ECQF Game 2: Go for the stranglehold

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Game 2
#7 Philadelphia Flyers at #2 New Jersey Devils
Flyers lead series, 1-0
Prudential Center - 7:30 PM ET - Newark, NJ
TV: CSN Philly HD, MSG Plus, TSN, RIS -- no national TV in USA
Radio: 610 WIP (internet stream here), XM 205, SIRIUS 220
Get the New Jersey perspective at In Lou We Trust

PR ALERT! I'll be on WCWP 88.1 (college radio at Long Island University's C.W. POST campus) today at 4:15 ET to discuss Flyers-Devils. Tune in if you're in Port Washington, NY! Or: listen by clicking here.

Tonight's game should be rather interesting. I mean, think about it. The Flyers have essentially no pressure heading into Game 2. They've done their job on the road by getting the win in Game 1, and coming home with the series tied at one wouldn't be so bad at all.

All the pressure is now on the New Jersey Devils, which is pretty interesting when you consider that the Flyers have been the team dealing with pressure and adversity literally all season long. They sucked for just about two months straight, they lost eighteen goalies, they had to fight for their lives just to get in the playoffs, and now all of the sudden... calm. They don't need a win tonight. The Devils are the team that needs a win tonight.

It'll be interesting to see how the Flyers respond to the sudden lack of pressure. Will they play with desperation, because according to Peter Laviolette, they play their best when they're playing desperate. Will they attack the Devils? Will Brian Boucher look just as good as he did on Wednesday?

The Flyers will need to fore check much better tonight in order to win. Most of the game the other night was spent in the Philadelphia end, and give credit to the defense and Brian Boucher for playing extremely well, but that's not going to be enough to win a series. The Flyers need to quickly establish their fore check early on in the game and dictate the pace from there.

The orange and black have to take far less penalties tonight as well. The Devils had way too much time on the power play in Game 1, and again, the penalty kill was phenomenal, but you can't give a team with those weapons on the PP that many chances.

Lukas Krajicek will take a seat tonight in favor of Ryan Parent. Parent will be paired with Kimmo Timonen by the looks of things. No other changes to the lineup. 

A win tonight gives the Flyers a 2-0 series lead coming back home. Stranglehold on the series, if you will.

If you're going tonight, be as loud as you were on Wednesday night. Be louder. It's the playoffs. Let's go Flyers. Puck drop at 7:30, game thread goes live at 6:30. Questions to answer and the lineups will be there. Join us (not me, I'll be at the Wach-- er, I mean, Prudential Center) for the discussion.