I hold a rather unpopular opinion of Coach Lavvy, I've been told. I don't disagree with this assertion I don't like the man's strategy. He has a great attitude and gives his team platitudes and attempts to motivate them to do better, but as we saw in Carolina, that messages gets stale and ripe. The fact that Carolina cut him loose so soon after winning a Cup is a red flag to me. Lavvy had to have an inherent flaw for an organization to cut him loose after accomplishing such a monumental feat. From the evidence I gathered regarding the Carolina incident, the consensus was that Lavvy's message had grown stale to the players, and that they stopped listening. In hindsight, this is not surprising, because Lavvy's system requires an extremely high amount of leg strength and stamina, on a period in and period out basis. It's the type of attrition that would turn the most finely tuned off us into a puddle of physical exertion. When Lavvy's system is executed and the team plays a full 60 minutes, his team is hard to beat. Lavvy's defense is his offense, an offense that pinches at the blue-line and keeps the puck in the defensive end. This consistent offensive pressure cuts the ice in half, and any offense that the other team can muster is stifled by a back-check and in Carolina's situation, gobbled up by a terrific goalie in his own right, Cam Ward. Lavvy's teams also thrive on their ability to stay out of the box, because in order for a defenseman to pinch on a puck, they either have to be at even strength or the man advantage.

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The following is every single playoff series recorded for the last 20 years, beginning with the 1989-1990 season.  The categories are as follows EW (expected to win), EL (expected to lose), UW (unexpected to win), UL (unexpected to lose) and Playoff Win % (% of playoff series won).  For each playoff series, the favorite and the underdog were decided by the following: head to head record, if in the event of a tie, overall points in the year, and if a tie still exists, total wins for that year was the deciding factor. 

From the 1989-2009 NHL Playoff Series

Talking Points:

1.  Detroit is singlehandedly the best team in the past 20 years.  They have had 46 playoff matchups, which means they average either 2-3 playoff series every year, or go far in the playoffs a majority of the time.  This is positively some scary stuff.

2.  Must give credit where credit is due:  The Pens are one of the top 5 teams of the last 20 years.  Fan-base aside, 36 playoff series in 20 years is tied with New Jersey in the top five.  Give credit to Super Mario for being the one of the few reasons that franchise is even relevant these days.

3.  Winnepeg/Phoenix has not won a single playoff series in the last 20 years, but have made the playoffs half of the time.  Speechless moment #1

4.  Calgary and the Islanders have not been favored in a single playoff series the last 20 years.  Speechless moment #2.

5.  There’s not a decent enough sample size to judge Nashville, Minnesota, Columbus, Atlanta and Florida.  Even TB’s 9 series played is pushing it, but a Cup inches TB’s stats under .005 significance (Statistics Jokes)

6.  Colorado, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Chicago, Detroit and Anaheim have won more games as an underdog than lost games as a favorite.  A small round of applause is in order.

7.  Boston has choked the most out of any NHL team in the last 20 years, sporting 10 unexpected losses and a winning percentage below 50%.  Irony, and the past seemingly repeating itself.

8.  My final point (I’ll leave the rest up to you guys to tear apart this as you see fit):  If you are looking for a true team to hate come playoff time, look no further than the Buffalo Sabres.  There’s at least 5 times where they ended our season in this study.  The Flyers have caught them 1-2 times, but it was certainly fun coming across that. 

Does everyone remember the story of the prodigal's sun?  For those who don't go take a look at the wiki shortened version.  This story reminds me of a Bully by birth playing on the other side of the state, one Eric Tangradi.  At 6'4 220, a solid pair of hands, and an attitude that was crafted to be a Flyer, he will be suiting up to be a (drumroll please) a Pittsburgh Penguin.

So the question I have for the masses...are you a fan of the man because of where he is from, regardless of the team he plays for, or does the team he plays for turn you away from him?  I for one will be watching Pens because I care more about him being a Philly product, and that there aren't too many professional ice hockey players to come out of Philadelphia

Combining most of my favorite things in life, with the exception of Chris Chelios.  I have to hand it to ESPN, this is probably one of the funniest things I've seen in the last week.  This makes me also miss ESPN and hockey.  Funny, but at the same time depressing. Counting down the days until ESPN takes back hockey, and gives it some Samuel L. Jackson love...again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiGCHsLPdE4

http://www.coppernblue.com/2010/6/20/1526843/calgary-flames-off-season-preview#storyjump

Looking a bit closer, Reynolds offers up more tasty things to do with Jeff Carter

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So, as you all know, I live in Pens county, with a minority population of Flyers fans, otherwise known as State College, PA.  We were watching both games Wednesday night, and after Fleury's performance an extremely knowledgeable Pen's fan said we should get rid of Fleury.  

