Now a Best of 3 Series

The Flyers won Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals in front of a crazy home crowd at the Wachovia Center to take even up the series at 2, and now it becomes a best of 3 series.

The Flyers jumped all over the Blackhawks in this game in the first period, and even though things got close at the end, the Flyers held off the Hawks to win the game 5-3. The Flyers got a great solo effort from Mike Richards to get on the board early in the first period. Shortly after, Matt Carle kept a Blackhawks clearing attempt in the zone and fired a puck into the open net. Carle's goal went as unassisted, but James van Riemsdyk played a big role on that play, bringing the puck around behind the net and getting it out in front. After a Blackhawks Patrick Sharp goal, Claude Giroux snuck behind the defense, and Kimmo Timonen found him with a great pass, and the Flyers took a 3-1 lead into the first intermission.

After a scoreless 2nd period, Ville Leino banked a shot off a Blackhawks defender and passed Antti Niemi and gave the Flyers a 4-1 lead halfway through the 3rd. The Blackhawks would not go away however, and scored 2 quick goals to make it 4-3, and then had plenty of good opportunities down the stretch to tie it, but Jeff Carter put the game away with an easy empty netter, and give the Flyers a 5-3 victory. Ville Leino's goal allowed him to become the all-time leading Flyers postseason scorer for a rookie passing Brian Propp.

5 different Flyers had goals, and no one had more than 1 assist either. The top line that needed to step up, ehh sort of stepped up. Richards goal was on the power play, so it was not with his linemates, and was a solo effort anyways. Carter's goal was an empty netter that hopped over Blackhawks defender Duncan Keith's stick and gave him an easy breakaway goal. The top line did play better though, and Carter, although I still don't think he had a good game, did play better than Game 3. The top line really needs to get going though, and win a game in Chicago.

The Flyers did do what they should have and replaced Daniel Carcillo with van Riemsdyk, and although van Riemsdyk made some mistakes, he also has an assist, and a great play on the Matt Carle goal. van Riemsdyk solidified his spot, and should play on the Giroux, Asham line the rest of the postseason.

Michael "Lights Out" Leighton turned the lights out on the Blackhawks, and made 31 saves in the game. Leighton played very well, and there wasn't much he could have done on any of the 3 Blackhawks goals. The first one was deflected, again off a Flyers played, as Braydon Coburn deflected the puck into the net. The 2nd one was on a 5-on-3 advantage, so it's hard to do anything on that one. And the 3rd one was kind of fluky and just a matter of the Blackhawks sending the puck towards the net, and the puck kind of rid on Timonen and Toews going towards the net and went in. Leighton really has played well, and needs to do it on the road now to steal a game.

Chris Pronger has been fantastic this Stanley Cup shutting down the first line of Kane-Towes-Byfuglien. He has the Blackhawks players all complaining about his play, and he is pushing these 3 players around, and having his way. Pronger did not have a point last night, and actually only played 28 minutes, which is less than usual for him, but he always has an impact on the game, and in this postseason, it has been a very positive impact.

Now... there is still a lot of work to do. The Flyers do have the momentum, but all that momentum might stop come Game 5 when the puck drops in front of the Chicago crowd. The series is now a best of 3 series, and the Blackhawks have 2 home games to the Flyers 1. The Flyers need to find a way to steal a game in Chicago, and it really needs to be Game 5 since the Flyers do have the momentum. The Flyers do not want to let Chicago go up 3-2, and have to win 2 in a row, with the final one being in Chicago. The Flyers really need to come out and try to win Game 5. The top line has the capability of having a big game, and stealing a game. Michael Leighton has the capability to steal a game. The team needs to step up for Game 5, and come back to Philly with a win, a 3-2 series lead, and a chance to win the Stanley Cup Finals on home ice in Game 6. Of course, that is much easier said than done.

Flyers Face Another Must Win Tonight

The Flyers play the Blackhawks tonight in a must win game 4 at the Wachovia Center tonight. The Flyers took back some momentum and should have plenty of confidence going into tonight's game.

The Flyers won an amazing game on Wednesday night 4-3 in overtime. Claude Giroux put in the game winner about 6 minutes into overtime to give the Flyers the needed win. This Flyers team, as we know, had lived on the edge a lot in this postseason, and Game 3 was no different.

The Flyers did really control most of the game, including basically all of the 3rd period. However, the Flyers still found themselves down in the 3rd period after Patrick Kane put in his first goal of the series on a breakaway. The Flyers could have really packed it in at this point, and given up. They did just the opposite. The Flyers scored just 20 seconds later, as Ville Leino had the pick bounce to him with a wide open net.

