RD 2: Eastern Conference: #1 Philadelphia Flyers vs. #6 New York Islanders

[pilldoc]

This will be the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams with Philadelphia winning three of the four previous series. They last met in the 1987 Patrick Division Finals, which Philadelphia won in seven games. New York won all three games in this year's regular season series.

 

 

Schedule and dates TBD

Edited September 6, 2020 by pilldoc

[FD19372]

I'm going on a serious limb, and saying the Flyers in 6. They can't be this bad on the PP, and their big guns like Giroux, Voracek, TK and Hayes can't remain this bad, can they? The Islanders are only a 75% penalty killing team in the playoff bubble, so that's one area the Flyers could exploit and beat them in. They just cannot, cannot, CANNOT turn the puck over. That's one way the Islanders can chew them up. I think G and TK wake up, and I think Hayes has started to.

[Howie58]

I agree with FD. You'd like to see the bigger guns come to life.  I also liked Ghost's play tonight. He showed some confidence and moved the puck well. 

 

We lost all three meetings to the team, but this was relatively early in the season.  One loss was in OT:

 

This will be tough for the O and B.  

 

 

Edited August 22, 2020 by Howie58
bad link

[OccamsRazor]

After what I just witnessed.

 

I have to go Flyers in 6.

[OccamsRazor]

28 minutes ago, Howie58 said:

He showed some confidence and moved the puck well. 

 

He was very physical.

 

Did not see that coming.

 

If he plays like no way you can scratch him.

 

Keep it up Ghost best game I seen from him in forever.

[OccamsRazor]

Per NHL media site, Flyers-Islanders:

 

Game 1 — Monday, 7 p.m. ET

 

Game 2 — Wednesday, 3 p.m. ET

 

Game 3 — Thursday, 7 p.m. ET

 

Game 4 — Saturday, noon ET

 

Game 5 — Monday, Aug. 31 — TBD

 

Game 6 — TBD Game 7 — TBD

[flyercanuck]

So we basically play the first 4 games...in 4 1/2 days?!? And there's TWO btbs!

 

Nice scheduling NHL.

[CoachX]

I ****** HATE THE ISLANDERS!

[musky]

[mojo1917]

@musky

I know I've talked a lot of **** on your team. It's because I became "hockey aware" right at the end of the Potvin era, so they were the Yankees/Celtics/Patriots, the winning team to hate. I never out grew it. 

Your guys have been hot-knifing-through-butter right now though, Beauvellier has been a revelation and Pageau has bolstered the middle of your forward line up.  Trotz has your guys playing great. NYI is not a team to be discounted, there's a lot of good things going on right there right now. 

 

I think the Isles are not as fast as the Habs so our guys are coming out of a series where they played against a team that plays your style but with more speed, but with less size, I think that will help our guys. Also he's just 21 but Hart is already better than Varlomov. Varlomov will have to play at a whole different level for you, and I don't think he has it.

Should be a fun series, the Isles are the only team the Flyers haven't beaten this year, I don't think that trend will hold.

enjoy the series.

 

 

[mkscrewy]

55 minutes ago, musky said:

damn. nice Bolo gif.

[yave1964]

I took the Flyers in 7 because they can beat you in so many ways. Only score a goal or two? Hart pitches a shutout. The other team is having a good offensive day? The Flyers can match. The Isles and a defensive minded well coached team and deserves credit for besting Washington but the Caps are very one dimensional, they will put up a fight in what will be the best quarterfinal series of the four, but the Flyers have too many ways to beat you.

[OccamsRazor]

2 hours ago, musky said:

 

Anytime. Anywhere. Bring it.

[Howie58]

I think a big part of this will be keeping the puck in the offensive zone and minimizing Barzal.  Some more creativity on our part might help with that. We seem to be very "North-South."  Our PP picked up when G and V began to play a more lateral game and  worked from behind the goal.  

 

 

[musky]

On 8/22/2020 at 10:37 AM, mojo1917 said:

@musky

I know I've talked a lot of **** on your team. It's because I became "hockey aware" right at the end of the Potvin era, so they were the Yankees/Celtics/Patriots, the winning team to hate. I never out grew it. 

Your guys have been hot-knifing-through-butter right now though, Beauvellier has been a revelation and Pageau has bolstered the middle of your forward line up.  Trotz has your guys playing great. NYI is not a team to be discounted, there's a lot of good things going on right there right now. 

 

I think the Isles are not as fast as the Habs so our guys are coming out of a series where they played against a team that plays your style but with more speed, but with less size, I think that will help our guys. Also he's just 21 but Hart is already better than Varlomov. Varlomov will have to play at a whole different level for you, and I don't think he has it.

Should be a fun series, the Isles are the only team the Flyers haven't beaten this year, I don't think that trend will hold.

enjoy the series.

 

 

you may want to look here

https://www.hockey-reference.com/playoffs/NHL_2020_goalies.html

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Very interesting contrast of styles in this series.
And finally....a playoff series that hasn't been seen since....when....the 80's?

I gotta say I like Trotz' style with the sneaky Islander talent underneath it in this series, though Philadelphia has been defying the critics all year well before Covid struck us.
And with Carter Hart in net instead of Elliot, Mason, or some other B-level starter, Philadelphia will be that much harder to beat.

I also like TK as the big star to shine, as I don't think most fans or even the media give him proper credit and still mention guys like Giroux and Voracek ahead of him.
Ivan Provorov will continue his maturation into the complete NHL package....he may turn out for Philly, to be what Victor Hedman is currently for the TB Lighting....that is, the all around, do everything, log tons of minutes, go-to number one defenseman.

That all said.... Trotz' playoff style, Mat Barzal, Anders Lee, Jordan Eberle...that top line. Pretty awesome.
Then you have Beauvillier, Bailey, Pageau backing them up.

Bottom six featuring the likes of Komorov, Matt Martin or Casey Cizikas are always hard to play against.
Pelech, Puloch, and Mayfield comprise what might be one of the more underrated tough defenses in the league
Then you have the solid combination of Varlamov and Greiss in net.

I expect a very entertaining series here..
Most media probably has the Flyers as favorites...well deserved...however...I think the Isles and their style of play may pull this out in 6 or 7.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

National anthems going...puck about to drop.

Putting money that the Islanders will cause the first major scrum of the game.
Barry Trotz wants his message sent and his team's style established early.  

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

1ST period...puck dropped...
Game ON!!

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Islander workmanlike play, tough cycling down low, and winning puck battles has paid off early.

1-0 on a goal by Andy Greene.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Carter Hart under siege a bit.

Flyers' D are going to have to do a better job of boxing out Isles forwards who are looking a bit too comfortable in and around the Flyer crease.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

I thought the Isles would start the first big scrum....it was Voracek roughing with Matt Martin.

Oh well....The Fly need some giddyup in their game anyways.

[OccamsRazor]

1 hour ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

I thought the Isles would start the first big scrum....it was Voracek roughing with Matt Martin.

Oh well....The Fly need some giddyup in their game anyways.

 

These cowards are going to get swept.

 

I just feel sorry for Hart and the kids their leadership has abandoned them...

[mkscrewy]

zero team leadership

[FD19372]

11 hours ago, mkscrewy said:

zero team leadership

Giroux should be on a carton of Lactaid.

[Hockey-78]

The Islanders won - awesome!