Another Flyers season ends but the future remains bright

It really wasn't supposed to happen this way for the Flyers, at least not this season.  No, I'm not talking about how the Flyers weren't supposed to lose to the Devils; the Flyers weren't supposed to even get to the second round this season.

After making drastic changes last offseason, the Flyers instantly entered a rebuilding mode, one that will feature a number of young players who are years away from their primes.  Sure, the Flyers were still supposed to be competitive but they really weren't expected to be serious Cup contenders until the kids had a chance to develop.  Really, anything that happened this season was gravy.

So why is it still so disappointing to see them lose to the Devils on Tuesday and get ousted from the playoffs?  Mostly because of how much fun it was to see these upstart Flyers stick it to the Penguins in one of the most entertaining series of games in many years.  To follow up all of that entertainment with four straight losses to the Devils in a series of games that were very uneventful was what was so disappointing.

The future is very bright with these Flyers. Claude Giroux could still get better.  The 8 rookies that hogged all the ice time this season should only improve with even more experience.  Chris Pronger hopefully will return.  Ilya Bryzgalov will hopefully keep his head on straight.  There is a lot to like about the future of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Despite all of this, it still hurts to see them lose to a Devils team that doesn't really feel like a great team. Hey, we'll always have that Penguins series.
(Getty Images)

Danny Briere wins Game 1 in OT

After a slow first period, the Flyers picked up their play and took out the Devils in overtime in Game 1, 4-3.  Mr. Playoffs, Danny Briere, was the hero in this one, putting the puck into the back of the net twice in overtime, though the first was called off due to Briere kicking it in.  Here's Briere's game winner:

The Flyers have to be happy with how they played after the first period.  Should that carry over into the next few games, they should make short of the Devils.

Flyers kick Penguins to the curb

Pennsylvania now belongs to the Flyers. 

There was certainly reason to be nervous after how Games 4 and 5 went but the Flyers quickly put any thoughts of a possible Penguins series win to bed by jumping out to an early lead in Game 6 and never looking back.  In the series that had a little bit of everything, Game 6 was fairly normal as the Flyers dominated from start to finish, winning 5-1 to send the Penguins packing.

Claude Giroux set the early tone for the Flyers, first crushing Sidney Crosby then picking up a goal 32 seconds into the game.  Giroux later added a pair of assists and continues his emergence into the upper echelon of hockey players.  In a series that featured Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, supposedly two of the top 5 players in the world, Claude Giroux was often the best player on the ice.

The series was also a coming out party for Sean Couturier, who not only had a hat trick in Game 2 but also made it his personal mission to shut down Malkin.  While Malkin had a fair amount of points, Couturier shut him down at critical moments and continually got under his skin.  It will be a lot of fun watching the 19 year old Couturier own Malkin for years to come.

With the Penguins pushed aside, the Flyers now wait for their next opponent.  Who they will play is still pretty up in the air depending on the outcomes of the Rangers/Senators and Bruins/Capitals series.  With the Flyers already having beaten the supposed Cup favorite, a deep playoff run certainly seems like a strong possibility.

Flyers continue to own classless Penguins, take 3-0 series lead

It's pretty clear at this point that the Flyers are in the Penguins heads.  After two thrilling comeback victories in Games 1 and 2, the Flyers completely embarrassed the Penguins in Game 3, dominating the ice in a 8-4 win.  The Flyers are now just one win away from sweeping the supposed Cup favorites out of the playoffs.

The Penguins showed a real lack of class in the game, melting down and turning to cheap hits when they couldn't keep up with the Flyers on the scoreboard.  From Sidney Crosby poking a glove aside to Arron Asham cheap-shotting Sean Couturier for no reason to James Neal taking shots on Flyers stars to Craig Adams pulling Scott Hartnell's hair, the Penguins made a mockery out of the game and turned in an ugly performance for the ages.  Expect at least Asham and Adams to get suspended and Neal to get a serious look at losing a game.

Nothing is over until the Flyers win that 4th game but it has been obvious which team is more poised, determined and willing to do the work necessary to make a deep playoff run.  This Flyers team is filled with young, hungry players that have no fear and won't back down from anyone.  No matter what happens in the next few games of this series and beyond, this is one incredibly exciting hockey team.  We'll see if they can keep it up against a team that actually plays defense.  For now, I'm relishing every minute against the team that "can't beat us!"

Voracek caps Flyers comeback with OT winner

Huge win for the Flyers in Game 1, erasing a three goal deficit to defeat the hated Penguins, 4-3.  With the Phillies and Sixers also winning, it was quite a night for Philly sports.

