Round 3 Series Discussion

[dlbalr]

Schedule:

Game 1: May 16 @ PHI, 7 PM

Game 2: May 18 @ PHI, 7 PM

Game 3: May 20 @ MTL, 7 PM

Game 4: May 22 @ MTL, 3 PM

Game 5: May 24 @ PHI, 7 PM*

Game 6: May 26 @ MTL, 7 PM*

Game 7: May 28 @ MTL, 7 PM*

All times EST. * - if necessary. All games are televised in Canada on CBC and RDS; in the USA: Games 1-3 plus 4-7 on Versus, Game 4 on NBC.

Regular Season Head-to-Head:

Dec. 7/09: MTL 3, PHI 1

Feb. 12/10: PHI 3, MTL 2

Feb. 13/10: PHI 6, MTL 2

Apr. 2/10: MTL 1, PHI 0

Montreal's top point getters:

Roman Hamrlik (0-5-5)

Tomas Plekanec (1-2-3)

Marc-Andre Bergeron (1-1-2)

Andrei Kostitsyn (1-1-2)

P.K. Subban (0-2-2)

Philadelphia's top point getters:

Daniel Briere (4-1-5)

Scott Hartnell (0-4-4)

Jeff Carter (3-0-3) (injured)

Blair Betts (1-1-2)

Matt Carle (1-1-2)

Special Teams:

Powerplay: 3/14 (21.4%)

Penalty Kill: 13/15 (86.7%)

Montreal Goalie Zone:

Price: 1-1, 2.16 GAA, .912 SV%

Halak: 1-1, 3.00 GAA, .904 SV%

[lazy26]

Looking forward to it. Hope the Flyers don't run Halak too much; it's gonna be a physical series.

[rafikz]

" How to blow 3-0 Leads "

- Boston Bruins

In bookstores this summer; 3 $, but you'll get a 3 $ discount

[JoeLassister]

Last thing I wanted to see is Hartnell-Asham-Carcillio-Pronger against our small forwards and our injured dmen.

Oh no, my bad, last thing I wanted to see is saturday afternoon game. Guess why? Cuz I can't see it. Afternoon hockey is for Pee-Wee. ###### YOU BETTMAN.

[rafikz]

Bring them on

Too many men on the ice Boston

I'm wondering what Don Cherry is gonna say in the next Hockey Night In Canada broadcas

Edited May 15, 2010 by rafikz

[BCHabnut]

Another big fast offensive team with a questionable goalie. We got a gameplan for that.

[rafikz]

Too many men ????

[kenadian]

Keep your head up boys...... and don't let Carcillo goat you in.

[rafikz]

Edited May 15, 2010 by rafikz

[Prime Minister Koivu]

LOL @ Rafikz nice pics

This series will be interesting. 7 vs. 8 has that ever happened before? You have to think that the Western teams are dancing right now.

This will be a tougher challenge. Pitts and Washington had some big players but Philly has big, mean, tough players. Hartnell makes my skin crawl and Carcillio is a diving POS and Pronger is as dirty and mean as it gets. The saving grace is weak goaltending.

Halak will be crowded and bumped more than the other series. I hope he keeps his cool and continues his amazing play.

[johnnyhasbeen]

Heading back to sea after a 7 month rehab. Hope I get to see the rest of the run!

Philly is a different challenge than the last 2, but JM sould be able to alter his game plan to send them golfing.

Go Habs Go! Montreal in 7, just because that is how drama queens get it done!

[Dalhabs]

I hope we can change our gameplan a little. I think we will be the team with the puck now.

[JCPetit]

The players would never say it, but I am quite sure that they would have preferred the Bruins. So would I. Well, the Flyers did not cooperate and they deserve a lot of credit for the way they rebounded, not only in the series but after a 0-3 deficit in the last game. Quite impressive and very depressive for the Bruins fans.

Like you guys, I don't know how our small players and goaltender will fare with the likes of Carcillo, Hartnell, Pronger and Asham. It won't be easy, that's for sure. I guess that the circulation will be much tighter and tougher in front of the net. A lot of job for our defensemen. Quite a challenge, really.

Having said all that, I take comfort in comparing our team to the Bruins. We have a better group of players IMO and should be a better opponent against the Flyers.

In the goal crease, I would say that Rask is an excellent netminder, but Halak is definitely hotter, more experienced and mature too. He's seen a lot of traffic in the first two series and should be ready for whatever the Flyers will throw at him. Halak will play a key role -- and a positive one -- once again.

On defense, the Bruins have Chara, but we still have a solid edge with more experienced players (Hamrlik and Spacek), better offensive contribution from Bergeron, Subban and Markov (he will be back probably in game 3 or 4) and total dedication to the team from Gill and Gorges (leaders in shots blocker in the series so far).

Offensively, I would say that, despite the small size of our better players, we are more of a treat than the Bruins. Cammy, Gionta, Plekanec, Gomez, AK46 (now that brother Sergei is no more a nuisance) and even Lapierre and Pouliot (he should have Subban as a roomate to instill him a little bit of confidence) have more energy and skills, as a group, than Bergeron, Savard (not at his best, obviously), Kreici, Satan, Lucic and Recchi.

My prediction: the Habs in 6.

Edited May 15, 2010 by JCPetit

[blaze53]

The Habs already sent the Capitals and the Penguins golfing so there's no doubt about the fact that they're going to put out Philly's fire and send them golfing as well.

