix player in the neutral zone and skated in on goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. He pulled the puck back between his legs before flipping a shot from close range that was saved. Helm was there for an easy goal on the rebound.
Datsyuk added another assist early in the second period for his first career 4-point game in the playoffs.
Boucher, who relieved Sergei Bobrovsky after the rookie allowed three goals on seven shots, stopped 17 straight shots into the third period.
Thomas Vanek scored two power-play goals for the Sabres.
The teams combined for six goals, almost 30 penalty minutes, and three goalies in the first period.
The Flyers’ frustration from Game 1’s punchless offense was taken out with punches almost from the opening faceoff. Paul Gaustad cross-checked Briere on a faceoff, and Scott Hartnell backed Briere by triggering a quick fight with Gaustad. It wasn’t much of a bout. Gaustad yanked Hartnell’s sweater over his face and unloaded his fists on his face.
The Philadelphia crowd, which had nothing to cheer about in Game 1, went wild.
At that point, it was already 1-1. Claude Giroux needed only four minutes to put the Flyers in front, but Vanek tied it just 2:43 later.
Kings 4, Sharks 0 — Drew Doughty had two goals and two assists, Jonathan Quick made 34 saves and visiting Los Angeles evened its first-round series at one game apiece.
Jack Johnson and Kyle Clifford also scored for the Kings, who bounced back from an overtime loss in Game 1 to seize home-ice advantage heading back to Los Angeles for Game 3 Tuesday night.
The Sharks took too many undisciplined penalties and were unable to generate many good offensive chances against Quick. Antti Niemi allowed the four goals on 23 shots to lose for the first time in four postseason starts at the Shark Tank.
Johnson and Doughty each scored power-play goals in the first period and the Kings took control when Doughty blasted a forehand from just inside the blue line through a screen and past Niemi to make it 3-0 with 4:18 left in the second period.
Red Wings 4, Coyotes 3 — Pavel Datsyuk scored a goal and added two assists in the first period — including a marvelous move to set up Darren Helm — and the Red Wings held on at Detroit to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.
Detroit led, 2-0, when Datsyuk poked the puck past a Phoenix player in the neutral zone and skated in on goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. He pulled the puck back between his legs before flipping a shot from close range that was saved. Helm was there for an easy goal on the rebound.
Datsyuk added another assist early in the second period for his first career 4-point game in the playoffs.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
NHL 2011 Playoffs, Sabres vs. Flyers Game 2 Preview
Frank Servalli - CLAUDE GIROUX said this feeling, the one the Flyers have heading into tonight's Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against Buffalo, reminds him of that epic series against Boston last season.
No, the Flyers aren't thinking they are going to need to duplicate one of the greatest comebacks in the history of professional sports.
And, no, the Sabres are not nearly as talented as last year's Bruins.
But the overwhelming reaction, the one inside the Flyers' locker room, is that they wholeheartedly believe that they outplayed Buffalo on Thursday night, despite coming out on the wrong side of an underwhelming 1-0 shutout loss.
It was the Flyers' first shutout loss in the playoffs since May 18, 2008, against Pittsburgh.
That's why another Flyer compared Game 2, which begins at 5 o'clock today at the Wells Fargo Center, to a roulette wheel at your favorite casino. Even after landing on red eight spins in a row, each individual roll is an independent attempt with the same odds as any other - despite what the electronic board next to it, or the scoreboard in the series, says.
"It's a totally new game," Kimmo Timonen said. "It doesn't matter if you lost or won Game 1."
That's why the Flyers have no plans on changing their strategy for tonight's grudge match, as they hope to take a series split to Buffalo for Game 3 on Monday night.
"I think we'll just stick with our game plan, what we've done the entire year," coach Peter Laviolette said. "We've scored a lot of goals this year, so I think there is a lot of confidence in that. We were one of the top scoring teams in the league."
Still, as Laviolette said on Thursday night: "This is a new team and a new year."
This isn't the same team that trumped Boston. And the Flyers seem to recognize that, and the fact that they have coughed up the home-ice advantage in this series already.
"We know we can win on the road," said Danny Briere, whose team set a franchise record for road wins in a season this year. "But yet, [tonight's] game is a big one. We definitely don't want to be in the hole two-zip."
Laviolette and the rest of the Flyers seemed to be happy with the intensity and energy levels. And that's fine. But there is no guarantee, even if they play well again tonight and fall, that they have the magic to do what they did last year. The Flyers know they are flirting with fire.
"I don't think it's the game that we have a problem with," Laviolette said. "It's the score. That's the issue. We're on limited time here in the playoffs. And if you don't make your mark, you don't get to go on."
Pronger update
The news continues to be less encouraging for Chris Pronger, who, once again, skated separately from his teammates early yesterday morning in an attempt to prepare himself for the Flyers' first-round matchup with Buffalo.
Pronger, who was not available to the media, focused mainly on skating and only briefly handled the puck.
Officially, the Flyers continue to list Pronger as day-to-day and a "game-day decision," with his right hand injury, though team sources say Pronger will not play tonight against Buffalo in Game 2. He remains unlikely to even be available for Game 3 in Buffalo on Monday.
Lineup change?
Nik Zherdev last played in a Stanley Cup playoff game back on April 28, 2009. He has had almost 2 full years to think about how his Rangers coughed up a 3-1 series lead to Washington - and how he didn't net a single point in the seven-game series.
Zherdev might finally get a chance to right one of those wrongs tonight in Game 2 against Buffalo. He flip-flopped lines in yesterday's practice, skating more with Kris Versteeg and Mike Richards.
