BOSTON - Some pre-game thoughts and hype ...
My partner, to the left, Anthony SanFilippo thinks the Flyers are going to rout the Bruins tonight. To my right, Sarah Baicker says a one-goal Flyers win.
I like 3-2 Flyers and an even series going back to Philly.
At the morning skate, Peter Laviolette was asked about whether he expected to see Zdeno Chara out against Mike Richards a lot in Game 2. I think Chara will be putting up Chris Pronger minutes and be double-shifted much like he was in Game 1.
"It’s tougher when you play those big guys," Laviolette said. "You look at the effectiveness of some of the big guys in the playoffs, [Chris] Pronger, [Zdeno] Chara, [Hal] Gill. Guys that are consuming a lot of ice out there and it becomes more difficult,
"I think, because they play such a big role. It’s a lot more difficult on the road. We have tried to double shift Mike [Richards] and put him out there with different people a few times and we always seem to see Chara get back out on the ice somehow.
"Maybe we will have a better chance of disrupting their bench at home and looking for a different match-up if that is the road we decide to go down, but you’re right, he has been out there a lot. I guess, no, I would probably rather have a different match-up, but it seems no matter when he goes out there, Chara will double shift if he has to."
Someone from Boston suggested Pronger got a bit dirty with Mark Recchi. Honest. LIke recchi hasn't initiated before himself.
"I thought his game was pretty clean," Lavoiolette said. "That Mark Recchi guy seemed to want to take a couple of runs at Pronger, so. I thought Pronger’s game was pretty good. I didn’t really see him take liberties.
"I saw him competing hard in battles and he had the altercation with Mark but for the most part that is Chris’ job just like it is Chara’s job on the other side to try and play our skill guys with an edge, but I didn’t see him do anything illegal."
For me, tonight may be about getting more out of rookie James van Riemsdyk and Ville Leino.
They both logged the most minutes of their playoffs yet in Game 1 because of the absences of Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne.
Look, if the Flyers are going to compete and win this series without 2 of their top 6 forwards, they need HUGE contributions from others, like JVR.
Here's my story on CSNPhilly.com w/JVR & Co.:
Click Here 
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