Canadiens (1) vs. Flyers (6) Series Preview

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There's one issue with this series that is really, really bugging me. It actually has me ramped up for the series and waiting for it to end with great anticipation ... How much bigger of a party riot will Montreal have if the Habs manage to get by the Flyers? We'll have to wait and see, but I'm going to go with 10 stores, 8 cop cars and some sort of burning effigy. Now with those pleasant images in mind, let's take a look at this series from a hockey perspective.

Offense: Both of these teams are great up front, there's no doubt about that. The Flyers had more goals in the first round than any other team, and that was thanks in large part to Daniel Briere, who silenced any haters that were hating on him. He recorded 11 points (6 G, 7 A) during the seven game series against Washington. Vaclav Prospal also had nine points in that series for Philly.

In Montreal, everyone knows they have Kovalev, Koivu and Plekanec. That's no secret. One stand out duo that did emerge during their first round series was the Kostitsyn brothers. Sergei and Andrei combined for 11 points and also both led the team in goals with three. Both teams have fire power, so this series is not going to be short on offense. Advantage: Too close to call.

Defense: Only the Washington Capitals gave up more first round goals than the Flyers did, which was 20 in all. Granted he was facing Alex Ovechkin, but it's safe to say that Marty Biron look good in that series -- but not great. He's going to have to step up his game if the Flyers want to make it to the Conference Finals. On the other side of things, I can finally say that I'm a believer in Carey Price. Before the first round, I wrote how I was concerned that the pressure might get to him. We'll have to see how this goes if the Habs get deeper into the playoffs, but Price was stellar in the first round. Two shutouts, a .925 SV% and 2.09 GAA are nothing to scoff at. Of course, some of that is thanks to the defensive corps in front of him. Advantage: Montreal.

Special Teams: This is where is gets really interesting. During the regular season, these teams were first and second in the NHL in PP%. They were also both in the middle of the pack when it came to killing penalties. Of course, what's true in the regular season isn't always true in the playoffs. The Habs couldn't get much going on the powerplay and went a measly 3-for-32 during their series against Boston. This will be one of the big keys to the series -- who can win the battle on special teams? Advantage: Too close to call.

The verdict: The physical presence of the Flyers isn't going to suit the Flyers well, which could really end up hurting if the series goes the distance. This series is also going to come down to defense and special teams. Both teams can score, we know that, but if one goalie or PK unit decides to take a vacation, well, good luck. I think this is going to be a long, hard fought series and I'll take the Canadiens in seven.