NHL 1st Round: Metro (#1) Washington Captitals vs (WC#2) Philadelphia Flyers

[jammer2]

  The Capitals have a lot more offensive depth and firepower than the Flyers....they have a more mobile defense and a superior goalie. I say Flyers in six, but realistically, a few players will have to rise to the occasion, have the series of their lives. They need secondary scoring in the worst way....so a total surprise must emerge from the likes of Laughton, Cousins, Cooter if they hope to prevail.

 

 I'm actually glad the Capitals are the team we are locked into. As I've said many times, a young team must learn how to win in the playoffs, find out what type of effort it takes to advance, so....the Capitals are the perfect team to learn some valuable lessons from. The Capitals are faster, have more depth and have superior skill. There is a chance the Flyers can outwork them, want it more....they must play with total and complete desperation....and never lose that feeling.

 

 Being the last seed, you cannot be worried about any teams, you must beat them all, so the Caps, they are just part of that equation. One thing I know for a fact, the past 6 weeks or so, Holtby has not been the same goalie as earlier in the year. He is much more susceptible right now than he was in 2015 and the early part of 2016. Mason must out play him, Mase will be asked to stop MANY odd man breaks, and the secondary chances that evolve from odd man rushes. This is a direct product of having slower guys on D....like Gudas, Manning, Schultz etc .

 

 One thing the Flyers have going for them is Hakstol, and the system he has them all buying into. He is highly organized and is MUCH better at linematching than any previous Flyer coach. For me, a HUGE thing in this series will be isolating Mike Weber on the last pairing.....when the have the last switch at home the Flyers must take advantage of that....try to get Giroux out there against Weber as much as humanly possible. Weber is one of the weak links on this team, this must be exploited in order to win.

 

 

[pilldoc]

7 minutes ago, jammer2 said:

  The Capitals have a lot more offensive depth and firepower than the Flyers....they have a more mobile defense and a superior goalie. I say Flyers in six, but realistically, a few players will have to rise to the occasion, have the series of their lives. They need secondary scoring in the worst way....so a total surprise must emerge from the likes of Laughton, Cousins, Cooter if they hope to prevail.

 

 I'm actually glad the Capitals are the team we are locked into. As I've said many times, a young team must learn how to win in the playoffs, find out what type of effort it takes to advance, so....the Capitals are the perfect team to learn some valuable lessons from. The Capitals are faster, have more depth and have superior skill. There is a chance the Flyers can outwork them, want it more....they must play with total and complete desperation....and never lose that feeling.

 

 Being the last seed, you cannot be worried about any teams, you must beat them all, so the Caps, they are just part of that equation. One thing I know for a fact, the past 6 weeks or so, Holtby has not been the same goalie as earlier in the year. He is much more susceptible right now than he was in 2015 and the early part of 2016. Mason must out play him, Mase will be asked to stop MANY odd man breaks, and the secondary chances that evolve from odd man rushes. This is a direct product of having slower guys on D....like Gudas, Manning, Schultz etc .

 

 One thing the Flyers have going for them is Hakstol, and the system he has them all buying into. He is highly organized and is MUCH better at linematching than any previous Flyer coach. For me, a HUGE thing in this series will be isolating Mike Weber on the last pairing.....when the have the last switch at home the Flyers must take advantage of that....try to get Giroux out there against Weber as much as humanly possible. Weber is one of the weak links on this team, this must be exploited in order to win.

 

 

   What more could I possibly add?  pretty much sums up my thoughts.

[AJgoal]

4 minutes ago, pilldoc said:

   What more could I possibly add? 

 

Screw the Caps?

[Bertmega]

3 hours ago, B21 said:

The Caps have had nothing to play for since what....December? Meanwhile, the Flyers backed into the playoffs by losing 3 straight before "winning" against a Pens team that didn't care and an Isles team that really didn't care. The reality is neither team is "hot" going by how they closed out the regular season.

 

 

While it would nice to agree for a change, I don't think the Pens wanted to lose, but in either case it wouldn't have changed their match-up. Now with the Isles, they iced more start power then the Flyers did last night, so it's a "who was sleeping more match". 

 

The Flyers certainly have their work cut out for them, but keep in mind they were 2-0-2 in the regular season against the Caps. 

 

As the old saying goes, may the best team win.

[radoran]

25 minutes ago, Bertmega said:

While it would nice to agree for a change, I don't think the Pens wanted to lose, but in either case it wouldn't have changed their match-up.

 

They "didn't want to lose" but they didn't play Crosby or Letang and played a man down* through most of the Third Period and the Flyers still only led 2-1 before the empty-netter...

 

The Caps really do have something to prove and from where I sit, it will be on them to prove it.

 

Flyers are playing with house money.

 

 

* not that losing Sestito was a "problem"

[Bertmega]

15 hours ago, radoran said:

 

They "didn't want to lose" but they didn't play Crosby or Letang and played a man down* through most of the Third Period and the Flyers still only led 2-1 before the empty-netter...

 

The Caps really do have something to prove and from where I sit, it will be on them to prove it.

