Philadelphia Flyers: NHL Playoff Previews with Potential 1st-Round Opponents
If the playoffs ended today, the Philadelphia Flyers would face the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the playoffs.
With a little less than three weeks left in the regular season the Flyers could still face any of five teams in the first round (could be more, but it would take very unlikely collapses to happen).
How would they match up against each of those teams? How many games would each series go? Most importantly, who's the biggest threat to upset the 2011 Broad Street Bullies?
Follow Erik on Twitter: @ekpaul87
Philadelphia Flyers
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Before we can figure out how they match up with potential first-round opponents, let's take a look at the Flyers lineup.
Offense
The Flyers have scored 15 goals more than anyone else in the Eastern Conference. They boast five 20-goal scorers, four players with 60 points and an arsenal of weapons that's unmatched by anyone in the league.
The Flyers can roll three lines that are as good as most teams' top lines, which makes them very difficult to match against. The tiny weakness they have offensively is the lack of the absolutely elite talent, like Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin of Steven Stamkos, but they make up for it with their depth.
Defense
The Flyers have given up 37 fewer goals than they've scored. They're led on the blue line by Chris Pronger, Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn, who are capable of slowing the top lines of most teams. The Flyers top-six defensemen boast a combined rating of plus-89.
The Flyers forwards are also a very responsible group defensively, especially captain and former Selke Trophy finalist Mike Richards.
Goaltending
Goaltending is the biggest question mark for this edition of the Flyers. With veteran journeyman Brian Boucher and star rookie Sergei Bobrovsky battling to be the playoff starter, many Flyers fans are wondering if they'll be good enough to win the Stanley Cup.
Bobrovsky had a fantastic start to the season, but has given up three or more goals in eight of his last 10 starts. Boucher has been better than Bobrovsky of late, but has never been able to carry a team as a starter.
Special Teams
In the tight-checking, matchup-based hockey that happens in the playoffs, special teams are often the deciding factor in a game or a series. The Flyers special teams aren't as good as one would expect they should be.
The Flyers are 19th in the league on the power play despite the ridiculous array of offensive talent they can put out on both units. They're seventh in the league on the penalty kill, largely thanks to the unheralded work of Blair Betts and Darroll Powe.
Coaching
Peter Laviolette is amongst the best coaches in the NHL. He seems to be able to get the most out of the Flyers, as evidenced by their run to the Stanley Cup Finals last year after he took over.
Laviolette's matchup work getting Chris Pronger and Mike Richards out against top lines in the playoffs last year was a huge factor in the Flyers' long playoff run, and he'll need to be equally good this year.
He did lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup in 2006.
Toronto Maple Leafs
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What Would Need to Happen
The Toronto Maple Leafs would need to sneak into the final playoff spot from five points out and the Flyers would need to remain first in the East.
Record This Season vs. Philadelphia
1-3-0
Offense
The Leafs have four 20-goal, 50-point players, and the line of Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolai Kulemin and Clarke MacArthur has been much better than anyone expected they would be. Still, the Leafs sit just 24th in the league in goals scored, partly because of the lack of scoring from their defensemen. Dion Phaneuf is the only Leafs D-man with more than four goals.
Edge: Philadelphia
Defense
The Leafs are led by Dion Phaneuf and Luke Schenn, who have played very well for short periods this season, but have a tendency to commit bad giveaways (a category Schenn leads all NHL defensemen in). The Leafs top-six defensemen combine for a minus-36 rating, and the team is 25th in the league in goals allowed.
Edge: Philadelphia
Goaltending
Rookie James Reimer has come out of nowhere to claim the starting job for the Leafs after J.S. Giguere and Jonas Gustavsson struggled. Reimer has been phenomenal for the most part, posting a 16-7-4 record and sitting third in the league with a .925 save percentage.
The biggest problem with "Optimus Reim" is that he's still very unproven. He's only played 29 career NHL games and has never made a playoff run in any league. Still, Reimer's fantastic start to his career can't be ignored, and he wouldn't be the first rookie goalie to play well in the playoffs.
Edge: Toronto
Special Teams
To put it mildly, the Leafs special teams aren't exactly a strong point. Their power play ranks 24th, while their penalty kill is awful at 26th. The Leafs penalty kill on the road gets even worse with a success rate of just 75.7 percent.