The 2nd line continued their unbelievable play this postseason. Scott Hartnell, Danny Briere, and Ville Leino were a solid line again, as all 3 players scored goals. Hartnell, who I have been very critical of, was one of the best players on the ice in Game 3, and had an unbelievable assist on the Briere goal. Matt Carle, Chris Pronger, and Claude Giroux also had very strong games.

The top line, mostly Jeff Carter, and Daniel Carcillo did not have good games. The top line has yet to show up this series, and Richards, Carter, and Gagne need to step up their games. Carter played one of the worst games I've ever seen anyone play. He looked horrible out on the ice, and there is no reason that Carter, at 6'4", 220 should be as soft as he is. That top line needs to step it up if the Flyers want to win this series, and if they do step it up, the Flyers could definitely win the Stanley Cup. I hate to seem like I am ripping Jeff Carter, because he is probably still somewhat injured, but if he plays well, that first line can succeed, and that would go a long way.

Daniel Carcillo is a guy who you really like to have on your team. He gets in opposing player's heads, he can fight, and is an annoying guy to face when you are on the other team. All of that said, he isn't very good at hockey. Carcillo needs to be scratched again, and go back to James van Riemsdyk. van Riemsdyk is young, and untested, and may never live up to his #2 overall pick status, but he still has a lot of skill, much more than Carcillo. Giroux has been playing on a line with Carcillo and Asham, and Giroux's skill level is somewhat lost with those 2 on his line. JVR hasn't put up many points this postseason, but he has a lot of speed, and puck handling skills, and needs to be out there. The team actually knows that Carcillo doesn't give them much, since Carcillo has yet to play in either of the last 2 games 3rd period. And these are 2 periods that the Flyers have dominated.

In fact, my sources are telling me that JVR will suit up, but I am not sure who will not play in his place. The only person who makes sense would be Carcillo.

Flyers Win Game 4

The Flyers bounced back from their disappointing Game 3 loss and won Game 4 in hostile Montreal to take a 3 games to 1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Flyers did exactly what they needed to do going into Montreal for 2 games. They needed to just win 1 of those games and come back home with a 3-1 series lead. After the Flyers disappointing Game 3, they needed to step it up and take Game 4, so that the Canadiens would not have all the momentum and a series tied at 2.

The Flyers locked it down defensively, and Michael Leighton bounced back from Game 3, and recorded his 3rd shutout in 4 games of the series, as the Flyers won 3-0 in Game 4. The first period was a defensive battle with not many scoring chances, which I thought was a good thing for the Flyers, so the crowd would get slightly bored and restless. In period #2, the Flyers took over. Claude Giroux made an unbelievable solo play and beat the Montreal defense to put the Flyers on the board early in the 2nd period.

Later in the 2nd period, Chris Pronger made a great pass to Ville Leino, allowing Leino go move in on a breakaway, and Leino beat Halak to put the Flyers up 2-0 after 2 periods. In the 3rd, the Canadiens did put a lot of pressure on, but Leighton and the defense were up to the task. The Flyers had to kill off 2 power plays in the 3rd period, and then after doing so, Claude Giroux put in his 2nd goal of the game into the back of the net from his knees into the empty net to end the game.

The Flyers hardly allowed Montreal any good chances, and the Canadiens only ended up with 17 shots, after outshooting the Flyers in all 3 games thus far. Give a lot of credit to Peter Laviolette for regrouping the team in between games, and setting up the game plan, and allowing the Flyers to execute. Also, credit Matt Carle, and Chris Pronger, both of whom were really bad in Game 3, and both of whom really played well in Game 4.

Ian Laperriere and Jeff Carter both returned from injury to give the Flyers a needed boost. Jeff Carter moved onto the first line with Mike Richards and Simon Gagne, as Daniel Carcillo was a healthy scratch. I was calling for mostly Arron Asham to get scratched, but if it wasn't him, I would say Carcillo was the next guy who should have been scratched. Carter played almost 14 minutes, including a couple on the power play, and had 4 shots on goal, which is good. Laperriere replaced Andreas Nodl in the lineup, and played a little over 9 minutes, including a short period of time on the penalty kill. Blair Betts and Darrol Powe did a great job on the penalty kill. Laperriere is mostly known for his penalty killing and leadership as being a great locker room guy.

Again, the Flyers accomplished their task of taking 1 of 2 in Montreal, and now go back home for Game 5 with a 3-1 series lead. You really would love to close out this series in Game 5, so you don't give the Canadiens any life, and don't have to go back to the crappy city that is Monreal, and deal with their annoying fans. Game 5 is Monday night at 7:00.

