(Sports Network) - The Presidents' Trophy-winning Ottawa Senators begin the second leg of their Stanley Cup journey tonight when they host the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series at Corel Centre.
The meeting is a rematch of last spring's opening round, when the Senators eliminated a dysfunctional Flyers club in five games and limited them to an NHL record-low two goals.
After finishing with the league's best record in the regular season, Ottawa received a scare in the series opener against the NY Islanders last round, but dusted itself off and won four straight by simply outclassing the eighth-seeded Isles. Had the Senators not come out overanxious and overaggressive in Game 1, we may have seen a sweep.
Ottawa, which has been off for eight days, outscored New York by a combined 13-4 margin in the final four games while moving on to the conference semis for the second straight season.
Perhaps the most amazing aspect of the series victory is that it came to fruition without a single goal off the stick of Daniel Alfredsson. The team captain handed out three assists in the five games instead.
Marian Hossa, who finished fourth in the league in goal-scoring during the regular campaign, tied with former Flyer Todd White for the team lead with three in the first round and scored two crucial tallies to tie the series in Game 2. Radek Bonk, who has had his share of playoff demons, tallied twice in the set.
At the other end, Patrick Lalime posted a 1.30 goals-against average, .949 save percentage and one shutout against the overmatched Islanders. After allowing three goals in Game 1, he halted 98 of the next 102 shots he faced to close things out.
Defensively, anchor Wade Redden and the mammoth Zdeno Chara were effective at both ends of the ice. Redden was a plus-3 and chipped in three assists while logging over 26:00 of ice time on average, while Chara also dished out a trio of helpers while posting a plus-2.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, advanced to the second round for the first time in three years with its grueling seven-game classic win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. After squandering a chance to clinch in Game 6 up in Canada, the Flyers came back with a 6-1 rout in the seventh match less than 24 hours later on their home ice.
All told, Philly and Toronto -- who played in three multiple overtime games at Air Canada Centre -- skated for 532 minutes of action, which is the equivalent of nearly nine regulation games.
Philadelphia showed what a difference a new year, new coach and half a roster can make by scoring 24 goals in the first round. Mark Recchi paved the way with a league-leading six markers, including the triple-overtime winner in Game 4 and a pair in Game 7 versus the Leafs.
Jeremy Roenick, despite getting knocked silly twice in the set, and Simon Gagne added three scores apiece, while Sami Kapanen and defenseman Eric Weinrich each netter a pair.
And to prove the Flyers' newly-found scoring depth, they managed a series win without much from John LeClair and Tony Amonte, who are being counted on to score. LeClair was goal-less after the second game, and Amonte, despite contributing in other areas, was completely shut out.
One similarity to last postseason for the Flyers was the solid play of goaltender Roman Cechmanek, who has been much maligned despite putting up stellar numbers for three straight years. The Czech native, although he did allow a few "soft" goals during the course of the Leafs series, was spectacular in the overtimes and more than held his own against Ed Belfour.
The play in front of Cechmanek was also stellar, as Flyer defenders limited Toronto to an average of 27 shots per-game, which is a low number considering the number of extra time played. The Philadelphia defense corps was, however, struck by injury in Game 5, as workhorse Eric Desjardins suffered a broken bone in his foot and is slated to miss at least two weeks.
This Flyers team is very different than the one that bowed out disgracefully to the Sens last year, as nine players who faced Toronto were not with the club in 2002. Philadelphia now has the speed to keep up with the swift Senators, whereas last year it did not.
Philly and Ottawa went 1-1-2 against each other this season, and the Senators are 2-1-3 in the last six meetings. The Flyers are 0-1-2 in their last three trips to Corel Centre.
Game 2 will be played Sunday night in Ottawa.
2002-2003 Meetings
10/29 - Philadelphia 2-1 (at Phi)
12/21 - Ottawa, 3-1 (at Phi)
12/23 - Tied, 2-2 ot (at Ott)
02/06 - Tied, 2-2 ot (at Ott)
2001-2002 Meetings
10/25 - Ottawa, 7-2 (at Phi)
01/15 - Philadelphia, 4-1 (at Ott)
01/22 - Tied, 1-1 ot (at Phi)
01/30 - Ottawa, 3-1 (at Ott)
2000-2001 Meetings
10/17 - Ottawa, 6-1 (at Phi)
11/11 - Philadelphia 4-3 (at Phi)
12/02 - Ottawa, 5-3 (at Ott)
03/26 - Tied, 3-3 ot (at Ott)
Regular Season
Note - Ottawa is unbeaten (1-0-2) in the last three meetings.
Note - Ottawa is 2-1-3 in the last six and 4-2-4 in the last 10 meetings.
Note - Ottawa is 9-3-6 in the last 18 and 11-4-6 in the last 21 meetings.
Note - Ott snapped a 2-game series road winless streak on 12/21/02.
Note - Ottawa is 2-1-1 in its last four at Philadelphia.
Note - Ottawa is 6-2-2 in its last 10 at Philadelphia.
Note - Ottawa is 6-8-2 in its last 16 at Philadelphia.
Note - Phila is winless 0-1-2 after unbeaten in its last 2 at Ottawa
Note - These 2 teams are 1-1-3 in the last 5 meetings at Ottawa.
Note - Philadelphia is 1-4-4 in its last nine at Ottawa.
Note - Philadelphia is 2-5-4 in its last 11 at Ottawa.
PHI is 3-1 ATS in the last four meetings.
PHI is 9-3 ATS in their last 12 overall.
PHI is 15-7 ATS playing on two days rest.
OTT is 7-2 ATS in their last nine overall.
