Flyers' scenarios tonight
Daily News Flyers blog
Flyers' scenarios tonight
Wednesday night’s lone Game 7 was a dramatic tease for the Flyers, who are salivating to learn their next opponent for the second round.
Washington’s surprising overtime road win, knocking off the defending Stanley Cup champs in Boston, gave the Flyers two valuable pieces of information:
1. Boston is no longer a possible opponent. (Duh)
-and-
2. The Flyers cannot face the New York Rangers in the second round, even if they beat the Senators in Game 7 on Thursday night.
After breathing a small sigh of relief, not having to face the team they've lost 8 straight games to over the last two seasons until at least the Conference Final, there are still vast possibilities.
Even with one out of three Game 7’s in the books, the Flyers can still face four different opponents in the second round – and the earliest they will know their fate is 11 o’clock on Thursday night.
Only one scenario, in Florida, would require the Flyers to open on the road over the weekend. Amazingly, the Flyers – as a No. 5 seed - would host any of the other three remaining teams.
Here are the scenarios to watch:
If NYR & FLA win – Flyers face Florida (5 vs. 3)
If NYR & NJD win – Flyers face New Jersey (5 vs. 6)
If OTT & FLA win – Flyers face Washington (5 vs. 7)
If OTT & NJD win – Flyers face Ottawa (5 vs. 8)
If both the Devils and Senators win, the Flyers would have home-ice advantage in each of the next two rounds.
For the record, if the two favorites (Rangers -170, Devils -120) are to win, the Flyers would face the Devils in the second round. New Jersey finally broke a five-game losing streak when facing elimination on Tuesday night. Florida is the home underdog for Game 7.
Here are the game times:
Ottawa at N.Y. Rangers – 7:00 p.m. – Madison Square Garden – NBC Sports Network
New Jersey at Florida – 8:30 p.m. – Bank Atlantic Center – NHL Network, joined in-progress on NBC Sports Nework
For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @DNFlyers
- False. 2 years ago (2010) the #4 Penguins beat the #5 Senators in the first round, while seeds 1,2, and 3 lost (Unless the question was meant to say "has there ever been a year where a top 4 seed in a conference hasn't made it to the Cup Finals? Then you are right).
— PhillyKid85 - Caps remind me of the Flyers from 2010...they are very dangerous...and a matchup against NJ, FLA or OTT would be our best case scenario.— otown philly fan
- You guys are being knock-kneed. As long as we play the way we did in the last series (albeit a little more defensively) it doesn't matter who we play. From the Rump Rangers on down, we have nothing to fear. I'm not bragging or over estimating either. Fly guys are playing like Hell on skates, and as long as they do that, we will beat anyone. I say the tougher the opponent the harder they fall.
They need to sweat playing us.— WestonF01 - I hope it's the Caps so Couturier can shut down Ovechkin.— ej610
- quote of the day from RGIII, "don't dream the dream, live it. This is for you kids out there." Let's go Flyers..Forecheck, Forecheck Forecheck! Dumb the torpedos! Play smart for the kids and no retaliation penalties~ I,d like to be under the sea in an octopusses garden, in the spring.— AerielPhenom
- quote of the day from RGIII, "don't dream the dream, live it. This is for you kids out there." Let's go Flyers..Forecheck, Forecheck Forecheck! Dumb the torpedos! Play smart for the kids and no retaliation penalties~ I,d like to be under the sea in an octopusses garden, in the spring.— AerielPhenom