Flyers Take Command of Series

The Flyers won yesterday in Game 4 of the first round series to take a commanding 3-1 series lead in front of the home crowd at the Wachovia Center. The Flyers outplayed the Devils in the past 2 games, and I think the home crowd played a factor in that.

The Flyers were down after the first period 1-0 on a Kovalchuk goal scored on a 5 on 3 power play. Boucher would not allow another goal, and the Flyers went on to score 4, winning 4-1, and seeing players such as Jeff Carter and Danny Briere break out of their slumps.

Jeff Carter got the Flyers going on the power play in the 2nd period wristing a shot past Brodeur. The assist went to Danny Briere. Later in the period, Briere skated in the Devils zone, and ripped a slap shot in the upper corner beating Brodeur and giving the Flyers a 2-1 lead that they would not relinquish. The Flyers got 3rd period goals from goal scoring machine Daniel Carcillo, and another power play tally from Jeff Carter gave the Flyers a 4-1 lead and victory.

Boucher continued to play strong in between the pipes stopping 30 of the Devils 31 shots. The defense has played well for the most part in front of him. Boucher has only allowed 9 goals in the 4 games so far this series. The Devils only goal this game as I said came on a 5 on 3 power play. When the action has been 5 on 5, the Flyers have had control of the last 2 games. Their Flyers have been forechecking relentlessly, and making the Devils defenseman give up pucks, and not enabling the Devils to move easily through the neutral zone. The strong forechecking is a stable of coach Peter Laviolette’s system, which the Flyers seem to be buying into.

The work is not over yet, the Flyers cannot be happy by a strong postseason performance thus far, they need to put the Devils away. It was 10 years ago with Boucher in net that the Flyers had a 3-1 series lead on the Devils, on their way to the Stanley Cup, only to see the Devils win 3 straight games and eliminate the Flyers. Obviously that is in the past, but it can still happen, especially with 2 of the final 3 games of the series in New Jersey. You don’t want to have to go to New Jersey to win a game 7. The Flyers will go to New Jersey for Game 5 Thursday night, and will hopefully be travelling back to Philadelphia without the Devils coming as well. The Flyers will have to win Game 5 however without Jeff Carter, and Simon Gagne, both of whom have injured feet. Ville Leino, and David Laliberte will replace them in the lineup.

Sixers Lose Ugly Game 4 to Magic

The Sixers let a golden opportunity slip away on Sunday evening, losing Game 4 to the Orlando Magic at home. A victory would have allowed the Sixers to take a much needed 3 games to 1 advantage in this series, and they were unable to capitalize. Now the Sixers are forced to play a best of three series, with two of those games at Orlando, meaning the Sixers would have to win one on the road.

The Sixers absolutely let Orlando off the hook, and if the Sixers would have played even average, they win this game. The Sixers could never find their stroke, which is unacceptable at home, especially in the playoffs with so much at stake. The Sixers made a late comeback to tie the game in the 4th quarter, but Hedo Turkoglu nailed a three pointer on the final possession with 1.1 seconds left to play to win the game 84-81. The Sixers were down by two after the first quarter, and then the 2nd quarter was played. It might have been the ugliest quarter played in the NBA playoffs so far this season, as the Sixers wound up outscoring the Magic 14-12 in the quarter. If the Sixers would have been hitting any of their shots, they would have taken a double digit lead at halftime. Both teams were not playing well to say the least.

Instead, it was tied at halftime, and the Sixers continued to struggle on offense in the 3rd quarter, and the Magic started hitting some shots. Hotting some shots was enough, as the Sixers still couldn't hit any. Right when they were about to make it a game, and would cut it to 5 or 6, the Magic would push it back to 10. This happened from the later stages of the 3rd quarter until halfway through the 4th quarter. Somehow, someway, the Sixers scored, and eventually came all the way back and tied the game at 81 on a dunk by Dalembert with under 20 seconds left. The Magic had the final possession, and Turkoglu, isolated on Thaddeus Young pulled up and took a three pointer, and drained it for the win.

The Sixers need to do a better job of getting out in transition to get as many easy baskets as they can. The Sixers still struggle in the half court sets, and need to get out and get as many transition buckets as possible. The Magic did do a good job of getting back in transition, you could tell they worked on that. Iguodala struggled scoring, going 4-13 in this game, and Andre Miller went 6-18 from the field. Lou Williams is still better than Willie Green, but looked very hesitant at times in this game. The Sixers as a team shot just 39% from the field, and 73% from the line. The Sixers took 10 more shots than did the Magic, and made 2 fewer shots.

