Bruins Series Game 1 Review

There's not too many ways to sugarcoat 7 goals against.  The Bruins were just better prepared.  More energy, more resolve, and seemingly a better gameplan.

Although Boucher got pulled again, you can't really blame him.  He wasn't beaten cleanly on any of the goals, and all the goals were rebounds and/or deflections.  Honestly it reminded me a lot of last years series when the Bruins went ahead 3-0, scoring "dirty" goals and seemingly getting all the bounces.  The difference today was that once the Bruins went ahead, the Flyers fell apart.

I expect Boucher will be back in for game 2.

Also the Flyers power play had a chance to keep it close, but looked pretty bad.

Either way, the Flyers really have to tighten up down low.  The Bruins forwards were getting position on them all day, leading to all those deflection and rebound opportunities.  There won't be as many opportunities to come back against the Bruins as there were against the Sabres, so Monday will fell a bit like do or die.

Round 2 Cometh

First some quick picks;
-Vancouver in 6.  I think Vancouver showed themselves to be the team to beat in the regular season.  #1 in goals, #1 in goals against, #1 powerplay, #2 penalty kill.  Vezina candidate in net.  Nashville can't match up with that and Vancouver will relax a little after barely beating Chicago.

-Detroit in 7.  It's perennial winner Detroit versus perennial playoff loser San Jose.  I don't see the need to make it much more complicated.

-Washington in 5.  Tampa did well to come back from 3-1,  but Washington is much more dangerous than Pittsburgh minus Malkin and Crosby.  Washington seems to be figuring out this playoff thing too.

Flyers v Boston
This is definitely the hardest series to pick.  The teams are relatively even, though I think the Flyers can raise their game to a level that no team in the east can match.  The Flyers showed a resemblance to that team in game 7 versus Buffalo, but who knows against Boston.

The Flyers mostly imposed their will on Buffalo defense, and the series was kept close due to 2 Miller shutouts and awful Flyers goaltending.  A repeat of that goaltending and Boston will win relatively easily.  Also the Bruins' defense is much stronger than Buffalo's so the Flyers won't be able to forecheck at will.  I will predict however, that Pronger plays more and more, and the Flyers PP continues its momentum from the end of the Buffalo series.

Another thing to watch for is Carter.  Carter left game 4 (April 20) with a knee injury.  The Flyers have said nothing about his status, but a report that he suffered a MCL sprain and is out 10-14 days sounded plausible so I'll run with that.  Game one of the Boston series would mark 10 days from the injury, but I don't think Carter has practiced yet.  I think there's a good chance Carter could return for game 3 (14 days) or game 4 (16 days) though.

It's impossible to predict how the Flyers goaltending will perform, but I am going to be an optimist and say that it won't shoot them in the foot, and the Flyers will perform near their game 7 against Buffalo level.

At the end of the season the Flyers kept saying they have been waiting all season for the playoffs start.  Well here they are in round 2, looking to build some momentum.  Pronger is back, goaltending is settled--time to see if there was something behind all that talk because this is it.

Flyers in 7.

Buffalo Series Game 7 Review

Last night showed, that when you strip away all the nonsense about Pronger injuries and shocking goaltending, the Flyers are a much better team than the Sabres.  The Flyers jumped all over the Sabres, who almost survived until Miller let in an awful goal.  I guess that would make terrible goals allowed ~9-1 this series?

Outside of Game 1, in which I thought the Sabres did very well to keep the Flyers out of dangerous scoring areas, the Sabres haven't been able to slow down the Flyers attack.  This series went seven games based another shutout win on the back of Miller, and the worst goaltending you will see this time of year.

The one other big difference last night was blocked shots.  I don't have the statistics, but through the first 25 minutes of the game the Flyers blocked a ton of shots, protecting Boucher.  That is the kind of effort they will have to replicate against stronger competition.

Observations and other deep thoughts:

-I've ragged on Coburn a bit, but when push comes to shove he's a trusted defensemen.  He covered a lot of ground in game 6, and has one of the best all-around games among the flyers defensemen.

-Good first period from Richards, driving the net.  Skated less as the game went on.  I still say something is up with him physically, but he will battle and hopefully get healthier.