Edge: Philadelphia
Coaching
Head coach Ron Wilson has met mixed reviews in his time in Toronto. He's very blunt and has been criticized for how he's handled the development of some of his younger players, like Nazem Kadri. Wilson was also widely questioned for sitting James Reimer against the Florida Panthers on March 17, when the Leafs got blown out. Wilson is perhaps best known for his years of playoff flameouts with the ultra-talented San Jose Sharks.
Edge: Philadelphia
Prediction
Unless James Reimer can channel his inner Patrick Roy or Ken Dryden, the Flyers will demolish the Leafs in four or five games.
Carolina Hurricanes
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What Would Have to Happen
The Carolina Hurricanes would have to overcome their three-point deficit and pass the Buffalo Sabres to claim the eighth spot. The Flyers would have to stay in first place.
Record This Season vs. Philadelphia
1-3-0
Offense
The Hurricanes offense rides mainly on the shoulders of captain Eric Staal, but he's got some help this year. The 'Canes are 14th in the league in goals scored and have enjoyed secondary scoring from Tuomo Ruutu, Jussi Jokinen, Erik Cole and rookie Jeff Skinner. The Hurricanes can't compete with the depth and talent of the Flyers forwards.
Edge: Philadelphia
Defense
The Hurricanes accomplish defense by committee. Their blue line lacks any big-name stars, with Joni Pitkanen being most recognizable, but is a reasonably underrated group. The Hurricanes have given up the ninth-most goals in the league. The Hurricanes do have a great defensive forward in Brandon Sutter.
Edge: Philadelphia
Goaltending
Goaltending is what won the Hurricanes the Stanley Cup in 2006 and helped them take out the heavily-favored New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins in the 2009 playoffs. Cam Ward has a Conn Smythe Trophy and is a proven playoff goalie.
Edge: Carolina
Special Teams
The Hurricanes have the 26th-ranked power play and 19th-ranked penalty kill. Their power play will have to be much better if they're going to steal a playoff series, or even make the playoffs.
Edge: Philadelphia
Coaching
This season, Paul Maurice became the youngest coach in NHL history to coach 1,000 games. He's been to the Stanley Cup Finals once before with the Hurricanes, in 2002. Maurice tends to get the most out of his team, especially in the playoffs.
Edge: Philadelphia
Prediction
Cam Ward could steal a couple of games for the Flyers, but the Hurricanes aren't going to pull off another upset this year. Flyers in six.
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Buffalo Sabres
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What Would Have to Happen
Nothing. If the standings stay the way they are, the Flyers and Sabres will face off in the first round. It's also possible the Washington Capitals could pass the Flyers and the Sabres could pass the New York Rangers to set up a No. 2 vs. No. 7 match.
Record This Season vs. Philadelphia
1-2-0
Offense
The Sabres are eighth in the league in goals for, despite only having two 20-goal scorers. However, they do have 12 players with 10 or more goals. The Sabres really miss Derek Roy, arguably their best player, who had 35 points through 35 games before suffering a season-ending injury.
Edge: Philadelphia
Defense
The Sabres are middle of the pack in goals against. Their defensemen are relatively unknown and unspectacular, outside of Tyler Myers, but they get the job done reasonably well. Jordan Leopold, Andrej Sekera and Mike Weber are all having career years. The Sabres don't have the same quality of shutdown defensemen as the Flyers though.
Edge: Philadelphia
Goaltending
Last year's Vezina Trophy winner and Olympic MVP Ryan Miller is amongst the best in the world. While his numbers are down from last year, part of which is due to the defensive play in front of him, Miller still has the ability to steal a game or a series.
Edge: Buffalo
Special Teams
The Sabres special teams are pretty good. Their penalty kill is 15th in the league, led by Rob Niedermayer and Mike Grier. Their power play is 10th best, with Thomas Vanek and Drew Stafford sniping goals from either side.
Edge: Even
Coaching
Lindy Ruff is the longest-tenured coach in the league, and generally thought to be one of the best. He always gets a lot out of his team, despite losing stars to free agency year after year. Ruff's trophy case boasts a Jack Adams for best coach in 2006, and he's been to the Stanley Cup Finals twice, but is yet to win.
Edge: Even
Prediction
Buffalo's coaching and goaltending make them a potentially scary opposition, but their lack of high-end offensive talent should doom them. Flyers in six.
