Ah, Oui Meet Again

Can you remember what happened the last time the Flyers met up with the Canadians in the playoffs? That’s right it was the first time in NHL history a 7 seed played an 8 in the Eastern Conference Finals. While this isn’t the Conference Finals matchup and the Flyers are seeded 1 instead of 7, there are some similarities between these teams as there were 10 years ago. Let’s recall the 2010 run first.

Back in 2010 the Flyers made the playoffs on the very last day of the season by beating their rivals the New York Rangers in a shoot-out. Ah what a glorious day that was. Flyers fans had no idea what was in store for them the rest of the way.

In the first round, the 7th seeded Flyers were matched up with the New Jersey Devils. Incase you forgot, this was the series Ian Laperriere was hit in the face with a slap shot from the point. It was also the series Danny Carcillo scored the OT winner to give the Flyers a 2-1 series lead, a lead they never gave up in route to a 4-1 series win.

I think the next series is the one many of us remember fondly and if I’m being honest, I sometimes even forget the Flyers played the Devils in the first round, nothing against the Devils, it’s not their fault they suck and no one cares about them. Really though no one cares.

The Boston series though, ah the Boston series. The Flyers were the first team since the New York Islanders (who did it 35 years earlier) to come back from a 3-0 deficit. The Islanders were the first team to do it that year (1975) since the Toronto Maple Leafs first accomplished the feat no more than an hour ago (sorry Happy Gilmore reference), but seriously it was 33 years since the Leafs first pulled this sort of magic off.

Let’s get back to to the Flyers. They became the 3rd team in NHL history to pull off the 4-3 comeback and did it in rare fashion. The Flyers made sure to keep everyone biting their nails as they went down 3-0 in game 7 and came all the way back to win 4-3. I’m sure everyone remembers but just because it never gets old, let’s watch Simon Gagne crush Bruin fans hearts one more time…

Ok now, does anyone remember who the Flyers played in the Eastern Conference Finals that year? No, it wasn’t the number 1 seed Washington Capitals, or the 3 Buffalo Sabres (what?), and it definitely wasn’t the 4 seed Pittsburgh Penguins (thanks Montreal). Yes that’s right, it was the 8th seeded Montreal Canadians.

Is this real life? In a year where the Flyers made the playoffs on the last day, somehow finishing 7th, end up matching up with the 8 seed in the ECF? Flyers fans knew this was a terrible matchup for the Canadians as they lacked offensive star power and really had no business being in the ECF.

The Flyers on the other hand were a team just hitting their stride towards the end of the season and seemingly had a sense of belief that grew stronger with each playoff victory. Poor Montreal, poor poor Montreal, they had no idea what they were in for.

En route to a 4-1 series victory, the Flyers chipped in collectively on defense to help guide goalie Michael Leighton to 3 shutouts in the first 4 games of the series, tying an NHL record for shutouts in one series.

Also, remember this? Miss you Mike.

So let’s finally fast forward 10 years to 2020 and who do the Flyers face? Yes the Montreal Canadians. For the first time in 10 years these two teams will face-off in post season play. Only 3 players remain from those rosters in Claude Giroux, James Van Riemsdyk, and Carey Price. Price was only 22 at the time and was just getting his feet wet as a young net minder, playing just 30 minutes in that series.

Since 2010 Carey Price has been in Vezina Trophy conversations seemingly every season and won the award back in 2015, along with the Hart Trophy. The first time a goalie had won the award since Dominik Hasek back in 1997-98.

This year’s matchup with Montreal feels a lot like in did in 2010, at least for me. The Canadians have some young talent in players like Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkoniemi and also have an underrated group of veteran players like Brendan Gallagher, Thomas Tatar, Max Domi, Shea Weber, Jeff Petry, and Phillip Danault. Really though, no one that inspires any fear if you’re a Flyers fan, aside from Carey Price.

This Flyers team is as deep as they come, maybe the best Flyers team I’ve seen since the days of The Legion of Doom. Having said that, this Canadians team should NOT be taken lightly. As we saw against the Penguins, this Montreal team plays with grit and has enough skill to finish off teams as long as they get Vezina caliber goaltending from Price.

During the regular season, the Flyers needed overtime to beat the Canadians, twice! While they finished with a mark of 2-1 against Montreal, the game they lost was a disappointing 4-1 beating.

On paper, as Flyers fans at least, we might think this series should be a brise (that’s breeze in french), but I’m here to tell you, not so fast.

Having said that, I’m predicting a 4-1 series win for the Flyers but I’m expecting every game to be tight. The Flyers will need contributions from all lines as the Canadians have a stellar defensive center of their own in Danault. The top line will have to get it going offensively and the second line will need to continue to churn out goals. If the bottom six can continue its stretch of stellar play, this series is in the bag.

Come next week I imagine we’ll be saying “Aue Revoir” to the Canadians and hello to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Follow me on Twitter @JimIkeHW

Photo Credit: Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press