One team had all the momentum coming into tonight’s game 5. That team was not the top seed Montreal Canadiens, who trail the Flyers in the series 2-1 and have an official goalie controversy. Despite speculation by some that Montreal is unfairly getting all the calls, it’s the underdog Flyers that have been getting the job done when needed. Also, remember that these are the same Canadiens who were taken to 7 games by Boston in the first round, but there was no time for a sigh of relief. The only mistake the Flyers have made was coughing up game 1 late in the 3rd and overtime. Since then, the Flyers took game 2 in Montreal and held off a late attack to win game 3 in Philadelphia. The result for Montreal? Unrest. Carey Price who started these playoffs so fantastic was out, and backup Jaroslav Halak was in.

The first period started out with the Canadiens flying all over the ice. The fourth line, who started the game for Montreal, was attacking in the Flyers zone and made the first minute and change look like a power play. But Marty Biron, who has played absolutely stellar hockey as of late, stopped the shots that Montreal peppered on goal early on. Those who thought that there was a conspiracy to make Montreal win this series got a strong backing for their case 5 minutes in, as Richards would get called for boarding. However, as the Flyers have done with each Montreal penalty, aside from the 5 minute major, it was a quick kill. Do the conspiracy theorists want more? Kukkonen was called for rouging a few minutes after the first man advantage had been killed off. He certainly gave a good jab to the back of the Canadiens player, but usually in the playoffs, a scrum right in front of the net is just that: a scrum. Philadelphia however killed this power play as well, with some more spectacular saves from Biron.

After a period, the Flyers were being out shot 14 to 7. The best chance of the period for either team may have been Jeff Carter’s shorthanded breakaway on which Halak stood tall and made the save. Philadelphia had little attack time in Montreal’s end the entire period, while the Canadiens spent a majority of the opening frame cycling the puck on the boards deep in the Flyers end. The Flyers penalty kill was fantastic again, and the star of the period was Marty Biron. But Philadelphia needed more sustained offense, more shots to test out Halak, and needed to stay the hell out of the box.

The second period began with a roar from the Philly faithful. No, it wasn’t for a goal, but finally a penalty on Montreal which would lead to the Flyers first man advantage of the game. This was a fantastic opportunity created by the hard work of Danny Briere, but over a minute and a half of attack time did not lead to a goal.

The Flyers, who had played the majority of this series with the lead, was still all even with the Habs. But a penalty on Koivu minutes later proved costly. The result? The fourth straight game with a goal for R.J. Umberger. After floundering the first half minute of the power play, the Flyers charged into the Montreal zone led by Briere. Daniel Briere swung the puck across to Umberger who wristed a shot into the net. Halak was low and ready for the shot, but it still got by him.

Montreal was given a golden opportunity to seize back momentum just seconds later as they were awarded another man advantage. A new power play for the Habs and the same old result, no goal and more spectacular saves from Biron. Marty had been having another sensational game to this point, and this kill was no different as he stopped shots from all over the ice. The Flyers had been having trouble getting shots on net the past few games and the series as a whole, and more than 11 minutes into tonight’s game they had just 10. The Canadiens already had 27 shots on goal as they were the faster team and certainly more aggressive on offense thus far. The Canadiens ended up out shooting the Flyers again this period by a count of 14-10, and led in the game 28-17. But the Flyers had the lead where it counted after 2 periods of play, the difference being Umbergers power play tally. Philadelphia was now just 20 minutes away from a 3-1 series lead.

The Flyers had played sub-par 3rd periods so far this series for the most part, allowing Montreal to dominate play and Marty Biron had bailed them out. This was not the case tonight as the Flyers came out aggresive and closed the gap in the shot differential. Following yet another killed penalty, this time a holding call on Umberger, Philadelphia had another jump in their step. About 7 minutes into the period, Prospal carried the puck into Montreal’s end on a harmless looking 2 on 2. His slapper rang right off the post; sighs from the crowd. The rebound went right to the trailer Scott Hartnell who fired it into the back of the net; the Wachovia Center erupted. With 13 minutes left the Flyers were playing fantastic hockey and had a 2-0 lead. But the Flyers were not sitting back after taking a 2 goal lead, as halfway through this final period the shots were 6-3 in favor of Philadelphia.