-Encouraging to see Pronger play meaningful minutes, though the fact the Flyers still dressed Syrvet (only to play 19 seconds) means they're keeping an eye on his still-mending health.  And did I see a note that Pronger went up the tunnel with <1 minute left in the game, and thus missed the handshake?  Not sure on that one, but would be kind of bush league if that's what happened.

-One more goal each for JVR and Briere.  

-Zherdev is trying, but you can tell the way he kind of haphazardly throws himself he has no idea how to throw a check.  Either way, earning his keep in the lineup and at this rate he'll bag a goal or two.

-No, I did not think the Flyers were going to get their first SO last night, even when it was 4-0 in the 3rd.

-I thought the Flyers power play hit a turning point in game 5, and last night took another step, as the Flyers power play looked like a real threat.  Pronger helps, but I also like moving Richards back and JVR to the front.

-Felt like "old' times with the Leino-Briere-Hartnell line, pinning the Sabres in their own end on many shifts.

-Leighton has fallen off the face of the earth apparently, and there was even a rumor (which Holmgren denied--big surprise) that Leighton had gone AWOL from the team after being pulled from game 6.  Not much makes sense to me.  Leighton has been a good a soldier, so I don't see why he would bolt after being rightfully pulled from game 6.  On the other hand, the Flyers handling on Leighton has been strange, sending to the minors for all those months, recalling him but not playing him in the regular season, then giving him a playoff start, then being the number 4 goalie the next day?  It's all hard to make sense of.  Either way, his chances of returning to the net these playoffs are basically zero, and we'll leave it at that.

Buffalo Series Game 6 Review

For the 3rd time in 6 playoff games (and 4th in 7 overall), the Flyers' starting goalie turned in an embarrassing performance.  Miraculously, the Flyers are 3-1 in those games, and 1-2 in games where they get decent goaltending.  Go figure.  This team's ability to come back from any score is nothing short of remarkable.

Either way, the Flyers skaters are beginning to resemble the team that was tops of the NHL in January.  Clearly they aren't playing their best, but they look somewhat recognizable to that January team, and their quality over the Sabres is beginning to show.  It's kind of unfair to judge when the Flyers are always chasing the game after an early deficit, but if you put an average goaltender in net for each team last night and didn't change anything else, that game would've been 5-0 Flyers by the midway point.

To their credit however, after being gifted goals, the Sabres usually can put together 5 or 10 minutes of solid play once the Flyers have arduously climbed back to tie the score.  With the Flyers goaltending this series, 10 minutes of solid play often equals 2 goals.

For all the crap the Flyers have been through, the series in their hands.  Game 7, at home, and no arguments about who should be in net.  I am under no delusions about Boucher---he is a career backup NHL goalie who runs very hot and very cold.  Still, I think it is pretty well settled that this is best the Flyers can do in net this year, and this is their team, for better or worse.

I'll be there tomorrow, and I am very optimistic of Flyers victory.

Comments and other deep thoughts:
-Pronger only played 4:33, all on the PP.  It's an awkward arrangement, considering all anyone has been talking about how his bad hand would limit his ability to shoot, yet there he was on the point on the power play.  Clearly the team was more concerned about his hand holding up in all the physical battles of actually defending in 5-on-5 play, yet they put him in front of the net to jostle of the 5-on-3 PP.  I'll have to keep an eye on twitter today to see how Pronger practices today.  (Bear in mind that, reportedly, Pronger was very angry the day before game 6, and wouldn't even talk to his teammates, which they took as a sign he wouldn't play at all)

-So I slightly jumped the gun on Richards, saying it was time to stop hoping he would miraculously look like the Richards of previous years.  He played his best game of the series last night, being in the thick of things where he is most effective.  His skills aren't high-end enough to drift around the outside and have a big impact (few guys' are).

-The Sabres are saying Richards got away with "mass murder" by boarding Connolly, and Ruff says he should be suspended.  Let me translate that for you: "Please suspend the Flyers captain for game 7, or at least give us a borderline call or two."  I don't know, I seem to recall Ruff saying something about the Flyers whining the other day?  And generally, it's not "getting away" with anything if you are penalized on the play.  It was a clear penalty on Richards, but suspension?  Give me a break.

