| Each Saturday I like to research and share a little | | | | For comparison's sake, this season's Bruins have just |
| hockey trivia with all my fellow Hockey Chumps out | | | | one player with more than 100 penalty minutes (Shawn |
| there. During the playoffs, though, I'm going to limit the | | | | Thornton at a "healthy" 141 PIM) whereas the Flyers |
| facts to stuff specifically having to do with either the | | | | have four players with at least 126 PIM. |
| Stanley Cup, playoff matchups, or the remaining | | | | Things went as well as could be expected for two |
| playoff teams themselves. | | | | Northeast rivals... |
| That said, in regards to the Bruins v. Flyers series, did | | | | This is a big difference in terms of balanced physical |
| you know that this is the first time these two teams | | | | prowess, but truthfully, this statistic only takes you so |
| have matched up in the playoffs in 32 years? Pretty | | | | far in the new NHL playoffs. With the loss of Jeff |
| hard to grasp, especially when you consider how good | | | | Carter and Simon Gagne, the Flyers don't have many |
| - or at least competitive - both teams have been over | | | | options in terms of players who can put the puck in |
| all these years. | | | | the back of the net, a minor factor some might say, in |
| 32 years ago it was the Big Bad Bruins v. the Broad | | | | determining the outcome of hockey games (insert |
| Street Bullies, when both teams were more so known | | | | sarcastic voice here). |
| for their ability to bash opponents up and down the | | | | What's my thought? Well, I'm (surprisingly) in agreement |
| rink, rather than their playing the more "skillful" parts of | | | | with many of the experts out there today - and that is |
| the game. | | | | that ultimately, the faster, more healthy and skillfully |
| In fact, the Bruins had four players on their roster that | | | | balanced Bruins will prevail, but not before the Flyers |
| year that accumulated - at minimum - 116 PIM each | | | | physically wearing style of game leaves the Bruins |
| during the regular season. On the other side of the | | | | bruised, battered and beaten when moving on to the |
| faceoff dot, the Flyers had five players with at least | | | | Eastern Conference Finals. |
| 119 PIM each. The Bruins won in 5 games and moved | | | | And that's not a bad outcome if you're a realist Flyers |
| on to the finals, where they were promptly disposed | | | | fan. As the saying goes, "If you can't beat 'em, then |
| of by the quicker and more skillful Montreal Canadiens. | | | | you beat 'em up! |