Just as Flyers fans were sitting back with a smile, the trend of Montreal crawling back into games returned in a big, big way. With 7 minutes left to play, Josh Gorges scored off a won faceoff. Just 37 seconds later Saku Koivu netted a wrister to tie the game, 2-2. The Wachovia Center was in a silent fear. But after a dumb penalty by Begin, the Flyers made the most of the power play. Daniel Briere, playoff leader in goals, added another one off the rebound. Just like that, the Flyers were back up 3-2 and the crowd was going absolutely insane. With 3 minutes to go, the Flyers would try and cling to that potential game winner. The Canadiens pulled Halak with just over a minute left and this time there were no late game heroics from Montreal. Umberger added his 2nd of the game with 1.4 seconds left on the empty net to seal the deal.

So the Flyers were up 2-0 in this game. They gave it all up fast, and then Briere saved the day. Philadelphia is now up 3-1 in this eastern semi-final match-up, and have pushed the Canadiens to the brink of elimination. Game 5 will be in Montreal on Saturday.

If this is how Montreal fans celebrate a ….FIRST ROUND WIN….

…I’m just not sure how well they’re holding up seeing their team go down 3-1.

Aaron’s 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Marty Biron - 36 saves on 38 shots

2. Daniel Briere - 1G, 1A

3. R.J. Umberger - 2G

photos from flickr: steve trapini, van murph, and flyers.nhl.com

Game 4 in Philadelphia Wednesday night will feature the Flyers first opportunity to push the Canadiens to the brink of elimination. Joining the team will be Mike Knuble, the right winger who has been out since midway through the Washington Capitals series. He tore his hamstring attempting to block a shot and has missed time ever since. His return to the lineup will inevitably force someone out. He will most likely rejoin the line with Jeff Carter and Scottie Upshall. But who will be the odd man out? Some point to R.J. Umberger, but he has the hot hands, scoring goals in each of the past three games. More than likely rookie Steve Downie will be a healthy scratch. 

Downie has had a taste of playoff action ever since game seven of the Washington series. Last game he was responsible for six penalty minutes and was not too effective offensively. Many “analysts” have pointed to Downie as being nothing more than a physical player, but those that have seen Downie know he is definitely capable of putting the puck in the net. Although this series has become more physical as it progresses, Knuble will probably replace the young, fiery Downie. 

The Flyers know for sure that Knuble will return to the lineup, but they do not know who they will face in net. Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau pulled rookie goalie Carey Price after two periods Monday night. Heallowed 3 goals on 12 shots. It is hard to fathom why Carbonneau would pull the young Price. The goalie is already only 20 years of age, responsible for carrying the Eastern Conference’s best team through the post-season. The move surely had to desecrate his confidence. Now, Carbonneau refuses to name his starter for game 4 until game time. Montreal’s backup, Jaroslav Halak, hasn’t started a game in over a month. After the Canadiens invested so much of their future in Carey Price, it would be rather difficult to sit the youngster now. If they do, it would be a great advantage to the Flyers, knowing there was a level of uncertainty in Montreal’s dressing room. 

Look for a great game 4 tonight in Philadelphia. The Flyers have to take their home ice advantage and run with it. They have the chance to put the Habs on the brink of elimination heading back to Canada. If nothing else, they can use this as a motivation. NO ONE TOUCHES ROCKY!  THIS MEANS WAR!

Photos courtesy, Getty Images the Hockey News

EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS: GAME 5

Philadelphia hadn’t seen the Detroit Pistons that won 59 games this year. They hadn’t seen the team that has been to conference final after conference final and won a championship just a few years back. The young Sixers hadn’t seen that experienced urgency and almost perfect execution…until the 2nd half of game 4. The Pistons absolutely destroyed the Sixers in every aspect of the game in the 2nd half of game 4. The Sixers who were up 46-36 in that game at the half, saw a team that was determined on one thing: making this a 3 game series. Detroit accomplished that in game 4 and now tonight was the most pivotal game of the series for both teams. It’s all square, all back to the beginning; a best of 3 series begins. The Sixers would have to go into Detroit and steal tonight’s game to go back up in the series.

The game started out with a fast pace which would in the long run favor the run and gun Sixers squad. But once the score was even up at 10-10 almost halfway through the opening quarter, the Pistons established their scoring from just about every spot on the floor. Detroit went on an 18-2 run, getting baskets from Billups, Prince, Wallace, and Hamilton. The crowd was into it, you could tell the Pistons were ‘in the zone’, but perhaps the most discouraging aspect was the field goal percentage Detroit shot in the opening quarter: 81%.