Zherdev, who had 16 regular-season goals, was a healthy scratch for the 25th time this season, on Thursday. He was the key cog in the Flyers' 2-for-6 power-play success in Ottawa on April 5. Dan Carcillo is a prime candidate to come out of the lineup, having played a team-low 6 minutes, 26 seconds in a limited role in Game 1. Andreas Nodl was more noticeable with six hits in 11:07 of ice time.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff has been around the game long enough to know the difference between a win well-earned and a win stolen - not that it much matters in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Ruff probably believes his team's Game 1 win was somewhere in the middle.
At the same time, he knows that posting just 25 shots again, without dominating the play in Game 2, will make it tougher on his team to leave with a sweep in South Philadelphia.
"We know we can be better," Ruff said yesterday. "We played a strong game. But we can play a better game. We didn't spend the time in the offensive zone we wanted. I think we really have to get after it in Game 2. I thought that hurt us."
Sabres forward Nathan Gerbe, who set up the game's only goal, said they need to do a better job of taking pressure off Ryan Miller.
"I just think everyone needs to come together," Gerbe said. "We're not going to put it on one person. Each game is going to get harder and everyone has to rise up."
Slap shots
Peter Laviolette said he thought rookie netminder Sergei Bobrovsky was "fine" in Game 1, stopping 24 of 25 shots . . . Interesting to note that backup goalie Brian Boucher is 4-1 in playoff games against Buffalo with a 1.94 goals-against average . . . The Flyers are 35-29 in Game 2s and are 18-16 all-time in Game 2 following a Game 1 loss.
No, the Flyers aren't thinking they are going to need to duplicate one of the greatest comebacks in the history of professional sports.
And, no, the Sabres are not nearly as talented as last year's Bruins.
But the overwhelming reaction, the one inside the Flyers' locker room, is that they wholeheartedly believe that they outplayed Buffalo on Thursday night, despite coming out on the wrong side of an underwhelming 1-0 shutout loss.
It was the Flyers' first shutout loss in the playoffs since May 18, 2008, against Pittsburgh.
That's why another Flyer compared Game 2, which begins at 5 o'clock today at the Wells Fargo Center, to a roulette wheel at your favorite casino. Even after landing on red eight spins in a row, each individual roll is an independent attempt with the same odds as any other - despite what the electronic board next to it, or the scoreboard in the series, says.
"It's a totally new game," Kimmo Timonen said. "It doesn't matter if you lost or won Game 1."
That's why the Flyers have no plans on changing their strategy for tonight's grudge match, as they hope to take a series split to Buffalo for Game 3 on Monday night.
"I think we'll just stick with our game plan, what we've done the entire year," coach Peter Laviolette said. "We've scored a lot of goals this year, so I think there is a lot of confidence in that. We were one of the top scoring teams in the league."
Still, as Laviolette said on Thursday night: "This is a new team and a new year."
This isn't the same team that trumped Boston. And the Flyers seem to recognize that, and the fact that they have coughed up the home-ice advantage in this series already.
"We know we can win on the road," said Danny Briere, whose team set a franchise record for road wins in a season this year. "But yet, [tonight's] game is a big one. We definitely don't want to be in the hole two-zip."
Laviolette and the rest of the Flyers seemed to be happy with the intensity and energy levels. And that's fine. But there is no guarantee, even if they play well again tonight and fall, that they have the magic to do what they did last year. The Flyers know they are flirting with fire.
"I don't think it's the game that we have a problem with," Laviolette said. "It's the score. That's the issue. We're on limited time here in the playoffs. And if you don't make your mark, you don't get to go on."
Pronger update
The news continues to be less encouraging for Chris Pronger, who, once again, skated separately from his teammates early yesterday morning in an attempt to prepare himself for the Flyers' first-round matchup with Buffalo.
Pronger, who was not available to the media, focused mainly on skating and only briefly handled the puck.
Officially, the Flyers continue to list Pronger as day-to-day and a "game-day decision," with his right hand injury, though team sources say Pronger will not play tonight against Buffalo in Game 2. He remains unlikely to even be available for Game 3 in Buffalo on Monday.
Lineup change?
Nik Zherdev last played in a Stanley Cup playoff game back on April 28, 2009. He has had almost 2 full years to think about how his Rangers coughed up a 3-1 series lead to Washington - and how he didn't net a single point in the seven-game series.
Zherdev might finally get a chance to right one of those wrongs tonight in Game 2 against Buffalo. He flip-flopped lines in yesterday's practice, skating more with Kris Versteeg and Mike Richards.
Zherdev, who had 16 regular-season goals, was a healthy scratch for the 25th time this season, on Thursday. He was the key cog in the Flyers' 2-for-6 power-play success in Ottawa on April 5. Dan Carcillo is a prime candidate to come out of the lineup, having played a team-low 6 minutes, 26 seconds in a limited role in Game 1. Andreas Nodl was more noticeable with six hits in 11:07 of ice time.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff has been around the game long enough to know the difference between a win well-earned and a win stolen - not that it much matters in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Ruff probably believes his team's Game 1 win was somewhere in the middle.
At the same time, he knows that posting just 25 shots again, without dominating the play in Game 2, will make it tougher on his team to leave with a sweep in South Philadelphia.
"We know we can be better," Ruff said yesterday. "We played a strong game. But we can play a better game. We didn't spend the time in the offensive zone we wanted. I think we really have to get after it in Game 2. I thought that hurt us."
Sabres forward Nathan Gerbe, who set up the game's only goal, said they need to do a better job of taking pressure off Ryan Miller.
