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Playoff GDT: Round 2, Game 4 Canes @ Flyers 5/9 6:00

A

andyt

Canes Moderator
Staff member
A chance to make history.

Since the 4 rounds of 7 games started in 1987, no team has started 8-0. No morning skate, no changes expected.

Lots of whining from Tocchet about how they’re not equipped for penalty fests. Buddy, you’re getting outscored at even strength too. If Tippett comes back…

TNT for TV, same announcers as Thursday. Mike and Tripp on radio.
 
Philly media reporting that Tippett will miss Game 4. He’s another one of those guys where I fully expect them to announce that he needs a knee replacement or a full frontal lobotomy or whatever during breakdown day after the playoffs. Yet, he’s been “day to day” through the series. Second series in a row with one of those, FWIW. I’m not sure this Canes team really gives a crap. It’s not like it would change the gameplan or their approach.

So, the Flyers have tried basically everything, and the period where they had the most traction were when they played it pretty much straight up and were patient in possession and smart in pressing Carolina’s puck reversals in the D zone. Maybe they’ll stick to that today and play disciplined. Or maybe Konecny, Risto and Sanheim will keep trying to decapitate guys and play the victim when somebody objects. Who can say? Thus far this has been very much a clash of discipline. Yeah, Carolina pushes back and yeah, they take some runs at guys … but not at the expense of their structure. With Philly it’s been either/or. Either they play the system or they try to goon it up. That’s team experience showing, but also just regular old maturity.

Can the Flyers win this game? Sure. Stick to hockey, make some plays, finish something early, make Carolina push to score … it’s right there for them. Will they? I have no idea. I know what to expect from the Hurricanes. I have no idea what to expect from the Flyers game to game or period to period. And for any wandering Flyers fans, that’s on your team … not the refs, not the league, not the Hurricanes.
 
Apparently Tocchet is at least thinking about dressing Oliver Bonk on D tonight. He has one NHL game under his belt and had an absolutely OK first pro season in the A this year.
 
One thing to keep in mind for Game 4 … Carolina REALLY wants to get this done today if they can so they can get that rest and also so they can get out of this series without any more physical damage than necessary. Philly loaded up on Blake and Jarvis in Game 3, and I expect they’ll still be coming for Jarvy. The targeted attention on the 2nd line more than likely shifts to Hall in this game, which is fine. He’s a savvy old fart and can protect himself without hurting his game. Tocchet talks a big game, but I don’t think he’s ever really had control of his vets in this series. Sanheim and Konecny have hurt them all series by taking ill timed, very personal shots at guys just because they’re pissed off and if that stuff continues, it plays into Carolina’s hands. Ristolainen and Couturier can be sucked into that stuff as well. You’d like to avoid the BS, but honestly … the more argy bargy the better for the Canes, because it just means more special teams time. I don’t like turning into Tampa in that way, but here we are.
 
Expect goonery as the lowest common denominator, it's the Philly way. They were known as the Broad Street Bullies, not the Broad Street Buddys. What else do they have to fall back on, legitimate clean hockey? Yeah, right.

Jim
 
Pucking Lamplighter said:
Expect goonery as the lowest common denominator, it's the Philly way. They were known as the Broad Street Bullies, not the Broad Street Buddys. What else do they have to fall back on, legitimate clean hockey? Yeah, right.

Jim
Click to expand...
I mean, I guess they have some of that same DNA at this point, but the Broad St Bullies were 50 years ago and it’s been 30 or so years since the peak Legion of Boom days. Today, the Flyers are no more than average when it comes to physical aggression.
 
Expect a loud Hurricanes contingent at the game today. Ticket prices plunged and Philly is only an hour's flight away, so a lot of locals bought up tickets.
 
It’s the Wes McCauley show

Referees:
Pierre Lambert #25, Wes !cCauley #4

Linesmen:
Matt MacPherson #83, Julien Fournier #56

Standby officials: Jon McIsaac #2, Tyson Baker #88
 
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