My prediction: Habs in 4.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I'm worried about Pronger deliberately injuring one of our key forwards (e.g., Cammy or Gionta). I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he puts out one of our guys for months, for which he will receive the usual one-game suspension.

They'll try to run Halak, too, but I'm not so sure that Spacek and Gill will be unable to prevent that. We quietly did an excellent job of getting the refs to call goalie interference in the second half of the Washington series, so our organization may be able to get the NHL to do its job and call the g*ddamned penalties on this front.

The very real possibility of deliberately-inflicted injuries aside, Philly fits the profile of a team we should be able to defeat: questionable D and so-so goaltending. We have a real chance of winning this one. But it won't be easy.

[sakiqc]

I'm agreeing with you BCHabnut. I would have been much more worried playing the ultra defensive team Boston and their goalie Rask (not counting Habs nemesis Lucic). The Flyers have a tough team but they are not the Big Bad Street Bullies. Yes they have Carcillo and yes they have a couple guys that will hit you hard but their core offensive guys are all small as well, and very fragile at this time. It's the Flyers that should be scared of our defensive system and of the fact we beated the Caps and Pens.

Another big fast offensive team with a questionable goalie. We got a gameplan for that.

[Prime Minister Koivu]

I'm agreeing with you BCHabnut. I would have been much more worried playing the ultra defensive team Boston and their goalie Rask (not counting Habs nemesis Lucic). The Flyers have a tough team but they are not the Big Bad Street Bullies. Yes they have Carcillo and yes they have a couple guys that will hit you hard but their core offensive guys are all small as well, and very fragile at this time. It's the Flyers that should be scared of our defensive system and of the fact we beated the Caps and Pens.

I agree for the most part but Philly is a very different team than Washington or Pittsburgh. They are the #7 who beat out the Devils and their defensive system with a great goalie (perhaps struggling).

We can beat these guys but they are different than what we have seen.

[TheDriveFor25]

I'm a little surprised... surfing the net today and all I can find are predictions that the Flyers will win this series. We beat the Caps and Pens and still get no respect.

GO HABS GO

[dlbalr]

HW's Series Preview for your reading enjoyment: http://www.habsworld.net/article.php?id=2059

[dlbalr]

For those of us watching the series on CBC, we once again will have Cole, Galley, and Healy, with Elliotte Friedman as the rinkside reporter. Hughson and company will get a break, they won't start covering the West finals until Game 4.

[lazy26]

For those of us watching the series on CBC, we once again will have Cole, Galley, and Healy, with Elliotte Friedman as the rinkside reporter. Hughson and company will get a break, they won't start covering the West finals until Game 4.

Thank goodness there's RDS.

[sakiqc]

I smell that Habs fans fear the “Big Bad Flyers”. However if you look at the 1st two rounds, Flyers only got few “aggressiveness” penalties. Pronger has only 3 minors penalties in the whole playoffs. The Habs have more penalty minutes than the Flyers....

Looking at the boxscores, only the first game of the Bruins-Flyers matchup seemed particularly physical. At the end, the Bruins won that game and the first 3. Habs will need to stand together from the start and keep it going until it's over.

Pronger is obvious an outstanding dman and key for the Flyers on the blueline. Hopefully our small and fast wingers can get past him or under his legs. Coburn, Timonen, Carle, Parent.. not too bad. Even Krajicek (6pts in 15 games vs Habs)

[Athlétique.Canadien]

I won't comment on the series. Philly's physicality, Pronger, Carcillo, Asham etc.

I'm worried - yes. I won't underestimate the Flyers.

We've got nothin' yet!

GO HABS GO!

BTW: There's a new Annakin Slayd - Feels Like '93 (2010 Version)

Edited May 15, 2010 by Athlétique.Canadien

[Easy Ryder]

I think Habs payer don't care much of who they prefer to face

in a Conference final. It's the Flyers, so what ? Lucic and the Bruins

would have not been any easier on Halak.

The only difference there is that the Bruins have average playersand a system and the Flyers

have very good individual players, no system.

Habs can face that, and don't ask hockey intellegiancia to favour us in any serie.

Fact is Habs finished 19th overall in the season, but this season as ended...

and they are still there in playoffs.

[hab29RETIRED]

I'm worried about Pronger deliberately injuring one of our key forwards (e.g., Cammy or Gionta). I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he puts out one of our guys for months, for which he will receive the usual one-game suspension.

They'll try to run Halak, too, but I'm not so sure that Spacek and Gill will be unable to prevent that. We quietly did an excellent job of getting the refs to call goalie interference in the second half of the Washington series, so our organization may be able to get the NHL to do its job and call the g*ddamned penalties on this front.

The very real possibility of deliberately-inflicted injuries aside, Philly fits the profile of a team we should be able to defeat: questionable D and so-so goaltending. We have a real chance of winning this one. But it won't be easy.

That's why I'd rather have faced the bruins. Pronger is usually allowed to get away with murder. The refs rarely call the BS crap he pulls. Since he is considered an elite player he is given free reign to cross-check/slash/hook/rough-up players with impunity. SOmeone usally has to get taken off on a stretcher for the refs to call something on Pronger and even when he gets supsended, if it was any other player, he would get 8-10 games for the crap Pronger pulls.