Philadelphia Flyers look to Break Tie in Upcoming Game 3 against Buffalo Sabres on Monday –NHL Play-offs Preview
Unlike the Western Conference where the first seed Vancouver Canucks is thrashing eighth seed Chicago Blackhawks, the Eastern Conference leaders, Philadelphia, are facing some problems. The Buffalo Sabres shutout Flyers in game one by 1-0 but they managed
to even out the series in game two by a close 5-4 victory. Either team has a chance at taking the lead in the conference quarterfinals when they play for the first time in Buffalo on Monday at the HSBC Arena.
Considering the amount of dedication Buffalo has at this time, it seems like they will be able to perform better once their covered by their home crowd.
At one time Sabres was 10 points below the play-off separation line, but a sudden boost of confidence caused by new owner, Terry Pegula, has made all the difference.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers have one question on their mind and that is which goalie they should play. Capturing the match early on is the only strategy that will help them win the match and that is if the opening goalie can keep the Sabres locked down.
Brian Boucher and Sergei Bobrovsky are the two options that are available but playing them properly is the problem.
Looking at the previous two matchups, Bobrovsky has opened them but did not perform up to expectations.
He played well in game one and only let one shot through which proved to be the game-winner but in game two it was a whole different story. Boucher replaced Bobrovsky after he flopped on three attempts in the first period alone.
Boucher brought the match his control which ultimately led to the Flyers winning to tie the series. Playing Boucher would be better for the Flyers if they hope to lockdown Buffalo anytime soon.
"You just prepare every day the same regardless of last night", Boucher said after game two. "This is how we do it and it's nothing new. It's not an issue. You come to the rink preparing to play, and if you don't, you don't".
Other than goalkeeping, Philadelphia needs to be able to take advantage of power play opportunities.
The last time they were given so many chances was back in 1984 and that to against the Sabres.
In game two, the Flyers capitalised on 1-10 power play chances, making that nine goals missed. This creates the need for bringing Nikolay Zherdev who is currently a healthy scratch back into the game. He played well in their final five games of the regular
season but has remained out since play-offs started. If they think about adding him into the starting line-up, he can surely be useful.
Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres have extremely high hopes this time around for the postseason. Their new owner has fulfilled his promise of getting his team into the play-offs, now his next target is the cup.
For now, the Stanley cup is far away, and focusing on winning the quarterfinals should be their top priority right now. Taking everything one step at a time will be easier for them in achieving their targets.
The Sabres are especially excited to get back home for game three and four of the quarterfinals. They might not have home-ice advantage, but if they can win two consecutive games here, the road ahead will not be as tough.
"I think the emotion in the building will be incredible", said Buffalo’s coach, Lindy Ruff, talking about returning home. "I think the atmosphere has always been incredible. It's our fans, it's our energy. … It's going to be fun to be in our building".
The Eastern Conference matchup begins 7:00pm ET on Monday in Buffalo.
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