Anywho, we continue talking, and I express interest in Fleury, because I think he is a very talented goalie, and what the Flyers organization needs.  He then offers me straight up Jeff Carter for Marc Andre Fleury.  My question to all of you is, putting your hatred of the Pens aside, would you do this deal?  It took me a split second to decide, and I gave a resounding "yes"

We've all heard Hoffman's Hells Bells, but what would you pick?  Are you the AC/DC type?  Or are you the BTO taking care of business personality?  Share your thoughts, provide youtube videos, I don't care.  Funny suggestions are also acceptable to (Why Can't We Be Friends).  If Lidge sucks this year, at least he can do it with a kickass closer theme

Me - Can I play With Madness (Iron Maiden)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnRlXpIWERw

This really bothers me (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-H1l-sOxng&feature=related).  When Carcillo fought Bradley, there were arguments that Bradley wasn't a fighter and he wasn't expecting Carcillo to jump on him that quickly.  Last night, Bradley decided to flank Downie while he was eyeing up Alexander Ovechkin, effectively getting the jump on him while Downie was engaged with another player. 

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I'm a frequent game commenter, I reference a lot of movies in my comments, but never really add any sort of significant discussion to the game(Geoff and Ben have come to understand).  I'm a Flyers fan at heart, but for 9 months of the year I'm behind enemy lines in State College, PA with Pens fans.  So this is my first post of any serious content.  There's very little statistics associated with my post, and I took more of a "this is what I've heard/what I understand to be true".  Here we go

I had a very good discussion with a new brother of mine last night on this popular rivalry inside of Pennsylvania. It was more like an intervention of sorts. We discussed our problems with the other team's philosophy, fanbase and gripe towards the opposing faction. I'm going to try to give a historical view, and then break down each complaint then we have toward the other team. I've watched both teams extensively (one by choice, the other by means of last resort). The Pens and Flyers were both expansion teams in 1967. Flyers captured 2 cups back to back in 74 and 75. The Pens took back to back of 91-92, and then last year's championship. Flyers lead the all-time series 132-75-30-5, the 30 being when ties were counted. The Pens have won the last 2 playoff series, with the Flyers collecting 4 series prior to that.

Pens Philosophy

Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Paul Coffey were before that time if that makes any sense.If they were to succeed in the Bettman era or the pre-lockout era, i would have definitely picked the Bettman era. The Pens have always been quick, agile team based on finesse and scoring pretty goals. Despite Mario's large size and frame, there is no doubt that he was more interested in scoring goals than hitting. Jagr was never interested in taking the body, and Coffey was known for his hands and speed, not providing the bone crunching hit. In Bettman's era, which awards Olympic style hockey, these players would be putting up Crosby like numbers, which they did in their time, which makes them all the more impressive. The Pens do not look to beating the other team physically, but on the scoreboard. Evidence of this claim? Talbot's fight last year in the playoffs turned the series around, after it seemed that the Flyers had momentum in their favor. Despite Talbot having his ass handed to him, the Pens erased a 3-0 lead by the end of the period, in Philadelphia. End of series. Among the teams that the Pens faced in last years playoffs, the Flyers series was the most compelling. I haven't seen a team up 3 games to 2 with one left at home so worried. But as a Pens fan, you're stupid to say that you weren't worried. In typical Pens fashion, they had their asses handed to them physically, but handed out the beating on the scoreboard, where it matters. Which comes back to the Pens philosophy, score the pretty goals, take the beating, and go home with the W.

Flyers Filosophy:

Dating back to the Philly Flu of the 1970s, the Flyers have been about one facet of the game: brutality. Dump, check, win battle in corner, throw at net, score ugly goal. LCB did this the best of any team in the nation (McLeish, Clarke, Barber), and in the pre-lockout era, this was a viable strategy on how to win the game. This brutality was matched only by the skill of one Bernie Parent in net. A bone crushing team (I didn't even mention the Hammer) with one the best goaltender in Philadelphia history? 2 back to back cups, With the Bettman era, however, this brutality is on the side of forbidden. What Clarke would get away with, players like Hartnell and Carcillo cannot. It is a sign of the times. Hockey has strayed away from its roots, the type of game our parents grew up on. In the name of evil Capitalism, Bettman wanted to expand the NHL brand name to new buyers, which meant altering the game play. No more 2 line passing, increase the amount of goals per game, kill the trap, turn it into an exercise of speed, not strength. I agree with some of the rule changes, but this hurt the Flyers gameplay, and to this day I believe it is held against them by Bettman and officials. I know what you're saying: conspiracy theories, typical Philadelphia fan, bitching about penalties. It's not so much I disagree with the penalties (they are penalties), but they're penalties that interfere with the flow of the game, and the type of gameplay the Flyers thrive on. Bettman's NHL awards light physical play and teams with players of high skill sets. With the exception of a Flyer here and there, The Flyers don't have the players with the best skill sets. They're a team built for tough, low scoring hockey games with ugly goals and physical play. Bettman disagrees with this style, and as long as his style of play is preferable, the Flyers will always be going against the grain.