Here is Jakub Voracek's game winner:

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.

2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Second Round Predictions

Even if you aren't a hockey fan, you have to be excited with the NHL Playoffs after all that went down in the first round. From the defending champs almost pulling off a huge upset to a handful of seven game series to amazing in-game comebacks, hockey has never been more entertaining. With how closely matched the second round series appear to be, things could get even better. After going a perfect 8 for 8 on my first round picks, here are my picks for the second round:

Eastern Conference:
(1) Washington vs. (5) Tampa Bay
Washington in 6
While the Capitals are much better defensively now, this series could still be a shootout since both teams have a ton of top-line scoring talent and neither has a shutdown goaltender. If the Lightning can continue to get goals from their 3rd and 4th lines, they will be very difficult to stop, even for a Capitals team that has more responsibility in their own zone. With fairly even offenses, goaltending and special teams, this series likely will come down to defense, something the Capitals don't suck at anymore.

(2)Philadelphia vs. (3) Boston
Philadelphia in 6
Here we go again! Right off the bat, if the Flyers play like they did in Game 7 against the Sabres, this could be a quick series. While the Bruins take pride in their depth at forward and on defense, the Flyers are still the deeper team, especially now that Chris Pronger is back full-time. The biggest edge the Bruins have is in goal, and while that could be a huge edge if the Flyers continue their goaltender carousel, the Flyers have already beaten one world-class goalie in the playoffs. With things (hopefully) stabilizing in net with Brian Boucher, the Bruins might not even have that big of an edge. Both teams struggled on the power play in the first round, so this series could hinge on which team is better with the man advantage. Bottom line: if the Flyers get even average goaltending and aren't terrible on the power play, they will win this series.

Western Conference:
(1) Vancouver vs. (5) Nashville
Vancouver in 5
The Canucks got a big scare in the first round but things should be a little easier for them against the Predators. Not that Nashville should be taken lightly, but they don't bring with them the playoff experience that the entire Blackhawks team had. The Canucks appear to be the better team in nearly every facet of the game, from their incredible depth on defense and forward to their top-notch special teams. Where things are a little closer is in net, where Robert Luongo is a talented headcase and Pekka Rinne can be unbeatable but also inconsistent. I liken this series to the Heat/Sixers series in the NBA Playoffs as the Predators will make the Canucks work in every game but they will have a hard time actually closing the deal and getting wins.

(2) San Jose vs. (3) Red Wings
Red Wings in 7
This series is a tough one to call, especially after how good the Red Wings looked in the first round. Are the Sharks finally over their playoff ineptitude after conquering the Kings with three overtime wins? Or, despite their age, do the Red Wings have one last run in them? These teams are pretty even down the line, with the Red Wings getting the slight edge on defense and in goal. Given their playoff histories, it's hard not to lean towards the Red Wings. Prove me wrong, Sharks.

Those are my picks for the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Check back tomorrow for a more complete breakdown of the Flyers/Bruins series.

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.

On to the second round! Flyers dominate Sabres in Game 7

Two things plagued the Flyers in their first round series against the Sabres: goaltending and the power play. Flyers fans have argued throughout the course of the series as to which has been more at fault as the team struggled against a scrappy but ultimately inferior Sabres team. Was it the rotating mess of goaltenders that seemed to be following each good performance with a terrible one? Or, was it the power play, which was scoring at a 9.7% clip in the first six games of the series? Fortunately, in Game 7, neither was an issue as the Flyers dominated the Sabres, 5-2, and have now moved on to the second round of the playoffs.

The Flyers jumped on the Sabres early, thoroughly controlling the play throughout the entire first period and outshot Buffalo 16-2. Ryan Miller looked solid in net for Buffalo, however, and turned aside everything the Flyers tossed his way until Braydon Coburn scored with just under 20 seconds left in the first. The second period was more of the same for the Flyers as they continued to dominate play and even managed to score a pair of power play goals to bust the lead wide open. While the Sabres did manage to rob the Flyers of their first shutout of the season with two 3rd period goals, Philly was in complete control the whole time and finally showed why they were one of the best teams in hockey for most of the regular season.

