Flyers want to take Bruins' chances

BOSTON - Around the TD Garden, home of the Boston Bruins, there were caution signs plastered on the walls Sunday: "Do not drink the water," they said.

For the Flyers, who will try to rebound from Saturday's 5-4 overtime loss when they face the Bruins in Game 2 Monday night, there was also a cautionary theme being spread around their locker room - and it had nothing to do with the pipe that burst and caused nearly two million Greater Boston residents to lose their supply of clean drinking water.

It had to do with limiting the Bruins' scoring chances.

After the Flyers' optional practice on Sunday, one got the impression that coach Peter Laviolette thought about taping a sign to the locker room door that read: "Do not allow many odd-man rushes." Or "Do not allow the Bruins to camp out in front of the net."

Those were two problems Saturday as the Flyers allowed 46 shots - and left goalie Brian Boucher hung out to dry in many instances.

That has to improve dramatically or the Flyers will be looking at a two-games-to-none series deficit that, while not insurmountable, would leave them gasping for air.

When they have lost the first two playoff games, the Flyers have a 2-12 series record. When they are 1-1, they are 15-15.

All of which explains why left winger Dan Carcillo called Game 2 a must win.

"When you come into their building, you need one game," Carcillo said. Monday's game "is huge. It's the biggest game of the year so far, and we have to treat it like that."

After watching video of Saturday's performance, several players said they need to be more aggressive on forechecking.

"We weren't sharp around the front of the net," Boucher said. "If they're going to get chances like that the rest of the series, they're going to be pretty successful. I mean, that's how you score goals at this time of the year, and that's the kind of goals we'd like to get - on second chances and pucks in front of the net."

The Flyers will try to spend more time in Boston's end, which they did in the second and third periods.

"We have to be on the forecheck more, and once you're on the forecheck, then you'll be banging bodies and be on the puck," Carcillo said. "I just think we're going to have to be physical the whole game."

"We have to go back to our system," said right winger Andreas Nodl, who played well in his playoff debut. "We allowed them to get three-on-two rushes, and we weren't as strong in front of our net as we used to be. We watched video today and we'll definitely be ready to go on Monday."

Laviolette said the Flyers were "on our heels a little bit too much. When you send one man in against two defensemen, then they're going to pick that guy apart. We just have to be a little bit more aggressive with it."

The opener was like two different games. Boston controlled the first period and the overtime - the Bruins had 30 of their 46 shots in 33-plus minutes - while the Flyers had the better of it in the second and third periods.

"It was a roller coaster-type game," said center Danny Briere, who thinks getting off to a quick start Monday is critical. "The first period, we just weren't getting it done. We weren't moving our legs; we weren't good on the forecheck. A lot of little things, and being away from the competitive game for a little more than a week hurt us a little bit. But we battled back and we're trying to take positives out of that game."

And remembering not to drink the water.