Eastern Conference preview: Canadiens-Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens are set to open the most improbable Eastern Conference Final in recent memory.
The Habs entered the playoffs as the 8th seed in the East. They have already defeated the President’s Trophy-winning Capitals (and Alexander Ovechkin) and the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins (with Sidney Crosby) to reach this round.
If Montreal’s road to this series is highly improbable, Philadelphia’s is truly historic. The Flyers cruised past the Devils in the opening round before becoming only the third team in NHL history and the first since the 1975 Islanders to overcome a 3-0 series deficit to win a series. The Flyers not only trailed the Bruins 3-0 in the series, but trailed them 3-0 in Game 7 before coming back to win both the game and the series 4-3.
Here’s a look at how the Flyers and Canadiens match up in this series:
Forwards:
The Flyers have a lot more depth and size up front than the Canadiens. Mike Richards (5G, 12A) and Danny Briere (7G, 8A) are the top scorers in the playoffs but Simon Gagne’s return sparked the club in the Bruins series. The Flyers also have grit in Daniel Carcillo and Arron Asham. Neither of them score often but they come up with goals at clutch times. Blair Betts is a good fourth liner who can kill penalties and take big faceoffs.
Montreal’s Michael Cammalleri leads all playoff goal scorers with 12. Scott Gomez is a strong playmaker and leads the Habs with 10 playoff assists while Brian Gionta adds playoff experience and scoring ability. Tomas Plekanec was the team’s most consistent offensive weapon during the regular season. Travis Moen has playoff experience and is good in the corners.
Defense:
Chris Pronger has proven to be a key acquisition for the Flyers. He is strong in both ends of the ice, comes up big in clutch situations and helps raise the play of his teammates. Kimmo Timonen and Matt Carle may not get a lot of attention but get the job done defensively and can contribute offense when needed. Braydon Coburn is steady. The Flyers did a great job of keeping the Bruins away from prime scoring areas during the final four games of their last series. Montreal’s forwards will provide a bigger challenge than Boston’s did.
The duo of Hal Gill and Josh Gorges won’t score many points, but they as close to a shut down duo as we’ve seen in this year’s playoffs. While there’s no one player like Ovechkin or Crosby that they will need to shut down, the pair will have their hands full with the Flyers forwards. Roman Hamrlik and Marc-Andre Bergeron can provide help on offense and on the power play but Bergeron can be a defensive liability at times. Rookie P.K. Subban has filled in admirably when called upon.
Goaltending:
Jaroslav Halak has been a huge factor for Montreal this postseason and gives the Habs a big edge here. His .930 save percentage is strong but he has also come through when his team needed a timely save. Carey Price backs him up.
The Flyers have gone back to Michael Leighton after Brian Boucher was injured. Leighton is a journeyman but he has played very well since being picked up on waivers earlier this season from Carolina. Leighton has good size and plays his angles well. He also plays well in pressure situations. If Boucher is unavailable, Johan Backlund will serve as the Flyers backup.
Prediction:
The Flyers have more depth up front and more size while the Canadiens have a definite edge in goal with Halak. The special teams are about even and Philadelphia, which made the playoffs after winning a shootout in their final regular season game, have home ice advantage. Size and depth will be the difference makers. The Pick: Flyers in Seven