-Briere, 5 goals in 6 games.  Enough said.  Briere's and JVR's performances this series are beyond reproach.

Buffalo Series Game 5

Okay, I think I am sufficiently recovered to talk about the traumatic game last night.

My initial thought is that the Flyers spotted them two goals, and then Buffalo nicked a third after some questionable calls and a 4-on-3 (I thought we were done with the Flyers getting coincidental penalties when a Sabre punches them in the face and they literally turn around and don't even try to defend themselves--apparently not).  In my opinion, Buffalo did very little to earn that lead.   There's dirty goals, and there's lucky goals.  Scoring from the corner and behind the net when there's no traffic or other threat for the goalie to worry about is simply luck.

It was big gut check from the Flyers though, coming out in the 2nd and scoring 2 goals while outshooting Buffalo 11-0.  Nobody question the Flyers are capable of that kind of performance, but they regularly find ways to make that irrelevant.

The Flyers will have a tough game 6 in Buffalo, but I think they are likely to win.  Buffalo hasn't exactly staked a very strong claim to this series, winning 2 1-0 games and barely eeking out a win yesterday despite essentially being gifted a 2 goal lead.  The series is there for the taking, but the margin of error for the Flyers to leak backbreaking goals is officially zero now.  These untimely goal against have been a repeated theme for them this year, whether it be goaltending or something else, but hopefully they can go 2 straight games without one.

Comments and other deep thoughts:
-Another big effort from JVR.  I don't think there's any question that he and Giroux have been the Flyers' best forwards this series.  Really encouraging stuff for JVR for this year and beyond.

-I still think Coburn is playing lousy.  Only noticeable for a few terrible turnovers a game, not doing much else.

-That was the best the Flyers PP has played in a while.  No goals, but it actually looked like a power play.  I also liked getting JVR down low on it towards the end of the game.  Putting him at the point just because he won the hardest shot contest was kind of insane, and he's ready to compete physically in there with the big boys.  I also wouldn't be surprised to see Pronger on the PP Sunday, bad hand and all.

-I'll call it Zherdev's best game as a Flyer overall, and unquestionably his best defensive effort.  If he played like that every night he'd be $4 million/year guy in the NHL, not an unclaimed waivers player.  I thought he was gonna score in OT honestly.

-Might be time to give up on Richards looking like the Richards of past years this season.  I don't know what the problem is, but he's not skating, mucking and hitting the way he has done in past playoffs, and the odds of it materializing in game 6 are slim to none.

-And of course, goaltending.  I have been harping (obsessing?) about this topic all year, but at least now I know I wasn't crazy and wasting my breath.  It would've been somewhat crazy to think that after 82 games of groping for a goalie the Flyers would sort it out in a few playoff games.

Simply put, the Flyers goalies are not giving them a chance to win.  It's fine to say you don't need a standout goalie to win in the playoffs, but you're not winning jack with Bob's game 2 performance and Boosh's last night.

Boosh had to be pulled last night, but Leighton was not confidence inspiring in relief.  I don't know who starts in game 6, but does it really matter?  None of the Flyers' goalies are good enough, though I think Leighton is the best fit stylistically for this team (mainly just being a big body in there who can block the puck).  Laviolette can play pretty much whoever he feels like in game 6 because no goalie has made a case that he deserves the start.

Buffalo Series Game 4

Buffalo came out strong, but offered little in the 2nd half of the game.  The only reason the got a shutout was Ryan Miller's big performance (this was much more a Miller-earned shutout than game 1).  All tied up, series could go either way but Flyers have to happy overall with their performances these last 3 games.  If Boucher performs like last night and everything else holds steady, the Flyers will very likely win the series.

Notes:
-Buffalo is getting away with a ton of crap after the whistle.  Nearly every time Miller freezes the puck, if a Flyers is around he gets punched or dropped, and the refs haven't called them for any of it.  The Sabres are walking a fine line, but it certainly looks to me like that is part of their intentional plan.  Pronger probably can't wait to get back in the middle of such shenanigans, as he is the king of it all.

