Daily News writers split on Flyers-Penguins series

ED BARKOWITZ

PETER LAVIOLETTE won't be the league's coach of the year, the Blues' Ken Hitchcock will. But Laviolette has done a remarkable job keeping the ice beneath the Flyers' skates from turning into water. His reward for leading the Flyers to 103 points is getting the Penguins (108 points) in the first round. What it lacks in fairness, it makes up for in wonderful intrigue.

The Flyers have to stay out of the penalty box and physical defenseman Nick Grossmann, who missed the last week of the season with a knee injury, has to be at least 85 percent. The Flyers have Max Talbot, a lot of intangibles and no fear of playing in Pittsburgh. The Penguins have the superstars and are lethal on the power play and will tune out the crazies in South Philly.

If the Flyers' goalie can find it in his soul to steal this series, the first 4 months of the season will be ancient history. This should be a good one.

Flyers in 7

CHUCK BAUSMAN

When it is spring in Philadelphia, the glare and the heat are focused directly and unyieldingly on the goalie. Looking back on the morbid history of Flyers goalies in the playoffs, it is enormously ironic that a career backup and minor leaguer, Michael Leighton, took them to their most recent Cup finals.

Highly paid and anointed Ilya Bryzgalov steps into the fresh spotlight, coming off a season that was bizarre even by Philly standards. When he's good, he's very good. Do you trust him in the sport's most important position?

Penguins in 6

SAM DONNELLON

They score enough goals. Often, quite often, they trade two chances for one chance, and sometimes those odds are more like 3 to 1.

The Flyers' postseason fate comes down to the same factor that made their regular season such a thrill ride. The goaltending.

Ilya Bryzgalov has proven capable of carrying his team through a playoff series. He has also sabotaged that team's efforts in the past (just ask the Detroit Red Wings). For the Flyers to win, I think they need to play a first period like they did against Buffalo in their last meaningful game of the season, then two periods like they often have been forced to play down the stretch while rallying from self-made holes. If they can buy enough time for their goalie to warm to the task, they can win this series. But nothing in their season convinces me they can.

Penguins in 6

MARCUS HAYES

The Flyers saved their season when Nick Grossmann joined the team, stiffened the defense and heartened franchise goalie and All-Universe head case Ilya Bryzgalov.

Danny Briere makes his money after the solstice.

Guess who's hurt?

Penguins in 6

RICH HOFMANN

The longer the series goes, the better for the Flyers. If it were to go seven games, the pressure on the favored Penguins would be so great that I think the Flyers would win, even in Pittsburgh. The problem will be getting to the seventh game.

The Flyers are a fascinating bunch: rollicking, high-scoring, slow-starting, night owls. And young. It is the thing I cannot get past, just how young some of their important pieces are. Their performance all season has been impressive but the people in the business know that the postseason is another animal entirely. Everybody will be watching the kids and how they react to what is likely to be a long, vicious bit of business. It is the series that everyone in the league will be watching. And while the stars on both sides, and especially the goaltenders on both sides, will command the spotlight, it is the Flyers' young players, contributors all season, who will have to contribute some more if the Flyers are to pull the upset.

I like this team, but I'm just not sure I see it. Not this soon.

Penguins in 6

FRANK SERAVALLI

Since the Flyers' first-round matchup with the Penguins became official last week, the picks have been rolling in from around North America. Not surprisingly, the national media is piled on the Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin bandwagon. Heck, Crosby is the only reason the NHL even gets on ESPN's "SportsCenter" these days. All of Canada is seemingly riding on Crosby's back - you know, since only two of the country's seven teams made the playoffs.

A rough estimation says 95 percent of the pundits have picked the Penguins to win the first round. So much of their thinking is based on injuries. If they could, they probably would have penciled in Pittsburgh for the Stanley Cup by now. I actually think that's because the national media can't get enough of Pittsburgh's seedy watering holes.

I've covered the Flyers for three full seasons now. But am I missing something? Is this first-round matchup so lopsided, so decided, that the Flyers are worthy of just 5 percent of the picks? Yes, Pittsburgh is a talented team. Yes, the Penguins have won a Stanley Cup with this current core. Yes, this series will be everything you want it to be, short of a steel cage surrounding the rink.

I just have a strange feeling about this Flyers team. Peter Laviolette was saying after Tuesday's practice that he gets a similar vibe, the same one he felt in 2010. "Like we've got new life," Laviolette said. I don't recall him saying that last spring when the Flyers limped into the playoffs. Hey, the guy knows a thing or two. The Flyers are comfortable in Pittsburgh, there isn't any part of them that fears the Penguins. They are the agitators that can get in Pittsburgh's collective head. And that's why I like them to win the series. In the seven series since I've been the Daily News' beat writer, I am 7-0 in predicting the Flyers' series.

Flyers in 7

EASTERN CONFERENCE

RANGERS (1) VS. SENATORS (8)

Ed Barkowitz Rangers in 5

Chuck Bausman Rangers in 5

Sam Donnellon Senators in 7

Marcus Hayes Senators in 7

Rich Hofmann Rangers in 7

Frank Seravalli Rangers in 6

Consensus Rangers

BRUINS (2) VS. CAPITALS (7)

Ed Barkowitz Bruins in 7

Chuck Bausman Capitals in 7

Sam Donnellon Bruins in 5

Marcus Hayes Bruins in 6

Rich Hofmann Bruins in 6

Frank Seravalli Bruins in 4

Consensus Bruins

PANTHERS (3) VS. DEVILS (6)

Ed Barkowitz Devils in 5

Chuck Bausman Devils in 6

Sam Donnellon Devils in 6

Marcus Hayes Devils in 7

Rich Hofmann Devils in 5

Frank Seravalli Panthers in 6

Consensus Devils

WESTERN CONFERENCE

CANUCKS (1) VS. KINGS (8)

Ed Barkowitz Canucks in 6

Chuck Bausman Canucks in 7

Sam Donnellon Canucks in 6

Marcus Hayes Canucks in 7

Rich Hofmann Canucks in 5

Frank Seravalli Canucks in 6

Consensus Canucks

BLUES (2) VS. SHARKS (7)

Ed Barkowitz Sharks in 7

Chuck Bausman Sharks in 6

Sam Donnellon Blues in 5

Marcus Hayes Sharks in 6

Rich Hofmann Blues in 5

Frank Seravalli Blues in 7

Consensus Split

COYOTES (3) VS. BLACKHAWKS (6)

Ed Barkowitz Coyotes in 7

Chuck Bausman Blackhawks in 5

Sam Donnellon Blackhawks in 5

Marcus Hayes Blackhawks in 6

Rich Hofmann Blackhawks in 7

Frank Seravalli Blackhawks in 5

Consensus Blackhawks

PREDATORS (4) VS. RED WINGS (5)

Ed Barkowitz Predators in 7

Chuck Bausman Red Wings in 6

Sam Donnellon Red Wings in 7

Marcus Hayes Red Wings in 6

Rich Hofmann Red Wings in 7

Frank Seravalli Predators in 7

Consensus Red Wings