Here are my thoughts. If I get time I'll try and do abbreviated versions for the other matchups

Pens/Cryers Preview
I say the same thing every year: Special Teams and goaltending will tell you how the 2012 postseason will be written. In 2010 it was MAF’s soft play that allowed a horrible Montreal team to close down Mellon Arena. Last year it was the horrific PP that doomed the Pens as they looked towards a 1 legged Kovalev to provide goals with the man advantage.

Special Teams
Very surprised Philly was middle of the pack in their PK, figured their aggressive F’s would keep the opposing Defensemen near the blue line. That being said, Bylsma might as well provide the lube and bend over if he employs that 5 Forward PP configuration against the Flyers. Absolutely no need for these tactics when we have Niksanen and Martin and even Z available on the point…plenty of capable Dmen. The PP looked fairly productive lately…sometimes Kunitz drifts up way too high for my liking attempting to get open for the one timer, he’s better off staying in the goalie’s face and let the other 4 crash around him.
Not sure the reasoning behind Pitt’s PK struggling lately, seems they’ve gotten away from the basic tenants: prevent the cross ice feed at all costs. To be fair Engellend has been on the ice replacing Orpik and he’s absolutely clueless with no on ice awareness shorthanded.
Pens absolutely must avoid getting sucked in and goaded into the scrums. Everyone knows that’s Philly’s game and they are good at it and it’s so hard to restrain yourself in the heat of battle. All eyes will be on Sid and like Don Cherry or not, he’s right that he just needs to turn the other cheek…there is no free ice when you’re the best player in the world…just suck it up…the best revenge is the scoreboard.

Goaltending
I’m pleased as hell that it’s Bryz starting in net and not Bob. Throw his March and regular season accolades in the garbage, that he’s on a roll…blah blah blah. Fact is Bryz has come up small in the playoffs the last 2 years with a Phoenix team who played stride for stride against the Wings, yet he couldn’t provide the big save necessary to procure a series win. I saw a goalie who quit on his team in 1 game…not fighting or working for the puck around screens and scrums.
MAF is the Forest Gump of Goalies = ya never know what you’re gonna get. He’s certainly developed a maturity to his game and an economy of motion. Go back even a couple years ago and his flopping and fishing, and aggressiveness has decreased significantly…he’s staying square and letting the game/puck to him resulting in less goals leaking through. And knock on wood, his puck handling doesn’t make you hold your breath. Hell I’d trust Fleury to make a smarter breakout pass behind his own net vs. Sid right now.

Pens F vs. Flyers D
Flyers have a talented bunch of individuals on D like the Pens but they seem not to mesh well for whatever reason…they always look out of synch with each other yet individually they can all zip a nice stretch pass to their forwards. Pens really need to grind down Timmonen and hit him at every opportunity; he plays a lot and they need to make them punishing minutes. Meszaros dropped off this year after a real nice campaign last season…not sure if he has a lingering issue or what. Kubina is still a strong skater … Lilja is garbage and Bylsma really needs to take advantage of rolling out his top line against him.
Speaking of Bylsma, let’s see if he can avoid the “coach’s crack” of rolling Sid out there at every opportunity. At one point during their recent losing streak Sid played with everyone on his wing except for Thiessen. Once they went back to established line mates the goal scoring picked up again. He has to resist the over use of Sid…

Looks like Bylsma is going to use Cooke/Staal/ Kennedy as a shutdown line just as he did a couple years ago…let’s see if they can rekindle that magic. I’m still not as high on Staal as some people, I think he’s easier to move off the puck than in years past and some people want to mention him as a Selke candidate…I feel he’s overrated in that aspect. Look at the critical draws he loses in the defensive zone late in games or on the PP, yet Bylsma thinks he’s money…

Again, every playoff it’s a grinder who finds himself scoring some crucial goals. Last year Asham popped in a couple for Pittsburgh. This year I’m going with Cookie as the hero…he may not get the goals per se, but he’ll make a critical pass or hit that precipitates them. He’s motivated and seeking redemption for the way he let his team down last year.

