Q&A With Flyers Insider Mike Hlatky

To fully break down the upcoming Flyers Sabres series, I sat down with Broad Street Marching’s Official Flyers Insider Mike Hlatky for a quick playoff Q&A. Mike is very excited about the Sabres matchup and likes the Flyers’ chances of advancing to the next round.

Joe Morrison: How good is Sabres goalie Ryan Miller?

Mike Hlatky: Well Ryan Miller is a pretty big goalie at 6'2 so he takes up a lot of net. He also has a very good glove hand to compliment his style of play. Miller doesn't get rattled very easily so it will be a tough task to put the puck past him in a 7 game series. However, this season his stats against the Flyers are 2-2, 3.60 GAA with a .890 save percentage which are pretty pedestrian numbers when you are considered one of the top goalies in the league.

Joe Morrison: How are the Sabres as a team? And do they have any stars that the Flyers need to worry about?

Mike Hlatky: As a team they are extremely fast and small. They definitely know how to score as they have popped in 245 goals this season which is 14 less then the Flyers 259. They have also struggled to find consistency this year on defense as they’ve given up 229 goals. Individually, the Sabres have Tyler Myers who stands at 6'9 and leads the defense. He will be playing in his first post season. Offensively, the Sabres have Thomas Vanek who leads the team with 73 points this year. He is the big name to watch out for if you’re the Flyers. In order to counter the quickness and agility of the Sabres, the Flyers need to use their size and body up right from the drop of the puck in Game 1. They need to take away time and space from their skilled guys and not allow them to pick up speed through the neutral zone.

Joe Morrison: What does Chris Pronger mean to the Flyers?

Mike Hlatky: Pronger is huge for the Flyers. He provides that voice in the locker room which is essential especially in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He is the quarterback on the power play which hopes to get back on track in the playoffs as it has struggled greatly without him in the lineup. He's a physical force and certainly a playoff warrior who provides leadership and experience to the team.

Joe Morrison: Do you think the Flyers can advance?

Mike Hlatky: Yes, I think if they come out and play well and with passion in Game 1 I believe they are in good shape to advance. I'm not sure if they will be able to just flip a switch and start playing with that playoff intensity so quickly but I do believe that they can and will advance. They have a great veteran presence on the team which will guide them past this round. My prediction: Flyers in 6.

Clearly getting off to a good start in Game 1 is going to be critical for the Flyers. If they want to advance, they definitely need to take care of business in the first 2 games at home. The effectiveness of Chris Pronger is also going to be a huge factor in the series. If Pronger is not 100%, the Flyers may find themselves in trouble. I personally feel that although the Flyers are young they have a lot of veterans who know what it takes to win. I expect the veterans to come through and rally these young guys back to the Stanley Cup. My prediction: Flyers in 5.

A special thanks goes out to Broad Street Marching’s Official Flyers Insider Mike Hlatky for his contributions to this article.