The Magic aren't exactly playing up to their capabilities either. They definitely miss Philly's own Jameer Nelson. Alston has played well in this series, but hes not Nelson. The Sixers have to make everyone else beat them besides Dwight Howard. They have done a good job of that, and the Magic's supporting cast have done well when they have needed to. Either way, the Sixers led a great opportunity go by the wayside, and now must try to bounce back in Game 5 at Orlando.

Must Win Game 4 For the... Sixers?

The Sixers face the Magic in Game 4 of their first round series this evening at home here in Philadelphia. This may be a must win game for the 76ers.

This game might actually be a must win game for both teams, with the winner ultimately taking the series. If the Sixers win, they take a 3-1 lead in the series. It's not insurmountable, but with the way the Magic have been playing, the Sixers should be able to take one of the final three games to close out the series. If the Sixers lose this game, the series is tied 2-2. Game 5 back in Orlando would be very hard for the Sixers to win. If the Magic go up 3-2, they have two opportunities, including a possible Game 7, to win the series. We do not want that scenario to even come up. To be honest, even if the Sixers win Game 4, it will still not be easy to close out the series. The Magic would still have two games at home in the series, and you have to imagine they will start clicking on all cylinders at some point.

The Sixers need to play even better than they did in Game 3 at home to win this Game 4. The Magic are going to give us a good game, and the Sixers need to be ready. Game 4 is tonight, and it is huge for the Sixers to win to remain in command of the series.

Flyers Lose Game 4

The Flyers came out on the short end of a much needed Game 4, 3-1. It was a very frustrating game for the Flyers as they dominated the game for the most part, but couldn't get the bounces, and couldn't get the puck past Marc-Andre Fleury, who was the only reason the Penguins won the game. Fleury made 45 saves on 46 Flyers shots, the only goal being a point blank shot out in front of the net by Carcillo.

After a scoreless first period, the Penguins got a lucky goal on a bounce that the Flyers never seem to get. As Crosby was sliding into Biron and the net, which looked more like he was trying to steal 2nd base, the puck hit the shaft of his stick, and somehow found the net. It looked like Crosby took out Biron before the puck was in the net, and before the puck even hit Crosby's stick, but the goal was allowed. The Flyers meanwhile hit about 100 posts in this game, and couldn't get any bounces. The Penguins made it 2-0 shortly after, and that would be all that Fleury needed. Carcillo got a goal halfway through the 3rd to make it 2-1, and even though the Flyers dominated the 3rd period, they couldn't get the puck in the net, and the Penguins would eventually put the game away with an empty net goal.

The Flyers went 0-8 on the power play, and this game hurts to lose because the Flyers were the better team, and had so many chances. The series goes back to Pittsburgh with the Penguins having a chance to close the series out on home ice. All you can do in Game 5 is continue to play the well you have the past two games. It won't be as easy on the Penguins ice, but the Flyers have played well the past three games of the series, and the only thing they can do is continue to play the way they have and hope that they get the early lead, and get some bounces go their way to come back to Philadelphia for a Game 6.

Flyers Game 4 Preview

The Flyers face their 2nd straight must win game at home, in Game 4 of their first round series against the Penguins. A win would send the series back to Pittsburgh tied 2-2, essentially becoming a best of three series. A loss would put the Flyers in a big 3-1 hole going back to Pittsburgh, a situation we want to avoid.

The Flyers looked bad in Game 1, good in Game 2, and great in Game 3. They need to come out and play exactly the same way they played in Game 3. We still need to eliminate the penalties, but being the more physical team, we need to keep hitting, and keep with the rough stuff, to wear down the Penguins. One of the reasons the Flyers thrive in a 7-game series is because we can tire out our opponents as the series goes on. Being physical is easier said than done, especially when the Penguins have the snipers on offense that they do. Crosby and Malkin are both playing well in this series, and that is not a good thing for us.

It is also very important for the Flyers to continue to play from ahead in these games. They played from ahead in Game 2, but ended up losing, and played from ahead in Game 3, which allowed them to control the game for the most part. If the Flyers play from behind, they will need to take more chances, which will allow the Penguins to come through the neutral zone more easily, and get odd man rushes.

The Flyers also need to play very strong defense, much like they did in Game 3, and get solid goaltending from Marty Biron. If the offense can feed off of the crowd, and the refs aren’t out there giving the game to the Penguins, the Flyers have a good chance to get back even in this series.

