Broudeurboucher

Brian Boucher got sweet revenge against the Devils tonight in Jersey. He made 28 stops, including a flashy glove save on a slapshot from the dot with only seconds remaining, to earn the shutout in tonight's 3-0 Game 5 win in Newark. The Flyers move on to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and will likely play the Capitals in the second round.

The game started out like every other game this series – a damn penalty in the first minute. But, after Jersey took a penalty of their own just 30 seconds later, the Flyers capitalized. On a shortened powerplay, Claude Giroux stopped and spun in the crease to Brodeur's right and sent a beautiful forehand pass to the tape of Briere's stick. He barely sneaked the shot by Brodeur's "telescopic leg" (thanks Bill Clement) to give the Flyers an early 1-0 lead. It's all the Flyers would need to clinch the series thanks to Boucher.

Claude Giroux scored two goals in two minutes midway through the second to seal the deal. He first slapped a loose puck over Brodeur into the top shelf. (The shot was so heavy the refs didn't notice it was in.) He then wristed the rubber by Brodeur on the powerplay just minutes later to give the Flyers a 3-0 advantage.

The most concerning moment of the game came in the third period. In a play eerily similar to earlier this season, Ian Laperriere sold his body to block a shot on the penalty kill. The puck hit Lappy square in the face, and he left the ice covered in blood. He needed 60-70 stitches above his right eye to repair the cut, and promised to wear a visor from now on so that he "could see his kids grow up with two eyes." Lappy is the man.

Now that the series is over, I figured it would be a good idea to recall my series predictions, located here, and see how they played out.

1. Devils attendance – To be honest, it was as piss poor as I expected, and there wasn't much of a playoff atmosphere. There were plenty of "Boosh" chants from the numerous Flyer fans in attendance. My prediction was spot on, although it wasn't very hard to make.

2. Flyers' Home Ice Advantage -  I said that the Flyers needed to win Games 3 & 4 to pull off the upset. And they did. Even if they split at home, the series could have played out much differently. An important key that worked out.

3. Regular Season Stats – I underestimated what the regular season 5-1 record really meant. After this series, the Flyers were a combined 9-2 versus NJ on the year. Much to my surprise, I thought the Flyers outplayed the Devils for much of the series.

4. Brian Boucher will continue to play well – It's safe to say that Boucher is on one of his hot streaks. He played beyond well against NJ, and he showed up every night with his A-game. In order to advance further, the Flyers will need Boucher to have continued success.

5. Scott Hartnell – I thought that Hartnell was invisible in this series. While he didn't do much on the scoresheet (though he did have an assist tonight), he didn't take any stupid penalties. A fair trade-off I guess.

6. Unexpected Hero: Dan Carcillo – This prediction has panned out for me so far. Carcillo netted an important Game 3 OT winner and scored again in Game 4. He brought energy to every shift, cashed in on his opportunities, and didn't take many undisciplined penalties.

My call was Flyers in 7, and it ended up being Flyers in 5. 

I was happy with the way the Flyers took it to the Devils throughout the series. They played the up-tempo style that Peter Laviolette constantly preaches, and established their own game-plan instead of playing their opponents'. Even more impressive was the way the team pulled together tonight on the road without Gagne and Carter. It's the heart that this team seemed to be lacking throughout the regular season, but maybe they're coming together at the right time to advance even farther than people expect.