After a 1-0 shutout loss in Game 1 and a high scoring victory in Game 2, the Flyers and Sabres are tied at 1 game a piece. To get you ready for a critical Game 3 tomorrow night, I called in Flyers Insider Mike Hlatky to answer some tough playoff questions.
Joe Morrison: What did the Flyers do wrong in Game 1?
Mike Hlatky: I think the Flyers overall played well in Game 1. They out shot Buffalo 35-25 and attempted around 75 shots. However they often passed up many shot opportunities by getting too fancy and trying to find that perfect seam pass which just wasn't there. Miller did a good job in Game 1 but a lot of the shots he faced were right at his chest and he wasn't forced to make any spectacular saves. The Flyers failed to get traffic in front of Miller and put rebound shots on goal. Buffalo did a good job of collapsing all 5 of their players towards their net to protect Miller, and reduce the Flyers rebound opportunities. Another key to the game was the Flyers slumping power play which went 0-5. It is clear that the Flyers are not confident in the power play without their quarterback Chris Pronger and this definitely hurt them in Game 1. When your given 5 power plays, you need to be able to capitalize on those opportunities especially in the playoffs.
Joe Morrison: What did the Flyers do right to win Game 2?
Mike Hlatky: In Game 2, the Flyers once again played well. They brought the intensity and physical play in the beginning of the game which got the crowd of about 20,000 out of their seats and into the game. They also got on the board early with Claude Giroux's outstanding individual effort goal. I think the play of Giroux and James van Riemsdyk have been outstanding in the past two games. JVR is on fire recently as he has really began to play up to the expectations of being the number 2 pick in the 2007 draft. After Bobrovsky gave up 3 goals in the first 7 shots he faced, he was pulled and veteran Brian Boucher was given the nod. Once Boucher came into the game, he seemingly calmed the team down and really showed poise in the net. The Flyers defense did a very good job of controlling their own blueline and meeting the speedy Sabres forwards at the blueline.
Joe Morrison: After Sergei Bobrovsky's performance in game 2, should the Flyers go to vetern Brian Boucher?
Mike Hlatky: The Flyers seem to play with more confidence when Boucher is in goal. He carries a calmness and poise about him that seems to rub off on the the rest of the team. He is a better puck handler than Bob which could become crucial later in the series. Boucher has also been here before and knows how to win in the playoffs. He led the Flyers in the playoffs last year and was a big reason they were able to reach the Stanley Cup. I think Laviolette will start Boucher in Game 3 as we all knew Bob was going to be on a short leash heading into these playoffs.
Joe Morrison: Can the Flyers win without Chris Pronger?
Mike Hlatky: The Flyers can win without Chris Pronger however they will need to figure out how to get their power play back on track. In this series the Flyers are a woeful 1-15 on the power play. When you have the amount of offensive talent that the Flyers have, you need to be able to put the puck in the net on the power play. Chris Pronger is a key part to the special teams unit and the Flyers have dearly missed him in this portion of the game. Also, the Flyers defense seemed to have a tough time of clearing people out in front of the net. I have counted about 3 goals where they have failed to clear people out and knock bodies over. Every time the Flyers allowed people to get set up in front it almost always resulted in a goal. Pronger is extremely good at controlling the area in front of the net for either Boucher or Bobrovsky and he clears the porch whenever their is a scrum in front. The Flyers can win this series without Pronger, but I think they will struggle without him if they continue to go on in the playoffs.
Joe Morrison: A lot of people are being very critical of Mike Richards, how do you evaluate his performance?
Mike Hlatky: I myself am also very critical of Mike Richards. I believe he is beginning to pick up his play in this series but he needs to start playing with more passion and playing like the captain. He has seemed to really be struggling the last half of the season, and on some nights you really wonder where his head is. But I believe he is crucial to the Flyers success and if the Flyers want to advance further into the playoffs, they will need Richards to step up his game and play with a sense of urgency and play with passion.
Joe Morrison: What do the Flyers need to do to win Game 3?
Mike Hlatky: To win Game 3 the Flyers need to do a lot of what they have done in Games 1 and 2. They need to bring the passion and intensity into Buffalo and be ready for that tenacious onslaught that Buffalo will certainly bring to the beginning of Game 3. You know that they will be ready to play as they are playing their first home playoff game of 2011 in the raucous HSBC Arena. The Flyers need to match this intensity, and simply play a good, solid game. They need to limit their turnovers and tighten up on the defensive side as Game 3 surely will not be a repeat of the offensive numbers put up in Game 2. The power play needs to find their confidence and start converting when they are given opportunities, and they need to have good goaltending from whomever may be starting in this game.
Joe Morrison: What are your overall thoughts and opinions on the series so far?
Mike Hlatky: I think this is a very evenly matched series. The Flyers have that potent offense that has the potential to put up huge numbers, and to counteract that offense, the Sabres have one of the best goalies in the world in Ryan Miller. I don't think any game is going to really be a blowout as I think the reaminging games are all going to stay at one or two goal games. One interesting thing about this series is the hatred between the Sabres and Flyers. The hate between these two teams really started to show in Game 2 when Hartnell dropped the gloves and got involved in a lot of after the whistle scrums. Even JVR and Claude Giroux got involved in a couple scrums. So far in this series the Flyers are struggling greatly on the man advantage and a potential solution to the Flyers power play woes could be Nikolay Zherdev. Zherdev has been looming as a healthy scratch in these past two playoff games. He really began to turn it on offensively at the end of the year. Could we see a Zherdev sighting in the future if these struggles on the power play continue? And finally the Flyers are 16-15 in playoff series tied 1-1.
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