THE STRENGTH of Peter Laviolette's aggressive style of play is also its inherent weakness. A feverish forecheck frees up pucks, creates opportunities, inhibits breakouts and builds momentum. Blocked shots can deny scoring opportunities and produce them as well.
But it's a razor's edge existence, one the Flyers have thus far negotiated as they've pushed New Jersey to the brink of elimination entering tonight's Game 5 at the Prudential Center. Standing in front of pucks also can lead to broken bones, to casualties, to the loss of two prolific scorers in a single game. And too much aggressiveness, especially in the kinder, gentler NHL, can put you in the penalty box, can dull that edge just as it was being honed to its sharpest.
So it was again in the fourth game of this first-round playoff series Tuesday night, the Flyers trying to take it to the Devils early, the Devils taking it until the Flyers went a bit too far. Three straight penalties. Two in a short span that gave the Devils a two-man advantage, resulting in a first-period deficit for the third game in a row.
The Flyers keep getting the start they want. And they keep falling behind as they parade to the box.
"I can't explain it," the Flyers coach was saying after practice yesterday. "We need to do a better job somehow of staying out of that box. But you want the guys playing hard and on the edge and aggressive."
That style is also how the Flyers took control in the second period, dominated the Devils at times so badly it was hard to imagine that only a goal here and there had separated the teams before Tuesday night. After outshooting the Flyers, 12-7, in the first period - and only after the Flyers registered three shots in the final minute - the Devils went for more than 6 minutes at the start of the second period without putting a single puck on Brian Boucher.
Only once, in Game 2, were the Flyers penalized less than New Jersey. It's the only game they lost, which makes you wonder whether this series would already be over if they were flagged less, or far from over.
Philadelphia took seven penalties in the first two periods Tuesday night. New Jersey took four. In the previous game, nine Flyers were penalized once each, and they won that game, too.
"I love how we came out to start the game," Mike Richards said of Tuesday's game. "The energy and the intent to do the right thing. And sometimes when you're so fired up you end up taking penalties. Which is unfortunate. But it's nice to see the emotion and enthusiasm."
Here's what else is unfortunate: Toe fractures to both Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne. Both were the result of pucks. Carter scored a goal when a Chris Pronger blast deflected off his foot. Gagne's came blocking a shot during one of those penalty kills.
The Flyers blocked 25 shots Tuesday night, almost doubling the Devils' 13. The Devils spoke afterward about how frustrated they were trying to get pucks to the net. In the Flyers' 3-2 overtime victory Sunday night, New Jersey blocked as many shots as the Flyers, 21, but for most of this series, Philadelphia has played more desperately in front of Boucher than the Devils have in front of Martin Brodeur.
Laviolette was asked if he winces every time one of his scorers gets in the way of a shot.
"You'd probably wince more if he got out of the way and it wound up in the back of the net," he said.
"Actually, I'd probably do more than wince."
That may have happened in the Flyers' Game 3 overtime win. Gagne appeared to lift his foot on Brian Rolston's game-tying slap shot in the second period. Maybe Laviolette did more than wince when he watched the film, and maybe that's why only Ian Laperriere blocked more shots among forwards than Gagne did Tuesday night.
Was it worth it?
"You mean, do you want your highly skilled players to not play physically in the playoff?" Laviolette said. "You have to. Nobody can tell what the cards hold for your team. You hope for the best. But I do know you have to do the right thing. You have to play the right way."
Said Laperriere: "I respect them more than if they jump away from the puck. I love it, especially this time of the year. When you see Richards and Claude Giroux and Simon block shots, it's an adrenaline rush for everybody. It's contagious, too. Everybody's looking up to those guys. And because of it, you might be the one doing it the next time."
But it's a razor's edge existence, one the Flyers have thus far negotiated as they've pushed New Jersey to the brink of elimination entering tonight's Game 5 at the Prudential Center. Standing in front of pucks also can lead to broken bones, to casualties, to the loss of two prolific scorers in a single game. And too much aggressiveness, especially in the kinder, gentler NHL, can put you in the penalty box, can dull that edge just as it was being honed to its sharpest.
So it was again in the fourth game of this first-round playoff series Tuesday night, the Flyers trying to take it to the Devils early, the Devils taking it until the Flyers went a bit too far. Three straight penalties. Two in a short span that gave the Devils a two-man advantage, resulting in a first-period deficit for the third game in a row.
The Flyers keep getting the start they want. And they keep falling behind as they parade to the box.
"I can't explain it," the Flyers coach was saying after practice yesterday. "We need to do a better job somehow of staying out of that box. But you want the guys playing hard and on the edge and aggressive."
That style is also how the Flyers took control in the second period, dominated the Devils at times so badly it was hard to imagine that only a goal here and there had separated the teams before Tuesday night. After outshooting the Flyers, 12-7, in the first period - and only after the Flyers registered three shots in the final minute - the Devils went for more than 6 minutes at the start of the second period without putting a single puck on Brian Boucher.
Only once, in Game 2, were the Flyers penalized less than New Jersey. It's the only game they lost, which makes you wonder whether this series would already be over if they were flagged less, or far from over.
Philadelphia took seven penalties in the first two periods Tuesday night. New Jersey took four. In the previous game, nine Flyers were penalized once each, and they won that game, too.
"I love how we came out to start the game," Mike Richards said of Tuesday's game. "The energy and the intent to do the right thing. And sometimes when you're so fired up you end up taking penalties. Which is unfortunate. But it's nice to see the emotion and enthusiasm."
Here's what else is unfortunate: Toe fractures to both Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne. Both were the result of pucks. Carter scored a goal when a Chris Pronger blast deflected off his foot. Gagne's came blocking a shot during one of those penalty kills.
The Flyers blocked 25 shots Tuesday night, almost doubling the Devils' 13. The Devils spoke afterward about how frustrated they were trying to get pucks to the net. In the Flyers' 3-2 overtime victory Sunday night, New Jersey blocked as many shots as the Flyers, 21, but for most of this series, Philadelphia has played more desperately in front of Boucher than the Devils have in front of Martin Brodeur.
Laviolette was asked if he winces every time one of his scorers gets in the way of a shot.
"You'd probably wince more if he got out of the way and it wound up in the back of the net," he said.
"Actually, I'd probably do more than wince."
That may have happened in the Flyers' Game 3 overtime win. Gagne appeared to lift his foot on Brian Rolston's game-tying slap shot in the second period. Maybe Laviolette did more than wince when he watched the film, and maybe that's why only Ian Laperriere blocked more shots among forwards than Gagne did Tuesday night.
Was it worth it?
"You mean, do you want your highly skilled players to not play physically in the playoff?" Laviolette said. "You have to. Nobody can tell what the cards hold for your team. You hope for the best. But I do know you have to do the right thing. You have to play the right way."
Said Laperriere: "I respect them more than if they jump away from the puck. I love it, especially this time of the year. When you see Richards and Claude Giroux and Simon block shots, it's an adrenaline rush for everybody. It's contagious, too. Everybody's looking up to those guys. And because of it, you might be the one doing it the next time."
