Tell me if you didn't see this one coming: Brian Boucher has been pulled from the Philadelphia Flyers crease, and Sergei Bobrovsky, the goalie who was quickly dispatched to the press box after a poor Game 2 in the first round against Buffalo, is now in net. It's never dull when it comes to the Flyers goaltending situation.
Bruins Vs. Flyers, Game 1: Brian Boucher Pulled As Boston Grabs Huge 5-2 Lead
The reasoning, of course, is that the Boston Bruins are flying, up 5-2, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Flyers. The first line has been particularly impressive, as David Krejci has put in two goals and Nathan Horton has added one of his own.
Inexplicably, Peter Laviolette has failed to match his shutdown defensive line of Mike Richards, Kris Versteeg and Dan Carcillo against the Bruins top unit. Instead, he's used a mix of his top scoring line and his grinder line, and the Bruins have taken full advantage. To say Claude Julien is outcoaching Laviolette in Game 1 would be an understatement.
James van Riemsdyk cut the Boston lead down to just three goals late in the second period, and there's still 20 minutes of game left, but the Bruins are playing a suffocating defensive game and they're winning just about every loose puck. That has to change if Philly wants to find their way back.
In the meantime, the Wells Fargo Center decibel level is just like a game against Atlanta in November, not the first game of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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