 

Flyers are playing with house money.

 

 

* not that losing Sestito was a "problem"

This is true regarding the Pens, but they really did press the Flyers hard that game. In any case, they definitely are on house money at this point. Odd thing is, I feel better about this team than the 2014 playoff team. 

[OccamsRazor]

Bill Meltzer Retweeted

Okserg Cram ‏@OksergCram  17h17 hours ago

@billmeltzer PHI avg FWD: 6' 196 WSH avg FWD: 6' 1.6" 205.5 PHI FWD < 6' (4) WSH FWD < 6' (2) PHI FWD < 200 (7) WSH FWD < 200 (5)

 

Bill Meltzer Retweeted

Okserg Cram ‏@OksergCram  17h17 hours ago

@billmeltzer WSH avg DEF: 6' 1" 209 PHI avg DEF: 6 198

 

 

Should be a good match up bottom line Flyers played better hockey than the Cpas the last 25 games of the season....and the excuse of having nothing to play for well is just a cop out....we'll see if they can flip the switch.

 

****And let's not forget the last head to head the teams had which the Flyers won is the only one of the season where they had both Ghost and Coots in it.****

[radoran]

The key for the Flyers is taking one of the first two games.

 

Do that and you'll get into their heads.

 

[OccamsRazor]

14 minutes ago, radoran said:

The key for the Flyers is taking one of the first two games.

 

Do that and you'll get into their heads.

 

 

 

Bingo. I agree. I think they have a chance to do that in the 1st game. Flyers coming off the emotion of losing Ed and the Caps trying to flip the switch too.

 

Coots didn't play in either game in Washington too. So him going against AO will be a huge factor.

[FD19372]

Even before Ed Snider's passing, this team has 2010 playoff run written all over it...with WAY better goaltending. Mason should steal a few games. I really like their focus, discipline and intensity level right now.  If the Flyers can get their power play playing to its potential, no one will want to play them. I can definitely see them coming out of the east as Pittsburgh and the Rangers beat the living hell out of one another.  Thank you ESPN for not having any of your experts pick the Flyers...not that they cover hockey.  Thursday @ 7 p.m. can't get here fast enough. LET'S GO FLYERS!!!

[Podein25]

I'd like to think that the Flyers have a chance, but unless Hotlby gets injured I don't see it happening. Our D is just too weak. It's a cryin' shame that MDZ got injured. He could help that sad lot out back there, especially against a fast Caps team where puck movement out of the zone will be critical. 

 

The other thing is no matter how disciplined we play, we will take penalties. And I just can't see us keeping them off the board.

 

I hope I'm wrong.

[Adamflyers]

I'm thrilled the Flyers made it into the playoffs and unlike past years, I believe even a 1st round loss will provide valuable experience for guys like Ghost, Schenn, Gagne, etc and other players who have had little or no experience in the playoffs.  It should make them hungry to get back to the playoffs next year and do better.  In prior years, the real future was not on the team yet and therefore, missing the playoffs was better for building a brighter tomorrow (Provorov as a prime example).  This year, I think any playoff experience will be good for this team.  The some of the true core is in place and the rest building blocks are starting to move into place.

 

With all of that being said, I do not believe the Flyers will beat the Caps.  The Cap's talent level is too much greater than that of the Flyers.  My only hope is that the Caps continue their playoff choking ways and that the Flyers get back on track.  This just isn't the kind of situation where the Flyers are coming in red hot while the Caps are coming in ice cold.  The Caps may have looked poor down the stretch, but the Flyers didn't exactly finish as well as I would have liked to give me that kind of confidence for an upset.  I love to eat crow on this prediction though! 

 

I do think the Cap's poor finish is meaningful though.  Yes, there are enough examples of teams coming into the playoffs cold and then picking up right where they left off during their hottest time of the season, but I also feel like teams that take their foot off the gas so much that they come into the playoffs cold have a character flaw that may be exploited.  I think the series against the Flyers will be telling for how the Caps do in their hunt for the Cup.  Unless the Flyers are just completely spent, they will play the Caps very hard.  If the Caps can easily overcome that, then I guess they are the kind of team that really can flip the proverbial switch, but if they just squeak past the Flyers, I think they will be ripe for a 2nd round loss.  

 

Whatever the case...LET'S GO FLYERS!!!!!!     

[OccamsRazor]

1 hour ago, Podein25 said:

I hope I'm wrong.

 

 

Popular Statistical Model Picks the Flyers to Beat the Caps in the Playoffs

 

 

 

http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2016/04/01/popular-statistical-model-picks-the-flyers-to-beat-the-caps-in-the-playoffs/

 

GO FLYERS!!!!!! BEAT DAT ASS!!!!!!!

 

[OccamsRazor]

1 hour ago, Podein25 said:

I'd like to think that the Flyers have a chance, but unless Hotlby gets injured I don't see it happening. Our D is just too weak. It's a cryin' shame that MDZ got injured. He could help that sad lot out back there, especially against a fast Caps team where puck movement out of the zone will be critical. 

