No miracle this year: Bruins sweep Flyers out of playoffs

There will be no miracle comeback for the Flyers this season. In fact, the Flyers won't even make the Bruins sweat this time. In Game 4, it was more of the same in this series as the Bruins outplayed the Flyers on both ends of the ice and won, 5-1, and swept the defending Eastern Conference champs right out of the playoffs.

So ends the season for the Flyers, who now can only look back in disappointment. The team dominated the NHL for most of the regular season only to inexplicably stop playing hard in the final month, then saw their lethargic play carry over into a inconsistent playoff effort. While many will blame the goaltending, and rightfully so, there is plenty of other blame that should be placed on the skaters for their lack of intensity even when their backs were against the wall.

The Flyers now enter the offseason with a ton of questions. Do they finally get that elite goaltender that we've been clamoring for? Will they move out a forward or two to make some cap space? What, if anything, can they do to improve their defense? With a long offseason ahead of them, I'm sure Paul Holmgren will wrestle with how to fix this Flyers team that massively underachieved. While there is a ton of talent in this group, something has to change if another Stanley Cup run is to be made.

So another Flyers season ends in disappointment. Not that it makes it any easier but at least were are used to this feeling.
(AP PHOTO)

Gonna need another miracle: Flyers trashed by Bruins, trail series 0-3

If the Flyers plan on advancing past the Bruins again this year, they are going to need another miracle. Unfortunately, given what this team has shown us in this series, that miracle isn't going to happen.

The Bruins whipped the Flyers from start to finish in Game 3, getting two goals in the first minute and then dominating the rest of the way for a 5-1 win. The Bruins were by far the better team, dominating the physical game as well as the scoreboard for the entire night. From the Bruins control of the puck to Tim Thomas in net, nothing the Flyers did allowed them to get any traction towards a comeback. Game 3 was simply a lost cause for the Flyers as they failed to show up defensively in the beginning and then didn't have the determination to get back into the game.

After what happened last year, some fans might jokingly suggest that the Flyers have the Bruins right where they want them. While they did pull off the miracle comeback and won four straight games last year, nothing that we have seen from the Flyers in this series gives us any reason to have hope. The Flyers are a mess on defense, have below average goaltending at best and haven't been able to solve Thomas. Is there a chance that they somehow figure everything out and reel off four wins again? Sure, but this Bruins team is better than last year and they have shown they can hang with even the best that the Flyers have to offer. The difference this year starts with Thomas, who should be able to win one more game in this series on his own.

While I'm hoping they turn it around, it appears the Flyers are headed for a second round exit. Given how dominant they were for the majority of the regular season, that would be nothing short of a disappointment. I guess we're all pretty used to that in Philadelphia.
(AP PHOTO)

Flyers face another deficit as Tim Thomas steals Game 2 for the Bruins

The Flyers almost have the Bruins right where they want them. After winning Game 2 in overtime by a score of 3-2, the Bruins have now taken a 2-0 series lead against the Flyers. Just one more loss to go by the Flyers and they will be ready to make another miracle comeback, right?

Tim Thomas stole the game for the Bruins, looking unbeatable after giving up 2 goals in the first 10 minutes of the game. Thomas made 52 saves in total on the night, including several of the highlight variety. There wasn't anything the Flyers could do against Thomas; no matter how often they generated a good scoring chance, he was there to stonewall them. The Flyers outplayed the Bruins for the majority of the game yet had little to show for their efforts because Thomas stood on his head.

Despite the loss, the best player on the ice for the Flyers tonight was James van Riemsdyk. This game was something of a coming out party for JVR, who had been emerging as the Flyers best forward in the playoffs. In Game 2 he took his game to another level, not only scoring a pair of goals but basically owning the ice whenever he was on it. While it may have taken awhile for him to develop, JVR has become the beast that we all envisioned when the Flyers took him second overall in the 2007 draft.

The Flyers goaltending carousel continued to turn in this one, though not because of ineffective play. Brian Boucher started the game for the Flyers and was solid in net despite letting in two goals in the first period. Midway through the second period, Boosh took a puck off the hand and had to leave the game. Sergei Bobrovsky replaced him and performed quite well, making a few sparkling saves as he shut down the Bruins for the rest of the period. Despite how well he played, Bob's night was done at the start of the third period when Boucher came back into the game. Despite giving up the overtime goal, the Flyers should feel confident in starting Boosh in Game 3.

Coming back from an 0-2 deficit in a series is nothing new for the Flyers but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy. The Flyers can take some consolation in the fact that they were the better team in Game 2 but, unfortunately, Tim Thomas probably has another game or two like that in him in this series. With the series now shifting to Boston, the Flyers are going to have their work cut out for them. Winning Game 3 and not relying on another miracle comeback will obviously be their first step in getting back into the series.
(AP PHOTO)

Defense scuffles as Bruins spank Flyers in Game 1

If the Flyers are going to win their second round series against the Bruins, they are going to need to make another comeback. Only one team showed up in Game 1 and it was Boston, who used a big second period to crush the Flyers, 7-3, and earn a big 1-0 series lead.

There isn't much to break down about this game as the Bruins were simply the better team from beginning to end. The Flyers nearly made a game out of things in the third period when they cut the lead down to two goals but Boston simply flipped the switch again and sealed the win with a pair of late goals. Offensively, the Flyers were even good at times, generating a number of chances and forcing Tim Thomas to have to make several big stops, but they couldn't dig themselves out of their massive hole.

