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(7) PHILADELPHIA FLYERS vs. (8) MONTREAL CANADIENS
RecordsPhiladelphia: 41-35-6 (88 points, 3rd in Atlantic, 7th in East)Montreal: 39-33-10 (88 points, 4th in Northeast, 8th in East)
ForwardsWhen Philadelphia indispensable a hero, Daniel Briere stepped up, receiving over the array after Philly fell 3-0 at the behind of to Boston. Briere scored five goals in the array and has netted 7 goals in his last 9 playoff games. All Philly captain Mike Richards has finished so far in his career is win a Memorial Cup, a universe youth title, and a Calder Cup. He’s a loyal leader. On the initial genuine playoff run of his NHL career, people are finding the clinical finishing of Montreal’s Mike Cammalleri. It’s helped him pot a Stanley Cup-leading twelve goals, 7 of that came in the second turn opposite Pittsburgh, restraining a bar symbol for a singular array he right afar shares with Maurice (Rocket) Richard, Bernie (Boom Boom) Geoffrion, Jean Beliveau, Guy Lafleur and Marcel Bonin.Edge: Philadelphia
DefenseJust call them the Fantastic Four. Philadelphia defensemen Chris Pronger, Matt Carle, Braydon Coburn and Kimmo Timonen each log in between 26-29 mins per game, as the Flyers fundamentally go with a 4 defenseman rotation, spotting in Lukas Krajicek and Ryan Parentshifts with one of the big four. In 2006, Montreal’s Jaroslav Space was square of an Edmonton Oilers bar in 2006 that was the No. 8 seed and rolled all the approach to the Stanley Cup final. He returned from seizure to fool around the last dual games of the Pittsburgh series, undiluted timing after Andrei Markov went down with a knee injury. Hal Gill, sensitively rising as maybe the NHL’s most appropriate shutdown defender, longed for Game 6 with a sliced calf, but gamely matched up for Game 7 and once some-more stymied Pens captain Sidney Crosby, who garnered one idea all series.Edge: Montreal
GoaltendingThe stand in carousel one after an additional in Philadelphia when Brian Boucher, one of 7 goalies in use by the bar this season, went down with a knee damage in Game 5 opposite Boston. In stepped Michael Leighton for the initial time given pang a Mar sixteen high ankle sprain. All he did was mix with Boucher to post the initial common shutout in Stanley Cup story given 1955. Leighton is plain positionally, but tends to be delayed with his hang and exposed to five-hole goals. When you’ve silenced Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby and shunted their teams aside, what’s left to do for an encore? In Montreal goalie Jaroslav Halak’s case, using for mayor of the city competence not be unreasonable. His shining puckstopping is convention an additional fairy-tale story that so most netminders save for this time of year. He’s probably walled up the bottom half of his net and steadfastly battles to have second and third stops.Edge: Montreal
Special teamsNo group left in the playoffs scored some-more power-play goals during the unchanging deteriorate than Philadelphia (68), and it was the Flyers’ energy fool around that was the favourite in Game 7 opposite Boston, when Simon Gagne netted the series-winning idea during a third-period man-advantage situation. Chris Pronger and Claude Giroux each show 3 PPG, whilst Mike Richards has dished out 7 assists whilst the Flyers owned the additional man. Montreal acquired defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron to be a power-play specialist. It’s what he’s finished his complete career and he’s delivering in that purpose again in the playoffs, pciking up 1-3-4 point totals, all whilst the Canadiens have enjoyed the man advantage. Mike Cammalleri has netted 4 of his Cup-leading twelve goalsthe energy play. P.K. Subban’s absolute point shot has helped assuage the loss of harmed Andrei Markov.Edge: Philadelphia