Of course, it helped that the Flyers got some steady goaltending for once, with Brian Boucher playing above average in net. While Boosh didn't have a particularly busy night, he did make the necessary saves to keep the Sabres from making a comeback and finished with 26 saves. The defense, aided by Chris Pronger playing full-time, also was much stronger in front of him, minimizing the need for Boucher to have to stand on his head. There is no question that Boucher will be the goaltender for the Flyers going forward, let's just hope he doesn't have another meltdown like he did in Game 5. Even if he does, I would expect Peter Laviolette to give him a longer leash rather than play goaltender roulette again.

For the second year in a row, the Flyers have moved on to the second round. They now must wait to find out their opponent, which could be either the Bruins if they beat the Canadiens in their series or the Lightning/Penguins series winner if the Canadiens win. No matter who they face, the Flyers have to feel confident that they can beat anyone if they play like they did in Game 7 against the Sabres. Based on their play in Game 7, all the Flyers really need is solid goaltending and a power play goal or two and they should do just fine.
(AP PHOTO)

Flyers overcome shaky goaltending to force Game 7

Well that was on hell of an Easter. After wins earlier in the day by the Sixers and Phillies, the Flyers followed suit by overcoming a terrible start in Game 6 to beat the Sabres, 5-4, in overtime. The win keeps the Flyers alive and brings the series back to Philadelphia for a do-or-die Game 7.

The Flyers went with Michael Leighton in goal for Game 6 and it quickly proved to be the wrong decision as he allowed 3 goals on just 8 shots in the first period. While the Flyers did manage one goal in the first period, they still found themselves in a 3-1 hole and forced to turn to Brian Boucher, the goat of their Game 5 loss.

Luckily, Boucher was up to the task, bouncing back nicely as he stopped 24 of the 25 shots he saw, including several huge saves that would have given the Sabres a two goal lead in the third period. With Boucher locking things down, the Flyers offense proceeded to peck away at the Sabres lead until Scott Hartnell tied the game halfway through the 3rd period.

The hero in overtime for the Flyers was Ville Leino, who punched a rebound past Ryan Miller for the game winner. Thankfully, Leino's goal was early on in the period and it spared us from the heart attacks that come from a prolonged overtime game when elimination is on the line.

The Flyers proved, once again, that they are a resilient hockey team. No goaltending is too terrible and no deficit is too great for this team to overcome. Why they have to keep making things so difficult for themselves is beyond me but at least they have the ability to find another gear when the chips are down. With the series shifting back to Philly for Game 7, the Flyers have a chance to prove that they really are the better team in the series. With Peter Laviolette already announcing that Boucher will be the starter in Game 7, hopefully the Flyers get the goaltending that allows them to prove it.

Could you have asked for a better Easter, Philly Sports fans? Last year, Donovan McNabb was shipped out of town on Easter. This year, every team in the city won. I'd call it an Easter miracle.

Flyers comeback for naught as Sabres win Game 5 in OT

Talk about a rollercoaster of emotions. From the pain of the the ridiculously terrible start to the joy of a thrilling comeback to the depression of an overtime loss, Game 5 was all over the place for the Flyers. Unfortunately, as the ride came to an end, the Flyers find themselves trailing in the series to the Sabres, 3-2.

Simply getting to overtime was quite a task for the Flyers, who had to overcome an atrocious start in net by Brian Boucher. Boosh was not himself tonight, giving up 3 weak goals on 11 shots before getting pulled in the first period. Enter Michael Leighton (yes, really), who found some of that playoff magic and didn't give up a goal for the rest of regulation.

Facing a 3-0 deficit is nothing new to the Flyers and the offense starting working their way out of it in the second period, beginning with a goal by James van Riemsdyk. While JVR hasn't put up a ton of points in the playoffs, an argument can still be made that he is playing the best out of all the Flyers forwards. Andrej Meszaros added another goal just over a minute later and they Flyers were well on their way to another comeback.

After several close calls, the Flyers finally tied the game early in the third period after Kris Versteeg, while on his backside, made a pass to Mike Richards who fed Danny Briere in front. After the obligatory Briere fist-pump, the Flyers had all of the momentum and controlled the play for the rest of regulation, even getting a powerplay with just over two minutes left. When they couldn't capitalize, the writing seemed to be on the wall, and the Sabres took advantage in overtime when Tyler Ennis put a big Leighton rebound in the back of the net.

