If someone asked you at the beginning of the playoffs if you would bet on the Flyers/Habs for the Eastern Conference Final, would you come out on the other side with cash in hand? Yeah, neither would we. Could the bottom two seeds in the Eastern Conference prove to make for an exciting finish in the race to the Stanley Cup Finals? Absolutely. The Canadiens have beaten a mountain of odds, defeating first Alexander Ovechkin and his Washington Capitals and then fighting a huge battle against the defending Stanley Cup Champs, riding a hot goaltender all the way. The Flyers stormed straight through Martin Brodeur and his New Jersey Devils, and made history by overcoming an 0-3 deficit defeating the Boston Bruins in 7 games. Can you think of two better teams to battle it out for the next shot at the ultimate prize at this stage in the game?
For this round, we bring brought back our own Habs-lovin’ VFMS blogger – Amanda Fortier to give us the best Canadiens’ perspective around. For the Flyers, Anthony Curatolo from The Hockey Guys gives us his best take on the orange and black! As always, huge thanks for their time… Now on to the good stuff!
1. Both teams split their regular season matchups 2-2, each winning one at home and one on the road. Up until now, home ice advantage hasn’t seemed to matter. How much will the playoff atmosphere in each respective barn play a factor in this series after both teams have surged to the Conference Finals?
Anthony (Flyers): Indeed, home ice has been more of a disadvantage to most clubs this post-season. Especially those who have been eliminated. However, these are two different cities. Both clubs, in my opinion, have two of the most passionate fan bases in all of sports. Both crowds will also turn on their teams in the blink of an eye. To me, I think the home ice atmosphere is going to play a huge role no matter which building it is in due to the turning factor. We have witnessed it many times this season and do not expect it to be any different now that it is the Conference finals. For that reason alone, it is likely to be even more drastic.
Amanda (Habs): I don’t really think that the atmosphere in the arenas will play a significant role in this round. While the Bell Centre is known to be one of the louder arenas, I think the Flyers know what to expect and will be ready for it. Wachovia Centre is a bit different atmosphere but again, the Habs will have an idea going in. I feel like location won’t be such a big deal.
2. While goaltending is always a big story in the postseason, this year proves to be an even bigger highlight. To call Halak anything less than elite in this postseason would be doing him a disservice. The Flyers have had their share of goaltending issues all season long, and with Boucher suffering an injury in Game 5 against the Bruins, Leighton stepped in and backboned the team to a comeback in Game 7 that was seemingly impossible. Is there a bigger story to look for in this series, or do you feel like the answer lies in net for your team?
Anthony (Flyers): For the Flyers, I believe it is more about the entire team as a whole. Michael Leighton looked a lot like what he was expected to look like during the first period in game seven. After the first period, he only had to face 11 shots combined through the final forty minutes of play. However, to give credit where credit is due, he did step in after missing significant time in the middle of a crucial playoff game and preserved his clubs victory. Two nights later, he played very well and did the same thing. Game seven was slightly different but I think that, again, for the Flyers it’s more about the team than it is the goaltender. This team was built for the playoffs, even with some important names missing from the line up, they have been as relentless as Montreal has been. Montreal can NOT be taken lightly and Jaroslav Halak will be the key for the Canadiens in this series. More so as opposed to Leighton being the key for Philadelphia. If the style of hockey the Flyers play actually wears into the Canadiens, that will prove to be the upper hand in this series. The Flyers are a very physical club with a lot of size where the Canadiens are small and speedy. If Montreal uses the speed to their advantage, it could very well spell the end of the historic run the Flyers have been on thus far.
Amanda (Habs): I think that Halak is going to face a bigger challenge this round, being run in the crease and also the Flyers will likely have a bigger net presence in general. Halak will need to try to maintain puck control and not give up as many rebounds, and his defence corps will need to keep bodies away from the front of the net as much as possible to reduce second and third chances. If the Habs can keep the play to the outside, they might surprise the Flyers.
3. Cammalleri has scored more goals in the postseason than any other player in the league with 12 tallies. Simon Gagne seems to be the clutch player the Flyers have been looking for since returning from injury. Does your team have an answer for these opposing players and what will it take to shut them down?
Anthony (Flyers): Nine words: Chris Pronger, Kimmon Timonen, Braydon Coburn and Matt Carle.
The Flyers need to play exactly how they played in the final forty minutes of game seven and much of games five and six. If they can repeat those performances, it will be very tough for the smaller Habs team to generate offense. Not to take anything away from Montreal, who have blocked a lot of shots in this post-season, their defense is not as strong as the defense in both New Jersey and Boston. Halak will be relied upon as much in this series as he has been throughout the entire playoffs thus far.
