Canadiens/Flyers

vs



Rangers. Flyers. Cowboys. Eagles. Red Sox.

That's the 5 sports teams that I can't stand. Of those 5, I've probably hated the Flyers more than the others because a) They've been competitive for almost all of the last 13-14 years or so and b) they have consistently had more assholes on their team than any of the other 4 (see: Roenick, Jeremy; Lindros, Eric; Hatcher, Derian; Roenick, Jeremy; Leclair, John; did i say JR hockey?). So it killed me (and many hockey purists) when the Flyers beat the Crapitals a few days ago. Then you have the Canadiens. The darlings of the sport. Basically the Yankees of Canada; all the championships and history, none of the arrogance, and some fantastic strip clubs. So yeah, you can certainly see where my heart is in this series.

But let's try and be objective for a minute. Can the Flyers win this series? Yes. They have the best player on the ice in Daniel Briere. He was obscene for most of the Caps series, ending with 6 goals in the 7 game series. (Sidenote: Was it me or was Mike Green personally responsible for every single goal scored by both teams?) But in total, the Canadiens have 7 or 8 of the 10 best players in this series, including the better goaltender. So if this were the regular season, the Flyers would be heavy underdogs.

But it's not, it's the playoffs, where you have to be tough. And unfortunately for Montreal, they're much more of a finesse team; too much Kovalev, not enough Claude Lemieux. I don't see them winning the Stanley Cup as they're put together. (Note: I also didn't see the Giants beating the Patriots, Packers, Cowboys, or Bucs.) And while Philly isn't nearly as talented as Montreal, they play a physical style that is well suited for the playoffs, even if their talent isn't what previous Philly teams were. Expect Mike "An enemy of Ovechkin's is an enemy of Devo" Richards and Co. to give Montreal something of a physical beating. But in the end, Montreal should have just enough skill to advance to the next round. Though whoever gets there, let's be honest is going to lose to the Rangers/Pens winner. Either way.
Les Habitants in 6.

And as a special treat for Phlyer fans out there: