News Flash: Flyers whup Montreal!

[Swish]

He he. You just knew I had to gloat after last night's huge win. They got hammered statistically, but the final score is all that matters, and it was 4-2 Flyers. Biron was outstanding in the crease, and Brière got the eventual game winner, temporarily stopping the irritating booing at him by the relentless Montreal fans, and increasing his playoff points to 12, which leads the NHL by the way.

Stealing home ice advantage? Priceless.

Swish

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Yeah Biron was a wall, and I certainly wouldn't shed any tears if Umberger getsd a whoopin at some point. Biron has had a nasty habit of coming up large in Montreal - "home town (er home province) boy comes back to smoke the team he hated (Biron's from Qubec City area and grew up loving the Nordiques) growing up".

I get annoyed too by the booing of Briere - OK he chose to sign in Philly instead of Montreal, BFD! Get over it already. Lately though I've been turning the sound down and listening to music while I watch, so some of the annoyances of the Montreal crowd haven't bothered me.

Should be a very interesting next two games in Philly - so who's going to be the Philly crowd's whipping boy? Kovalev? Komisarek? Price?

On a slightly music related note - did you see the anthems, sung by 14 year old jazz phenom Nikki Yanofsky. The kid is quite amazing really. Check this appearance on French Canadian TV when she was 13.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-bumYe5mfA

[Swish]

Yeah Biron was a wall, and I certainly wouldn't shed any tears if Umberger getsd a whoopin at some point. Biron has had a nasty habit of coming up large in Montreal - "home town (er home province) boy comes back to smoke the team he hated (Biron's from Qubec City area and grew up loving the Nordiques) growing up".

I get annoyed too by the booing of Briere - OK he chose to sign in Philly instead of Montreal, BFD! Get over it already. Lately though I've been turning the sound down and listening to music while I watch, so some of the annoyances of the Montreal crowd haven't bothered me.

Should be a very interesting next two games in Philly - so who's going to be the Philly crowd's whipping boy? Kovalev? Komisarek? Price?

On a slightly music related note - did you see the anthems, sung by 14 year old jazz phenom Nikki Yanofsky. The kid is quite amazing really. Check this appearance on French Canadian TV when she was 13.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-bumYe5mfA

...the way the boo him. Had he took a cheap shot at one of the Habs I could understand it, but signing with another team? It really is annoying.

Imagine if they didn't get that miracle goal near the end of the first game and the ensuing OT win? Down 2-0 going to Philly could have been the end of their season, and it almost happened. I'm sure many of their fans expected them to win both rather easily, but....

Yes, that kid is quite a talent, and cute as a button too. Hard to believe that a youngster like her would be interested in Jazz in stead of Spear Brittany and that freakin' Montana girl. Good on her.

Swish

[Rich-n-Texas]

Uhhhh...

Stars beat Sharks YEAH!!!

My dream Stanley Cup matchup: Stars vs. Flyers, naturally. No matter which team wins, I'm happy.

[kexodusc]

The one guy who's most impressed me in the playoffs is Darrian Hatcher.
He's really stepped up his play the last little while. This is a guy that would have been optioned to the AHL 2 years ago, if not for his contract, based on his play the years since the lockout under these "new NHL" rules (read: enforcement of old rules). He was too slow, hooked and held too much (a carry over from the Hitchcock system in Dallas) and basically looked like couldn't do anything right against the faster offence.

I noticed it first in the Washington series...he seems a tad bit faster but mostly he's just playing the angles better and not taking himself out of the play to make a big hit or try and pin a forward. He's making faster decisions too which makes up for his lack of speed, and he's become a pretty smart player (again).

Good for him, the Flyers certainly need a presence on the blue line of his stature and he's become an effective top 4 d-man again. It's rare that you see someone turn their career around at that age, but just watch him next game, he's a new man out there.

Timmonen continues to be one of the biggest turtles in the NHL. It's kind of funny on the one hand but the refs are wisening up to him and he's no longer drawing retaliation calls. So now he's just going to get hurt for it.

[Swish]

...although it was real scary in the 3rd period, thanks to Hatcher's stoopid boarding penalty.With a 3-0 lead and the game basically in hand, why would he do something so asinine? The Habs seemingly cannot score an even-strength goal on Biron, so he gives them 5 minutes of PP time to make it close.

Yes, they were outplayed and out shot, but the Flyers found a way to score anyway. I am starting to believe they can take this series, but if they don't stop the idiotic penalties, and there were a few in this game, they could shoot themselves in the foot/feet.

Swish

[kexodusc]

...although it was real scary in the 3rd period, thanks to Hatcher's stoopid boarding penalty.With a 3-0 lead and the game basically in hand, why would he do something so asinine? The Habs seemingly cannot score an even-strength goal on Biron, so he gives them 5 minutes of PP time to make it close.

Yes, they were outplayed and out shot, but the Flyers found a way to score anyway. I am starting to believe they can take this series, but if they don't stop the idiotic penalties, and there were a few in this game, they could shoot themselves in the foot/feet.

Swish

I liked the Hatcher hit (go figure he becomes the subject of controversy after I praise him though). When you're up 3-0 late in a game and your goalie is playing incredible, that is exactly what you should do in a series. Take a few liberties on their players and cause them some pain. Especially after the hit on Timonen last game. The game was over but the series wasn't, you play to hurt (cleanly) at that point to try and gain an advantage for the next game. It's working too, Swish. Watch how Montreal's forwards are playing closer together instead of spreading out on the rush, and they're playing more East-West now instead of a speedy North-South game on the break out through the neutral zone. They're thinking about the big hit!

