With Marc Savard notching the game-winner in his first game back since suffering a Grade 2 concussion on March 7, what can the B's do for an encore performance?
Regardless, Savard and the Bruins will have to find a way to beat the Flyers again in Game 2 if they’re to maintain home-ice advantage and bring a 2-0 lead in the series back to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Friday.
If Game 1 is any indication, the fans are in for a treat for Game 2, as both teams played with passion and intensity. Strap on your belts, folks, this could be another barnburner or a hard-fought defensive battle. Either way it should be another great hockey game.
WHEN AND WHERE
Bruins (1-0-0) vs. Flyers (0-1-0)
Game 2 Eastern Conference semifinals
May 3, 7 p.m. (Versus)
TD Garden, Boston, Mass.
HEAD TO HEAD
The Bruins lead the series 1-0 after a 5-4 overtime win in Game 1.
The Bruins beat the Flyers 3-2 in overtime in the 2010 Winter Classic and were 2-1-1 against them this season. Philadelphia won 4-3 in a shootout at the Wachovia Center on Oct. 22 and 3-1 at the TD Garden on Dec. 14. The Bruins other win over the Flyers was a 5-1 victory at Philadelphia on March 11.
The Bruins and Flyers have met in the playoffs just four times before, and this meeting is the first since 1978. Each team has won two of the previous four series, which all took place over a five-year span in the 1970s (1974, 1976, 1977, 1978).
GOALTENDING MATCHUP
Bruins
Tuukka Rask is 5-2 with a 2.36 GAA and .921 save percentage. He was 22-12-5 this season with a league-leading 1.97 goals-against average and .931 save percentage to go with five shutouts.
Tim Thomas has not played in the playoffs thus far. He was 16-18-8 with a 2.55 GAA, .915 save percentage and five shutouts this season.
Flyers
Brian Boucher is 4-2 with a 2.07 GAA and .928 save percentage in the playoffs. Boucher was 9-18-3 with a 2.76 GAA and .899 save percentage in the regular season. He had one shutout.
Johan Backlund has not played in the playoffs. He was 0-1-0 with a 3.00 GAA and .917 save percentage this season.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Bruins
Forwards
Daniel Paille–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Milan Lucic–David Krejci–Miroslav Satan
Blake Wheeler–Marc Savard–Michael Ryder
Steve Begin–Vladimir Sobotka–Shawn Thornton
Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Johnny Boychuk
Matt Hunwick–Dennis Wideman
Andrew Ference–Adam McQuaid
Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas
Flyers
Forwards
Dan Carcillo–Mike Richards–Claude Giroux
Ville Leino–Danny Briere–Scott Hartnell
James van Riemsdyk–Jared Ross–Arron Asham
Darroll Powe–Blair Betts–Andreas Nodl
Defenseman
Chris Pronger–Matt Carle
Kimmo Timonen–Braydon Coburn
Ryan Parent–Lukas Krajieck
Goaltenders
Brian Boucher
Johan Backlund
STAT SHEET
Bruins
- Patrice Bergeron had a goal and an assist in Game 1 and is tied with Dennis Wideman and Miroslav Satan for the team lead in points with seven. He has three goals and four assists.
- Wideman had three helpers, including an assist on the game-winner in Game 1. Wideman now has a goal and six assists in the playoffs.
- Marc Savard scored the overtime winner in his first game back since suffering a Grade 2 concussion on March 7.
Flyers
- Flyers captain Mike Richards had a goal and two assists in Game 1 and leads the team with 11 points.
- Danny Briere had a goal and an assist in Game 1 and has seven points.
- Chris Pronger had a goal and an assist in Game 1 and has seven points.
BLACK AND BLUE
Bruins
- Mark Stuart has been skating the last two days and is close to returning from two surgeries for cellulitis on his arm.
- Dennis Seidenberg had surgery for a lacerated flexor carpi radialis tendon in his left forearm and is out for three to four more weeks.
- Marco Sturm suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee 21 seconds into Game 1 and will miss the remainder of the playoffs.
Flyers
- Simon Gagne remains out indefinitely after foot surgery.
- Jeff Carter is out indefinitely after foot surgery.
- Mike Rathje is out for the season with hip and back injuries.
- Ian Laperriere is out for the playoffs with a brain contusion and concussion.
- Ray Emery is out for the season after hip surgery.
- Michael Leighton is out for the season with a left ankle injury.
OUTLOOK
The Bruins showed resiliency in withstanding a valiant comeback from the Flyers, who erased three two-goal leads in Game 1 before losing 5-4 in overtime.
However, the fact that the Bruins couldn’t hold those leads and that their string of penalty-kill dominance was broken with two Flyers power-play goals means they need to get back to basics and tighten up on defense. The Bruins are not a run-and-gun team, and while they welcome their improved offense, they will definitely try to secure their own zone better.