-Speaking of Pronger, the natural assumption is the Pronger will play game 5 with the series tied, whereas he probably would've sat again if it was 3-1 Flyers.  Might not play on the PP though with his bad hand rendering him unable to shoot.

-Didn't look like much, but the fact that Carter didn't return is very bad news.  He hasn't done all that much, but he was the teams leading goal scorer and his size, speed and shot always gives the other team something to think about.

-Does anything really need to be said about Richards' 5-minute elbowing penalty?  Simply ridiculous to give a 5 minute major for that.  Compare it to Kunitz's brutal elbow the other night which was only worth 2 minutes.

I'm glad the officials feel the need to protect poor Kaleta, who is a real saint out there and would never do anything to intentionally hurt another player;

Game 3 Review

Good win for the Flyers, which gives them (a little) breathing room in the series.  Last night was unquestionably the Sabres strongest challenge to the Flyers thus far, but Boosh was there when the team needed him and the team finished the game confidently in the 3rd period.

Comments and Observations:
-Better stuff from Richards and Carter, though I would stop short of saying breakout performances.  Carter got a lucky bounce leading the first goal, but it was nice to see him rifle a shot into the corner.  He was also around the puck a lot more.  As for Richards, a less dramatic improvement.  I previously said he's not getting around the ice very well and looks to have slow feet, and I don't think it's a coincidence that on his nice assist last night he never had to move his feet.  His mobility/endurance is still something I will be keeping an eye on.

-Another great game from JVR.  Looks so much more confident and stronger on the puck.

-Pretty good effort from Zherdev.  His goal was a tap-in, but he played a good game.

-Power play still has some work to do.  1-3 looks all well-and-good, but the one goal came on a lucky bounce, not exactly reproduce-able power play execution.  So far the Flyers have been the better 5-on-5 club, with the Sabres owning special teams.  Last night the Flyers killed a big 5-on-3, and breaking even on special teams was good enough to win the game for the Flyers.

-Very good game from Boucher.  He was 'quiet' in the crease, which is a key for him in my opinion.  He misplayed the Sabres second goal, but was strong overall in a game where the Sabres actually generated some consistent pressure for the first time this series.  Also, throwing off his loose mask on the 5-on-3 was a sneaky play.

-Coburn is making some bad turnovers in his own end.  He can play better.

Game 2 Review

A wild game yesterday, with the Flyers coming out on the right side in the end. Hard to read too much into a game like yesterday with the first period being all over the place, and the rest of the game being a never ending stream of powerplays. Still, I thought it was a better effort from the Flyers. In my opinion, Miller did not play appreciably worse than game 1, where so many wanted to say he stole the game with 35 saves, yet the Flyers hit 5 goals and it wasn't just a lucky afternoon.

Comments;

Goaltending

The obvious question, though I don't think it's really a question anymore; Bobrovsky cannot start game 3.

Okay, I admit I'm a little biased. About a month ago I decided I would go with Boucher for the playoffs. Recent events have made Boucher the obvious choice for game 3, and I just can't see how starting Bobrovsky for game 3 is a defensible position.

Subjectively, Bobrovsky still has some obvious flaws in his game that he hasn't been able to meaningfully address this season. Foremost among them is discomfort with the puck around the net and goalline, and getting small on long shots (I've been beating these horses for a while). Those traits were on full display on the goals 2 and 3 yesterday respectively. Goal 2 in particular was badly misplayed by Bobrovsky, flailing in the crease instead of simply holding the post. Now the Flyers weren't exactly on lockdown for any of the three goals, but Bobrovsky looked completely out of sorts on all of them, and flopping around like a fish on the first goal which is something new for him. Right now, Bobrovsky has lost his way.

Objectively, the numbers are stunning. Bobrovsky has started 7 consecutive games, and has won zero with a .889 save percentage. Let me say that again--DURING THE MOST IMPORTANT STRETCH OF THE SEASON, BOBROVSKY HAS STARTED 7 CONSECUTIVE GAMES AND WON NONE. Even more distressing, in each of the two virtual must-win games for the Flyers (finale versus Islanders and game 2 against Sabres) Bobrovsky was pulled 12 minutes into the game after giving up 3 goals and looking lost. It is somewhat miraculous that Boucher has come into both of those and gotten the win.

