Notes on Thursday's Games

The Capitals finally came out and played like a team ready for playoff hockey, and it still backfired. Those two power-play goals in the first sucked the life out of a bloodthirsty Philly crowd, but the depth and attrition of the Flyers was the deciding factor.

It was fitting that Knuble, a veteran plumber, got the game-winner. I think he's done more with that one goal to show the kids what it takes to come out on top than anybody else has in the
series -- just keep hacking away, but be smart about it. Don't try to ram the puck through solid matter, use your skill to lift the disc into open space.

In other news...

Now that the NHL is in its new era, the Minnesota Wild must learn they will never be successful using the old ways to try and prevent scoring and capitalize off mistakes. They've clearly been trying to win games 2-1 and 3-2, and save for two favorable bounces, they'd be home already in a four-game sweep.

When (not if) Sakic, Forsberg, Foote, and the rest of the old guard come out firing in Game 6 on Saturday, the Wild will be like deer caught in headlights. And still Jacques Lemaire will try to throw a wet blanket over them. That's OK, because you still have to score more than the opponent to win, and I see the Avs blasting 40-some shots on net and still winning 3-2 -- the operative word being "winning."

And still, Lemaire, Mario Tremblay and Doug Risebrough will have jobs because people in Minnesota are so darned happy just to have hockey back! I thought the goal was to win the Cup, not choke the life out of the league to stretch 42 wins. Why the lack of playoff success with the continuation of an outdated system isn't challenged, is beyond me.

Watching the Flames and Sharks is like watching two brick walls try to slam into each other. It's not really compelling hockey. One team plays like crap for half a game, falls behind, then frantically tries to mount a comeback.

The only benefit will be to whoever gets the series winner in the next round. If Calgary loses, you can bet the minute the buzzer hits all zeroes, Mike Keenan will be on the horn with GM Darryl Sutter desperately trying to unload half the roster. If the Sharks lose, I can't really say who could care less, the fan base who are enjoying another solid and unspectacular year, or the front office which is still living off the good vibes of the fan base.

Flyers vs Capitals: Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Breakdown

by Bob Herpen
The Phanatic Magazine

Philadelphia Flyers: 4^th place, Atlantic; 6^th in Eastern Conference (42-29-11, 95 points).

Washington Capitals: 1^st place, Southeast; 3^rd in Eastern Conference (43-31-8, 94 points).

POSTSEASON HISTORY: Washington has won two of the three prior playoff meetings.

The first came in a three-game opening round sweep in 1984 in Bobby Clarke’s last season as a player. The second matchup, in 1988, saw the Flyers take a three-games-to-one series lead only to see the Caps win the series, in an epic Game Seven overtime on a goal by Dale Hunter. Philly exacted revenge in the last series the following season as the fourth-place Flyers club upended the Patrick Division-winning Capitals in six games.

OFFENSE: The obvious question for Washington is, can one man do it alone? Based on past history, the answer is yes – if you’re named Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier or Joe Sakic. Alex Ovechkin is not yet anywhere close to that Pantheon, but he is very dangerous.

Numerous coaches and opponents have said they fear how Ovie “attacks the game,” as a one-man wrecking crew but he has help in Alexander Semin (26 goals), the surprising Brooks Laich (21), defenseman Mike Green (18 goals, 56 points) and emerging young star Nicklas Backstrom, who finished second in the league in rookie scoring (69 points).

For the Flyers, finding offense shouldn’t be difficult. With six players scoring 20-or-more goals and eight with 10 or more through a full season, contributions are expected from the top three lines regardless of defensive responsibility. The way John Stevens has been juggling lines, you’d think that virtually any combination is bound to come through with a clutch score.

Nonetheless, the Flyers only scored four-or-more goals in regulation four times since late January, with three of those coming against the New York Islanders. Jeff Carter cannot afford to float and must retain the same focus which aided his strong finish to the season. The Capitals showed killer instinct in dropping double-digits on the playoff-bound Bruins and were credited with 65 goals over their final 16 games.