 

The other thing is no matter how disciplined we play, we will take penalties. And I just can't see us keeping them off the board.

 

I hope I'm wrong.

 

 

[Podein25]

38 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

 

Popular Statistical Model Picks the Flyers to Beat the Caps in the Playoffs

 

 

 

http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2016/04/01/popular-statistical-model-picks-the-flyers-to-beat-the-caps-in-the-playoffs/

 

GO FLYERS!!!!!! BEAT DAT ASS!!!!!!!

 

 

Russian statistical models eh? Have you ever seen a Russian-built car?

[radoran]

OK, I keep reading about the "poor finish" for the Caps.

 

In March and April they were 11-6-4 (26 of a possible 42 points - .619), In April 2-2-2.

 

The Flyers in March and April were 12-5-3 (27 of a possible 40 points - .675), in April 3-2-1.

 

I don't see a particularly major difference in how the two teams finished the season, especially as one was almost playing out the string while the other was fighting for their playoff lives?

 

I do believe the Flyers have a solid chance to beat the Caps. I don't think the play over the past six weeks has anything to do with it

[OccamsRazor]

3 minutes ago, radoran said:

OK, I keep reading about the "poor finish" for the Caps.

 

In March and April they were 11-6-4 (26 of a possible 42 points - .619), In April 2-2-2.

 

The Flyers in March and April were 12-5-3 (27 of a possible 40 points - .675), in April 3-2-1.

 

I don't see a particularly major difference in how the two teams finished the season, especially as one was almost playing out the string while the other was fighting for their playoff lives?

 

I do believe the Flyers have a solid chance to beat the Caps. I don't think the play over the past six weeks has anything to do with it

 

 

Guess we'll see...

 

[radoran]

Just now, OccamsRazor said:

Guess we'll see...

 

 

Hey, Mike Richards is on the Caps! Nobody flips a switch like Richie!

 

(seriously - there was one game difference between the Flyers "great finish" and the Caps' "sluggish finish" - one game).

[OccamsRazor]

1 minute ago, radoran said:

 

Hey, Mike Richards is on the Caps! Nobody flips a switch like Richie!

 

(seriously - there was one game difference between the Flyers "great finish" and the Caps' "sluggish finish" - one game).

 

 

Doesn't matter we can speculate till the cows come home at the end of the day we will find out....fo sho!!!

 

 

[Adamflyers]

1 minute ago, radoran said:

 

Hey, Mike Richards is on the Caps! Nobody flips a switch like Richie!

 

(seriously - there was one game difference between the Flyers "great finish" and the Caps' "sluggish finish" - one game).

Well if you're quoting me with this, I did say that the Flyers didn't finish that strong either, thus my doubts that they can pull off the upset (hope I'm wrong).

 

And my view of the Caps poor finish was based on the last 10 games (4-6).  Though even in your March-April example, I would still call that an average finish at best for a team that is supposed to make a run to the cup.  Just over .500 finish would not instill much confidence in me if I were a Caps fan.  Yes, they had much less to play for, but they are the more talented team and it drives me nuts when teams let off the gas.  Let's see if Richie can teach Ovi about switch flipping.  Even with the "average" finish, I still pick the Caps just based off of overall talent.

[radoran]

3 minutes ago, Adamflyers said:

Well if you're quoting me with this, I did say that the Flyers didn't finish that strong either, thus my doubts that they can pull off the upset (hope I'm wrong).

 

And my view of the Caps poor finish was based on the last 10 games (4-6).  Though even in your March-April example, I would still call that an average finish at best for a team that is supposed to make a run to the cup.  Just over .500 finish would not instill much confidence in me if I were a Caps fan.  Yes, they had much less to play for, but they are the more talented team and it drives me nuts when teams let off the gas.  Let's see if Richie can teach Ovi about switch flipping.  Even with the "average" finish, I still pick the Caps just based off of overall talent.

 

You were the most recent but not the only one (and it's not just on this board - it seems to be a popular sentiment in the media)

 

If I was a Caps fan I wouldn't have any confidence in them at all

 

Obviously you'd rather be the 16-4 Pens in March and April (4-1 in April).

 

If anything, I would hope that the Caps take the Flyers lightly. I just don't see that happening.

[sarsippius]

Caps in 5. This isn't your father's Washington Hockey Club

[OccamsRazor]

21 minutes ago, radoran said:

 

You were the most recent but not the only one (and it's not just on this board - it seems to be a popular sentiment in the media)

 

If I was a Caps fan I wouldn't have any confidence in them at all

 

Obviously you'd rather be the 16-4 Pens in March and April (4-1 in April).

 

If anything, I would hope that the Caps take the Flyers lightly. I just don't see that happening.

 

 

No matter it should be a war!!!!

 

 

 

The good ol days!!!!!

[radoran]

1 minute ago, OccamsRazor said:

The good ol days!!!!!

 

EDDIE SHORE!
 

[OccamsRazor]

2 minutes ago, radoran said:

 

EDDIE SHORE!