Phillies Win Game 4

The Phillies won Game 4 of the World Series to come within one game of winning the World Series. The Phillies offense finally came alive, and allowed the Phillies to cruise to a 10-2 victory Sunday night. The Phillies are officially one win shy of a World Series championship, and bringing the first championship to Philadelphia since 1983.

Joe Blanton pitched another solid game as the Phillies starter in Game 4. Blanton ended up going 6 innings, and only allowing 2 earned runs, both on solo homers. Blanton did a good job keeping the Rays runners off base the whole game, and continued the trend of great pitching that the Phillies have brought to this World Series. The bullpen did their business as usual, with Durbin, Eyre, Madson, and Romero shutting down the Rays to close out the game.

The offense was the main story of this game, however. We have been saying it this whole series, just waiting for the Phillies bats to come alive, and win a game with a large run total. The Phillies did not disappoint tonight. Jimmy Rollins got the Phillies on track to start the game off for the 2nd straight game, with a double down the line. Rollins would end up scoring on a bases loaded walk by Pat Burrell. The Phillies were up 2-1 in the bottom of the 4th when Ryan Howard did what he does best.... he took what the pitcher gave him and went the other way and hit a 3-run home run. The Rays made it 5-2 in the 5th inning, however Joe Blanton would answer. Not on the mound as he was doing all night, but at the plate. Joe Blanton, who had two hits his entire career, hit a solo home run to left field. The Phillies still weren't done, and in the 8th inning, Werth and Howard both hit 2-run homers to get to the 10 run total.

The fans knew it, the coaches knew it, the players knew it. This Phillies team is too good offensively to struggle for an entire series. Game 4 was the game the Phillies broke out, putting up a double digit run total. The Phillies have been getting good pitching all series, and frankly, all playoffs, but the offense did their part tonight. We all know that hitting is contagious, and the offense needs to continue to hit well to win this series.

Phillies Advance to NLCS

The Phillies beat the Brewers in Game 4 on Sunday to advance to the National League Championship Series. The Phillies got another solid pitching contribution, this time from mid-season acquisition Joe Blanton. Blanton got the win, going 6 innings, and allowing only 1 earned run.

The Phils offense also finally contributed, really for the first time this series. Jimmy Rollins led the game off with a home run, exactly what the Phillies needed to do, getting out to the early lead. The Phillies led the entire game. In the 3rd inning, the Phillies had a man aboard with 2 outs and Ryan Howard coming to the plate. The Brewers walked Howard to get to Pat Burrell. Burrell had been struggling all series....... until this at-bat, when he destroyed a 3-run home run over the left field fence. Jayson Werth followed with a home run of his own to deep center. Burrell also homered in the 8th inning. The Phillies won the game 6-2, and will play the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.

It was extremely exciting to watch this game, as the Phillies have not advanced this far in the playoffs since 1993. The celebration ensued after the game with the champagne flowing, however, every Phillies player who spoke said there was still a lot of work to be done. Joe Blanton was dealing all game long, and it is a great sign to see the Phillies pitching staff going 4 deep in the playoffs. On offense, Rollins and Burrell starred. Burrell ended the game 3-4 with two home runs, and four RBI's.

Brewers Stay Alive in Game 3

The Phillies lost Game 3 to the Brewers 4-1 on Saturday night. Trying to advance to the NLCS will have to wait one more day for the Phillies, who struggled again offensively, only scoring 1 run on 9 hits. They really have no threat for most of the game, until the 9th, when they loaded the bases with 0 outs, but couldn't even plate a run. Phillies starter Jaime Moyer struggled in the 1st inning, allowing 2 runs, but settled down, and went 4 innings total. Moyer was not getting the calls from the ump when he would hit the corners, and often struggles when there is an inconsistent umpire behind the plate.

Once again, the Phillies will need to put up a strong offensive game. Take pitches, get baserunners on, steal some bases, advance some runners, and hit the ball hard. The Phillies will face right-hander Jeff Suppan, who had almost a 5 ERA in the regular season. The Phillies mid-season acquisition Joe Blanton will oppose him, and Blanton needs to keep the Phillies in the game. If the Phillies get the lead, and are able to keep the lead for a couple innings, we should see the Brewers start to press to try to get some runs, which should work in the Phillies favor.

Bottom line, the Phillies are an offensive team, and need to bust out offensively, which they are more than capable of doing, especially against an average right-hander. The Phillies don't want to have to go to a game 5 where they would face off against C.C. Sabathia again, who probably won't have 2 bad starts in a row. All of that can be avoided in Game 4.

The Phillies have a 2-1 series lead, Game 4 is Sunday, 1:05 p.m. EDT.