"I just think everyone needs to come together," Gerbe said. "We're not going to put it on one person. Each game is going to get harder and everyone has to rise up."
Slap shots
Peter Laviolette said he thought rookie netminder Sergei Bobrovsky was "fine" in Game 1, stopping 24 of 25 shots . . . Interesting to note that backup goalie Brian Boucher is 4-1 in playoff games against Buffalo with a 1.94 goals-against average . . . The Flyers are 35-29 in Game 2s and are 18-16 all-time in Game 2 following a Game 1 loss.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Buffalo Sabres-Boston Bruins Game 6 Preview "A Must Win For Buffalo"
The Boston Garden will be the center of the New England hockey world tonight as the Bruins will try one more time to eliminate the Buffalo Sabres from the Stanley Cup Tournament.
This series was and in most respects still is the Bruins to lose. After ripping off three straight wins to grab a 3-1 series lead, the Bruins lost 4-1 on Friday night in Buffalo.
Certainly no big surprise as the Sabres were considered by many to be the favorites to win this opening round series.
So now tonight's Game 6 at Boston Garden seems to be almost as much about who may or may not play as it is about who is playing.
Starting with the Bruins, all eyes will be on Marc Savard to see if he is indeed ready to resume his hockey career after a near career ending check by Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke back on March 7..
Doctors must not only give Savard the go ahead to play, but he must also decide if it's worth coming back for the Bruins playoff run, or counting his blessings and taking the rest of the year off.
Savard's status will be evaluated following the team's pregame skate later this morning and a neuro-evaluation on Monday afternoon. Savard does not have clearence from doctors to play hockey ... yet.
Thomas Vanek and Lindy Ruff on Vanek's status for Game 6
The Buffalo Sabres also have a big question mark for tonight's Game 6. Will Thomas Vanek play in Game 6 tonight.
Vanek, the Sabres' leading goal scorer, hasn't played since injuring his left ankle in the first period of the second game of the series.
Take a close look at Vanek's face in the above video. He is clearly in pain, and even if he does play he will certainly not be the force he's been all season.
This series was and in most respects still is the Bruins to lose. After ripping off three straight wins to grab a 3-1 series lead, the Bruins lost 4-1 on Friday night in Buffalo.
Certainly no big surprise as the Sabres were considered by many to be the favorites to win this opening round series.
So now tonight's Game 6 at Boston Garden seems to be almost as much about who may or may not play as it is about who is playing.
Starting with the Bruins, all eyes will be on Marc Savard to see if he is indeed ready to resume his hockey career after a near career ending check by Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke back on March 7..
Doctors must not only give Savard the go ahead to play, but he must also decide if it's worth coming back for the Bruins playoff run, or counting his blessings and taking the rest of the year off.
Savard's status will be evaluated following the team's pregame skate later this morning and a neuro-evaluation on Monday afternoon. Savard does not have clearence from doctors to play hockey ... yet.
Thomas Vanek and Lindy Ruff on Vanek's status for Game 6
The Buffalo Sabres also have a big question mark for tonight's Game 6. Will Thomas Vanek play in Game 6 tonight.
Vanek, the Sabres' leading goal scorer, hasn't played since injuring his left ankle in the first period of the second game of the series.
Take a close look at Vanek's face in the above video. He is clearly in pain, and even if he does play he will certainly not be the force he's been all season.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Buffalo Sabres-Boston Bruins Game 4 Preview "A Must Win For Buffalo"
The Boston Bruins have been able to come from behind, and now they have the lead in their first-round playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres.
The Bruins took a 2-1 lead over the Sabres in the best-of-seven series, winning two straight despite allowing the first goal in all three games.
"Obviously, we want to have a better start than we’ve had the first three games," defenseman Matt Hunwick said. "But there’s no panic if we do go down a goal or two. We know if we stick to our game plan and keep plugging away a bit we’re going to have opportunities and eventually we’ll score."
Game 4 is tonight in Boston.
"We win that game, we’re back in our own building with momentum," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said.
The Bruins improved to 6-3 this season against Buffalo, which had 100 points to win the Northeast Division and earn a No. 3 seed in the playoffs. But on Monday night, Dennis Wideman scored and then assisted on Patrice Bergeron’s winner to help sixth-seeded Boston rally from another 1-0 deficit and steal home-ice advantage.
"Although we’ve been scored on first every game, we’ve stuck with our game plan. We haven’t panicked, we’ve played well and we’ve gotten ourselves back in the game," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "It’s certainly not
the situation we want to be in."
The offense-challenged Bruins -- they’ve scored the second-fewest goals in the league this year, and the fewest of any playoff team -- have been able to stay in games thanks to their goaltending. Tuukka Rask, who won the starting job from U.S. Olympic backup Tim Thomas, has allowed 14 goals in 10 games since March 27, losing just twice in regulation.
That’s allowed the Bruins to stay with Buffalo, which has U.S. Olympic starter Ryan Miller in net and was expected to have the goaltending advantage.
"There are a few goalies in this league that you know are going to keep their team in it every night and he is one of them. There is no sense getting frustrated at all," said Bruins forward Mark Recchi, who made the pass that set up Bergeron’s game-winner.
"We are making mistakes and we have Tuukka making huge saves for us. We have been in these close games for a long stretch now, and have been playing playoff hockey for over a month."
Buffalo has struggled to make up for the loss of top scorer Thomas Vanek, who had 28 goals in the regular season.
The Bruins took a 2-1 lead over the Sabres in the best-of-seven series, winning two straight despite allowing the first goal in all three games.
