Whether or not you got a dog in this year's Stanley Cup Finals, this has been one of the most exciting ones in years. You are not sure who will win each game, no matter the score. It may be hard for us on the East Coast to stay up late and watch everything, but the highlight reels have been fun to see.
Ok, so it is fun for us. For Daniel Briere and the rest of the Philadelphia Flyers, there is a lot the team can learn from both teams. The Canes and Knights have been putting on a clinic on how to be the best. There are lessons that the Flyers can use going forward.
Lesson 1: Never Give Up!
Whoever has been up 2-0 has not had an easy time in this series. The other night, it was getting late, and Vegas was up 4-0. My wife wanted to go to bed. I said, "You know, just watch. I bet we will miss a game." Five goals and a double overtime later....yup, we did. In each of the first two games, the team that started 2-0, which usually is enough to win a hockey game, lost.
When the Flyers were told that they had just 3.8% chance to make the playoffs, they ignored that and charged hard to clinch a spot. Likewise, when told that they had no chance against the more experienced Pittsburgh Penguins, they defied the experts. And to be fair, two of the games that they lost to in the four-game sweep by Carolina did go into overtime.
That kind of living on the edge can be scary to walk on every night. Still, if your team thinks that, no matter what, "we still got this", you are still in it. That kind of fight can make any team very dangerous. It's going to be harder to do during the season when not as much is at stake. Still, a team that believes it can win every night, no matter what the score heading into the third period, is dangerous.
Lesson 2: Mix of Talent
Both the Golden Knights and the Hurricanes are a mix of homegrown talent and free agents; young, rising stars and seasoned veterans. It's the kind of balance that you want. There is speed, the guys with great outside shots, those with great inside moves, physical players, an emphasis on offensive attacks, and an emphasis on forcing the other teams to make errors.
There is a sense of balance on each team. All three scoring lines can kill you. The fourth, checking lines are solid and aggravating. The defenders may not be big names, but they are solidly reliable (like Sean Walker and Brayden McNabb)
Likewise, the Flyers are building up a team like that. You have veterans like Sean Couturier and youngsters like Porter Martone. You have defenders like Nick Seeler who grind it out every game. The Flyers are probably only a piece or two (a prospect, a draft pick, a free agent, a trade) away from really being serious contenders.
Lesson 3: Fundamentals
Throughout the playoffs, you've seen the Carolina Hurricanes trapping opposing teams and forcing them to make mistakes. When they've made mistakes, they've capitalized on them. Likewise, the Golden Knights have figured out a way to neutralize that trap. Still, when they've made mistakes, like the three goals in 30 seconds in Game 3, Carolina was quick to pounce.
This is where winning faceoffs in the opposing end, winning the battle in the corners, and winning the forechecking game matter. Those little things have determined which team is winning these games. Also, both teams are employing more of these flip passes than most other teams have. It lifts the puck into the air and (hopefully) plops in front of your leading player so you can transition right into an attack without the puck getting stolen. We need to look into that.
Like Rod Brind'Amour, Rick Tocchet is a big fundamental guy. With so many young players, working on their faceoff rate, more adept passing, and puck battling will help this team move forward.
Lesson 4: Watch the Tapes
If the Flyers want to rise to the top, their biggest threat will be the Hurricanes. Carolina is built for long-term success. They have made a habit of making good draft picks, cutting ties with vets when it is time, and assembling the best talent that fits the system that Brind'Amour has established.
Before the Stanley Cup Finals, Carolina pretty much steamrolled all over everyone. Vegas has not been so easy. Even though the two teams are different, there is a lot in common between them. What is Vegas doing that the Senators, Flyers, and Canadiens could not?
Briere and his staff should scour every second of the finals and find out how Vegas is breaking through the vaunted Carolina neutral zone trap. Likewise, when Vegas builds up a lead, because let's be honest, the Knights will be a power to deal with for a while as well, how can Carolina come back and rip off a stream of goals at will?
By studying both teams, the Flyers could learn something they can employ to help them become stronger next season. Maybe it could propel them into a top-three spot in the division. We'll see.
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