I can't blame Laviolette for picking his guy and giving him the keys to the team. However Bobrovsky is not winning and is losing his way. In picking the Sabres to win the series in 7, I stated that I did not think Bob was capable of carrying the load, and worried that by the time Laviolette was ready to take him out, it would be too late.

Well, here is the moment of truth. Bobrovsky may have proven to be level-headed and resilient this season, but this is not just a matter of Bobrovsky bouncing back after a bad game. Bobrovsky is struggling badly and has been disastrous in 2 of his last 3 outings, yet the series is still 1-1. What will Laviolette do? For me the choice is easy. Granted, other writers are making the argument he should stay in, so who knows what will happen. I do have to say though, I find many those arguments completely misguided and unconvincing.

Richards

I'm beginning to think Richards is either sick, injured, or out-of-shape. He can't keep up with the pace of his teammates right now, and is constantly a step slow. He's not been much of a factor thus far.

Carter

Not much better than Richards, though showing less obvious signs of ailing. Just been a nonfactor, plain and simple.

JVR

Arguably the Flyers best forward thus far. He's made real nice strides this season, though maybe not the giant leap Giroux made last year in the playoffs.

Giroux

Speaking of Giroux, he has undoubtedly established himself as the offensive leader of this team. He even had the two biggest hits of the game for the Flyers last night. During the broadcast, the announcers said that, when asked who was the most competitive guy on the team, Briere answered Giroux. It's showing.

Versteeg

I haven't been impressed with Versteeg overall, but he was better last night.

Power play

Still awful. Thankfully the Flyers got one powerplay goal, but they were still 1-10 overall, including two embarrassing lengthy 5-on-3s. I think if the Flyers blew all those second period PPs and didn't score on any of them, they probably would've lost the game yesterday. Maybe getting Pronger back would help?

Pronger

Looks like Pronger won't be back for game 3, and who knows beyond? Even when he does come back, will he be as dangerous on the PP with his bad hand affecting his shot? Tomorrow will be 2.5 weeks since his "setback". Was his setbreak re-breaking his hand? Considering that he's still not shooting on it, yet was shooting on it 9 days after surgery last month, I think that's a real possibility.

Game 1 Review

I didn't have a good feeling about this series, and the Flyers did nothing for me tonight to change any of those worries.

Yes, the Flyers held a clear territorial edge in the play, had 35 shots, and probably outchanced Buffalo about 2-1. Much of the post-game talk was Miller, and Richards said if they continue to play like that, they'll have success.

I disagree. How many times did the Flyers get a great look where you get on the edge of your seat? Damn few. The only decent chances they had were jam plays where you hope somebody pokes the puck in the net when the goalie is down. Miller was solid but didn't do much of note.

This team is still afflicted with stop-and-pass syndrome. I lost count of all the times where the Flyers had odd-man numbers on a rush or around the goal and the puck carrier just stops skating, drifts and throws a hopeful pass into the slot which bounces away harmlessly. It's like the Flyers are afraid to carry the puck to the net or shoot from anywhere but the slot (a play which Buffalo took away). Briere and Meszaros are the only guys willing to shoot. This is the way they've been playing the last month, and it's doubtful it will change now. Carry the puck towards the net aggressively and force the issue!! Coasting and passing to the slot every time is predictable and easy to defend. I don't expect the Flyers to score many goals this series.

Other individual thoughts:

The good

-Real good game for JVR. Probably the Flyers best forward tonight.

-Good first period from Leino, and he created several chances overall.

-Can't fault Briere for anything tonight. He probably had the most hits of any Flyer.

-Bobrovsky gets a pass tonight. Was pretty good in the limited chances he faced, though he gave up a poor rebound that led to the only goal.

The not-so good

-Versteeg is really doing absolutely nothing for me (which has been the case since he arrived)

-Carter did nothing with the puck. He had a few scoring chances, but those came from hanging out away from the puck where Giroux and JVR set him up with their hard work.

-Good to see Richards come out with fire, but he did nothing this game and spent more time yelling at the refs than anything else. Same anonymous play as stretches of the regular season for him this year.