Now trailing 3 games to 2, the Flyers find themselves in a difficult, but hardly impossible, situation. Anyone who followed this team last year knows that you can't count the Flyers out until the final buzzer sounds in their 4th loss in the series. With plenty of questions also surrounding who will start in goal for the Flyers in Game 6, the team finds themselves in an almost familiar situation. Now is the time where we find out whether this Flyers team still has some of that magic leftover from last year. If they get another terrible goaltending performance, though, all of the magic in the world isn't going to help them.
(AP PHOTO)

Miller shuts out Flyers as Sabres even series

Sometimes a goalie simply gets too hot to be beaten. Ryan Miller was that goalie tonight for the Sabres, stopping every puck the Flyers tossed his way in a 1-0 win for the Sabres in Game 4. The win ties the series at 2 games apiece as the teams return to Philadelphia for Game 5 on Friday.

Miller was stellar in net, making some of his best stops in the series amongst his 32 saves. It was his second shutout of the series and more than made up for his mediocre play in Games 2 and 3. After a so-so regular season, Miller has proven that he is still the same goaltender that backstopped the US hockey team to some big wins in the Olympics.

These two teams are really starting to hate each other, as things got ugly towards the end of the game with skirmishes breaking out after nearly every whistle. With Sabre Patrick Kaleta acting like a punk and goading every Flyer to fight him, you can bet that there will be sparks, and blood, when these two teams take the ice in Game 5.

The other big story in Game 4 was Jeff Carter, who was injured in the first period after he had a knee on knee hit with Tyler Myers. While Carter was able to play out the rest of the first, he didn't return to the game in the second period and the Flyers have announced that he has a lower body injury. While Carter isn't exactly a stud in the playoffs, the Flyers are a much deeper team when he is in the lineup.

Chalk up Game 4 as an opportunity wasted for the Flyers. They could have taken a stranglehold in the series and instead have allowed the Sabres to even things up. It's clear that when Ryan Miller stands on his head, the Flyers are going to have to play a perfect game to win. While the Sabres don't have much firepower, when Miller is on, they only need to score once and sit back and defend their net. While the Flyers are still the better team in this series, they have their work cut out for them if they want to get past a hot goaltender and into the second round.
(AP PHOTO)

Latest NHL History Will be Made video features Brian Boucher

The NHL unveiled their latest "History Will Be Made" video and it features our very own Brian Boucher after his performance in Game 3 for the Flyers:

Expect Sergei Bobrovsky or Michael Leighton to get his own commercial sometime down the road.

Flyers take back home ice advantage after Game 3 victory

With all the questions surrounding the Flyers goaltending situation, Brian Boucher made the most out of his starting opportunity, backstopping the Flyers to a 4-2 win over the Sabres in Game 3 of the series. The win puts the Flyers back in the drivers seat and gives them their home ice advantage back.

Boucher was solid in net, making 35 saves while looking sharp in net. He's been through the ups and downs of the playoffs a few times already in his career and he proved that the Flyers made the right decision to let him start. Boosh showed tonight that he wants to take that starting spot and run with it, though, with the way things seem to go in Philly, don't be surprised to see the Flyers have to turn to Sergei Bobrovsky or (gasp) Michael Leighton at some point down the road.

Offensively, the Flyers got goals from two unlikely sources: Jeff Carter and Nikolay Zherdev. For Carter, it was his first goal of the playoffs and it even came on the struggling Flyers power play. As for Zherdev, he only saw action tonight because of an injury to Andreas Nodl but he took full advantage, scoring a goal despite getting just 8 minutes of ice time.

The Flyers now find themselves in a great position to take control of this series in Game 4. As each game passes, they seem to be gaining confidence in beating Ryan Miller while also getting stronger in their own end. Plus, at some point in this series, they still have the Chris Pronger card to play, a move that will surely boost them even further. One thing is for sure: the Flyers have already gone a long way to make us forget about that team that didn't seem to care at the end of the regular season.
(AP PHOTO)

Boucher to start Game 3 for Flyers, Leighton the backup

The Flyers goaltending carousel continues to turn. After his poor performance in Game 2, Sergei Bobrovsky has lost the starting gig to Brian Boucher, who looked solid after taking over for Bob. Even more surprising is that the Flyers appear to be turning to Michael Leighton to be the backup.

Word out of Flyers-land from the beat reporters is that Bobrovsky doesn't even have a locker stall for all of his equipment in Buffalo while Leighton does, implying that Bob isn't even the backup tonight. I'm not sure what the Flyers are thinking dropping him to third goalie but it does make sense to have a veteran backup you can trust. The Flyers must feel that Bobrovsky is too inconsistent to be a reliable backup goaltender.

In other Flyers news, Andreas Nodl is out of the lineup tonight, and Nikolay Zherdev will get his first playoff action.