"Obviously, we want to have a better start than we’ve had the first three games," defenseman Matt Hunwick said. "But there’s no panic if we do go down a goal or two. We know if we stick to our game plan and keep plugging away a bit we’re going to have opportunities and eventually we’ll score."
Game 4 is tonight in Boston.
"We win that game, we’re back in our own building with momentum," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said.
The Bruins improved to 6-3 this season against Buffalo, which had 100 points to win the Northeast Division and earn a No. 3 seed in the playoffs. But on Monday night, Dennis Wideman scored and then assisted on Patrice Bergeron’s winner to help sixth-seeded Boston rally from another 1-0 deficit and steal home-ice advantage.
"Although we’ve been scored on first every game, we’ve stuck with our game plan. We haven’t panicked, we’ve played well and we’ve gotten ourselves back in the game," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "It’s certainly not
the situation we want to be in."
The offense-challenged Bruins -- they’ve scored the second-fewest goals in the league this year, and the fewest of any playoff team -- have been able to stay in games thanks to their goaltending. Tuukka Rask, who won the starting job from U.S. Olympic backup Tim Thomas, has allowed 14 goals in 10 games since March 27, losing just twice in regulation.
That’s allowed the Bruins to stay with Buffalo, which has U.S. Olympic starter Ryan Miller in net and was expected to have the goaltending advantage.
"There are a few goalies in this league that you know are going to keep their team in it every night and he is one of them. There is no sense getting frustrated at all," said Bruins forward Mark Recchi, who made the pass that set up Bergeron’s game-winner.
"We are making mistakes and we have Tuukka making huge saves for us. We have been in these close games for a long stretch now, and have been playing playoff hockey for over a month."
Buffalo has struggled to make up for the loss of top scorer Thomas Vanek, who had 28 goals in the regular season.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Buffalo Sabres-Boston Bruins Game 3 Preview "Vanek Doubtful"
Injured Sabres left wing Thomas Vanek will likely miss Game 3 of Buffalo's Eastern Conference playoff series against the Boston Bruins.
The Sabres are the higher seed, but the Bruins won the regular-season series 4-2. Who will advance from this Northeast Division showdown? Follow the matchup from Day 1 on ESPN.com. Series page
Vanek, however, didn't rule himself out of the series tied at a game apiece.
Sabres defenseman Steve Montador expects the team to stick with the same system without Vanek.
"Thomas is hard to replace, but one player doesn't make a team, and you can say that about any one guy in our lineup," Montador said. "We want to continue to play hard, play our system and we'll get the chances that we need if we continue to work."
Buffalo's top goal scorer was injured after he was hooked and slashed by Boston's Johnny Boychuk during a partial breakaway with under 7 minutes left in the opening period of the Bruins' Game 2 win Saturday.
Vanek slid hard into the end boards and had difficulty putting weight on his left foot.
After the game, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff called the play into question by characterizing Boychuk's action as a "two-hander." After an off-ice workout Sunday in Boston, Boychuk said he had no intent to injure on the play.
"I was just trying to lift his stick on the one side because it was kind of like a breakaway," he said. "And then I couldn't get to it, so I went to the other side and tried to hit his stick. I didn't even know I actually slashed him."
In Vanek's absence, first-line center Tim Connolly becomes more important to the Sabres. Buffalo's second leading scorer, Connolly missed the last nine games of the regular season with a foot injury but played in both postseason games.
"I definitely can play better," he said. "The first couple of games I didn't get a lot accomplished out there, especially offensively.
"It's good sometimes to get on the road during the playoffs. You can really just go there and focus on playing the game. There's nothing else going on. I personally like playing on the road, especially in the playoffs."
Right wing Drew Stafford, meanwhile, will undergo tests Sunday to determine whether he can return for Game 3 on Monday. He has been sidelined with a concussion sustained in the second-to-last game of the regular season against Ottawa.
The Sabres are the higher seed, but the Bruins won the regular-season series 4-2. Who will advance from this Northeast Division showdown? Follow the matchup from Day 1 on ESPN.com. Series page
Vanek, however, didn't rule himself out of the series tied at a game apiece.
Sabres defenseman Steve Montador expects the team to stick with the same system without Vanek.
"Thomas is hard to replace, but one player doesn't make a team, and you can say that about any one guy in our lineup," Montador said. "We want to continue to play hard, play our system and we'll get the chances that we need if we continue to work."
Buffalo's top goal scorer was injured after he was hooked and slashed by Boston's Johnny Boychuk during a partial breakaway with under 7 minutes left in the opening period of the Bruins' Game 2 win Saturday.
Vanek slid hard into the end boards and had difficulty putting weight on his left foot.
After the game, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff called the play into question by characterizing Boychuk's action as a "two-hander." After an off-ice workout Sunday in Boston, Boychuk said he had no intent to injure on the play.
"I was just trying to lift his stick on the one side because it was kind of like a breakaway," he said. "And then I couldn't get to it, so I went to the other side and tried to hit his stick. I didn't even know I actually slashed him."
In Vanek's absence, first-line center Tim Connolly becomes more important to the Sabres. Buffalo's second leading scorer, Connolly missed the last nine games of the regular season with a foot injury but played in both postseason games.
"I definitely can play better," he said. "The first couple of games I didn't get a lot accomplished out there, especially offensively.
"It's good sometimes to get on the road during the playoffs. You can really just go there and focus on playing the game. There's nothing else going on. I personally like playing on the road, especially in the playoffs."