-The PP looked totally hopeless, not that there could've been any reasonable expectation of flipping the switch on that.

-Giroux is trying, but is out of sorts right now. Stickhandling 1-on-4 during the last PP?

My standing prediction was Buffalo in 7. 6 games is looking more likely.

GO TIME

The time has come. Will the Flyers "wake up" or "flip the switch"?

I have my doubts. It's not just a matte of desire. Your powerplay doesn't get more organized overnight. Bobrovsky's not going to make strides in his overall game this week that he hasn't been able to make in the last 7 months.

On paper, there is no doubt in my mind the Flyers are clearly superior. But Pronger looks to miss at least one game, Richards is sick, and who knows what else is going on. I think for me it's going to come down to 2 things; 1) the Flyers goaltending, 2) and the Flyers skating.

The Flyers quality of play is no longer superior enough such that they can withstand a bad goal or two and win. There won't be much margin of error for Bobrovsky, and I suspect if Bob struggles, by the time Laviolette gives up on him and brings in Boucher or Leighton it will be too late.

As for skaters, I want to see the Flyers drive their legs with the puck. The Flyers have become masters of the pull-up and stop play, looking for the pass. It's one thing for a guy like Leino who's game is based on that, but most players on the Flyers roster are far more effective when the legs are churning and they're going to the net. Hesitation and coasting will kill the Flyers in this series.

This could go either way, but right now I have to say the Sabres in 7.

Let's go Flyers, prove me wrong!!

East Playoff Picks

I'm not going to venture guesses as to the West, but here's the East. Book it.

First, a look at adjusted standings. These standings are re-done to simply call it a tie and award one point after the end of regulation, the logic being that aptitude to win 4v4 OTs or SOs is of no value in the playoffs. Here's the results;

Bruins - 100 points

Flyers - 100 points

Caps - 93 points

Penguins - 91 points

Lightning - 89 points

Habs - 88 points

Rangers - 81 points

Sabres - 81 points

Big hits for the Caps, Pens and Sabres, who are masters of the bonus points.

Caps v NY - The Caps are tough to nail down this year--down year for them and Ovechkin, or adjusting their style? I think in the end the Caps will prove too much for Rangers, and Ovechkin will turn it up. I also like what I see from Neuvirth. Caps in 6.

Flyers v Sabres - Tomorrow. ;)

Bruins v Habs - I see the Bruins sticking it to Habs physically. Tim Thomas has been unreal this year, and the Bruins attack style is unspectacular but consistent. Bruins in 5.

Pens v Lightning - The Lightning are a bit of wild card in my opinion, but I think in the end they have enough to overcome the Penguins. Without Malkin and Crosby, the Pens offense is very weak, and they went into the playoffs winning a bunch of low scoring games, often in extra time. I don't think that's a formula for success when the stakes are raised.

Not Good News on Pronger

There have been some rumors floating around about Pronger not being ready for the start of the playoffs, but I wasn't sure what to make of them and chose to be optimistic.

Given that Pronger is not practicing today, and that the Flyers put Matt Walker on re-entry waivers today, maybe the word that game 5 or game 6 is a "optimistic" return date is accurate.

Let's recap this mess;

-March 10, Pronger misses game with "upper body injury"

-March 12, Pronger gets wrist brace, then cast. Sits in press box with Homer for first time ever (according to Panaccio). Homer says he is day-to-day.

-March 14, Pronger doesn't shoot in practice.

-March 15, surgery, goes well, out 3-4 weeks.

-March 17, Pronger says he feels better, wants to get in a few games before playoffs (which start April 14)

-March 21, Pronger practices, no passing or shooting.

-March 23, Pronger in yellow caution jersey at practice

-March 24, Pronger "taking hard shots", 9 days after surgery.

-March 25, Pronger admits "overdoing with shots this week," has some pain.

-March 31, "setback", doubtful for regular season games.

-April 7, teammates says they expect him to be ready for playoffs.

It's hard to know what happened between March 25 and March 31, but taking slapshots on a broken hand less than 1.5 weeks into a 3-4 week recovery period was incredibly stupid. Is there anything more stressful on a broken hand than slapshots? If he misses playoff time (which is looking likely), the Flyers only have themselves to blame for being stupid.

