NHL: Philly goaltender swings edge

A hot goaltender can turn a hockey playoff series upside down in no time and be the great equalizer against what otherwise could be interpreted as one team having a decided edge against another.

2008-04-28

A hot goaltender can turn a hockey playoff series upside down in no time and be the great equalizer against what otherwise could be interpreted as one team having a decided edge against another. Philadelphia goalie Martin Biron’s Game 2 performance vs. Montreal was dominant. Game 3 is on tap for Monday, with the Flyers a -135 home favorite.

Three weeks ago, Biron had more children in his household (two) than career playoff wins (zero). With a Game Two upset at Montreal as +150 underdogs, Biron is up to five postseason wins and counting.

Biron was sensational in Philadelphia’s 4-2 win over Montreal in Game 2 with 34 saves, and evened the series at 1-1. Biron’s best stop might have come on a nifty glove save that denied Tomas Plekanec late in the second period on a breakaway attempt. “You feel like you take over the whole net,” Biron said Sunday. “When the guy comes down to shoot, he’s not seeing anything. The way the guys play in front of me allow me to make my reads, challenge when I have to challenge, stay deep when I have to stay deep, and I think that’s been one of the differences in the playoffs.”

Montreal took 16 shots in the first period and 13 more in the second, which dwarfed the Flyers’ game total of 23. “To play a game like last night (Saturday) and come out on top is definitely rewarding and it’s fun,” Biron said. All it took to get to this point was 10 years of NHL hockey without facing a playoff shot on goal. Biron was stuck on the bench in Buffalo and never got to experience the thrill or the pressure of playing with the season on the line. Now that he’s here, Biron’s made up for lost time.

The goalie and his teammates return home where they have won seven of eight and will attempt to take command of Montreal in Eastern Conference semis. Biron believes he is the man up to the challenge to help the Flyers advance. “There’s eight teams competing for the Stanley Cup, so why not us?” Biron said. “It’s the same thing for me. There are two goalies playing. Why shouldn’t I be the guy to win the game.”

Biron, 5-4 with a 2.73 GAA in the playoffs, never had the chance to throw up his arms in celebration with the Sabres. Oddly, watching from the bench only made Biron more nervous than he’s ever been before a big game with the Flyers. “You get jitters when you’re starting, but when you’re on the ice, you actually feel like you control something,” Biron said. “You’re so focused on what you’ve got to do that you don’t have that feeling like you want to throw up every time there’s a shot on the net.” If he knew Philadelphia was only 19-37 ATS in home games against offensive teams like Montreal scoring three goals a game, Biron might become even more jittery.

Biron hasn’t been perfect—the Flyers wasted a two-goal lead in each of their Game 1 losses this postseason. Alex Kovalev scored with 28.6 seconds left in the third to force overtime, then Tom Kostopoulos ended it 48 seconds into the extra session in the Canadiens’ 4-3 victory on Friday. “We saw in Game 1 there were a couple I didn’t control the way I wanted to and you can’t have that happen in the playoffs,” Biron said.

Kostopoulos antagonized the Flyers again in Game Two when he intentionally threw a blindside punch at defenseman Kimmo Timonen after R.J. Umberger scored for Philadelphia. Kostopoulos, reacting to Timonen smiling at him as he skated away after the goal, was given a roughing minor.

“I thought it was a little bit cheap,” Flyers coach John Stevens said. Flyers center Mike Richards called the play “gutless.” Timonen said he didn’t say anything to provoke Kostopoulos and didn’t want to discuss the incident Sunday. “I said something after (the skirmish), but I don’t want to repeat it,” he said.

What is noteworthy and be worth repeating is the Canadiens record on the road after allowing four goals. Montreal is 10-3 ATS in this exact visitor situation. (Repeating optional)

Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau watched the replay and called the punch a normal reaction to the Flyers’ taunting. “I think he deserved it,” Carbonneau said. “That’s why they didn’t call any (major) penalties on it.”

Montreal has opened as +115 road underdogs at Philadelphia, with total of Ov5.5 at Sportsbook.com. The Habs are 11-3 ATS in road games after playing two consecutive home games this season and are 7-2 ATS in last nine when not favored.

The Canadiens are 7-1 OVER revenging a home loss versus opponent of two goals or more this season. The Flyers are 17-7 OVER against good starting goalies like Carey Price – saving 91.5 percent of shots against over the last two seasons.

This is pivotal contest for both teams. Each has performed well with day off between games, with combined 20-6 ATS record. Montreal could have the edge with 9-3 ATS record after scoring two or less goals in last outing and Flyers are 4-9 ATS as home favorites in -110 to -150 price range.

The action begins at 7 Eastern on Versus, with the Habs posting 5-1 ATS mark in Philly the last three seasons including three in a row.

StatFox Take – Philadelphia -116, Total- 5.8

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