Five keys to the series:
By Brad Barr, US Presswire
New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur showed some of his old magic in the first round against the Florida Panthers.
By Brad Barr, US Presswire
New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur showed some of his old magic in the first round against the Florida Panthers.
First-round MVP: Claude Giroux was snubbed in the Hart Trophy voting, but if there was voting on the MVP of the first round it would be Giroux in a landslide. He's only the second player since 1993 to record 14 points in an opening round. Giroux leads a strong offense that scored 12 power-play goals in the first round against the Penguins. Ask the Penguins how dynamic this group can be.
Climbing in the "Z" rankings: Zdeno Chara is the most important "Z" in the NHL, and Henrik Zetterberg probably the second-most respected player nicknamed "Z" But New Jersey's Travis Zajac is a rising star in the Z category. He ranked 10th in first-round scoring with three goals and three assists in seven games. Included was an overtime game-winner. It might surprise some that Zajac actually plays a few more seconds per game than Giroux. Zajac also has won more than 58% of his faceoffs. He's a member of an offense that is better than you think. They have strong all-around forwards like Patrik Elias, Zach Parise and Zajac. They have a dynamic forward in Ilya Kovalchuk. They have a tough, feisty forward in David Clarkson and a young talented forward in Adam Henrique. Be wary of the Devils.
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MORE: Second-round schedule
War Horse: The buzz is about the Flyers' cadre of young contributors led by Brayden Schenn who has six points in six games, plus Sean Couturier, who has been compared to a young Ron Francis. But it's 40-year-old Jaromir Jagr that should worry the Devils more than the youngsters. The old war horse can still lead the charge. In terms of his ability to stickhandle with the puck, he might be the shiftiest big man in hockey history. At the very least, he is the shiftiest 40-year-old big man in NHL history. He can still cut on a dime and leave eight cents change. He's impossible to move, and he speaks with intelligence and humor in the dressing room. The $3 million spent by the Flyers last summer was a sound investment. He could be the most visible man in this series.
Coming out of the woods:Ilya Bryzgalov has been a consistent source of good copy for sportswriters, but he hasn't been a consistent goaltender for the Flyers. Early this season, he was playing so poorly that he said he was lost in the woods. Then he found his game. He lost it early in the first round but found it again in Game 6. If you say you know how Bryzgalov will play, you are probably lying. The Flyers probably don't need him to win this series. They just need him not to lose it.
One final run for Marty? New Jersey's Martin Brodeur hasn't said he's going to retire, but he's turning 40 and it's clear that he's not as leak-proof as he once was. But he displayed some of his old magic in the Game 7 triumph against Florida. Does he have enough left in the tank for another long drive to the Stanley Cup? Brodeur is a smart, calculating athlete and he can see that no one in the East looks invincible. That could be the extra motivation he needs to restore his roar for another memorable run. The Flyers won't take Brodeur for granted. They have seen his act for many years.
Forecast: The Flyers will have a more difficult time taking down the Devils than they did against the Penguins. Take Philadelphia in seven games.
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