Philadelphia Flyers: First round hockey begins tonight
The Philadelphia Flyers are set to begin their first round series against the Montreal Canadiens.
We finally have the first round underway as the Flyers and Canadiens will begin their series later this evening. The Flyers recently captured the top seed in the East while Montreal upset the five-seeded Penguins.
The Flyers come in as the clear favorite in this series. However, Montreal cannot be underestimated. Especially after making it out of the play-in round against an opponent that was expected to easily beat them. So Philadelphia cannot take them lightly.
It was be a good matchup between two solid goaltenders. Carter Hart has the chance to match up against his idol in Carey Price. It is not the first time these two have faced off. But this one means a lot more than just a regular season game.
Price has plenty of postseason experience. He has 64 career playoff games under his belt. He holds a 28-32 record. Despite only having the opportunity in four games last season, Price excelled with a 1.67 GAA and a .947 SV%. He knows how to step up to the challenge.
The two round-robin games he appeared in were the first playoff games in Hart’s career. He looked strong in each, only allowing a single goal in each game. He was the best player on the ice when he needed to be. The heat of the playoffs hasn’t seemed to affect him at all.
That is about the only lineup move that we know for certain, though. Alain Vigneault is keeping things quiet in regards to other moves the team will be making. That includes a move on defense.
Vigneault has made the decision between Shayne Gostisbehere and Robert Hagg. Turns out he isn’t willing to let that be known. He did mention something about Gostisbehere being ready if they needed him. That would lead one to believe that means Hagg will be in. It could also just be Vigneault being coy as well.
Jakub Voracek, who missed the Tampa game, has been skating at practice. There is no official word on his status, though. He will be a game-time decision. Changes would have to be made if he is to return. It could be as simple as removing Connor Bunnaman from the lineup.
It would be hard to take Joel Farabee out of the lineup right now. He grabbed a goal against Tampa and hasn’t looked lost on the ice. He has also quickly developed chemistry with Nicolas Aube-Kubel. Both players were all over the ice against the Lightning.
It seems as if we will find out these lineup changes when the teams take to the ice to begin their first round matchup. If the Flyers play like they have been, it won’t matter who they’ve got on the ice.