Home Sweep, Too Confident?

Being down after losing the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals seems to be a death sentance, as the Winning team has gone on to win over 91% of the time. The odds have been worse for the Flyers though this playoff season. Just because they lost 2 quick one's in Chicago do not count this resilent bunch out.

Chicago shouldn't be too content in their first 2 victories. Each were only one goal games in which they had let the Flyers dominate when attempting to come back. Niemi was there for them and was perfect with a one goal lead late in both of the first 2 games.

The top line of Toews Big Bluff and Kane contributing nothing, while eating up the Hawks top minutes is going to come back to haunt them if it continues. Their big goals are all scored by their role players, such as Bolland, Kopecky and Ben Eager. The Hawks cannot rely on these guys to constantly contribute and must get their top guys rolling.

The Flyers took more out of these losses than the Hawks took out of the wins. They all know what it's gonna take to beat these guys in a seven game series. Laviolette stated that he is Frusturate and annoyed, by losing the first 2 games by a goal, but that they are anxious to start game 3. They're a lot hungrier than a Chicago team that has won 7 straight.

Mike Richards said that this series reminds him a lot of the series versus Boston, in which the Flyers played two good tightly fought games and ended up on the losing end. The Bruins came in really hot after beating division rival Buffalo and was peaking.

But Boston's problem was they got too comfortable and didn't see that their top guys weren't producing was a problem. Coach Q must realize that his team is in a similar situation and you can not win every night relying on your low minute guys to produce game changers.

No one's saying that the Hawks aren't in the process of trying to figure this problem out but in a series where the next game could be the biggest yet, they need to ignite spark and get the guys they've relied on for their offensive production going.

One the other hand, the Flyers have had consistant good play and scoring throughout the playoffs from their top 2 lines. They've relied on those lines to get their goals and have taken advantage of the goals that have come from their 3rd and 4th lines. Going forward the play of the top lines will be what determines the series, right now the Flyers have that edge, just as they did in the Boston series where in the first 3 games Richards anchored their scoring.

Philadelphia has the players that can win this and are confident they will win this.