Coach Cheeks signaled for a 20 second timeout to try and ease the damage and stop the bleeding. No team is going to shoot 80% from the field, especially in the playoffs. But the Pistons were hitting long balls, mid-range jumpers, and driving baskets too. It seemed impossible to stop, but the 2nd quarter opened with Detroit missing their first number of shots. The Pistons also played Afflalo, Stuckey, and other bench players for a great deal of the quarter. Their shooting was cooling off and the Sixers starters were going head to head with bench players: this would have to bode well for Philadelphia right? Not so fast.

The Sixers were unable to take any advantage in the 2nd quarter to chip away at the Pistons lead. The closest they got was 43-33, a 10 point game, but the Pistons went into the half with a 12 point lead at 54-42. The good news? Andre Iguodala, otherwise known as Mr. Invisible this series, is finally hitting his shot and has 15 points already. Bad news? The other Andre, the one who has led this team in scoring so far in the playoffs. Miller is shooting just 3 for 12 through one half.

The Sixers don’t have to get it all back at once, and they won’t try to in the 2nd half. They came back from a double digit lead to win game 1 in Detroit, and they’ll try to use those same tactics in tonights second half. Tighten up the defense, get Rasheed riled up and out of his game as much as possible, and crash the boards like you want it. Right now the Pistons are all business and the Sixers have to up the tempo. Get the fastbreak points going, get Miller going, and hope the Pistons continue to cool down.

The best part of watching the 3rd quarter was when Comcast SportsNet’s feed of the game went completely black. Watching nothing was better than watching the massacre occurring at the Palace. As mentioned the Pistons were holding a 12 point lead at the half and were shooting close to 60% from the field. Most of the way through the 3rd frame, a Wallace 3-pointer made it 70-51 Detroit. Billups has continued his best offensive game of the series by far, as he hit yet another long range shot in the 3rd. The Pistons were flexing their muscles in this 2nd half, and the Sixers to this point had no answer. They were shooting just above 41% and were wasting Andre Iguodala’s best game with nobody else contributing. But it wasn’t the offense alone in the 3rd that was the problem.

A team can be hot and shoot 60%. But when a team shoots that well for 3 quarters of basketball, there’s something wrong with the opposing defense. The Pistons were having their way with Philadelphia in the 3rd as they had in the 1st half. Poor rotation, hustling for rebounds, and contesting shots…3 things the Sixers are aggressive and effective at, were nowhere to be seen. Another important thing to look at is the fast break transition game. The Sixers were one of the best, if not the best, team in the NBA on the break and pushing the tempo the last few months. But tonight that was turned upside down. There were no easy looks, no sloppy turnovers from Detroit, no breathing room for the Sixers. They were caught sleeping on the defensive end too a number of times, allowing Detroit, a halfcourt perfectionist team, to run in the open floor and score easy baskets.

This basketball game is over after just 3 quarters. The only thing left uncertain is what the final score will be. After 3 quarters it’s 79-59 Detroit, shooting 59% and 6 of 11 from downtown. They’re out rebounding Philadelphia on both ends and want it more. We’ve talked about the Sixers looking like they want some of these games more during the series, but that wasn’t the case tonight.

One thing about the Sixers that has been consistent all season is that they won’t quit. They’ll keep battling until the final buzzer, and the final score might look a little less worse than it really is because of that. But the style of play was completely dictated by Detroit tonight. Sami Dalembert? Non-factor. Reggie Evans? Didn’t provide that instant energy. It’s possible the young group from Philadelphia got rattled when they started to get pounded all over the floor by this experienced team.

No matter what there will be a game 6, Thursday in Philadelphia. Down 3 games to 2, the Sixers season rests on 48 minutes of basketball a few nights from now. They know tonight was a 1-sided affair, and should come out with plenty of desperation. But you have to wonder if the confidence is gone. Confidence that you can win is essential to any team, but especially to a young team. If Detroit starts hot in game 6, the locals will get impatient, and the home team may start to feel the same way. Tonight is a night to forget for the Sixers, and they better do it fast.

Final: Pistons 98, Sixers 81

Game 6 - Thursday @ Philadelphia, TBA

(photos from nba.com, allposters.com)

And they say hockey is a dying sport?  Come on, in the same season we’ve had a few exciting plays in the sport.

Patrick Roy get fined heavily for sending his son to beat the bejesus out of an opposing goalie.

We’ve seen Chris Simon step on Jarkko Ruutu in December.

But this one might take the cake.  Two Pittsburgh Penguins minor league players were arrested Sunday for indecent exposure and public drunkenness. Captain of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Nathan Smith was found by police streaking. Apparently he lost a bet. Hey I’ll bet you this guy never makes it to the NHL.