Nine guys on three lines who can play both ends will eventually out-gun two lines.

Edge: Slight to Philadelphia

DEFENSE: Even if the Flyers fail to live up to Priority One in stopping Ovechkin and he breaks loose at some point, it should be easy for Philly’s veteran defensemen to throw a blanket over shrinking violet Sergei Fedorov and the Caps’ inexperienced forwards.

Kimmo Timmonen, Derian Hatcher, Jason Smith and even Braydon Coburn know how to get under the opposition’s skin. The former three all possess valuable playoff savvy along with the slightly infirm Jaroslav Modry, who will be a valuable extra on the backline.

Green vaulted into the spot that free-agent pick-up Tom Poti was supposed to have filled, both offensively and defensively. Shaone Morrisonn may be the only d-man the Flyers will have to contend with, as he does not back down from anyone at any time. The remainder of the defense will face stiff tests with three lines forcing the play in all zones. Washington will sorely miss Brian Pothier, a former Ottawa troublemaker, who is still recovering from a concussion.

Edge: Philadelphia

GOALTENDING: Aside from Ovechkin, the major factor in the Caps’ meteoric rise to the top of their division after an 11-1-0 stretch to end the season were the men in the crease.

Cristobal Huet came over from the Montreal Canadiens at the trade deadline in late February, and went 11-2-0 with a 1.63 GAA and a pair of shutouts, most likely earning him the starting nod. Backing that up is the eternal veteran Olie Kolzig, who went 25-21-6 with a 2.91 GAA and one shutout.

For the Flyers, Martin Biron was solid overall but unspectacular through stretches. He completed the year one win shy of his career best in wins, going 30-20-9, 2.59, with five shutouts. His five best performances of the season might have come in each of those whitewashes, saving his best for the back-to-back blankings of New Jersey and Pittsburgh last Friday and Sunday.

Biron has never started a Stanley Cup playoff game in his career, and Antero Niittymaki is a wild card when it comes to relief appearances or an actual start. On the other hand, Huet possesses some mental toughness coming from the crucible in Montreal, plus Kolzig has Cup finals experience should Huet’s run of luck be over.

Edge: Washington

INTANGIBLES: Say what you want about Sergei Fedorov and his capabilities beyond the offensive zone, but he brings three Stanley Cup rings to a team desperate for some veteran leadership and experience. The Capitals may also be dangerous, because, being so young, they have no clue they’re not supposed to be doing so well.

One quirk of the season series is that each team won twice on the other’s home ice. This may bode well for the Flyers, who face two in DC before coming home and won both games using their best mix of physical play and offensive opportunism. The Capitals have won four straight regular-season games at the Wachovia Center, both when burying the sleepwalking Flyers early and then hanging on.

Bruce Boudreau has done a masterful job taking over at Thanksgiving for the constantly overmatched Glen Hanlon. His mix of constructive criticism and positive reinforcement had an explosive effect on the club.

Conversely, John Stevens has been the subject of constant consternation and his job security may have been questioned at times during the year. While the Capitals enjoy the honeymoon of being a young team without expectations, the Flyers bear the burden of a once-proud franchise having to go full reverse to erase an NHL-worst campaign a year ago.

The fact that both men behind the bench have no prior NHL playoff experience is a wash. If Scott Hartnell doesn’t stay out of the penalty box it could be an uphill climb for Flyers penalty killers.

Edge: Washington

OVERALL:

The Flyers have too much depth, more balanced scoring, a defense which is steadier and more experienced to be taken down by one 65-goal scorer and the stereotypical dangerous “hot goalie.” Washington’s season-ending stretch was impressive, but came predominantly on the backs of its Southeast Division foes – none of which made the postseason.

While the Capitals didn’t get where they are just because of a weak division, the Flyers have the added advantage of beginning the series on the road with the pressure off. If Philadelphia expects to avoid a drawn-out set, they should come away with at least one win at the Verizon Center before a raving crowd welcomes them home.

