Turnpike Series: Flyers-Devils
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Flyers Report: Broad Street Bull
Turnpike Series: Flyers-Devils
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
The Turnpike Series has been set.
The fifth-seeded Flyers finally learned their second-round opponent early Friday morning. It’s sixth-seeded New Jersey, which scored a 3-2 double-overtime win at third-seeded Florida in Game 7.
The Flyers will have home-ice advantage, and they will host Game 1 on Sunday at 3 p.m.
The Flyers went 3-3 against the Devils in the regular season, with Ilya Bryzgalov winning all three of his starts and Sergei Bobrovksy losing his three.
Bryzgalov’s numbers were off the charts: a 0.29 GAA and .987 save percentage.
The teams' big guns, Claude Giroux and the Devils’ Ilya Kovalchuk, were outstanding in the series. Giroux had four goals and three assists in the six games, and Kovalchuk had two goals and six assists.
The Devils beat the Flyers in the conference finals in 1995 and 2000, winning the Stanley Cup both years. The Flyers defeated the Devils in the first round in 2004 and 2010.
Here is a look at this season's six matchups:
- Oct. 8 in Newark - Flyers 3, Devils 0. Bryzgalov ended the Flyers’ 85-game, regular-season shutout drought, and rookie Matt Read scored his first goal.
- Nov. 3 at the WFC - Devils 4, Flyers 3 (shootout). Max Talbot scored on a penalty shot, but it wasn’t enough as Bobrovsky and the Flyers fell in a shootout. Kovalchuk had three points and won a fight with the Flyers’ Brayden Schenn.
- Jan. 21 in Newark - Flyers 4, Devils 1. Bryzgalov was forced to make just 19 saves and Wayne Simmonds collected three points in the win. On the power play, the Flyers were 2 for 5, and the Devils were 0 for 6. All the news wasn’t good: Danny Briere suffered a concussion.
- Feb. 4 at the WFC - Devils 6, Flyers 4. Bobrovsky was shelled (six goals on 23 shots) and relieved by Bryzgalov. The Devils built a 6-0 lead and held off a third-period rally.
- March 11 in Newark - Devils 4, Flyers 1. Bobrovsky was again the loser as New Jersey went 2 for 5 on the PP. Kovalchuk had a goal and two assists.
- March 13 at the WFC - Flyers 3, Devils 0. Bryzgalov, who was in the midst of the second-longest shutout streak in the NHL since 1967-68, notched his second 3-0 win over the Devils this season. Defenseman Braydon Coburn had two assists, seven hits and three blocked shots.
The playoff schedule:
Game 1: Sun. at Phila, 3 p.m.
Game 2: Tue. May 1. at Phila, 7:30 p.m.
Game 3: Thurs. May 3, at NJ, 7:30 p.m.
Game 4: Sun. May 6, at NJ, 7:30 p.m.
*Game 5: Tue. May 8, at Phila, TBA.
*Game 6: Thu. May 10, at NJ, TBA.
*Game 7: Sat. May 12, at Phila., TBA.
(* if necessary)
Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.
Devils in 7 Flyers choke— md57md- I hope your wrong ,I hope your wrong...............hmm. GO FLYERS! — chilenos
- This series will be no cakewalk for either team. The way I see it is the team that out-fore-checks the other will win this series. The Devils have one of the greatest goalies in net and that means the Flyers Goalie must wake up and fight. Again the Flyers have to take it to the Devils as they took it to the Pens in Game 6. There is no way around it, this series will be a flat-out War. Get ready for the fireworks starting in Game 1.— jpelle36
- Nothing is easy in the playoffs....that said, Flyers should win...so should have the pens and canucks according to experts...so don't get too cocky and enjoy it...We've won nothing yet.— philly thug
- I hope all these over enthusiastic knuckleheads remember that it's not over yet. Everyone just relax take a deep breath and have a chill pill and enjoy what we have won SO FAR, we are from Philadelphia, we have a history,REMEMBER?. Go Flyers— chilenos
- This is going to be a tough series - Brodeur looked like he was 10 years younger against the Panthers (I realize it Florida I'm talking about, but it is the playoffs) and if he carries that over to the Flyers series it is going to be hard fought and go at least 6 games, but I believe the overall offensive depth of the Flyers will prevail.— CTL
- glove69: You hit it. I remember watching other playoff years and thinking the Flyers seem so slow compared to the other games going on. This year WE look like the team that is playing fast and smart. I am optimistic, but think it's crazy to even mention the Cup yet, much less claim it as out own. Jersey will be harder than Pit. Let's play every game like it's game 7. Go Flyers.— LuckyDog
- I hear Volchenkov and Kovalchuk are not 100%. Good news for us.— Nitroglycerin
- It all comes down to this...
Bryzz vs. Brodeur - whoever is hotter will carry their team to the conf finals. Can you do it Bryzz?? Now is the time to step up!!— bigdaddyG - Flyers will blow past devils the Devils stink.....Brodeur a shell of his past...then its the Rangers Bryz vs Lundqvist....NOT GOOD...did you see Lundqvist the last 2 games...we dont have a goalie who can shut down a team at will like he can...Enjoy the Devs series because raelity hits after that— flyers1000
- we dodge NYR this round but it's evitiable that we meet them in semis ...— puckdaddy
- @ chilenos - bro, we get it. You want people to be cautious because nothing is settled. Do you have to attach that to every optimistic post thrown up here? I agree with you, but you made your point repeatedly. Your message is going to get lost and is getting tired. And the DN already has Marcus Hayes doing your job for you...— Doctor D
Comment removed.- No,they won't win game 1 or the series.— Eaglejay
- I want the Flyers to win, but the Devils at +150 for the series appear to be a good value bet at only one point behind in regular season standings. When is the last time a 5/6 game had a such a huge favorite?— 17MileDrive
