Playoff Hockey - The Cream Rises to the Top

Vol. I, No. 41

Another five game playoff night.

The first two games featured last year's Stanley Cup finalists.  Both won their games tonight.

In the east, the defending Stanley Cup champions turned up the heat. Five goals scored in the second period got the Penguins up on the Senators 6-3. The Pens won the game 7-4 and lead their series 3-1. Sid the Kid had two goals and two assists.  Pittsburgh appears to be dominant in every way. The only question is how many goals they give up.  If they run into a hot goaltender, the Pens might get burned.

In front of a home crowd, Detroit polished off Phoenix, 3-0. The former Stanley Cup finalists (and 2008 champions) outplayed and shut down the 4th place Coyotes. The series is tied 2-2, and the games return to Phoenix.  It is now a best of three series.  Two months ago, nobody would have picked Detroit to be playing this well.

Local News for NJ Devils Fans

In Philly, the Flyers played hard in front of a home crowd.  They defeated the Devils by a score of 4 - 1. Flyers outshot the Devils 12 - 8 and scored two unanswered goals in the second frame. The Devs were 1 for 8 on the power play. Philly was 2 for 8.  Playing 5 on 5, the Flyers had the upper hand (two even strength goals scored in the game).  The last even strength goal scored by the Devils was on Friday in Newark.  

Is there a surprise brewing here?  The Flyers finished in seventh place in the East, and yet were able to easily handle the Devils during the regular season.  Fact is, the Flyers were picked by many at the beginning of the season to go all the way to the Cup finals.  With the addition of veterans Ian Laperriere and Chris Pronger during the off-season, Philadelphia positioned itself for a serious run.

The only question for Philadelphia was goaltending.  So far, Brian Boucher has risen to the occasion in these playoffs, with a 2.31 GAA and .907 save percentage. He is outperforming Marty Brodeur, who has a GAA of 2.64 and save percentage of .896.  In the regular season, Brodeur was tops in the league with a GAA of 2.24 and save percentage of .916 - Boucher was 47th in the league, with a GAA of 2.76 and a .899 save percentage.

So, the tables appear to be turned.  Philly's defense and goaltending are stifling the Devils.  Philly's aggressive play is drawing the Devils into penalties. New Jersey will return to the Prudential Center on Thursday night with a deficit of 1 - 3 in the series. Looks like a steep hill to climb. It's been done before - by the Devils.

Hockey Rules.