Bruins-Flyers Match Up

The Boston Bruins will enjoy home-ice advantage in the second round of the NHL playoffs thanks to the valiant efforts of their bitter rivals Montreal and now the Bruins are hosting Game 1 against the No. 7 seed Flyers on Saturday.

Of course this was the match up all Bruins fans preferred (compared to the alternative of the defending Stanley Cup Champion Penguins), but the Bruins know that the Flyers are not to be taken lightly… especially given their improbable win over the No. 2 seed NJ Devils in just 5 games.

The Bruins and Flyers split their regular season meetings, 2-2. It doesn’t scare me for one second but it is worth noting that Boucher was in net in only one of these meetings. Philly’s goaltending is about as solid as Rex Ryan’s stomach (yes that’s a fat joke towards Sexy Rexy). Boucher, while having a purely remarkable series against what should have been a prolific offense with allowing just eight goals on 134 shots, a 1.59 goals-against average, and a percentage of .940 (which is just ridiculous) is NOT as solid as the numbers suggest.

Goaltending was the strongpoint for the Flyers, but it could just as quickly become their double edged sword especially given Philly’s willingness to take penalties. Ah the powerplay. This is where the Bruins can keep this series at or under 5 games if they really want to.

The Savvy Factor… It is easy to forget what a true gamer this guy is with his absence, but he is one of the under-publicized guys in the league with his talent of opening lanes and setting up plays, especially on the powerplay. Savvy had six goals and 13 points in 11 playoff games last season. Now being completely realistic I wouldn’t expect these numbers if for no other reason other than he won’t have the kind of playing time need to get there. BUT, this kind of spark added to what already is an offense churning some serious firepower is dangerous for the Flyers and that piece of Swiss Cheese Boucher. By the way, anything less than facing Ryan Miller is a step up in the Bruins favor!

Philly is battling some major injuries as well with no Simon Gagne and no Lapierrier are big losses. Chara will eat Richards in front of the net.

Look for the Bruins to continue their physical presence to continue right through the way it did in the Buffalo series, take advantage of the powerplays, and for Tuukka Rask (yes, that’s spell 2 u’s and 2 k’s) to keep standing on his head.