Right wing Drew Stafford, meanwhile, will undergo tests Sunday to determine whether he can return for Game 3 on Monday. He has been sidelined with a concussion sustained in the second-to-last game of the regular season against Ottawa.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Buffalo Sabres-Boston Bruins Game 1 Preview
After a full 82 games composed of highs & lows, injuries & late additions, and joy & (mostly) anger, the Boston Bruins managed to do what some felt was impossible at some points during the season: make the playoffs. Despite scoring the second-fewest goals in the entire league (206 to squeeze by the Calgary Flames’ 204), the B’s clinched the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference to set up a first-round series against the Northeast-Division-winning Buffalo Sabres, a fairly well-known and – shockingly – favorable opponent.
Season Series Review
The Bruins and Sabres haven’t played against each other in the playoffs since 1999, when Buffalo won the series, but this season they faced each other six times over the course of the season, as division opponents always do, with Boston going 4-2-0 for eight out of a possible 12 points. Their most recent game was last week, when Dennis Wideman showed up to play in the Bruins’ 3-1 victory. Over the course of the teams’ six games, they combined for only 26 goals, which is hardly a surprise coming from two very defensively-minded teams with exceptional goaltending, and it is unlikely much will change in the playoffs.
Goaltending
This series will feature the top two league leaders in both goals against average and save percentage; some might be surprised to find out that US Olympian, recent silver medal winner, and Vezina Trophy candidate Ryan Miller of the Sabres is second in both of those categories to Boston’s very own Tuukka Rask, who wasn’t even selected by Finland to play in last February’s Winter Olympics. Rask, with a 1.97 GAA and a .931 save percentage this season, played exceptionally well against the Sabres, posting 1.43 GAA, a .954 save percentage and a 4-1-0 record. There’s no question that he will start in place of Miller’s Team USA backup, Tim Thomas, but Rask has never played in the playoffs and posted such incredible stats starting only 39 games (22-12-5), as opposed to Miller’s 2.22 GAA and .929 save percentage over the course of 68 starts. Additionally, in two of Boston’s wins against the Sabres, Miller’s backups, Patrick Lalime and Jhonas Enroth were playing; Miller never allowed more than two goals against the Bruins. For Boston to win this series, Rask will need to keep his cool, which simply translates to not doing this.
Defense
Part of the reason Rask’s statistics are so impressive and one of the two reasons the Bruins even made the playoffs (Rask being the other) is the team’s defense. They allowed only 200 goals, second fewest behind only Marty Brodeur’s New Jersey Devils. Buffalo’s defense only allowed seven more than the Bruins and actually finished ahead of Boston’s well-known penalty kill by two-tenths of a percent (86.6% to 84.4%). Because both teams are essentially even on the blue line, the keys to the defensive battle will come down to injuries (see below) and endurance. With such low scoring teams, it’s likely a fair number of these games will be decided by overtime (and only overtime since there are no shootouts). As many fans will remember, Boston’s tired defense blew last season’s Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Carolina Hurricanes, which cannot happen this year if the Bruins want to upset the Sabres.
Forwards
In addition to staying awake, the Bruins will need to score goals in order to win. Their offense managed only 15 goals against the Sabres during the season and, as if fans needed reminding, got only 191 other pucks to touch the back of the net. Buffalo’s offense clicked well enough throughout the season to score 235 goals (11th in the entire league), which is only 29 more than the Bruins, but still a huge difference when the series is going to be a defensive battle. The Bruins deserve kudos for still simply scoring without Phil Kessel and Marc Savard, but kudos don’t win playoff games.
Injuries
Throughout the season, the Bruins were hindered by injuries, none more so than Marc Savard’s, but the team did not get much healthier as they entered the playoffs. Joining Savard (concussion) on the injured list will be Dennis Seidenburg (wrist), who is out for eight weeks (and, therefore, essentially the season), and Mark Stuart (pinkie). Andrew Ference, who is expected to play after missing nine games after another groin injury, is a welcome return, but the Bruins cannot rely on someone who requires off-season surgery to replace both Seidenburg and Stuart.
Buffalo managed to do the opposite of Boston and actually get healthy as the season ended. While the Sabres lost Jochen Hecht (upper body) and Drew Stafford (concussion, questionable to play), they regained the services of Tim Connelly, Thomas Vanek, Raffi Torres, and Patrick Kaleta as the season ended. Vanek, who scored four goals against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday to finish with 28 on the season, will certainly factor in as an impact player for the Sabres.
Coaching
Behind the bench, the coaches, too, are evenly matched. Both Claude Julien of the Bruins and Lindy Ruff of the Sabres are Jack Adams Award-winners and both former defensemen in the NHL, which explains their strong defense-first systems. While Julien is in only his third season with the Bruins, Ruff has been at the helm of Buffalo for 14 years, having been a Stanley Cup finalist once (1999) and an Eastern Conference finalist three times (1998, 2006, 2007). Clearly Ruff, who also won a gold medal as one of Team Canada’s associate coaches in Vancouver, has the edge in experience, but he’s never been able to quite make it all of the way. Brett Hull had something to do with that, but maybe Ruff just isn’t quite lucky enough to win it all.
X-Factors
Clearly goaltending, injuries, and endurance will all factor into this matchup, but experience may as well. While Rask has no playoff experience, he has four Stanley Cup rings in front of him: Mark Recchi (two), Miroslav Satan, and Shawn Thornton. Comparatively, Miller has zero.
Additionally, the Sabres are from Buffalo, one of the most cursed cities in all of major league sports. How many straight Super Bowls did the city lose during the 1990s? Four. How did they end the decade? Losing in the Stanley Cup Finals on an erroneous call. Then again, the Bruins haven’t won the Stanley Cup since the Jacobs family bought the team.