The under is 7-1-2 in OTT's last 10 overall.
The last 10 meetings have played under.
The meeting is a rematch of last spring's opening round, when the Senators eliminated a dysfunctional Flyers club in five games and limited them to an NHL record-low two goals.
After finishing with the league's best record in the regular season, Ottawa received a scare in the series opener against the NY Islanders last round, but dusted itself off and won four straight by simply outclassing the eighth-seeded Isles. Had the Senators not come out overanxious and overaggressive in Game 1, we may have seen a sweep.
Ottawa, which has been off for eight days, outscored New York by a combined 13-4 margin in the final four games while moving on to the conference semis for the second straight season.
Perhaps the most amazing aspect of the series victory is that it came to fruition without a single goal off the stick of Daniel Alfredsson. The team captain handed out three assists in the five games instead.
Marian Hossa, who finished fourth in the league in goal-scoring during the regular campaign, tied with former Flyer Todd White for the team lead with three in the first round and scored two crucial tallies to tie the series in Game 2. Radek Bonk, who has had his share of playoff demons, tallied twice in the set.
At the other end, Patrick Lalime posted a 1.30 goals-against average, .949 save percentage and one shutout against the overmatched Islanders. After allowing three goals in Game 1, he halted 98 of the next 102 shots he faced to close things out.
Defensively, anchor Wade Redden and the mammoth Zdeno Chara were effective at both ends of the ice. Redden was a plus-3 and chipped in three assists while logging over 26:00 of ice time on average, while Chara also dished out a trio of helpers while posting a plus-2.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, advanced to the second round for the first time in three years with its grueling seven-game classic win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. After squandering a chance to clinch in Game 6 up in Canada, the Flyers came back with a 6-1 rout in the seventh match less than 24 hours later on their home ice.
All told, Philly and Toronto -- who played in three multiple overtime games at Air Canada Centre -- skated for 532 minutes of action, which is the equivalent of nearly nine regulation games.
Philadelphia showed what a difference a new year, new coach and half a roster can make by scoring 24 goals in the first round. Mark Recchi paved the way with a league-leading six markers, including the triple-overtime winner in Game 4 and a pair in Game 7 versus the Leafs.
Jeremy Roenick, despite getting knocked silly twice in the set, and Simon Gagne added three scores apiece, while Sami Kapanen and defenseman Eric Weinrich each netter a pair.
And to prove the Flyers' newly-found scoring depth, they managed a series win without much from John LeClair and Tony Amonte, who are being counted on to score. LeClair was goal-less after the second game, and Amonte, despite contributing in other areas, was completely shut out.
One similarity to last postseason for the Flyers was the solid play of goaltender Roman Cechmanek, who has been much maligned despite putting up stellar numbers for three straight years. The Czech native, although he did allow a few "soft" goals during the course of the Leafs series, was spectacular in the overtimes and more than held his own against Ed Belfour.
The play in front of Cechmanek was also stellar, as Flyer defenders limited Toronto to an average of 27 shots per-game, which is a low number considering the number of extra time played. The Philadelphia defense corps was, however, struck by injury in Game 5, as workhorse Eric Desjardins suffered a broken bone in his foot and is slated to miss at least two weeks.
This Flyers team is very different than the one that bowed out disgracefully to the Sens last year, as nine players who faced Toronto were not with the club in 2002. Philadelphia now has the speed to keep up with the swift Senators, whereas last year it did not.
Philly and Ottawa went 1-1-2 against each other this season, and the Senators are 2-1-3 in the last six meetings. The Flyers are 0-1-2 in their last three trips to Corel Centre.
Game 2 will be played Sunday night in Ottawa.
2002-2003 Meetings
10/29 - Philadelphia 2-1 (at Phi)
12/21 - Ottawa, 3-1 (at Phi)
12/23 - Tied, 2-2 ot (at Ott)
02/06 - Tied, 2-2 ot (at Ott)
2001-2002 Meetings
10/25 - Ottawa, 7-2 (at Phi)
01/15 - Philadelphia, 4-1 (at Ott)
01/22 - Tied, 1-1 ot (at Phi)
01/30 - Ottawa, 3-1 (at Ott)
2000-2001 Meetings
10/17 - Ottawa, 6-1 (at Phi)
11/11 - Philadelphia 4-3 (at Phi)
12/02 - Ottawa, 5-3 (at Ott)
03/26 - Tied, 3-3 ot (at Ott)
Regular Season
Note - Ottawa is unbeaten (1-0-2) in the last three meetings.
Note - Ottawa is 2-1-3 in the last six and 4-2-4 in the last 10 meetings.
Note - Ottawa is 9-3-6 in the last 18 and 11-4-6 in the last 21 meetings.
Note - Ott snapped a 2-game series road winless streak on 12/21/02.
Note - Ottawa is 2-1-1 in its last four at Philadelphia.
Note - Ottawa is 6-2-2 in its last 10 at Philadelphia.
Note - Ottawa is 6-8-2 in its last 16 at Philadelphia.
Note - Phila is winless 0-1-2 after unbeaten in its last 2 at Ottawa
Note - These 2 teams are 1-1-3 in the last 5 meetings at Ottawa.
Note - Philadelphia is 1-4-4 in its last nine at Ottawa.
Note - Philadelphia is 2-5-4 in its last 11 at Ottawa.
PHI is 3-1 ATS in the last four meetings.
PHI is 9-3 ATS in their last 12 overall.
PHI is 15-7 ATS playing on two days rest.
OTT is 7-2 ATS in their last nine overall.
The under is 7-1-2 in OTT's last 10 overall.
The last 10 meetings have played under.