The top four defensemen on this Flyers club need to control the tempo, slow the game, clear out the garbage in front of the net, and do all the little things in front of Leighton. Make sure to cut down passing lanes and shooting lanes, and make sure that Leighton can see the shots coming in his direction. The Bruins, in game seven, scored two goals of perfectly timed and placed shots and through a partial screen. So the defense, as well as the two-way play of the forwards will have to be at it’s best.
Amanda (Habs): The answer to this is easy. The Habs managed to shut down Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom, Crosby, Malkin…. they can contain a player if they need to. Simon Gagne will certainly be a target for their blanket defence, which may frustrate him just enough to stifle him.
4. Who is the dark horse on your team and what do they bring to this series that will surprise us?
Anthony (Flyers): James van Reimsdyk. The recently turned 21 year old could not have picked a better time to have the best game of his young playoff career. Of course, a lucky bounce and break helped credit JVR with the goal that turned the tides for Philadelphia, but his entire game in total stepped up during the historic game seven.
There are a few names who have really turned up the jets during these playoffs but with Jeff Carter out indefinitely, someone has to be there to score. Again, a team that needs the entire team to contribute has gotten just that but if one name truly comes to mind that is a dark horse it is James van Remisdyk.
Amanda (Habs): This question made me laugh a little bit for a couple of reasons. First, the blatantly inappropriate answer is PK Subban. He may have just turned 21, but he’s proving to be one of the best defencemen on this team. I’m not sure he’s going to be considered much of a surprise at this point though. The second reason is that this question is really hard to answer for the Habs. So many players have stepped up in different situations that it’s hard to predict. Who would have thought that Maxim Lapierre would have a History Will Be Made commercial? That Tom Pyatt would be contributing as much as he has? That the Habs would find secondary scoring from unexpected places? It seems like no one has figured out how to completely shut down this team, and I hope it keeps going.
5. Will Pronger Physics really matter against the shortest team in the league?
Anthony (Flyers): Well, not just Pronger but Coburn as well. They need to utilize their size and their grit, especially with the smaller Montreal team as the opponent. The speed and size, again, that Montreal has can actually play as a factor. It’s not easy to catch and hit the smaller skaters and it is why we see more smaller players in the league today. Speed has taken over the game and this can potentially be a huge advantage for Montreal. So I do feel that Pronger must use his size and his grit as well as the entire Flyers team. If they are to come out as the Eastern Conference champions, they must use their size and their meanness to their advantage.
Amanda (Habs): Pronger’s elbow is roughly at head height for more than one of the Habs speedy forwards. Will this make a difference? Maybe, maybe not. Given the way that the officiating has been going (random and unpredictable at best), I can’t even begin to predict this.
6. The Kaiser Chiefs predict a riot! Who has the biggest riot at the end of this series?
Anthony (Flyers): Montreal. Going to be a tough year for the city of Montreal to attract tourists as they will likely have to go through somewhat of an overhaul on the city by the time this series is done. One way or another, as unfortunate as it is, Montreal has some wild fans and the city only has one major sports team which also plays a huge role into something of this nature. If they had other teams to fall back on, maybe they would not be so crazy in their tactics.
Their history is amazing and I personally remember witnessing some amazing games at the Montreal Forum, and I respect the team for all they mean to the sport we love. However, it is simply unfortunate that the city itself takes it to another level. So, the Montreal law will be earning their money with this series. To think neither team is supposed to be where they are right now only makes it that much more vital. Win or lose, Montreal will be as bright as the Sun on an August day in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Amanda (Habs): Well, let’s be honest. Things get a bit crazy in Montreal whether the team wins or loses. But it isn’t the FANS that are rioting, it’s a bunch of hooligans taking advantage of the crowd to misbehave. If the Habs lose, I think things will be worse in Montreal than if they win. But regardless, there will probably still be little dirtbags taking advantage of the anonymity of the crowd to cause trouble.
7. Fearless Prediction: Who advances to the Stanley Cup Finals and why?
Anthony (Flyers): Montreal. There is one common trend that comes out of every single playoffs: hot goaltending. Right now, the Montreal Canadiens have the best goalie in hockey playing the best hockey of his career.
Amanda (Habs): I have to keep the faith. This series is going to be completely different than the last two, but the Canadiens have what it takes to proceed to the Stanley Cup Final if they make the adjustments they need to. They have the heart, the will and the compete to do it. This is a team, in a way that few others have ever been. They are playing for each other, they want to do it not just for the individual glory but for every other man on the team. Nothing could make me prouder than to see the way this team has come together as a unit.