Role playersJames Van Riemsdyk has played 90 games, scarcely stand in the sum of any prior deteriorate of his career. He proposed the playoffs in a maybe a fatigue-induced funk, but returned to form in Game 7 opposite Boston, scoring his initial Stanley Cup idea and you do the things he needs to do to attain - pushing to the net and sharpened the puck. It competence be wrong to indicate that as Maxim Lapierre goes, so goes Montreal, but afterwards again . . . Lapierre scored the diversion leader in Game 6 opposite Pittsburgh and the Habs are 9-0-1 when he scores this season. Lapierre’s earthy participation next the idea line caused all sorts of headaches for Pittsburgh’s defense. Travis Moen, who won a Cup with Anaheim in 2007, brings courage to the Habs all-Stanley Cup leader line with Brian Gionta (New Jersey) and Scott Gomez (New Jersey).Edge: Montreal
CoachingPhiladelphia’s Peter Laviolette transposed Paul Maurice in mid-season in 2004 and led the Carolina Hurricanes to the 2006 Stanley Cup. Laviolette took over for deposed John Stevens this season, and opposite Boston, became the third manager in Cup story to convene his group from a 3-0 array deficit. His timeout call when Philly trailed 3-0 in Game 7 calmed his troops, got them backpoint and focusedthe gameplan. For years, Montreal’s Jacques Martin was saddled in Ottawa with a learned group that simply wasn’t able of profitable the cost to win in the playoffs, and really wasn’t skilful at personification his trapping character of game. Plus, the Senators never had what Martin has in Montreal - world-class goaltending from Jaroslav Halak. Martin’s gameplan is elementary - get ahead, afterwards lay behind and pouncethe counter-attack.Edge: Philadelphia
X-FactorA full of health blemish for Philadelphia’s initial 4 playoff games, left-winger Ville Leino got in to movement opposite Boston due to damage and seemed to catch glow around the same time as the rest of the group did. He constructed 1-4-5 totals over Philly’s 4 wins and was a determined presencethe cycle, displaying a knack for retrieving pucks to get the conflict going. Since being removed Apr twenty-six from Hamilton (AHL), Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban has grown in to a large square of the puzzle, alleviating injuries that cost the group Jaroslav Space, Andrei Markov and Hal Gill. A earthy participation with an considerable ability set, Subban played 29:11 in Game 6 opposite the Penguins. Only Markov (29:32 Apr twenty-one opposite Washington) has logged some-more ice time for the Habs in the playoff diversion this spring.Edge: Montreal
OutlookThis will be the fourth time that Montreal and Philadelphia have met in the Stanley Cup last four. No. 8 seed Montreal arrives at this theatre with victories over the tip dual seeds in the East, whilst the seventh-seeded Flyers get here off usually the third convene from a 3-0 necessity in Stanley Cup history. But Philly’s reliancea shortened dais will infer the undoing.Prediction: Canadiens in 6
(1) SAN JOSE SHARKS vs. (2) CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
RecordsSan Jose: 51-20-11 (113 points, 1st in Pacific, 1st in West)Chicago: 52-22-8 (112 points, 1st in Central, 2nd in West)
ForwardsThey call him Jumbo Joe in San Jose, and suddenly, core Joe Thornton is vital up to that billing. He’s already scored equally his career playoff high with 3 goals, is owning the faceoff dot and personification physically. Twice opposite Detroit, Thornton set up linemate Patrick Marleau for diversion winners. Beyond them, Joe Pavelski, Devin Setoguchi and Ryane Clowe are provision a second-line scoring option, led by Pavelski’s 9 goals. Chicago captain Jonathan Toews won Olympic bullion with Canada in Vancouver this year, and was golden there again in the second turn opposite the Canucks. An support in the clincher lengthened his point strain to 10 games, and he leads all scorers with twenty points.Edge: San Jose
