Former Flyer R.J. Umberger caught a lot of heat for his comments about the Washington Capitals a few weeks ago. While I didn't think the Canadiens were going to be the team to do it (especially when they went down 3-1 in the series), the Habs proved R.J. right.
Goaltending and team defense are the great equalizers in hockey, especially in the playoffs. For all the kudos that Jaroslav Halak is deservedly receiving for his magnificent play in goal in Games 1, 5, 6, and 7, the team in front of him cleaned up a lot of potentially dangerous rebounds (Halak also made some unbelievable stops on second-chance opportunities) and did a tremendous job on the penalty kill. Today's
Daily Drop at Versus.com deconstructs the Capitals' collapse.
Now that we know the Flyers will be playing the Bruins in the second round, here are some preliminary thoughts on the series:
* I think Tuukka Rask is the real deal and, with all due respect to Brian Boucher for his first-round performance, Boston has the on-paper edge in goaltending heading into the series. Then again, is there anyone who would thought Boucher would outplay Martin Brodeur?
* In terms of preparation for the series, preparing for the Bruins isn't all that different than preparing for the Devils. Both clubs try to keep the score down, and Boston actually has less firepower than the Devils. That said, it remains to be seen how long it will Marc Savard to get his legs and timing back. A healthy Savard makes everyone around him more dangerous, because he's an outstanding playmaker.
* The biggest difference in preparing to play Boston after New Jersey is that the Devils don't have anything close to the equivalent of Zdeno Chara. It will also be interesting to see which Dennis Wideman shows up for Boston -- the one we saw last season and during the stretch drive and first round this year or the one who struggled most of this season.
* With the losses of Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter, Claude Giroux will have to continue his strong play from the first round. It would also be a real nice time for Scott Hartnell to be a positive difference-maker in at least a couple games during the series.
I will have a more extensive preview prior to Game 1.
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INTERNATIONAL HOCKEY
TPS Turku won the Finnish championship yesterday, capping off a remarkable playoff run by taking out HPK Hameenlinna in five games. All of the major Euro leagues have now concluded their playoffs. This week's
Across the Pond at NHL.com looks at the champions in Sweden, Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland and Germany.
This week on IIHF.com, I wrote an
article looking at efforts of a non-traditional hockey country, Mexico, in trying to build interest and participation in the sport. Mexico recently hosted both the Division II World Championships and the Division III Under-18 World Championships.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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