Season Series Review
The Bruins and Sabres haven’t played against each other in the playoffs since 1999, when Buffalo won the series, but this season they faced each other six times over the course of the season, as division opponents always do, with Boston going 4-2-0 for eight out of a possible 12 points. Their most recent game was last week, when Dennis Wideman showed up to play in the Bruins’ 3-1 victory. Over the course of the teams’ six games, they combined for only 26 goals, which is hardly a surprise coming from two very defensively-minded teams with exceptional goaltending, and it is unlikely much will change in the playoffs.
Goaltending
This series will feature the top two league leaders in both goals against average and save percentage; some might be surprised to find out that US Olympian, recent silver medal winner, and Vezina Trophy candidate Ryan Miller of the Sabres is second in both of those categories to Boston’s very own Tuukka Rask, who wasn’t even selected by Finland to play in last February’s Winter Olympics. Rask, with a 1.97 GAA and a .931 save percentage this season, played exceptionally well against the Sabres, posting 1.43 GAA, a .954 save percentage and a 4-1-0 record. There’s no question that he will start in place of Miller’s Team USA backup, Tim Thomas, but Rask has never played in the playoffs and posted such incredible stats starting only 39 games (22-12-5), as opposed to Miller’s 2.22 GAA and .929 save percentage over the course of 68 starts. Additionally, in two of Boston’s wins against the Sabres, Miller’s backups, Patrick Lalime and Jhonas Enroth were playing; Miller never allowed more than two goals against the Bruins. For Boston to win this series, Rask will need to keep his cool, which simply translates to not doing this.
Defense
Part of the reason Rask’s statistics are so impressive and one of the two reasons the Bruins even made the playoffs (Rask being the other) is the team’s defense. They allowed only 200 goals, second fewest behind only Marty Brodeur’s New Jersey Devils. Buffalo’s defense only allowed seven more than the Bruins and actually finished ahead of Boston’s well-known penalty kill by two-tenths of a percent (86.6% to 84.4%). Because both teams are essentially even on the blue line, the keys to the defensive battle will come down to injuries (see below) and endurance. With such low scoring teams, it’s likely a fair number of these games will be decided by overtime (and only overtime since there are no shootouts). As many fans will remember, Boston’s tired defense blew last season’s Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Carolina Hurricanes, which cannot happen this year if the Bruins want to upset the Sabres.
Forwards
In addition to staying awake, the Bruins will need to score goals in order to win. Their offense managed only 15 goals against the Sabres during the season and, as if fans needed reminding, got only 191 other pucks to touch the back of the net. Buffalo’s offense clicked well enough throughout the season to score 235 goals (11th in the entire league), which is only 29 more than the Bruins, but still a huge difference when the series is going to be a defensive battle. The Bruins deserve kudos for still simply scoring without Phil Kessel and Marc Savard, but kudos don’t win playoff games.
Injuries
Throughout the season, the Bruins were hindered by injuries, none more so than Marc Savard’s, but the team did not get much healthier as they entered the playoffs. Joining Savard (concussion) on the injured list will be Dennis Seidenburg (wrist), who is out for eight weeks (and, therefore, essentially the season), and Mark Stuart (pinkie). Andrew Ference, who is expected to play after missing nine games after another groin injury, is a welcome return, but the Bruins cannot rely on someone who requires off-season surgery to replace both Seidenburg and Stuart.
Buffalo managed to do the opposite of Boston and actually get healthy as the season ended. While the Sabres lost Jochen Hecht (upper body) and Drew Stafford (concussion, questionable to play), they regained the services of Tim Connelly, Thomas Vanek, Raffi Torres, and Patrick Kaleta as the season ended. Vanek, who scored four goals against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday to finish with 28 on the season, will certainly factor in as an impact player for the Sabres.
Coaching
Behind the bench, the coaches, too, are evenly matched. Both Claude Julien of the Bruins and Lindy Ruff of the Sabres are Jack Adams Award-winners and both former defensemen in the NHL, which explains their strong defense-first systems. While Julien is in only his third season with the Bruins, Ruff has been at the helm of Buffalo for 14 years, having been a Stanley Cup finalist once (1999) and an Eastern Conference finalist three times (1998, 2006, 2007). Clearly Ruff, who also won a gold medal as one of Team Canada’s associate coaches in Vancouver, has the edge in experience, but he’s never been able to quite make it all of the way. Brett Hull had something to do with that, but maybe Ruff just isn’t quite lucky enough to win it all.
X-Factors
Clearly goaltending, injuries, and endurance will all factor into this matchup, but experience may as well. While Rask has no playoff experience, he has four Stanley Cup rings in front of him: Mark Recchi (two), Miroslav Satan, and Shawn Thornton. Comparatively, Miller has zero.
Additionally, the Sabres are from Buffalo, one of the most cursed cities in all of major league sports. How many straight Super Bowls did the city lose during the 1990s? Four. How did they end the decade? Losing in the Stanley Cup Finals on an erroneous call. Then again, the Bruins haven’t won the Stanley Cup since the Jacobs family bought the team.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
BUFFALO SABRES WIILL DEFEAT THE BOSTON BRUINS IN 6 GAMES
This is what everyone loves to do as we gear up for the first of four rounds of playoff hockey: throw a dart at the wall and hope we can come close to predicting the outcomes of each series.
So we are, Buffalo Bills Blitz predictions for 2010 NHL Conference Quarterfinals:
(1) Washington Capitals vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
Season series (Tied 2-2)
Nov. 20: Montreal 3 @ Washington 2
Nov. 28: Washington 4 @ Montreal 3 (SO)
Jan. 5: Montreal 2 @ Washington 4
Feb. 10: Washington 5 @ Montreal 6 (OT)
Brandon: You have to feel bad for the Canadiens, who have a decent shot of scaring the Capitals. But Washington is too hungry and too talented. Washington in 5.