DefenseDan Boyle set a San Jose authorization jot down for rearguards with 43 assists, and by dual rounds, is the usually Sharks defender between the tip fifteen scorers with 2-7-9 totals. Niclas Wallin, who won a Cup with Carolina in 2006, returned to the lineup for Game 6 opposite Detroit. He’d been nursing a lower-body damage given the playoff opener opposite Colorado. Duncan Keith isfire for Chicago. He’s garnered 1-5-6 totals in his last 7 games, and leads all Western Conference rearguards in normal ice time (27:07). Since the begin of the deteriorate and together with the Olympics, he’s logged some-more timethe ice than any NHL defenseman (over 2,650 minutes).Edge: Chicago
GoaltendingChased from Game 4 opposite Detroit after permitting 5 goals9 shots in the initial period, San Joses Evgeni Nabokov rebounded to hold the Wings to 1 idea in the series-clincher. Equipped with maybe the fastest glove palm in hockey, he’s usually the second goalie in NHL story to post 3 unbroken 40-win seasons. Chicago’s Antti Niemi could simply be remembered for the 50-foot backhander that hopped past him to lose his playoff debut, solely for the actuality that he’s left 8-3 given that debacle. He outshone Olympic favourite Roberto Luongo in the second turn opposite Vancouver.Edge: San Jose
Special teamsJoe Pavelski’s presentation as a goal-scoring hazard in the playoffs for San Jose has a lot to do with his power-play success. Working the point, Pavelski has tallied a playoff-high 5 PPG with his absolute shot. The Sharks have killed off 84.2 percent of their penalties. Chicago’s PP is generally potentthe road, scoring 9 times afar from the United Center. Jonathan Toews is the PP catalyst, with 4-6-10 totals, together with 3 PPG in Game 4 vs. the Canucks. Patrick Kane has 5 assists with the man advantage. A Dave Bolland understaffed idea helped put the last spike in Vancouver’s coffin in Game 6.Edge: Chicago
Role playersSan Jose is most some-more of a playoff-ready patrol this spring, interjection to the further of purpose players similar to Manny Malhotra, Scott Nicholl and Jed Ortmeyer. The former dual are widespread at the faceoff dot, whilst Ortmeyer competes as tough as anyonethe ice. Hulking Dustin Byfuglien has proven a jack of all trades for Chicago, personification invulnerability in the opening round, afterwards returning to show up Roberto Luongo from the corner of the idea stand in in the second round, scoring 3 times. Troy Brouwer returned from the full of health blemish store to total the opening idea in the series-clincher at Vancouver.Edge: San Jose
CoachingSan Jose was down 7-1 to Detroit in Game 4 of their second-round series, and players were still dropping to retard shots. It’s a pointer of usually how most they’ve paid for in to second-year manager Todd McLellan’s system. He’s brought concentration and make up to this group - and certainty that they can overcome their pitfalls. This is Chicago manager Joel Quenneville’s third outing to the Western Conference finals, and second in as most springs. He stressed fortify and initiating hit opposite the assertive Canucks and it paid dividends, as Chicago’s energy fool around punished retaliatory Vancouver.Edge: Chicago
X-FactorIt all starts with who’s got the puck and San Jose is widespread at the faceoff dot. Manny Malhotra (61.7 percent), Joe Thornton (55.7), Joe Pavelski (53.3) safeguard that a Sharks group that plays a puck-possession diversion some-more mostly than not will resume from each blocking with the biscuit. He’s a sniper, an chosen ability player, and in new springs, Chicago’s Marian Hossa has been a good-luck charm. The last dual springs, his team’s have reached the Cup finals - Pittsburgh in 2008 and Detroit in 2009. But he’s still seeking for that fugitive ring. An peculiar stat - 7 of his last 8 playoff goals have come in Game 4s.Edge: San Jose
OutlookThese aren’t the Sharks of old. San Jose is a some-more playoff-ready, harder-to-play-against, built-for-the-post-season character of club. They showed it in not panicking opposite Colorado and again in their surgical dismantling of Detroit. This could eventually be the open that San Jose knows the way.Prediction: San Jose in 7
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