Daily News predicts Flyers-Canadiens
A group of Daily News writers pick the Flyers' Eastern Conference Finals series against Montreal.
Daily News predicts Flyers-Canadiens
The Flyers are halfway to the Stanley Cup. But will they beat the Canadiens and get to the Stanley Cup Finals?
Here are a few predictions from the Daily News:
FRANK SERAVALLI
As I said in a position-by-position breakdown of these two teams, I think the Flyers have the slight edge top-to-bottom. Full disclosure: I said that in both the first and second round. The Flyers clearly have more top-end talent, with Mike Richards, Danny Briere and Chris Pronger. The Conference Finals are when these types of players shine.
I do not think you can underestimate the intangibles in this series, though. No Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup since 1993, a streak that will continue if the Flyers are able to knock off the 24-time champions in Montreal. The Canadiens are carrying not just the weight of their francophone city, they are also carrying the burden of their entire country’s national pastime. The riots that have occurred in the streets there are just a small glimpse at how badly that city wants another Stanley Cup. The Canadiens will crack under pressure.
Matchup-wise, as my colleagues have duly noted below, the Canadiens will finally face a team that is willing to grind it out and play the same style that made them so successful against Washington and Pittsburgh. That gives the Flyers, who have played that way against two similar teams in the first and second rounds already, an advantage. And then, there is the mental aspect – which cannot be forgotten. It doesn’t seem like there is anything this team cannot overcome.
Flyers in 6.
RICH HOFMANN
The oddsmakers have made their first, tentative statement. Bodog.com has the Flyers as slight favorites against the Montreal Canadiens. Another site I saw has them essentially even. It seems fitting, as the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds collide.
The Canadiens have the better goaltender in Jaroslav Halak. The Flyers have the deeper, healthier defense, led by Chris Pronger. Those two strengths will wear away at each other all series long. But here is the Flyers' decisive advantage: more of a willingness to throw the puck into the offensive zone and go get it than either Washington or Pittsburgh showed against a Montreal team skilled at clogging the neutral zone and taking away a team's ability to play pretty hockey.
That hard-nosed, forechecking style will be the difference against a Montreal defense already strained by injury.
Flyers in 7.
ED BARKOWITZ
While Jaroslav Halak is being hailed as a reincarnation of Patty Roy, it should be noted that the Flyers have had some success against the Canadiens young goalie. In fact, it was the Flyers who hastened Halak's development when they chased Carey Price from the 2008 playoffs and beat Halak, a surprise mid-series substitute, in the final two games of the five-game series win. They also knocked him out of a February game, though he redeemed himself by throwing a shutout in April at the Wachovia Center.
Expect a low-scoring tight series for most of the games, though there's usually a blowout sprinkled in. Also expect a Game 7 at the Wachovia Center on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend. (Fortunately, the Phillies are at Florida that night or else traffic would be a bit of a challenge.) Danny Briere gets the game-winner that night and it takes two days to restore order on the Montreal streets.
Flyers in 7.
SAM DONNELLON
In New Jersey and Boston, the Flyers have defeated two teams with a similar m.o. to Montreal: Play defense, convert opportunities, lean on your goaltender to make the timely save and to not cough up fat rebounds.
Montreal, on the other hand, defeated two teams drastically different than Philadelphia. Right to the end, the Capitals believed they would prevail with all their offensive weapons. Until the end, so did Pittsburgh. Neither had much of a goaltending presence.
Because the Flyers have played 12 games of the kind of hockey that this series promises to be, they should have an advantage. Is it enough to overcome this postseason’s best goaltender? The bet here is that it will, barely.
Flyers in 7.
MARCUS HAYES
This was a very different Flyers team when it faced its last two opponents. It's a better team now.
It was a team that, playing without goalie savior Michael Leighton, barely qualified for the playoffs against the Devils, who proved heartless and without chemistry. It was a team that, playing without injured snipers Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne, found redemption through hustle ... and the swift , brave return of Gagne.
Now, it has Gagne, Leighton, a revived Scott Hartnell, an evilly effective Danny Briere -- who has little problem against goalie Jaroslav Halak -- and Mike Richards and Chris Pronger, perhaps playing the best of anyone in the left playoffs at their positions.
Flyers in 6.
Here are our picks for the Western Conference Final:
Frank Seravalli: San Jose in 6.
Rich Hofmann: San Jose in 7.
Ed Barkowitz: Chicago in 6.
Sam Donnellon: Chicago in 7.
Marcus Hayes: Chicago in 6.
Big surprise, all the Philadelphia-based writers pick Philly to win.
Look, I'd put the edge to Philly as well. But let us not forget that Halak is hella different now than he has been earlier in the year. And the last time we faced this team we lost 1-0. And we put more pucks on Halak in that 3rd period that it was like raining them from the sky. Halak is no joke and this team does NOT have his number yet. We're going to need to get it before this series is done.— flyler
OK, General, how does Montreal win the series? Does Halak steal 4 games? Are the Flyers exhausted? I think the Flyers have the hearts, guts and system to get the job done.— Slidewell- Just a feeling. Canadiens in 5. These Flyers seem to choke in these conference finals more often than not. Good luck though.— Dickie Thon
- General why don't you look back to past predictions....that was not the case in the previous rounds.— ant8817
- Who cares what these guys think? Marcus Hayes is a Philly team hater, I wish he would leave town ASAP. Ed Barkowitz picked the Devils to beat Flyers im first round, now he's on the Flyers bandwagon? Please we don't need you Eddie. Seeing those 10,000 fans to watch Flyers game 7 the other night made me wish that these same 10,000 could fill the lower level for a real playoff game and not the corporate types talking on cell phones, texting, and checking their the Blackberries. These are the real Flyers fans, nice going!!!— BobbyD
- Every post seems to have one misguided person who has nothing better to do with their time then waste everyone else's. As the previous post pointed out, the panel has not been quick to select the Flyers. So, General, get a life.— palm_goodness
- The Cammalleri line has not played against defensemen like ours in the playoffs. So, Halak will be a problem, but if Pronger and Co can slow down that line - where do their goals come from?— AllDawk_AllTheTime
- All the Flyers regular season underachievers are playing like stars again. Gagne, Briere, Richards. I'd rather have these guys than a John LeClair who scored 50 in the regular season and none in the playoffs.— bobbyd24
- BobbyD is right. I almost fell out of my chair when i read Marcus Hayes picked the Flyers. The guy hates philly.— phillysmith
- REAL SIMPLE GO FLYERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!— hrlevine
- Probably the kiss of death for this team is to have everyone pick them. I don't think Montreal will be intimidated. They're used to being the underdog and since they came back from a 3-1 deficit to Washington, they probably feel as though they earned their place in this game as much as the Flyers. Let's hope the hot goalie doesn't decide this, because I think theirs is hotter than ours.— kmon
- Hayes picked the Flyers? Death wish right there, Canadians win the series and Hayes comes out with a piece on how the Flyers choked.— ESFjellin
- Dickie Thon, have you taken another blow to the noggin?— wingslax35
It doesn't make any difference who picks them or who doesn't. If they play against the Canadians the same way they played the last four against the B's, the Flyers will sweep the series. If not? They could just as easily lose. In the playoffs it becomes more about who wants it more than who has the most talent.