James: I have to admit that I'm surprised so many people are picking the Habs. Is this just for attention? Did someone not get hugged enough growing up? Washington in 5.
Joe: This will be Washington's test, at team that has great goaltending, a semi-adherence to defensive hockey and some scoring touch. Caps will still win but it'll be annoying for them. Washington in 6.
(2) New Jersey Devils vs. (7) Philadelphia Flyers
Season series (Philadelphia won 5-1)
Oct. 3: Philadelphia 5 @ New Jersey 2
Nov. 16: New Jersey 2 @ Philadelphia 3
Dec. 12: Philadelphia 1 @ New Jersey 4
Feb. 8: New Jersey 2 @ Philadelphia 3
Feb. 10: Philadelphia 3 @ New Jersey 2 (OT)
March 28: New Jersey 1 @ Philadelphia 5
Brandon: If the Flyers had any sort of reliable goaltending, I'd be seriously tempted to go with the fellas from Broad St. Yet Boucher has been too inconsistent; is Michael Leighton better? New Jersey in 6.
James: The Devils haven't been a great playoff team since the lockout, but thankfully the Flyers are an absolute mess. That being said, don't discount the Flyers' overall talent in this one. New Jersey in 6.
Joe: I don't trust Brian Boucher in the playoffs, but I do think he can steal a couple of games. New Jersey in 6.
More after the jump.
(3) Buffalo Sabres vs (6) Boston Bruins
Season series (Boston won 4-2)
Nov. 7: Buffalo 2 @ Boston 4
Nov. 20: Boston 2 @ Buffalo 1
Jan. 29: Boston 1 @ Buffalo 2
Feb. 9: Boston 3 @ Buffalo 2
March 29: Buffalo 3 @ Boston 2
April 8: Buffalo 1 @ Boston 3
Brandon: Of all the teams for the Sabres to get, it had to be Boston. The Bruins match up perfectly with Buffalo, in what will be an extremely low scoring series. Buffalo in 7.
James: Nothing makes more sense to me than the Bruins ending their season at home; they barely went over .500 in Beantown (18-17-6). People assume that the Sabres lack firepower because they don't have a big name star, but they have too much offensive depth for Boston. Buffalo in 6.
Joe: This will be a slow, bleeding death for the Sabres against a dreadfully boring team that can get by with one or two goals a game. Unless Olympics Ryan Miller shows up, the Sabres are going to struggle. Boston in 7.
(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Ottawa Senators
Season series (Tied 2-2)
Oct. 12: Pittsburgh 4 @ Ottawa 1
Nov. 19: Pittsburgh 2 @ Ottawa 6
Dec. 23: Ottawa 2 @ Pittsburgh 8
Jan. 28: Ottawa 4 @ Pittsburgh 1
Brandon: Upset special! The Penguins were too inconsistent at the end of the season, while the Senators finally pulled it together in front of Brian Elliott. The Senators get first round revenge for 2008, against a tired and pressured Penguins team. Ottawa in 7.
James: If I were to pick an upset in the East, it would be this. The Senators are frisky and the Penguins are tired. That being said, Evgeni Malkin hasn't been right all year (dropping from 113 points to 77 points), so if he gets things together the Penguins are dangerous. Again. Pittsburgh in 6.
Joe: Everyone that wants to pick a sweep never does and says it'll end in five games. Screw that noise. Pens in four over a brutally over matched Sens team. Pittsburgh in 4.
So we are, Buffalo Bills Blitz predictions for 2010 NHL Conference Quarterfinals:
(1) Washington Capitals vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
Season series (Tied 2-2)
Nov. 20: Montreal 3 @ Washington 2
Nov. 28: Washington 4 @ Montreal 3 (SO)
Jan. 5: Montreal 2 @ Washington 4
Feb. 10: Washington 5 @ Montreal 6 (OT)
Brandon: You have to feel bad for the Canadiens, who have a decent shot of scaring the Capitals. But Washington is too hungry and too talented. Washington in 5.
James: I have to admit that I'm surprised so many people are picking the Habs. Is this just for attention? Did someone not get hugged enough growing up? Washington in 5.
Joe: This will be Washington's test, at team that has great goaltending, a semi-adherence to defensive hockey and some scoring touch. Caps will still win but it'll be annoying for them. Washington in 6.
(2) New Jersey Devils vs. (7) Philadelphia Flyers
Season series (Philadelphia won 5-1)
Oct. 3: Philadelphia 5 @ New Jersey 2
Nov. 16: New Jersey 2 @ Philadelphia 3
Dec. 12: Philadelphia 1 @ New Jersey 4
Feb. 8: New Jersey 2 @ Philadelphia 3
Feb. 10: Philadelphia 3 @ New Jersey 2 (OT)
March 28: New Jersey 1 @ Philadelphia 5
Brandon: If the Flyers had any sort of reliable goaltending, I'd be seriously tempted to go with the fellas from Broad St. Yet Boucher has been too inconsistent; is Michael Leighton better? New Jersey in 6.
James: The Devils haven't been a great playoff team since the lockout, but thankfully the Flyers are an absolute mess. That being said, don't discount the Flyers' overall talent in this one. New Jersey in 6.
Joe: I don't trust Brian Boucher in the playoffs, but I do think he can steal a couple of games. New Jersey in 6.
More after the jump.
