Flyers-Devils: NHL Playoff Notes and Observations for Philadelphia, New Jersey

Series Notes

-This is the fourth all-time meeting in the playoffs between the two franchises and the first time New Jersey has had home ice advantage.

-Philadelphia won the season series 5-1, outscoring the Devils 20-13. Claude Giroux (1-6-7)and Chris Pronger (0-7-7) led the Flyers in scoring. Patrik Elias and Brian Rolston each had five points for New Jersey.

-The Devils have won only two playoff series since winning the Cup in 2003.  Among their defeats was a loss to Peter Laviolette's Hurricanes in 2006.

 
Here We Go

For the 14th time in 15 years, the Flyers are in the playoffs. However, expectations for this team making a deep run are probably the lowest they've been during that time period. Inconsistency, injuries, and the annual concerns in net have plenty of fans in a wait-and-see mode with this group. But, as crazy as it sounds to say, the Devils were the best matchup possible for the Flyers in the first round. 

 
The Pressure's Off

Since the Flyers entered the playoffs by the skin of their teeth, it almost seemed like the team came out confident and relaxed in Game 1 in Newark. Even though it's cliche, the Flyers have been playing playoff hockey for the past two weeks, so Wednesday's opener was almost a relief, and Laviolette had the guys playing smart and relaxed.

 
Turning the Table

New Jersey out-shot the Flyers 24-14, including 9-2 in the third, but the orange and black were always in control. This is exactly the type of game the Devils would beat the Flyers in time after time.

Philadelphia would dominate, have chance after chance, and then boom...the Devils would create a turnover or capitalize on a mistake and score. How many times has that happened in this rivalry over the last 15 years?
 
Well in Game 1 it was the Flyers turn to win that way.  

 
Rivalry roundup

These are not the same Devils that have tormented the Flyers since the mid '90s. There's no Stevens, Daneyko, or Lemieux to fear and loathe. Sure Marty Brodeur is still there, and Jacques Lemaire is back behind the bench, but the hatred and the rivalry is more about the logo now instead of the players.
 
Does anyone really despise Zach Parise or Travis Zajac? Probably not, just the sweater they're wearing. 
 
How many New Jersey defensemen can you name, even after watching Game 1? Sure the Devils led the league again in goals against this year at 2.27, but it's by even more of a team effort now.  

 
Boooosshh

Many pointed to the matchup in goal as to why the Devils had the advantage in this series. It sure didn't turn out that way on Wednesday. Brian Boucher seemed so calm and in control throughout the game, dare I say he reminded me of Ryan Miller from the Olympics. Of his 23 saves, many were from below the hashmarks, including a point blank save on Ilya Kovalchuk in the first period. 

-The former first-round pick has now allowed only 10 goals in his last six games, while going 4-2.

-Boucher made his first playoff start since 2002 and picked up his first postseason win since May of 2000 when he led the Flyers to a Game 4 win in New Jersey.

-Boosh is now 12-8 with a 2.02 GAA and .918 save percentage in the postseason.

-He came within 2:43 of posting a shutout, and if you were wondering when the last time the Flyers put up a zero in the postseason, it happened last season when Marty Biron blanked the Penguins 3-0 in Game 5.

-It's always great to hear the Boosh chants in an opposing arena, and there were plenty of them in Game 1. Not quite like the Duuuuuucce chants for the former Eagles running back in that Monday night game down in Miami a few years ago, but still strong enough to hear after every big save.

 
Kovalchuk

Ilya Kovalchuk was brought to New Jersey to provide offensive punch, and he had 19 shots and one goal in three games against the Flyers as a Devil.
 
On Wednesday night Kovalchuk had his chances, but he was visibly frustrated and began trying to create offense by himself. In Game 1 he was -1 with four shots in just under 23 minutes of ice time. 
 
Kovy is now 0-5 in his postseason career.

 
Richards

Mike Richards was the Flyers leading scorer during the regular season with 62 points, which ranked 49th in the NHL. In Game 1, the captain was at it again with a goal and an assist in 22:53 of ice time during 31 shifts, the most among forwards. He did struggle slightly in the circle, losing 10 of 19 faceoffs.

 
Game 1 Nuggets

-Philadelphia had lost six straight Game 1's, with their last win coming in 2004 against Toronto in the second round. 

-The Flyers improved to 6-3 all-time in postseason games at New Jersey.

-Chris Pronger played a game-high 30:01 and was credited with two hits and three blocked shots. Any Flyers fans still regret trading for this guy?

-James van Riemsdyk played a game-low 5:29 on nine shifts.

-Paul Martin played a team-high 24:46 for NJ.

-The Devils went 28-20 on faceoffs. Zajac led the way at 10-4 on draws.

-No Flyer had more than two shots on goal, while Parise had a game-high five for the Devils.

-Ian Laperriere and Matt Carle each had a game-high four hits.

-On a strange note, the Flyers are 1-5 in series in which they've won Game 1 on the road (Won '97 Eastern semis against Buffalo).

-Last Game 1 win on the road was the '99 Eastern quarterfinals in Toronto (Lost series in six).