Rematch set with Boston; Carter should return
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Flyers Report: Broad Street Bull
Rematch set with Boston; Carter should return
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
It's on.
The Boston Bruins have been waiting nearly a year to pay back the Flyers for their humiliating collapse last season.
Now, they will get the chance, setting up The Rematch with a clutch vistory Wednesday.
Thanks to a 4-3 overtime win over visiting Montreal, Boston moves into the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Flyers. Game 1 is Saturday afternoon in Philly.
In last year's semis, of course, the Flyers overcame a three games to none deficit _ and a 3-0 deficit in Game 7 _ to shock the Bruins and reach the conference finals.
They became the third team in NHL history to win a series when down, three games to none _ and the first to do so by overcoming a 3-0 deficit in the final game.
Boston may be the only NHL team that can match the Flyers' physicality on the blue line, so this figures to be another long, grueling series.
The Bruins beat Montreal despite going 0 for 21 on the PP. They becamse the first team to ever win a seven-game series without a PP goal.
Here is the schedule:
GAME 1 – Saturday, April 30 at Philadelphia – 3:05 PM. NBC. GAME 2 – Monday, May 2 at Philadelphia – 7:35 PM. Versus. GAME 3 – Wednesday, May 4 at Boston – 7:05 PM. Versus. GAME 4 – Friday, May 6 at Boston – 8:05 PM. CSN. GAME 5 – Sunday, May 8 at Philadelphia – 3:05 PM. NBC. GAME 6 – Tuesday, May 10 at Boston – TBD, CSN. GAME 7 – Thursday, May 12 at Philadelphia – TBD, CSN.
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Forward Jeff Carter, who led the Flyers with 36 goals in the regular season but missed the last three playoff games with a knee injury, is getting closer to returning to the lineup, general manager Paul Holmgren said on Wednesday.
Holmgren said he was optimistic Carter would play in the Eastern Conference semifinals, though he wouldn’t be specific as to when he would return.
Carter injured his right knee when he collided with Buffalo’s 6-foot-8 Tyler Myers early in Game 4 of the conference quarterfinals, and reportedly suffered a severely sprained MCL. The Flyers will only call it a “lower-body injury” and say he is “day to day.”
The injury will not require surgery, Holmgren said.
Carter missed 11 playoff games last season with a broken foot.
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Boston was 3-1 agaiunst the Flyers this season, with goalie Tim Thomas leading the way with a 1.96 GAA and .942 save percentage. The Flyers' PP was 0 for 7, Boston's was 4 for 12.
BTW, Boston needed OT to win three of its games in the series against Montreal.
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Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BroadStBull.
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Take all the time off you need, the Flyers are doing just fine without you, Pronger is the one we needed back. Practice your figure skating skills till October!— knarfage- carter would crack your head open like a pistachio you dope. he's lead the team in goals the last 3 years (144 goals in the last 4 seasons, not including playoffs). and he may not be the heaviest hitter on the team, but he was 3rd on the team in +/- this year (+27). he's physical enough. most snipers aren't the big hitters. they all have their roles. learn about hockey, then come back and talk.
- Wow knarfage. I think Forrest Gump has you beat with your overall hockey IQ. These comment boards are like a box of chocolates. You never know how dumb they'll get.— Jimmy2times
- Agreed! knarfage is a dope....— SecondToNone
- Are you kiddin' me 'Boston Stangler'---Carter is 149th in the NHL in shooting percentage-----plus he is the lowest in shooting % of all goal scorers with 34 or more goals.— Romus
- Yeah, that was a pretty ridiculous comment. Even if his playoff points aren't impressing you, his regular season numbers impress the other team. Players like that who aren't scoring in the playoffs are still pulling opposing defenders off the play and opening up the ice. That's still only 10% of what Carter brings. His defense is solid.
It seems the negative commenters always have the lowest hockey IQs.— lemone - No hurry. Carter usually doesn't do much good in the playoffs anyway. Who needs him when the Flyers have Briere, Giroux and Leino?— Ruffles
- Here's hoping Carter is a Maple Leaf by August 1st and Kessel is a Flyer.— Romus
- Unless Kessel is going to dress as a goalie that move would be dumb. We need a goalie not another forward.
- Carter doesn't show up in the big games. Sure he lights it up in the regular season with goals but the fact is he goes flat in the playoffs. Fortunately we got guys like Briere and JVR who know how to step it up.— FunCakes
Comment removed.- cd1229----'who gives an ess about shooting %'---well dippy, HOW ABOUT HIS LINEMATES WHO DON'T SEE A PASS ON THIER TAPE ONE TIME DURING AN ENTIRE SHIFT! And for some math fun---Kessel does have more assists--be it two. How about another stat for you to check up on----last three years in playoffs---Flyer record with Carter playing and Flyer record without him in the lineup. Look it up. — Romus
- Comment removed.
- wow, 2 assists, romus? you've really made a great argument. how about this stat you effin moron - carter was +27 this year, kessel -20. that's a difference of 47 goals mr. math. get a clue you dope. carter would drop you in a second too, tough guy.