While much will be made about the Flyers switching goaltenders in-game again, having to go from Brian Boucher to Sergei Bobrovsky, the defense deserves much of the blame for the loss. Boosh let in 5 goals before being pulled but he was really only at fault for at most two of them with the rest falling squarely on the defense that hung him out to dry. Too often, the Bruins went unchecked in front of Boucher, allowing them to get multiple scoring chances while the Flyers D seemed to sit back and watch. Knowing that the goals were not his fault, look for the Flyers to stick with Boucher in net for Game 2.

Game 1 was an ugly loss for the Flyers but, as they know, it was still just one loss. Expect the Flyers to re-group, shift their focus to playing better defense in their own end, and have a much better effort in Game 2. Inconsistency has been something that has plagued the Flyers all season long so don't be surprised to see them flying around the ice and playing great hockey in Game 2.
(AP PHOTO)

Flyers vs. Bruins: Second Round Breakdown of the rematch

On April 30, 2010, I wrote a post breaking down the Flyers and Bruins and their upcoming second round series. Exactly one year later, here I am again, writing a post breaking down a series between these same two teams. A lot has changed in the last year, particularly the expectations surrounding the Flyers, who are supposed to make another deep Stanley Cup run this year after playing the role of underdog last year. Much has changed with the Bruins as well, as they have spent the last year hoping to erase the nightmare of their postseason collapse against these same Flyers. Do the Bruins have what it takes to close out the Flyers this year? Let's take a closer look.

Offense: Depth is the name of the game for both teams, with Boston being the only team in the Eastern Conference that can even come close to matching the Flyers top three lines. Where the Bruins struggled in the playoffs to score, however, the Flyers did not, getting to stud goalie Ryan Miller early and often in 5 of the 7 games of their first round series. No team in the East can match what the Flyers bring to the table on offense, from playoff beast Danny Briere to young upstart James van Riemsdyk. Even without Jeff Carter, the Flyers can hurt you with basically any line. The Bruins have weapons of their own, like Patrice Bergeron and the ageless Mark Recchi, but they don't have one guy who should scare the Flyers and they haven't gotten much secondary scoring. With their depth making them virtually slump-proof, I give the edge on offense to the Flyers.

Defense: With Chris Pronger returning to the fold, the deep Flyers defense gets that much stronger. You could feel the impact that Pronger has immediately in the Sabres series as the Flyers played like a completely different team when he took the ice. The Bruins have a game-changer of their own in Zdeno Chara, but they don't have the complimentary pieces like Kimmo Timonen and Andrej Meszaros to back him up. With their ability to clamp down on multiple scoring lines, the Flyers have the edge on defense.

Goaltending: Tim Thomas vs. the Flyers goaltender carousel is a lopsided comparison. In this round, though, expect the Flyers to stick with Brian Boucher as their starter and not have a circus of netminders. Thomas is certainly the more talented goaltender, but if the Flyers play their usual strong defense in front of Boosh, all he has to do is be average and they should limit the Bruins to about two goals per game. While the Bruins have the big edge in net, the Flyers have plenty of experience beating superstar goaltenders; just ask Ryan Miller.

Special Teams: Both teams have struggled mightily with the man advantage, with the Bruins being one of the few teams worse than the Flyers on the power play. The penalty kill for each team has been pretty average, though the Bruins had the slight advantage in the first round. Call the special teams a wash.

One year after their epic series, these two teams square off once again for the right to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Things should be much different this time around, as the Flyers won't be giving away three games before deciding to start the series. With their depth and tremendous goaltending, the Bruins are a dangerous matchup for the Flyers, who are always prone to taking long lapses in games. Tim Thomas is good enough to win a game or two on his own for the Bruins but I don't see much else on their roster that the Flyers can't handle. I'm going with the Flyers to win the series in 6, especially after their awakening at the end of the first round against the Sabres. Honestly, if the Flyers can play anything like they did in Games 6 and 7 of the first round, Boston is going to have some serious trouble even winning one game.

Flyers vs. Bruins: Second Round Schedule

In a rematch of one of the best series in sports history, at least in Philadelphia, the Flyers and Bruins will once again meet in the second round of the playoffs. With the series set to start on Saturday, both teams get a decent rest. Here is the complete schedule for the entire series:

Game 1: Saturday, April 30th, Boston at Philadelphia, 3:05 pm
Game 2: Monday, May 2nd, Boston at Philadelphia, 7:35 pm
Game 3: Wednesday, May 4th, Philadelphia at Boston, 7:05 pm
Game 4: Friday, May 6th, Philadelphia at Boston, 8:05 pm
Game 5: Sunday, May 8th, Boston at Philadelphia, 3:05 pm
Game 6: Tuesday, May 10th, Philadelphia at Boston, TBD
Game 7: Thursday, May 12th, Boston at Philadelphia, TBD

Should be a great series! Look for more on this series in the coming days.

Flyers get a familiar second round opponent: the Bruins

The Flyers finished off the Sabres yesterday but had to wait to find out their opponent until after the Canadiens and Bruins played Game 7 of their series today. In a thrilling overtime win, the Bruins have won the right to play the Flyers in the second round of the playoffs. If that matchup sounds familiar, it's because these two teams faced each other last year in the second round and the Flyers pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sports. With the Bruins looking for revenge this year, expect a tough, long series.

The series will likely begin either Friday or Saturday and I will have much more on it in the coming days, including a prediction and a breakdown. The Bruins will be a tough matchup for the Flyers, what with their quality depth and one of the best goaltenders in the league. If the Flyers play anything like they did in Game 7 against he Sabres, though, I can't really see any team being able to handle them. Check back soon for the complete second round schedule.