To be honest, the game happens so fast I don't think Hatcher can be blamed for anything other than an accidental boarding in this case. Bouillon was skating behind the net seemingly turning towards Hatcher, then looked back to protect himself against the other Flyer that was on side opposite at the last second. Rarely do player skate backwards across the back of the net and Hatcher wasn't expecting it. Had he fully turned around, Hatcher's hit would have been clean and hard. Bouillon didn't turn away from the hit and in no way is at fault here, but what's Hatcher supposed to do there. If you watch the replay, he's in front of the net and in a span of less than 1 second on my PVR Bouillon gets rocked. One of those unfortunate collisions that happen. Like accidental high sticks. Still a penalty, but it wasn't malicious or dirty, and I would argue not stupid either. If he lets him go free he's in scoring positon on the far side of the crease.

Downie's can-opener on Price earlier on was 10 times as bad. Truth is the Flyers better leave the goalies alone, because if Montreal trades Price for Biron in skater induced injurires, the scores will become much more lopsided in favor of Montreal. Halak is a legit major league talent as well.

[Rich-n-Texas]

This is the same Darrian Hatcher who helped the Stars win a Stanley Cup. With Ken Hitchcock running the team. Let us not forget that. Oh and BTW... Stars lead the series 2 - 0.

What sound does a Shark make when he's stomped by a Star?

[kexodusc]

This is the same Darrian Hatcher who helped the Stars win a Stanley Cup. With Ken Hitchcock running the team. Let us not forget that. Oh and BTW... Stars lead the series 2 - 0.

What sound does a Shark make when he's stomped by a Star?

The one and the same. Speaking of the Stars, they have been Kex's official pick to win the Cup this year. I've been wrong 3 years in a row though so that could be the kiss of death. Still, they're a great team and have peaked at the right time.

[Hyfi]

What do you think they paid the refs to put all those bad penalties on the Flyers? Seems like all 3 games so far, the refs are trying to get the Canadians to win over the Flyers. 5 on 3s, 5 minute boarding calls, extra penalties when there should just have been matching calls.

Also, what year did the announcers start calling the Canadians the Habs? (short for les inhabitants)

[Rich-n-Texas]

Gene Hart, the voice of the Flyers back in the '70s refered to them as Habs.

[kexodusc]

What do you think they paid the refs to put all those bad penalties on the Flyers?

There's been some questionable officiating. But to be fair, when a team consistently ranks top 5 in penalties over 3 decades, and has more suspensions in a season than any other team has in 10 years, the refs are probably not giving them the benefit of the doubt.
That stuff comes back to haunt you. The Flyers will have to play through it.

Also, what year did the announcers start calling the Canadians the Habs? (short for les inhabitants)

(Les Habitants) has been their nickname since at least the mid 1920's and announcers have referred to them as such as long as radio and TV has carried the games. Originally the "H" inside the "C" on the logo represented "Hockey" not "les Habitant" but a lot of people were under the impression that a popular french nickname for settlers/farmers was the clubs nickname and it just stuck around.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

...although it was real scary in the 3rd period, thanks to Hatcher's stoopid boarding penalty.With a 3-0 lead and the game basically in hand, why would he do something so asinine? The Habs seemingly cannot score an even-strength goal on Biron, so he gives them 5 minutes of PP time to make it close.

Yes, they were outplayed and out shot, but the Flyers found a way to score anyway. I am starting to believe they can take this series, but if they don't stop the idiotic penalties, and there were a few in this game, they could shoot themselves in the foot/feet.

Swish

Very frustrating game to watch for a Canadiens fan. First they blow a 2-minute 5 on 3; how do you do that? Once that happenend I pretty much knew they were going to lose the game. Then, especially after the first two Philly goals, there was just no fight in them - losing all the key battles. Finally they get a little life and then take a too-many-men penalty. They just seem to lack any real intensity - no one is going to the net and Price seems to get down when they miss all those opportunities.

I still think they can win the series - but they better start going to the net and competing for loose pucks and burying their chances. Marty Biron is just not this good! Time to start proving it.

[kexodusc]

Very frustrating game to watch for a Canadiens fan. First they blow a 2-minute 5 on 3; how do you do that? Once that happenend I pretty much knew they were going to lose the game. Then, especially after the first two Philly goals, there was just no fight in them - losing all the key battles. Finally they get a little life and then take a too-many-men penalty. They just seem to lack any real intensity - no one is going to the net and Price seems to get down when they miss all those opportunities.

I still think they can win the series - but they better start going to the net and competing for loose pucks and burying their chances. Mary Biron is just not this good! Time to start proving it.

Seems the Flyers have figured out Price too (or at least they think they have). Most of the goals he's been letting in since late in the Boston series have been glove side shots. Carboneau might pull the coaching move of the playoffs and put Halak in the next game just to keep the Flyers guessing.
Otherwise they're outplaying them in pretty much every other area of the game except except physicality where it's close. I'm guessing there's no real scouting report on Halak and he's pretty good himself so it could neutralize the goalie advantage the Flyers seem to have.
Price has always rebounded well from adversity though usually with huge performances.

You're right Lion Tamer. The Habs have outplayed Philly in both losses and if the PP was going like it should be (#1 in the season I think) they'd be up 3-0 by now. The 2 late goals were as much a result of the Flyers sitting back before the game was over as they were great puck movement on the power play. Time for leaders to lead...