Game 2 Victory: Couturier's Legend is Growing

After the Philadelphia Flyers improbable (depending on who you ask) Game 1 come-from-behind victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, much of the credit was being attributed to rookie forward Brayden Schenn and veteran playoff legend, Danny Briere. Rightfully so. Schenn was a physical force to be reckoned with, assisted on both of Briere's goals and notched the game-tying goal on the Flyers lone powerplay. All Danny B. did was score the first 2 goals of the game missing the last week of the season with a back injury. After the Flyer buried themselves, Mr. Playoff was the shovel that dug them out.

However, as I discussed in my last blog entry, the victory would not have been possible without unsung heroes, specifically Ilya Bryzgalov and Sean Couturier. Couturier was held off the scoresheet, but that matters not. His game was all about keeping the likely recipient of this years Hart Trophy for NHL MVP (along with the Art Ross Trophy for the scoring title), Evgeni Malkin, off the board. He passed his first test with flying colors. What he did with his second test is the stuff of legend. Unsung hero, no more.

Until there was 3 seconds left in the 2nd period of Game 2, "Coots' (as his teammates call him)" 2nd NHL playoff game was very reminiscent of his 1st. Malkin was invisible thanks to the dilligent checking and surprising poise of Courturier and his line, but despite the surging Flyers efforts to yet again fight back from a 2-0 and 3-1 defificit, they still found themselves down 4-3. That's when Coots showed the world he's not just a one-trick pony by pouncing on a fat rebound off of a mediocre point shot to tie the game at 4-4 heading into the 2nd intermission. Timing is everything in Hockey, and he couldn't have timed this one better.

If you thought he was done there. Think again. The Flyers yet again stumbled out of the gate to start the 2nd period, coughing up a goal less than 2 minutes into the period. Down a goal, up a goal. The Flyers keep coming in waves. Sean intercepted a cross-ice pass while applying pressure on the Penguins brutally subpar defense, walked in all alone on Marc-Andre Fleury, went back-hand, fore-hand and tied the game for the last time on the night. It was a perfect example of everything he brings to the table. The great defensive play followed by the smooth offensive finish. Get used to seeing that Flyers fans. This kid is going to be one of, if not, the best two-way forward in the game someday. Thank you Columbus GM Scott Howson, you're now on my Christmas card list forever.

The Flyers would never look back. Jagr eventually tallied the game-winner on a spin-around shot off another juicy rebound from the floundering "Flower." Couturier and Claude Giroux each capped off hat-tricks, becoming the first pair of Flyers to pull it off in the same playoff game....ever.

In the 3rd period, instead of having to keep Malkin at bay, he forced Evgeni to defend him. Malkin has 2 secondary assists (neither of which Couturier was on the ice for) in 2 games and is a -5. There are no two ways about it. The NHLs leading scorer was a non-factor in two home playoff games.

Couturier may look like a teenager and talk like he is 11, but don't let that gap-toothed smile fool you. On the ice, he is wise well beyond his years. Not only has he been more of a factor in this series than the player he has molded his game after (Jordan Staal), he is displaying the savvy of a 10 year veteran, rather than a player who this time last year was gearing up for the NHL Entry Draft.

2 knock knocks down, 14 to go.

Off the Post: Game 2 - Unsung Heroes

1- Ilya Bryzgalov - Don't let his numbers fool you. His play has been spectacular. The majority of Pittsburgh's 8 goals have come from poor defense and rebounds. His glove save on Kris Letang was not only the turning point of the game (instead of going down 3-0, the Flyers scored less than a minute later to make it 2-1), but arguably the save of the year. The only numbers that matter for him right now are 2 wins, 0 losses.

2- Jake Voracek - Despite scoring the OT winner in Game 1, Voracek was overshadowed by Schenn and Briere. Yet again last night, he was one of the best forwards on the ice, pushing the pace and exhausting the Penguins defense every time he touched the puck. He has been the main reason for the Flyers success on their limited powerplay chances as well, notching a sensational assist on Claude Giroux's PP goal.

POST YOUR THOUGHTS BELOW ON THE FLYERS WILD 8-5 VICTORY IN GAME 2!

Game 1 Victory: Unsung Heroes

It's a beautiful morning in the "City of Brotherly Love" today. The sun is shining, flowers are blossoming and the Phillies, Sixers and most importantly, Flyers, pulled off a rare hat-trick of victories last night. Those who bleed Orange & Black are still trying to wrap their heads around yet another improbable comeback victory.