New York Rangers
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What Would Need to Happen
The New York Rangers would have to be passed by the Buffalo Sabres, or the Flyers would have to be passed by the Washington Capitals.
Record This Season vs. Philadelphia
1-4-0
Offense
The Rangers are seventh in the league in goals scored, and have six players with at least 18 goals. While Marian Gaborik has been quiet this season, he's still one of the most electrifying and dangerous snipers in the league. Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan and Artem Anisimov have combined to form a top scoring unit that's unpleasant to play against because of their physical play.
A big problem for the Rangers offensively is the lack of contribution from their defensemen. They're hoping recent acquisition Bryan McCabe will be able to contribute in that respect.
Edge: Philadelphia
Defense
The Rangers defense is very, very good. They've allowed the fifth-fewest goals in the league. They also boast one of the best shutdown pairs in the league in Marc Staal and Dan Girardi. Staal is fairly well known as a very good stay-at-home defenseman, but Girardi is vastly underrated. Girardi leads the league in blocked shots and is in the top 10 in hits by defensemen.
Edge: Even
Goaltending
The Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist is in the top seven in the league in every major goaltending category, including leading the league in shutouts. He's the first goalie in league history to win at least 30 games in each of his first six seasons and has been nominated for the Vezina Trophy three times.
Edge: New York
Special Teams
The Rangers special teams are slightly above average. Their power play is ranked 13th and their penalty kill is 14th. Dan Girardi's shot-blocking is very valuable to the Rangers penalty kill. Bryan McCabe should help their power play improve too.
Edge: Even
Coaching
John Tortorella is an exuberant coach with a very unique personality. He often publicly criticizes his players, but it seems to work for him. He led the Tampa Bay Lightning to a Stanley Cup in 2004 and has the Rangers playing better than most people thought they would be. He and Flyers coach Peter Laviolette are battling to be the highest-winning American-born coach in NHL history.
Edge: Even
Prediction
The Rangers will be a tough team for the Flyers to face first round. The Rangers match up pretty well, but the Flyers should be able to take advantage of the Rangers' third defense pair. Flyers in seven.
Montreal Canadiens
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What Would Need to Happen
The Washington Capitals would have to pass the Flyers and the New York Rangers would have to pass the Montreal Canadiens.
Record This Season vs. Philadelphia
1-3-0
Offense
The Canadiens offense isn't what they count on to win games. Montreal sits 21st in the league in goals for. They have just two 20-goal scorers and only Tomas Plekanec has 50 points. The Canadiens do have Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta who, in addition to Plekanec, proved themselves as reliable playoff scorers last season.
Edge: Philadelphia
Defense
The Canadiens defense is injury-riddled but still fairly solid. Montreal is ninth in the league in goals allowed, and Hal Gill and PK Subban have been very good against opponents' top lines. Roman Hamrlik, Jaroslav Spacek, Yannick Weber, Alexandre Picard and Brent Sopel fill out the depth defensive spots. Tomas Plekanec is also very good as a shutdown center.
Edge: Philadelphia
Goaltending
If the Canadiens are going to have any chance in this series, it will have to come from goaltending. If Carey Price can play as well as, or better than, Jaroslav Halak did for the Habs' last playoffs then they have a chance against anyone in the league. Price is a near-certain Vezina Trophy nominee this season and must continue being great.
Edge: Montreal
Special Teams
Montreal's special teams are very good with a seventh-ranked power play and ninth-best penalty kill. They've been a strong point for the Canadiens all season, and were crucial in the upsets of Washington and Pittsburgh in last year's playoffs. PK Subban has emerged as a very good power-play quarterback, and the reach and shot-blocking of Hal Gill are put to great use on the PK.
Edge: Montreal
Coaching
Jacques Martin is well known for his regular-season success, and playoff failures, with the powerhouse Ottawa Senators from 1996-2004. He's been a Jack Adams winner once, and finalist three times, but has never reached the Stanley Cup Finals. He's a very good defensive coach who relies on the power play to provide a lot of his team's offense.
Edge: Philadelphia just barely
Prediction
The Philadelphia Flyers are the worst possible matchup for the Canadiens. Their forward depth can overwhelm the Canadiens defense, and Carey Price would have to put up the best goaltending performance in playoff history for the Habs to pull off an upset. Flyers in five.
Follow Erik on Twitter: @ekpaul87
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