Philly F vs. Pen’s D
Beginning of the year I would’ve laughed my ass off if I typed that we were screwed without Niksansen in the playoffs, yet here we are. Thankfully it looks like he’ll be back. When half of your Defense are question marks, it makes you nervous no matter what pairing gets thrown out. Martin is an absolute train wreck and if you want to spotlight someone outside of MAF as the key to the series, he is your guy. He’s capable of making Letang looking like garbage. Hell even Pronger next to Martin would be a terrible pairing…he’s THAT bad when off his game. Michalek sometimes still looks unsteady and Engellend still has issues reading plays and uses his body more along the boards instead of in front of Fleury.
Giroux and Jagr are plenty smart enough to exploit any holes the Defense opens up and the rest of the Flyers surely have watched tape and noticed how the cycle below the goal line gives us fits. If Philly keeps possession for around 5-10 seconds below the icing line, be prepared for a glorious scoring chance soon and hold your breath. Let’s see how the Pens counter those tactics…unfortunately it usually ends up as a forward who fails to come down low and pick up the pinching defenseman once the cycle gets going…have to stop being mesmerized by the puck (I’m looking at you Sid). Let’s see how Voracek handles his first taste of playoff hockey…the checking is tighter and I’m curious to see if Orpik will greet him like he did to Stamkos last year.

Bylsma really needs to focus on his F/D combination and avoid placing his 4th line/3rd pairing together. Last couple meetings the Flyers really took advantage of such a combo and kept the puck away from Pitt for the entire shift.

On paper the Pens seem to hold nearly every advantage…we’ll see how they come out in Game 1 and how that tests their psyche. Because if they lose at home in Game 1, then they’ll really start to believe Philly has their number at home and it’ll be a quick series.

I really hate doing predictions, but I’ll go with Pens in 6.

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I'm sick of hearing 'bout the have and have-not's
Have some personal accountability
The biggest problem with the way that we are doing things is
The more we let you have, the less that I'll be keeping for me

I think your analysis is missing a big factor regarding. Grossman....yeah, he's playing.

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damn good summary and agree with it

Beth, i'm surprised that was your only comment -- grossman? -- Does that mean you agree with the rest too?

Thanks for the summary, Donnie.

Hockey's #2 with me, and if Goodell keeps up his bullshit, it could take over the top spot in my heart.

I never played though (always said I could have been a helluva blue-liner if only I could skate....hahaha), and don't really know the game's ins-outs. Thus, I enjoy hearing people who know the game talk about it. I like listening to the NHLN guys (and like looking at KathrynTappen when she's on), and part of my enjoyment, as an owner of Canadian property comes from listening to Duffer, Chaser, et al, talk about or-gan-I-za-tions.

Donnie, fantastic breakdown, brother! You know your stuff, without question.

Buccos just spanked the Phillies...Pens need to do the same with the Flyers!

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Playing football was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. If I could go out today and suit up, I would do it.--Jack Butler

Obliged on your time and efforts sir - well done

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They are a bunch of fuckers

Another perspective:

Success in the playoffs comes down to matchups.

Unfortunately for the Pittsburgh Penguins, their ‘reward’ for finishing with the second most points in franchise history (108) is a first round date with the Philadelphia Flyers, the one team that has managed to consistently frustrate them this season.

“Over the last two and a half months, we knew we were probably locked into playing each other,” Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said of the Flyers on Monday. “You know you’re playing a very good team. They’re maybe a top five team [in the NHL] and it’s a cross-state rivalry.”

The Penguins and Flyers face off in Game 1 on Wednesday (click here for a full schedule and TV listings) and both teams will be looking to set the tone early.

Here are a few items to watch for as the series unfolds:

Head to Head

One aspect of the game that becomes important in a playoff series is line matching. Do both coaches try to outwit each other? Does the strategy change at home when a coach has the advantage of last change?

The challenge for Peter Laviolette and the Flyers will be prioritizing the Penguins’ threats. Pittsburgh’s trio at the center position of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal is something no team in the NHL can match head to head.

“It’s pretty clear which matchups they want against Evgeni’s line,” said Bylsma. “They showed us who they’ll play against Sidney’s line and Jordan Staal’s line as well. I don’t think there are a lot of secrets heading into this in terms of which matchups they’re looking for, whether it’s home or on the road.”

It remains to be seen how much effort Bylsma will put into matching lines at home in Games 1 and 2. It’s probably in the Penguins’ best interest to have Staal’s checking line and the shutdown defensive pair of Brooks Orpik and Zbynek Michalek matched up against Claude Giroux’s unit. After that, Bylsma is better off rolling his lines freely and forcing the Flyers to come up with a way to stop Malkin and Crosby.


Jordan Staal will be responsible for shutting down Claude Giroux (Icon SMI)

If recent games between the two teams are any indication, here are the likely matchups Philadelphia wants to see:
•Against Crosby: Hartnell-Giroux-Jagr at forward, Carle-Timonen on defense
•Against Malkin: Talbot-Couturier-Rinaldo at forward; Coburn-Grossman on defense

Keeping Giroux’s line away from Staal will help the Flyers from an offensive perspective, while the mobility of Carle and Timonen is best suited to counter the blazing speed of Sullivan-Crosby-Dupuis.

