Thursday, May 5, 2011
Posted: 12:46 p.m.
By Jim Jackson
CSNPhilly.com Contributor
Its the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Boston Bruins have taken a 3-0 lead over the Philadelphia Flyers. Where have we seen this before?
Why, of course, it was just last May, when the Flyers went on to make history as only the third team in the NHL, and fourth in the major pro sports, to erase such a series deficit and advance. It will remain as one of the greatest accomplishments in the rich history of the Flyers organization.
And we are right back here again in 2011. Or are we? The numbers say we are. The visual evidence seems to say otherwise. Tim Thomas, Nathan Horton, Brad Marchand and a healthy David Krejci and Dennis Seidenberg were not part of the epic Bruins collapse last year. They are clearly evident this year. Meanwhile, a 100 percent healthy Chris Pronger is not available for the Flyers after being a key part of the mix a year ago.
Who would have thought the Flyers could actually be in a position to top what they accomplished last May? If they come back and win this series, it would be even more remarkable than 2010.
Here are some observations of the series.
NHL
The start
The Bruins absolutely exploded out of the gate in Game 3. Two goals in 63 seconds completely set the tone for the rest of the game. Yes, there was still a lot of hockey to be played, but there really wasnt a feeling the Bruins would ever let the Flyers back into the game.
The Flyers did not appear ready for the onslaught. Im sure they had been warned. Im sure they expected it. And yet, they were immediately on their heels. Perhaps, the Flyers had just figured their dominance from late in Game 2 would simply carry on over. If so, they were obviously mistaken. They never recovered.
Domination on draws
There are a lot of coaches who feel the true barometer of a teams readiness for play is the success in the faceoff circle. After all, many draws are won or lost basically on which team wants the puck more when its dropped.
Through the first two games of this series, the Flyers held their own in the faceoff circle. They had won 52.7 percent of the draws. On Wednesday night, those numbers turned in historic fashion.
The Bruins won 55 of 67 faceoffs. Thats a 78.2 percent success rate. Its the highest percentage in a playoff game for a team in at least 10 years. It means the Bruins were able to gain possession of the puck off of practically every draw. Thus, they dictated the tempo of the game.
Physicality
The official scorers who chart the hits at TD Garden had the final count at 31-24 in favor of the Flyers in Game 3. However, watching the game, it sure appeared it was Boston taking it to the Flyers from a physical standpoint, especially in the first period. It was just another piece of evidence of the Bruins dominance.
Marchand was credited with seven hits in the game. Bostons little dynamo seemed to be sending Flyers down to the ice at every turn at certain junctures of the game. Johnny Boychuk was involved physically. Even Krejci played with an edge. The Flyers need to respond in kind to have any hope of getting the series back to Philadelphia for Game 5.
Bostons best
Bruins head coach Claude Julien ranked Wednesdays performance right up there with the best of the season for his team. It was what many peopled expected of this club after they made some moves around the trade deadline to bolster an already solid squad. After meandering some down the stretch of the season and falling into a 2-0 hole in the first round, it appears the switch has gone off, as they have won seven of their last eight playoff games.
The Flyers have precious little time left to try and get the Bruins out of this rhythm. Perhaps they have now seen the best Boston can give them. The Bs cant be any better, can they?
Different year, different team
Much of the talk between Games 3 and 4 is about another 3-0 Boston lead over the Flyers for the second straight year. Its unavoidable; the irony is so clear cut. However, thus far in this series, many of the key players for the Bruins have been guys who did not play a role in the demise of the team last season.
Most important, Thomas was the backup last year. Now, hes proving to be one huge obstacle for the Flyers. Krejci missed the final four games of the 2010 series due to injury. He already has four goals and four assists, including an overtime game-winner, this time around. Marchand was a spectator last year. He has three goals, five points, and has been a consistent pest to the Flyers in 2011. Thats to say nothing of the obvious contributions of guys like Horton (two goals, three assists) and Seidenberg (plus-9), who werent around last year either.
The Bruins can point to these newcomers as reason No. 1 why they are confident another collapse is not imminent.
The Flyers do have a couple of things going for them. First of all, they have been at their best when facing elimination over the last couple of years. In fact, they are 6-1 in such games.
Secondly, if they manage to find a way to win Friday night, the Flyers will force the Bruins into answering endless amount of questions about last year and a repeat. Doubt would have to surface. It would only be natural. The pressure would certainly shift.
So, its all about getting that first win in Game 4. From therewho knows?
E-mail Jim Jackson at jjackson@comcastsportsnet.com
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