We've seen it before though, so no one should be surprised. The Flyers marched into Pittsburgh, got trampled for the first 20 minutes by an adrenaline fueled Black & Gold wave that left them down 3-0 at the 1st intermission, and then calmly dug their way out of their own graves to win 4-3 in overtime on a goal from Jake Voracek. It's rare that a team can make another teams own building feel like a house of horrors. With a record that now stands at 6-1 at the CONSOL Energy Center, that's exactly what the Flyers have done to to the Penguins.

Now you will hear all about the heroics of Mr. Playoff (Danny Briere) and rookie Brayden Schenn today, and every positive word will be justified. Briere did what he does best, rise to the occassion and elevate his play when the chips are down. He was a crucial part of the Flyers last comeback from a 3-0 deficit in Game 7 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals in Boston (assisting on the 2nd goal and scoring the 3rd), and his 2 goals last night proved that despite growing older with age, he still has the magic.

Schenn's performance should come as no surprise either. The last 2 games of the season against Pittsburgh brought out the best in him, and he has succeeded in every big game at every level of his life so far. His monster shift in the 1st period in which he leveled 2 Penguins in the corner approximately 3 seconds apart seemed to settle the Flyers down after they played like deer caught in headlights the first 10 minutes. His 1 goal and 2 assists that followed made it the best playoff debut by a Flyers rookie since Rosaire Paiement in 1968, the first year the Flyers made the playoffs. Schenn was the only Flyer that looked comfortable playing in this spotlight as soon as the puck dropped. The rest of the team eventually followed suit.

However, the Flyers would not have been able to win without the unsung performances of a couple of key players.

Did anyone hear Evgeni Malkins name last night? You know, the same Malkin that just won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer with a whopping 109 points (the only player in the NHL to eclipse the century mark this season). Do you know why you didn't? Sean Couturier, the 19 year old rookie center drafted 8th overall last spring with a pick acquired from Columbus in the Jeff Carter trade, did a spectacular job at staying with Malkin stride-for-stride and relegating "Geno" to a non-factor in the game. His linemates Max Talbot and fellow rookie Zac Rinaldo certainly deserve some credit too, but "Coots" was the driving force in a performance that no one his age should be able to deliver. Think about it, a 19 year old rookie shut-down one of the top 3 players on the planet on the road. Extremely impressive.

You only go as far as your goaltending takes you, and after falling down 3-0, Ilya Bryzgalov stopped the final 15 shots he faced, 4 or 5 in spectacular fashion. Point blank opportunities by Crosby and Malkin (on the PP) were confidently thwarted. Bryz gave the Flyers the chance to claw back into the game. He was left with no margin for error, and he answered the following question that many Flyers fans were wondering coming into this series: Which Ilya Bryzgalov is going to show up for the post-season? Now we know, and as they say, "knowing is half the battle."

One thing is for certain, the Flyers are playing with fire if they expect to comeback from 3-0 deficits every game against a team like Pittsburgh. They need to get the mentality that its okay to start slow out of their mindset. If they can bring the same intensity and performance they do when they go down and force Laviolette to call one of his famous "troop-rallying" timeouts at the start of Game 2, they very well may leave Pittsburgh with a commanding 2-0 series lead.

LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS THRILLING VICTORY BELOW!

Breaking Down the Keystone Clash

The 5th seeded Philadelphia Flyers will open up the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the 4th seeded Pittsburgh Penguins in a building that has been thus far kind to the Flyers, the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh (the Flyers are 5-1 there since the building opened at the start of the 10'-11' season).

Go ahead and ask any member of the sports media what the most heavily anticipated 1st round match-up of the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs is. I'm willing to bet that 9 out of 10 will choose the Flyers VS. their bitter rivals, the Penguins. It's the 3rd time these two teams have met in the playoffs in the last 5 years. Analysts are practically salivating over it. Furthermore, a current poll on NHL.com has this series as the most heavily anticipated by all fans across the league.

It's easy to understand why. An already vicious rivalry boiled over this past Sunday during the Flyers 6-4 win in Pittsburgh. Brayden Schenn took exception to an unpenalized hit away from the play from Sidney Crosby. While skating back to the bench, Schenn caught up to Crosby and cross-checked the "face of the NHL" face-first into the ice. This drew the ire of the Penguins bench, who are always quick to defend their physically inept star forward. With the Flyers victory secured and just over 1 minute left on the clock, Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma sent out his 4th line players to run amok, presumably to send a message of the physical variety to the Flyers. The result was a crushing open-ice check by Penguins grinder Joe Vitale (who hadn't seen the ice in over 10 minutes) to Flyers center Danny Briere that has him out indefinetly with a back injury (Vitale was also responsible for injuring Flyers defensemen Nicklas Grossmann earlier in the game with an inadvertent knee-on-knee hit). Not only did every Flyer on the ice take exception to it, with a fight erupting instantaneously, it also sent Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette into a whirlwind of fury. Lavvy nearly climbed out of his bench and into Pittsburghs to "share his feelings" with Bylsma. He was able to barely contain himself, but still managed to break Flyers forward Maxime Talbots stick in half over the boards and throw it at the Penguins bench, while hurling expletives that would make a nun blush.

Flyers assistant coach Craig Berube, known for stirring the pot in his playing days, added more fuel to an already raging inferno with his comments on Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and the Penguins organization (comments echoed by Rangers coach John Tortorella this past Thursday night, and again by Jeremy Roenick today).

The stage is set for war on ice. The excitement in the air over the prospects of the Keystone Clash is at a fever pitch. Let's break down the match-up!.












FORWARDS

The Penguins (3.33 goals per game) and Flyers (3.17 goals per game) are the top two offenses in the NHL this season. However, the Flyers boast slightly more depth at the forward position, with 11 forwards with at least 10 goals, 8 players with at least 16 goals, and 4 players with at least 24 goals. The Penguins have 8 forwards with least 10 goals, 7 players with at least 17 goals, and 5 forwards with at least 24 goals. The Penguins are more of a "top-heavy" offense. Their top 2 forwards in goal production have combined for 89 goals (49 for Malkin, 40 for James Neal); whereas the Flyers top 2 forwards in goal production have combined for 65 goals (37 for Scott Hartnell, 28 for Claude Giroux). Spreading out the offense is a recipe for success in the playoffs, and the Flyers have the right ingredients. The absence of Crosby for the large majority of the regular season was factored in and weighed against the astounding numbers of injuries to almost every Flyers forward at some point in the season, most significantly James van Riemsdyk. The Flyers are capable of shutting-down at least one of the "two-headed monsters" and that will ultimately lend to their success.

ADVANTAGE: FLYERS

DEFENSE

The Penguins (17th ranked defense) and Flyers (20th ranked defense) have had their fair share of issues keeping pucks out of their net this season. However, with the Flyers defensive additions at the trade deadline (especially Grossmann) and the improved play of goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, the Flyers are trending in the right direction. Since the start of March, the Flyers have allowed just 43 goals in 20 games, compared to the Penguins who have allowed 61 goals in 19 games. Kris Letang does provide more firepower from their blueline than any Flyer. Philly will also be without one of their most complete defensemen, Andrej Meszaros, for at least the 1st round.

ADVANTAGE: DRAW

GOALTENDING

Statiscally speaking, Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (.913 Save Percentage, 2.36 GAA.) had a better season than Bryzgalov (.909 Save Percentage, 2.48 GAA.). However, Bryzgalov has been better of late, winning the NHL Player of the Month award for March after posting an otherworldy 1.43 GAA. and .947 Save Percentage. His 4 shut-outs in March were 1 more than Fleury has all season. You want your goaltender on a roll heading into the playoffs, and Bryzgalov is on some kind of roll. That being said, Fleury has a wealth of playoff experience, is 2-0 against the Flyers in playoff series', and took home the ultimate prize as the starting goalie in the Penguins 2009 championship run. Bryzgalov was spectacular spelling an injured Jean-Sebastien Giguere for 11 games during the Anaheim Ducks championship run in 2007, but has was relegated to back-up for the Finals once Giguere was healthy. Both netminders Save Percentages have gone down in each of their last 4 playoff appearances, but Fleury's experience and penchant for making clutch saves cannot be overlooked.

ADVANTAGE: PENGUINS

INTANGIBLES

The Flyers reputation may always be tarnished thanks to the Broad Street Bullies of the 70's, but it's the character of the Penguins that has been called in to question this past week. There is no shortage of character on this Flyers team. What they lack in experience, they make up for in sheer determination. There have been very few times this season where this team gave up in a game, despite being plagued by poor 1st periods, injuries, and large deficits. Pittsburgh gets the slight advantage in special teams and faceoffs, two important aspects of winning playoff games, but they'll have to deal with a Flyers team that doesn't give up leads often once they have one but is just as comfortable chasing the game. They seem to thrive off of the challenge of coming back, and it appears as though they have adopted and embraced the "under-dog" status. These teams are about as evenly matched as any of the 1st round match-ups, but the Orange & Black have won 4 of the 5 meaningful games against Pittsburgh this season and seem to have found the formula for beating the NHL's "model franchise." I may be biased here, but i'm allowed to be.

ADVANTAGE: FLYERS

SERIES PREDICTION: FLYERS WIN IT IN 6 GAMES

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