All the while in Montreal, the Flyers were feeling out their opponent and left Canada with the thought that they finally had a good understanding of their opponent. The Flyer with the best idea of how the Habs play is clearly goaltender Marty Biron. Clearly the best player of the entire playoffs thus far, Marty Biron, and Biron only was the reason the Flyers won game 3 and gained a 2-1 series lead.

Although the first stanza didn’t feature a goal, there was tons of action. It became apparent early that Marty Biron was going to carry this Flyers team. He made a ridiculous poke check save on head Hab Saku Koivu as he picked up a pass off the boards coming out of his own end and went in on a breakaway. The Flyers had 10 minutes worth of penalties in the first and their special teams were tested early and often. The biggest showing was the Flyers shutting the Canadiens down on a full 2-minute 5-on-3 advantage in the first period.

The second period was all Philadelphia. Scottie Upshall started the scoring campaign with a neat wrister over the right pad of Carey Price at 7:04. Price didn’t look comfortable at all. At one point in the second he made an awkward blocker save that he nearly poked into his own net. The Flyers would continue to be the ones finding the twine, as Mike Richards got a short handed tally at 15:12. The orange and black rarely had control of the puck, but when they did they made it count. R.J. Umberger scored the third goal of the period at 18:19, marking a three-game scoring streak. Up 3-0, a confident, but not dominant Flyers team went into the locker room with positive thoughts.

When they emerged from the dressing room they found a different goalie awaiting them. Carey Price who let in 3 goals on only 12 shots was pulled in lieu of Jaroslav Halak. The Flyers continued to lose the battle of puck posession despite a 3-spot on the scoreboard and it didn’t get any easier as the period progressed. At 5:17 Derian Hatcher received a 5-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct. The play was definitely a penalty, but the call a bit harsh. A major and game misconduct are usually reserved for severe injuries or blatant negligence for an opponent while trying to drive him into the first row of seats.

Nevertheless, the Habs had a 5-minute man advantage and they put it to good use. They were already controlling the puck with ease throughout the game, but their power play finally proved its worth at 7:29 of the third. From the initial angle the puck appeared to be under a seated Marty Biron, but upon further review it was trapped against the post. A Flyer tried to fish the puck off the goal line, but Tomas Plekanec popped the puck in, knocking the goal off in the process. The goal stood as it became clear the puck went in before the net came off its moorings. That wasn’t the end of the Hab’s power play however. At 8:41 Braydon Coburn wasn’t able to control a pesky Saku Koivu who had to use all of his short reach to get the puck around the outstretched leg of Biron and behind the goal line.

Although the Flyers made everyone sweat it out, they did prevail in the end. They had a power play of their own in the last 5 minutes of the game to re-gain possession and keep the pressure off their stellar goalkeeper. The win, although ugly, tells us that the Flyers are definitely capable of outlasting the first seeded Montreal Canadiens. They were tested early and often, but the playoffs are all about goaltending, and right now Marty Biron is the hottest goalie in the league.

Game 4 will be on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. and joining the Flyers might be winger Mike Knuble. Knuble has been out ever since game 5 of the Washington series when he went down awkwardly. Reports say that Knuble could rejoin the team on Wednesday. That would be a huge physical boost for the orange and black.

Dave’s 3 Stars of the Game

1. Marty Biron - 32 saves
2. Mike Richards - 1 goal, +2
3. Scottie Upshall - 1 goal, +2

Larry Fitzgerald for Lito and draft picks? Didn’t happen. Calvin Johnson for Lito and draft picks? Never was close. Chad Johnson? Doesn’t look like it.

The Eagles entered Saturday’s day 1 of the 2008 NFL Draft with the 19th pick overall, 11 picks in total, and a disgruntled cornerback to most likely dispose of in Lito Sheppard. But as the day progressed, and the Eagles made trade after trade, nothing monumental occurred and they suddenly had no 1st round pick for the 2nd year in a row.

The draft moved along in the first round without many surprises, except if you count the new rule of just 10 minutes allowed per pick; which sped the process along and made listening to Keyshawn Johnson a bit less awful. As the 18th pick was being made with the Eagles on deck, you could feel something big about to happen. No receivers had been drafted as of yet. Branden Albert of Virginia, one player the Eagles might have had their eye on, had gone a few picks before, but there seemed to be so many opportunities to draft an impact player and get rid of Sheppard. Then everything changed as these words flashed on the bottom of ESPN’s screen, “PHILADELPHIA TRADED TO CAROLINA”. For the 2nd year in a row, the Eagles would be without a first round pick.

Now granted there were still plenty of instant impact receivers on the board so it wasn’t completely frustrating that the Eagles traded the pick. The trade was as follows:

Philadelphia gets: 2nd round pick (43) /4th round pick (109) / Panthers 1st round pick in 2009

Carolina gets: 19th pick in 1st round

The board was still in their favor as mentioned, and the Eagles picked up a first round pick next year which certainly bodes well for the future, and yet another 2nd round pick this year. Perhaps the most overlooked move the Eagles made was trading that 4th round pick they had received to Miami for running back Lorenzo Booker. Booker, a 2nd year player, was eyed by Philadelphia last year and they were able to finally pull the trigger on him today.

So now with the Eagles first pick of the draft coming 43rd, fans were again filled with excitement: what are the Eagles going to address? Lineman? Wideout? And what about Lito? Well the fans would have to wait a bit longer, as the Eagles made yet another trade:

Philadelphia gets: 2nd round pick (47) / 4th round pick (117)

Minnesota gets: 2nd round pick (43) / 5th round pick (152)

But with the Eagles finally on the clock and getting a pick in, the 47th pick wasn’t exactly worth the wait. The Eagles drafted Trevor Laws - DT from Notre Dame. Laws is 6 feet tall and weighs in at about 304 pounds. Now, obviously the Irish didn’t have a great year. Also obvious is the Eagles need to have that 3rd defensive tackle behind Patterson and Bunkley to provide a little depth. But listen to the following numbers: 265, 164, 289, 219, 119, 89, 168, 227, 257, 285, 94, 175. Those are rushing yards allowed by the Fighting Irish in each of their games this past year. Read those numbers again. Take out the 89 (against UCLA, their one surprise win) and 94 (against Duke, give me a break), and the Irish defense was giving up well over 150 yards on the ground per game. I’m not saying they ran it right at Trevor Laws every down of every game, but, it makes you wonder…the Eagles must really see something in this kid.

Later in the 2nd round with their original pick at 49, the Eagles did indeed take a wideout in the form of Cal’s DeSean Jackson. Little known fact…my parents original choice of name for me was DeSean. Back to topic: This was a good move and a scratch your chin kind of move at the same time. A receiver is what the Eagles wanted and needed, and they got it. Jackson is also a return man, and for any Eagles fan that watched the painful misery that was the special teams last year knows we need someone back there that can bust a few plays. Those are the pluses for drafting Jackson: he’s a return man, he’s fast as a bullet, and he’s shown the ability to catch the ball consistently. But you have to take a look at the bad: he’s a small guy and his 2007 numbers were nothing in comparison to his 2006 numbers. Jackson is listed at 6 foot even, but he’s just 166 pounds. The Eagles have tried small/quick receivers, what they needed was a Plaxico Burress kind of build, and I saw that in James Hardy (who went to Buffalo in the 2nd round).

I mentioned Jackson’s return game, but what I didn’t mention was how it tailed off in 2007. He had a terrific career at Cal returning kicks, but after running one back 77 yards against Tennessee in Cal’s opening game this past year, he didn’t reach the end zone again. His receiving stats also plummeted a bit after a stellar 2006 campaign in which he grabbed 59 balls for 1060 yards and 9 touchdowns. 2007? Just 762 yards and 6 touchdowns. All in all though, a pretty good pick.

So after digesting all that, the Eagles come away with a defensive tackle that nobody seems to know a lot about and a speedy returner/receiver that contains big play ability. But for some reason I get a feeling the Eagles are in for a big day 2 at the draft; something big is going to happen. Even if this means trading Sheppard in a deal to move up in the 3rd round, that would be big: this Lito Sheppard fiasco needs to end. But with 9 picks still left for Philadelphia, they certainly still have many, many options to work with.

photos from NFL.com

The Flyers’ post-season slogan has been “Vengeance NOW”. Obviously in reference to last year’s atrocious season, the slogan held particularly true in game 2 against the Montreal Canadiens. In game 1 the Flyers had to battle not only the Habs, but the officials who granted Alex Kovalev a goal that he knocked in from what appeared to be above the crossbar, and were gracious in a questionable at best Mike Richards tripping call late in the 3rd to tie the game.

Saturday night however, the Flyers had that vengeance against Montreal. R.J. Umberger scored on a quick snap shot 5:53 into the first stanza to open up the scoring. Despite Montreal having a heavy lead in shots, the Flyers led where it counted. The rather partial Versus commentators (I didn’t even care as long as they weren’t the guys from NBC) also noted that the Habs were leading in hits, but that didn’t really tell the story either. The Flyers hammered the hardest hits of the game, including a doozie from captain Jason Smith. At 8:39 on the power play Jeff Carter absolutely sniped his shot over the left shoulder of rookie Carey Price. Commentators have been saying throughout both series in this year’s post-season that Jeff Carter has been the best Flyer and he proved why tonight. His shot is one of the hardest and fastest in the NHL.

After the Flyers went up 2-0, visions came to mind of the Flyers blowing that lead, something they did in game 1 of the conference semifinals, and on multiple occasions in the first round against Washington. Captain Saku Koivu scored for the Canadiens with just over 3 minutes remaining in the first period, causing fans everywhere to wince. The only reason, by the way, that the score was even that close was the incredible play of Marty Biron. The new father is playing in only his second playoff series and early in this game he decided he would haul the team on his shoulders and carry them, making flashy glove saves in the process. Apparently the constant chants of “Bbbbbb-roooooo” as it sounded in unison of 20,000 French Canadian accents motivated Marty to continue his stellar play this off-season.

The only goal of the second period came off the red-hot stick of Danny Briere. Briere, among boo’s from the crowd drew the puck close to him, skated around Andrei Markov who was draped all over him, dragged the puck across the crease in front of Carey Price and neatly slid the puck behind Price’s right foot, which was behind the goal line. That goal marked the seventh for Danny in the playoffs which tied him for the lead with Detroit’s Johan Franzen who posted a hat trick this afternoon against the Avalanche.

Andrei Markov scored 1:26 in to the 3rd period on a back door goal that Biron had no chance on, to make it a 1 goal game once again. The Flyers didn’t collapse this time and held onto the lead until 17:39 when R.J. Umberger netted his second of the night and fourth of the playoffs to really put the nail in the coffin for the Habs. The Flyers look like a different team this series, playing at a higher notch than they were against the Caps last week. There is a sense of confidence in this team that isn’t an ignorant  confidence this time around. These guys truly seem to believe they  can and will score the next goal at any point in the game. It also doesn’t hurt when your goalie decides he will stand on his head and make the entire opposing team his own personal bunch of lackeys.

The series is now tied at 1 game apiece, as both teams head down to Philly. The motivation is clearly in the Flyers favor. They have so many things working for them. Not only is Biron playing superhuman hockey, but the physical play is carried by the orange and black. And analysts thought this would be easy for Montreal? Think again.

Dave’s 3 Stars of the Game

1. Marty Biron - 34 saves
2. R.J. Umberger - 2 goals
3. Danny Briere - 1 goal

Photos flyers.nhl.com, Phillip MacCallum/Getty Image

The Draft can be an excruciatingly long day, but at least you aren’t a Jets fan. If you are a Jets fan….may God have mercy on your soul

(the 38 second mark is fantastic)

To win in the playoffs, you have to have a short memory span. That’s what the old adage is when it comes to the post-season and games that are truly do or die. The Sixers shocked the basketball world by taking game 1 in Detroit, but were out hustled, out worked, and just flat against the revved up Pistons on Wednesday. It was an effort that they would need to forget if they want to be more than a feel good story in these playoffs. Game 3, tonight, was this opportunity and they welcomed the shift in scenery as the Wachovia Center and a sea of white shirts played host to the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

The Sixers got the exact start they wanted to the game, jumping out to a very early 6-0 lead, getting baskets from 3 guys who they needed points from: Thaddeus Young, Sami Dalembert, and Willie Green. But as soon as you could settle in to a fast paced, Sixers style of play, the Pistons responded with an 8-2 spurt led by Prince and Hamilton. These 2 players would pace the Pistons the entire half; combining for 29 of the 40 Pistons 1st half points on terrific shooting.

The Sixers took it to the Pistons using what they know how to do best: create turnovers and score on the break. The Pistons turned the ball over 11 times in the first half (they average just 12 per game), and the Sixers grabbed a whopping 9 steals. Second chances were something else the Sixers wanted to get better at, both for themselves and stopping Detroit from dominating the offensive glass. In the first 24 minutes, the Pistons had just 1 offensive rebound.

So with a slim lead at 44-40, the Sixers took the floor for the start of the 2nd half. Andre Miller as usual had paced the Sixers up to this point with 11, Dalembert with 8, and Mr. Energy himself- Reggie Evans, on the bench with 7. But here’s where the tide turns, right? When push comes to shove, the seasoned group from Detroit will start to slow the game down, eliminate the slim deficit, and run away with it. Right? Not so fast, pardon the expression.

It sure looked like the Pistons were going to come right at the Sixers early in the half, as their big guns in this game, Prince and Hamilton, each hit 3’s. But the Sixers again answered right back with an 8-0 run featuring 4 points from the 19-year old (looking like a veteran) Thaddeus Young. Andre Iguodala continued to struggle however, as he would continue to miss shots, thus far just 2/8 on the game (both were lay-ups).

But the 3rd quarter was a huge story in itself. The Sixers outscored the Pistons by 11, 26-15, in the quarter to up their lead to 70-55 with just one quarter to play. The Pistons who had begun the quarter 2/3 hitting those before mentioned 3’s, missed their next 14 shots from the field. Yes, they missed 14 straight shots from the field. The Sixers took full advantage both on the break and from the line, as both teams were indeed in the bonus quite early. This crowd began to erupt as the Sixer lead got higher and higher. Reggie Evans, as Iguodala’s offense was quiet, provided scoring and his usual energy on the boards. After getting fouled by Rasheed Wallace while grabbing another rebound, Evans cupped his hand to his ear and the crowd went nuts. “Reg-gie! Reg-gie! Reg-gie!”, a sight no Sixer fan would ever have thought they would see.

The 4th quarter started exactly how the Sixers wanted; their first 3 pointer of the game compliments of Rodney Carney. The lead was 18 and the Pistons hadn’t scored since there were more than 10 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Detroit did eventually get a field goal on a questionable goaltending call, breaking their field goal drought that lasted over a quarter of basketball. But Detroit didn’t play like the seasoned team knowing how to get it done in this game. They picked up a foul…and another….and 3 more. They were in the foul, putting the Sixers to the line for 2 for the rest of the game at the 9:24 mark. Five fouls in just over 2 minutes for the Pistons, on and one of those fouls? Rip Hamilton, his fifth.

The Pistons were turning the ball over and missing just about every shot they took. They looked confused, they weren’t communicating, and they got frustrated as the quarter moved along. They had turned the ball over more than 20 times, and credit the Sixers tenacious defense for that. All game long, the Sixers were more aggressive on the boards. All night long, the Sixers had hands in the Pistons faces, dove for loose balls, blocked shots, and all in all, wanted this game more. Players who hadn’t come up at all in the first 2 games came up huge for Philadelphia. Example 1: Sami Dalembert who averaged 4 points in these playoffs so far, had 22 points and 16 boards.

Detroit threw in the white towel (not one handed out to the Philly fans, the metaphoric type) with just over 5 minutes left, emptying their bench. Wallace had 2 points, Billups had just 11, and nobody came up big in the 2nd half when Hamilton was on the bench - the entire team was ice cold.

So the 2 seed, the 59 win team, had a Sixers team in the first round of the 2008 NBA playoffs. The Sixers star, Andre Iguodala, was arguably the least productive player on the entire Philadelphia team the first 3 games. If you had told anybody this situation, 100% would say, “No question, Detroit has got to be up 3-0 in that series.” Well basketball fans, the series is 2-1 SIXERS. They came out flat a few nights ago in Detroit, as the Pistons evened this series. But tonight in Philadelphia, the first home playoff game in 3 years, the Sixers treated their fans to a show, as they destroyed the hapless Pistons by a score of 95-75.

This team is no joke basketball fans.

Aaron’s 3 Stars of the Night:

1. Samuel Dalembert: 22 points, 16 rebounds, 2 blocks

2. Reggie Evans: 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals

3. Andre Miller: 21 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists

Game 4 is Sunday @ Philadelphia, 7pm

(photos from nba.com)

The Flyers outlasted the Capitals to advance into the 2nd round of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. The potentially bad news? This game was their 3rd game in 4 nights. Enter the top seed Montreal Canadiens, the Flyers next opponent. The Habs are the top seed in the conference and there was no rest for the weary, as game 1 got underway tonight from Montreal. Were the Flyers ready? Wie!

Fatigue was not a factor in the slightest bit from the orange and black to begin this game. They came out with a hop in their step, clearly motivated from an emotional victory days earlier. It’s been noted that against Washington, the Flyers had to focus on one player, and Montreal would pose a problem in their depth. The first period was a breath of fresh air for the Flyers, and a bit of a shock for the overly confident Montreal fans and their team.

The Flyers came out firing and while the game stayed scoreless for much of the period due to outstanding goaltending, the Flyers caught the first break. Just over 13 minutes into the opening period, R.J. Umberger backhanded the puck into the middle which was deflected off a Montreal stick and into the net. A lucky bounce resulted in a 1-0 Flyers lead. But the luck would even out later.

The boys from Philadelphia didnt waste much time adding to their lead. Just over 3 minutes later, Jim Dowd sent a nice shot past Price and put the orange and black up 2-0. No offense from Briere and Richards? No problem; the Flyers were getting effective play from all 4 lines and goals from all over. The shots were close, 10-9 in favor of Philadelphia, at the end of one period of play.

Somehow, someway, the Flyers kept their legs churning in the 2nd period as they continued to mount offensive attacks. After a penalty shot was stopped for Biron, the Flyers had all the momentum in the world. But back came the Habs. Right around the midway point of the period, Kostitsyn put the puck in the net past Biron to cut the lead in half. But it was the next goal in the game that was truly heartbreaking with the Flyers playing such a good game. On a power play for the Flyers, Montreal took it down the ice on an innocent 2 on 2. A shot was put on net and Biron got a piece, but it trickled over his head and as it was heading towards the net, Alexei Kovalev swatted the puck in to tie the game at 2. Almost immediately, Biron, Briere, and other Flyers on the ice were screaming for a high stick, and for good reason. As the puck was coming down, multiple angles showed Kovalev’s stick hit the puck while the blade was coming down above the crossbar. His stick actually ended up hitting the crossbar after contact with the puck. It was a tough call for the men in Toronto to make, sure, but it was later noted that when asked after their ruling they claimed it was absolutely certain it was a goal. Absolutely none of the angles showed anything representing a legal goal. So, the Flyers got some luck on Umberger’s goal, and Montreal got some here.

The third period was just as entertaining, and the Flyers started the period fast and on the power play. They wasted no time in capitalizing as a shot from Coburn at the point went in and out of Price’s glove and Lupul swatted it into the net. Yet again the Flyers regained momentum and the lead, 3-2. The minutes kept ticking by, and despite poor play in the neutral zone at times, the Flyers held their lead as 1:30 remained on the clock. Biron was fantastic all game, and stopped the first 8 shots in the 3rd period. But then the luck card game into play again, and yet again it went in favor of Montreal.

With just 1:19 left in the game, the Habs were trying to get the puck into the offensive zone. Mike Richards put his body into the puck carrier and was called for kneeing Alexei Kovalev. There is no Philadelphia bias in saying this was a terrible call. Replay showed that Richards made a play on the man with the puck. Nothing dirty, no knee to knee, and no elbow. The Montreal faithful had been given a gift and a chance to tie this game. With an offensive zone draw, Price was pulled for a 6 on 4 situation. The Habs passed it around and with just 29 seconds left from the Flyers taking game 1 on the road, Kovalev fired a bullet shot from the circle to tie the game, 3-3. You want some bad luck? Right off the face off, Jeff Carter’s stick broke right in half and he was unable to take his man off the draw. His man? You guessed it, Kovalev.

So for their second playoff game in a row, the Flyers would be headed for overtime. The score was tied 3-3 and the shots were 32-31 in favor of the Flyers. Both goaltenders had played terrific games for the most part, especially Marty Biron. The Flyers had caught some bad breaks down the stretch, from broken sticks to bad calls. But they had to march on.

Ferocious skating and unreal play from Marty Biron had the Flyers lined up for the win. But it was not to be, as Montreal ended it just 48 seconds into OT on a goal from Kostopoulus. This goal, like the one Kovalev used to tie the game in the 3rd, had no chance of being stopped by Biron.

This is a heartbreaking loss for the Flyers; they played the better game. They had great goaltending, they were physical, and they scored on their hot power play. They had the lead for most of the game and played like a team that was rested for a week, not one that had just come off a 7 game series. Montreal played a good game as well, but the Flyers certainly deserved a better outcome than this loss. Bad calls and unfortunate breaks cost them the game. But as they’ve done all year, regular season and against Washington, the Flyers wont back down. They showed guts in this game. Biron certainly came to play big time. They got terrific contributions from players like Upshall who drew a few penalties, and strong defense from Hatcher. This game hurts, and they’ll take it on the chin. But trust me when I say: they will be more than ready for game 2 on Saturday.

Aaron’s 3 Stars:

1. Alexei Kovalev - 2 G
2. Tom Kostopoulus - 1 G, game winner
3. Marty Biron - 30 saves on 34 shots