The grit and irritation factor of the Couturier line is a good matchup against Malkin since he can sometimes get distracted by scrums after the whistle. Shutting down the NHL’s leading scorer is a tall order for a 19-year-old center, but Couturier has been playing great hockey for the Flyers as of late. (Columbus sure could use him, couldn’t they?)

The risk in trying to overthink line matchups is it can become a distraction. Instead of getting into the flow of the game, coaches and players get fixated on countering the other team. Sometimes having less to think about is better in a pressure-packed playoff series.

Losing Control

Laviolette’s stick-bashing and bench confrontation with the Penguins two weeks ago was curious, to say the least.

Perhaps he felt a button needed to be pushed with his team heading into the playoffs. It’s also possible he let his emotions get the best of him. Flyers’ fans should hope the latter isn’t the case. The playoffs are an intense grind and the coaching staff and general manager need stay in control when the temperature starts to rise.

It’s never wise to speculate about a team’s locker room dynamics — especially when you don’t cover them on a regular basis — but I did spend a few days around the Flyers and New York Rangers at the Winter Classic. The two teams couldn’t have been more different.

The Rangers spoke repeatedly about discipline, accountability, and the enormous impact of veteran leaders Mike Rupp and Brad Richards, both of whom arrived in the offseason via free agency. There was a sense that this group was willing to skate through a brick wall to win a Stanley Cup and it showed in their regular season performance.

Philadelphia was wrapped up in the Bryzgalov drama at the time. The $51 million goaltender was basking in the media spotlight as he struggled through an awful stretch on the ice. Instead of coming to the defense of their teammate, a few Flyers players suggested his struggles were well-deserved.


Can Bryzgalov stay sane? (Tom Turk/THW)

Bryzgalov has turned his game around in recent months, but what will happen when he has to face the inevitable playoff adversity (he’s allowed 41 goals in 11 playoff games the last two years)? What will happen when the media runs to his locker to get his thoughts after allowing five goals?

Last year, there were concerns that the leadership styles of captain Mike Richards and the outspoken Chris Pronger could not coexist in the same room. The Flyers traded Richards to Los Angeles in the offseason and Pronger is now likely facing retirement. Has anyone stepped up to take their place?

The Flyers have as much depth and talent as any team in the NHL, but it just feels like they’re a house of cards waiting to collapse. With so much offseason turnover and a handful of rookies being relied upon for substantial contributions, can Laviolette guide his team through the challenging moments?

It will be interesting to watch this team’s true identity reveal itself over the next few weeks.

Managing Emotions

The Penguins will also need to find a way to show restraint. It’s no secret that the Flyers plan to punch, hook, hold, and irritate Crosby and Malkin at any opportunity to get them off their games.

It’s easy to talk about emotional control days before the playoffs start. It’s more difficult to follow through on those plans once the action heats up. Crosby knows this will be the toughest challenge for he and his teammates against the Flyers.

“Any team wrestles with that balance,” he said. “You have to be intense but you have to be focused. The teams that can do that end up winning. We’re going to be tested that way. Philly is going to be tested that way. Those things become magnified and you have to make sure that’s the most important thing on your mind.”

Fortunately, this Penguins group has a great deal of experience managing emotions and overcoming adversity. In their 2009 Stanley Cup run they were down 2-0 in the series against Washington and Detroit before coming back to win both. They’ve also developed a knack for coming back in games. Pittsburgh leads the NHL in winning percentage when trailing after two periods this season.

Pittsburgh’s best chance of countering the Flyers gameplan is a potent powerplay though. The Penguins are still tied for fifth in the NHL with a 19.7% powerplay success rate, but they haven’t found chemistry as a unit since Crosby’s return. Two weeks ago, we broke down the strategies the Penguins have used in the new powerplay setup and they’ll need to find a way to execute in the first round.

Hockey fans across the continent are in store for an Eastern Conference Finals caliber matchup in the first round. There’s a tremendous amount of hype heading into the Pittsburgh-Philadelphia series, but Crosby says it’s tough to predict what will happen until the puck drops at 7:30pm on Wednesday.

“The teams will dictate it once the series starts. We’ll try to do it and they’ll try to do it. The two teams will really show their true colors starting in Game 1.”
http://thehockeywriters.com/penguins-fl ... l-matchup/

_________________

I'm sick of hearing 'bout the have and have-not's
Have some personal accountability
The biggest problem with the way that we are doing things is
The more we let you have, the less that I'll be keeping for me