(3) Buffalo Sabres vs (6) Boston Bruins
Season series (Boston won 4-2)
Nov. 7: Buffalo 2 @ Boston 4
Nov. 20: Boston 2 @ Buffalo 1
Jan. 29: Boston 1 @ Buffalo 2
Feb. 9: Boston 3 @ Buffalo 2
March 29: Buffalo 3 @ Boston 2
April 8: Buffalo 1 @ Boston 3
Brandon: Of all the teams for the Sabres to get, it had to be Boston. The Bruins match up perfectly with Buffalo, in what will be an extremely low scoring series. Buffalo in 7.
James: Nothing makes more sense to me than the Bruins ending their season at home; they barely went over .500 in Beantown (18-17-6). People assume that the Sabres lack firepower because they don't have a big name star, but they have too much offensive depth for Boston. Buffalo in 6.
Joe: This will be a slow, bleeding death for the Sabres against a dreadfully boring team that can get by with one or two goals a game. Unless Olympics Ryan Miller shows up, the Sabres are going to struggle. Boston in 7.
(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Ottawa Senators
Season series (Tied 2-2)
Oct. 12: Pittsburgh 4 @ Ottawa 1
Nov. 19: Pittsburgh 2 @ Ottawa 6
Dec. 23: Ottawa 2 @ Pittsburgh 8
Jan. 28: Ottawa 4 @ Pittsburgh 1
Brandon: Upset special! The Penguins were too inconsistent at the end of the season, while the Senators finally pulled it together in front of Brian Elliott. The Senators get first round revenge for 2008, against a tired and pressured Penguins team. Ottawa in 7.
James: If I were to pick an upset in the East, it would be this. The Senators are frisky and the Penguins are tired. That being said, Evgeni Malkin hasn't been right all year (dropping from 113 points to 77 points), so if he gets things together the Penguins are dangerous. Again. Pittsburgh in 6.
Joe: Everyone that wants to pick a sweep never does and says it'll end in five games. Screw that noise. Pens in four over a brutally over matched Sens team. Pittsburgh in 4.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Buffalo Sabres Could Win The Eastern Conference
Capitals will be healthiest after opening round
The Conference Quarter Finals offer up a couple of brutal match-ups. The Devils lost the season series with the Flyers 5 games to 1 but as the #2 seed still go in as provisional favorites to progress. There’s always at least one upset in the early rounds and none in the East look as good for a low seed as this one, Philadelphia will get through in six games. Buffalo look well-set against a Boston team that rode some late-season momentum into the sixth seed, momentum that will likely burn out in five games against the more playoff-ready Sabres.
Ottawa and Pittsburgh offer up a solid clash in the #4 vs #5 seed clash. The pair split the season series but haven’t met since January. With the core of last year’s Stanley Cup champions still in place I have to give the edge to the Penguins in six. One team will cruise through the opening round, namely the Washington Capitals who should sweep the faltering Montreal Canadiens.
Brutal tests to continue for the Penguins
If Pittsburgh is to retain the Stanley Cup it will do so the hard way, as based on my first round predictions the Pens would be up against the Sabres in the Conference Semi Finals. Sidney Crosby may be the most exciting player in the game but Ryan Miller has been a revelation this season in front of goal for Buffalo. Expect the Olympic rematch comparisons to be made no end in clash which will be tough to call in NHL betting. I expect it to go the full seven games with Pittsburgh to just about prevail. The Capitals will find Philadelphia to be made of sterner stuff than the Canadiens but the Flyers will still be no match for Ovechkin and company. Washington to progress in six.
Battle hardened Penguins will fall short
After being well tested by Ottawa and pushed to the edge by Buffalo, Pittsburgh will be hold the competitive edge over the Capitals at the start of the Eastern Conference Finals. Endurance matters however and while the Penguins might get off to an early start, possibly winning the opening game, I expect Washington to come strong and win over six gruelling encounters to win the Eastern Conference title.
The Conference Quarter Finals offer up a couple of brutal match-ups. The Devils lost the season series with the Flyers 5 games to 1 but as the #2 seed still go in as provisional favorites to progress. There’s always at least one upset in the early rounds and none in the East look as good for a low seed as this one, Philadelphia will get through in six games. Buffalo look well-set against a Boston team that rode some late-season momentum into the sixth seed, momentum that will likely burn out in five games against the more playoff-ready Sabres.
Ottawa and Pittsburgh offer up a solid clash in the #4 vs #5 seed clash. The pair split the season series but haven’t met since January. With the core of last year’s Stanley Cup champions still in place I have to give the edge to the Penguins in six. One team will cruise through the opening round, namely the Washington Capitals who should sweep the faltering Montreal Canadiens.
Brutal tests to continue for the Penguins
If Pittsburgh is to retain the Stanley Cup it will do so the hard way, as based on my first round predictions the Pens would be up against the Sabres in the Conference Semi Finals. Sidney Crosby may be the most exciting player in the game but Ryan Miller has been a revelation this season in front of goal for Buffalo. Expect the Olympic rematch comparisons to be made no end in clash which will be tough to call in NHL betting. I expect it to go the full seven games with Pittsburgh to just about prevail. The Capitals will find Philadelphia to be made of sterner stuff than the Canadiens but the Flyers will still be no match for Ovechkin and company. Washington to progress in six.
Battle hardened Penguins will fall short
After being well tested by Ottawa and pushed to the edge by Buffalo, Pittsburgh will be hold the competitive edge over the Capitals at the start of the Eastern Conference Finals. Endurance matters however and while the Penguins might get off to an early start, possibly winning the opening game, I expect Washington to come strong and win over six gruelling encounters to win the Eastern Conference title.
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