Division Clinched

It was by the skin of their teeth, but the Flyers clinched the division for the first time in 6 years last night.

A playoff atmosphere at the arena last night and a perfect start before the Flyers found themselves down 4-3. I guess the Flyers should just take the win and move on. Very fitting however, that the line of Leino-Briere-Hartnell plus 4 points from Andrei Meszaros carried the day. Those are the guys that have been there doing it all regular season, and it wasn't Richards or Carter or came through with the big plays when the team needed them today.

So now that the Flyers are in the playoffs, the Flyers have about 4 days to answer some questions.

The issues;

-Zherdev. This one's pretty easy--he stays in the lineup. As long as he's not hurting the team with turnovers or bad penalties or the like, the team could use his stick skills and shooting.

-Briere. Seems to be healthy. Thank god.

-Richards & Carter. No injuries this year, time for Carter to be a go-to scorer in the playoffs. It hasn't been a terribly impressive regular season for Richards, but he should turn it up in the playoffs.

-Pronger. No way to really know what's going on with his injury, but I'd very surprised if he doesn't play in game 1 of the playoffs (with significant minutes).

-Power play. Still looking pretty scattershot.

-Goalies. Alas, the million dollar question, as it has been all season.

So, Goalies

All the indications the past few weeks were that Bobrovsky was Laviolette's guy, and he confirmed as much this week. A while back I decided that my preference was Boucher.

I see Bobrovsky and I see a goalie who hasn't figured it out yet. Regardless of what he is capable of long term, right now I see 3 major holes; 1) gets small and scrunchy on long shots, 2) has developed a disturbing tendency to have a gaping five hole when moving laterally on breakaways, and most importantly, 3) still loses track of the puck often and is caught unaware with traffic and when the puck is jammed in around the crease. The way he was pulled yesterday was very ugly for a goalie who is supposed to carry the load in the playoffs. Honestly, it reminds me of 1997, when in the final game of the season, Hextall was pulled after giving up 4 goals, and the team rallied behind Snow paving the way for Snow in the playoffs.

Given my lack of faith in Bobrovsky, is Boucher any better? Maybe, maybe not. I think if Boucher can stay 'quiet' in the crease, he's the better option. He's not really much more than a mediocre NHL goalie, but he should be mostly reliable.

Honestly I kind of wish Leighton had gotten a game, but I suppose Laviolette was trying to give the keys to his guy, and the Flyers had no breathing room to give Leighton a trial game anyway. Truthfully Leighton is just another not-quite-good-enough goalie on the Flyers payroll, but I do think his play the last few months of last season was better than what Boucher and Bobrovsky are providing right now.

Also, for anyone keeping score, Ray Emery was called up by the Ducks last month and finished the season 7-2 with a 926 save percentage. So much for the Emery as a low-risk high-reward signing, but it's hard to blame the Flyers for not carrying 4 NHL goalies in their ranks.

No matter who's in net, the Flyers inability to lock it down (read, the only NHL team without a shutout this year), is likely going to be their doom this year.

Crunch Time

The playoff nominally start in approximately 7 days, but the Flyers may as well already be in the playoffs with their slim 1 point lead on the Pens. Time to get stuff in order, period.

First, after Leighton cleared waivers yesterday, Laviolette took the unusual step (for him) to announce Bobrovsky was starting tonight and will start in the playoffs. Not surprising that Bob is the guy, but Holmgren said he wanted Leighton to play Friday or Saturday, which may not happen now. As I said yesterday, it seems odd to me that the Flyers would expose Leighton to waivers now for him to be an undressed 3rd goalie. Or maybe they had to do it now? Goaltending hasn't really been the problem, but I wouldn't rule out doing something drastic to shake things up if the Flyers continue to slowly sink.

Second, Holmgren apparently laid down law on the team in a private meeting. Per Tim Panaccio:

tpanotch Tim Panaccio

Hartnell: “Paul Holmgren can be a scary guy,” said Scott Hartnell. “Especially, when he gives you that look.”

tpanotch Tim Panaccio

Peter Laviolette thought Holmgren's message/address to the team was constructive and well-received

tpanotch Tim Panaccio

Flyers say GM HOLMGREN address to them yesterday was a bit scary. Intimidating ...some said

LOL. It's not as simple as yelling and deciding to play harder all of a sudden, but I don't think it could hurt.