Pens fanbase:

The Pens fanbase is one that has to be understood, and cannot be evaluated the same as the Flyers fanbase. The Pens fanbase (as we know it by todays standards) by in large is very new to the game. With championships in the early 90s, and last year, the fanbase looks very young to outsiders, with the growth (adversaries claim) due to their winning ways. I have dropped the B-bomb before in a Pens' fan face, and they did not enjoy that at all. What I did realize, is that because the Pens didn't win a championship until their 24th season in the league. 24 seasons without a championship will cause any fan base to question itself, especially if those 24 seasons aren't consistently competitive. What I am trying to say is that for the 21 year olds now, they do not remember the 91-92 championships, only last years. With this short memory due to age, it makes the fanbase as a whole look like a bandwagoning bunch, because they have no sense of history. This no sense of history is due to the fact that 21 year olds haven't been given fond memories of the past. The team wasn't good for the majority of the 70s, and in the 80s were competitive and consistent in making the playoffs, but alas no championships. With only seeing success as of late, it is only normal for 21 year old Pens fans to talk about the good times, because they weren't truly around for the bad times. The bad times occurred right before the NHL lockout, when no one was really paying attention to hockey. Want to know the last team to win before the lockout? Even their city doesn't know that they won a championship, and it's been 5 years. Hockey as a hole was in a dark time, and it was a perfect time for the Pens to tank it (don't deny it either, the Pens tanked it at the perfect time, getting the best value for tanking it. You're a fool to think otherwise)

Flyers fanbase:

The Flyers fanbase is full of diehards, which i somewhat attribute to the fact that the Flyers won relatively early in their NHL history. If you grew up as a Flyers fan, the names Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber, Hammer, McLeish, Parent, Pelle Lindbergh, and Ron Hextall were common in your household. These names reflect the whole tenure of the Flyers in the NHL, starting from the early 70s and going on. Flyers fans take this history for granted, thinking that all fanbases had success early, which as just demonstrated in the Pens scenario, is not the case. The Flyers fans then take shots at the Pens fans claiming that they don't know their history, that they only pay attention to the team when they win. As much as I enjoy these claims, in most cases they are not the case. The majority of the Pens fanbase is very young, and with a past that's not as memorable as the Flyers, it is easy to see why the young Pens fanbase doesn't know anything prior to the Super Mario era: simply not worth mentioning. Factor in Flyers lack of economic troubles in the organization and with respect to the city (Pittsburgh didn't share the same fate), the Flyers have been able to maintain a strong fanbase that loves their brand of hockey. If there was a reported bankruptcy like Pittsburgh had, the fanbase would've been affected adversely. Hypothetical of course.

Pens fans gripes with Flyers/fans

Iv'e heard numerous Pens fans claim that the Flyers and their fanbase is unclassy, thuggish, Cromagnon man individuals. The Flyers are goons, they play dirty. Individual players are scumbags. All of the comments are toward the style of play that the Flyers are famous/infamous for. I can't stress the amount of times I've heard a Pens fan say that so and so cheapshotted someone, or a penalty wasn't called. It's all comments toward what the Flyers have done throughout their time in the NHL: fight, play hard (sometimes the line between clean and dirty is gray) and hit anything that moves. The Pens fans would rather see their #87 in baby blue, or their #71 in black and gold, or #66 in Pittsburgh block letters cruising through the defender's zone and scoring a goal, while never being touched. They want fast clean hockey, the type that coincidentally Bettman wants also.

Flyers fans gripes with Pens fans

The list is long and distinguished, but for the sake of brevity, Flyers fans see the Pens as a synonym for a cat. To pick one player that articulates all of what Flyers fans hate:, I'll pick Sidney Crosby. They report that: Crosby cries to referees about penalties, embellishes, dives, cheapshots individuals but won't fight them 1v1, avoids contact, he wears makeup, and probably the most stinging of all of these: Crosby has the Flyers number, which coincidentally, has corresponded to the Pens winning the series between these two teams as of late. He's everything that the Flyers are against: tough play, hard checking, fighting and getting the nose dirty. When Crosby does get his nose dirty, he cries foul against the other player for reacting. Flyers fans look at it this way: if you're going to play dirty, don't cry for penalties. In their minds the chants are deserved, regardless of how much talent the man has. Look at how they treated Lindros after he left: so much talent, piss poor attitude.

These debates between fans will never cease. The banter will never die. Dan Carcillo will continue to straddle the fence between playing hard and playing stupid. Crosby will continue to wow those with his talent, and aggravate those with his bitching. Hartnell will always have the rumors that he bit someone, and Kunitz and Malkin will always be remembered for suspicious hits on players that didn't result in a suspension, but similar incidents have resulted in suspensions for the Flyers. It's a constant debate between both teams that makes this rivalry what it is: a tough game that showcases old school NHL with a pinch of new school NHL vs new school NHL team that is very good at being new school.

I applaud Pittsburgh for what they have done, and winning their championships. But as a Flyers fan, it's not the style of play I grew up on. I have an appreciation for Pittsburgh as a team, but nothing more. They are very talented, but there's no correlation between talent and being a fan of that team. Pittsburgh has talent, but it's not the type of team Philly fans love and enjoy, and it's not the type of team we as Philadelphians grew up on.