While Washington’s youth and exuberance can put the Flyers in a corner, on-ice experience will be the most telling factor. The Flyers veterans own that advantage in key spots, and their young players have come through too much in the regular season to let a little playoff pressure defeat them.

FINAL COUNT: Flyers in six.

He's a Genius From Beyond the Grave

Among all his sick, sardonic humor, sketchy characters and twisted narratives, I never thought Warren Zevon could have crafted a simple tune with a linear story about a puncher trying to gain some real respect on the ice:

Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)
He was born in Big Beaver by the borderline
He started playing hockey by the time he was nine
His dad took the hose and froze the back yard
And Little Buddy dreamed he was Rocket Richard
He grew up big and he grew up tough
He saw himself scoring for the Wings or Canucks
But he wasn't that good with a puck

Buddy's real talent was beating people up
His heart wasn't in it but the crowd ate it up
Through pee-wee's and juniors, midgets and mites
He must have racked up more than six hundred fights
A scout from the flames came down from Saskatoon
Said, "There's always room on our team for a goon
Son, we've always got room for a goon"

There were Swedes to the left of him
Russians to the right
A Czech at the blue line looking for a fight
Brains over brawn-- that might work for you
But what's a Canadian farm boy to do
What else can a farm boy from Canada do
But what's a Canadian farm boy to do
What else can a farm boy from Canada do

Hit somebody! was what the crowd roared
When Buddy the goon came over the boards
"Coach," he'd say, "I wanna score goals"
The coach said, "Buddy, remember your role
The fast guys get paid, they shoot, they score
Protect them, Buddy, that's what you're here for
Protection is what you're here for
Protection-- it's the stars that score
Protection-- kick somebody's ass
Protection-- don't put the biscuit in the basket just
Hit some, Buddy! It rang in his ears
Blood on the ice ran down through the years
The king of the goons with a box for a throne
A thousand stitches and broken bones
He never lost a fight on his icy patrol
But deep inside, Buddy only dreamed of a goal
He just wanted one damn goal

There were Swedes at the blue line
Finns at the red
A Russian with a stick heading straight for his head
Brains over brawn-- that might work for you
But what's a Canadian farm boy to do
What else can a farm boy from Canada do
But what's a Canadian farm boy to do
What else can a farm boy from Canada do

In his final season, on his final night
Buddy and a Finn goon were pegged for a fight
Thirty seconds left, the puck took a roll
And suddenly Buddy had a shot on goal

The goalie committed, Buddy picked his spot
Twenty years of waiting went into that shot
The fans jumped up, the Finn jumped too
And coldcocked Buddy on his follow through
The big man crumbled but he felt all right
'Cause the last thing he saw was the flashing red light
He saw that heavenly light

There were Swedes to the left of him
Russians to the right
A Czech at the blue line looking for a fight
Take care of your teeth-- that might work for you
But what's a Canadian farm boy to do
What else can a farm boy from Canada do
But what's a Canadian farm boy to do
What else can a farm boy from Canada do

Just When I Think I'm Out, They Pull Me Back In...

With Savenhl.com currently on indefinite hiatus, the Flyers mercifully in the playoffs and doing quite well, plus the recent abundant sunshine that heralds longer days ahead, I wanted to drop a quick note on here.

First, I'm glad I didn't delete this blog when I took the vacation back in August. Sometimes you gotta keep what's in your heart, and stash it away hidden in a corner until the right moment. As far as writing what's on my mind in a public forum, hockey is a greater and more inspirational force compared to the pull of musings on life and love and such from the King of Useless Knowledge.

Second, at the very least, I will post stuff here as long as the Flyers continue their season. With interest declining on the other place (to which my real name is attached) I will most likely continue with series previews from the conference quarterfinal round up to the Stanley Cup finals.

Third, I'm doing this with absolutely no pressure whatsoever. When I started the blog in September of 2006, I began writing with the sole focus of myself as an audience, and expanded that into an active record which I could show people if I wanted to get paid for my 22 years worth of hockey experience. That still holds, and I should be able to come up with some "think pieces" and opinionated news items to provide some good filler.