Third, there are the injuries. Briere partially practiced yesterday, though his status for tonight is unclear. No signs of Pronger, but you have to think he'll be ready for actual playoff games. Betts is also out.

The time for excuses is over. Time for Richards to get in playoff form. Carter needs to prove he can score in the playoffs. Versteeg needs to find his niche on this team. Can JVR be more of a factor this year?

Leighton!!

Actual news! The Flyers called up Michael Leighton today.

Leighton will have to clear re-entry waivers to re-join the team. The basic facts regarding the Leighton situation:

-He is due to earn $1.6 million next year, and under the terms of re-entry waivers, any team that claims him is only on the hook for half his salary ($800k).

-Any team that claims Leighton cannot play him this season or playoffs however.

-If Leighton is claimed, the Flyers will carry half of his salary on their cap next year ($800k).

So will he be claimed? Leighton cleared waivers a few months ago to get down to the minors, but things have changed since then;

-Leighton's health was still a little unclear at the time

-Any team claiming Leighton would have been claiming him at a salary of $1.6 million, not $800k.

-Leighton has been playing pretty well in the AHL (2 straight shutouts, 8-2 in last 10 games for a terrible team).

-Teams have no need to add a third goalie midseason, but might be looking for a bargain backup for next season.

So what's the end result? Darren Dreger says:

The Flyers have lived without Leighton all season, at half price, based on feedback around the NHL, he's likely getting claimed on re-entry.

I'll just say it's a 50/50 shot he gets claimed. If he is not claimed, Holmgren says he will play this weekend.

The last question is, why now? One game from Leighton is not going to change Bobrovsky's hold on the starting job for the playoffs. Maybe if they had called up Leighton 6 weeks ago he could've stolen the job, but Bobrovsky has been pretty good recently. I guess if I were Brian Boucher I would not be feeling the love right now--it doesn't make sense for the Flyers to expose Leighton to waivers and an empty cap-hit for next season for him to be a third goalie who doesn't dress for games.

Of course the other issue is that the Flyers are in freefall, so it may not matter who's in net. Last night's 5-2 loss to one of the worst teams in the league with crucial points on the line was pathetic. The Flyers look like they've forgotten how to play hockey. I wouldn't simply say it's just plain lack of effort, but they seem to lack purpose and clarity in their play.

It's always been the case with guys like Richards and Pronger that their season is basically going to be judged on their playoff performance, but it's looking like it will be too much to ask to expect a meaningful sudden turnaround for this team before the playoffs start next week.

Be Afraid

I've been pretty busy recently, and there's no reason to beat a dead horse. This team is stumbling badly and are in imminent danger of dropping several spots for playoff standings.

A bad finish is by no means a guarantee of playoff failure (and vice versa), but the Flyers' play recently is very worrying. A month ago the Flyers looked like the class of the east, with the only real concerns for the playoffs being a disappointing power play and question marks in net.

Now the power play is downright awful and the team can't get a result, even when the goalies play well. Briere also has a sore groin, and those types of problems tend to linger for a while. This team is ripe for a first round exit at this rate.

Shootouts

The Flyers have also played a bunch of shootouts recently, losing all but one. Every Flyers fan knows they are bad at these, but just how bad?

3/17 v Atlanta - Boucher, 1-3

3/19 v Dallas - Bobrovsky, 5-6

3/22 v Washington - Boucher, 0-3 (perhaps the worst SO performance I've ever seen)

3/24 v Pittsburgh - Bobrovsky, 2-4

4/3 v New York - Bobrovsky, 0-2

That's a cumulative save percentage of 44.4% (8-18). Take away the Dallas game, and that percentage drops to 25%. Bear in mind that, since the shootout started, goalies make the save 67.5% of the time league-wide. The fact that the Flyers entered the playoffs last season by winning a shootout with Boucher over Henrik Lundquist is simply miraculous.