Hockeybuzz.com (Bill Meltzer):
April 30, 2008, 11:02 AM ET
Tonight’s game is a litmus test for the remainder of the Flyers-Canadiens series. If the Flyers find a way to win again and go up three games to one in the series, the Canadiens may fall into panic mode. But if Montreal again controls most of the tempo, plays with a regulation lead for the first time in the series and goes on to win, the Habs go back to having the upper hand even in a tied series.
Neither club has played its best hockey of the series for a full 60 minutes. The Flyers need to do a better job of clearing the zone, staying out of the box and keeping their feet moving for three periods. They also must do a better job on defensive zone faceoffs, especially when shorthanded. Montreal had 13 minutes worth of powerplay time in Game Three. That can’t happen again. Martin Biron has been outstanding in the series, but you can’t overrely on him every game and hope to win the series.
Meanwhile, the Habs need goaltender Carey Price to significantly elevate his play from the first three games and to get players other than Saku Koivu and Alexei Kovalev (Game One) delivering in the clutch. The top defensive pairing of Andrei Markov and Mike Komisarek (especially the latter) has not played up its usual standards in this series so far.
The Flyers will have Mike Knuble back in the lineup tonight. I would have thought Steve Downie would be the first player taken out of the lineup again, but Tim Panaccio believes it will be Patrick Thoresen.
Tonight’s referees are Bill McCreary and Kevin Pollack.
Flyers lines and scratches (subject to change)
Prospal – Briere – Hartnell
Umberger – Richards – Lupul
Upshall – Carter – Knuble
Kapanen – Dowd – Thoresen/Downie
Defense:
Coburn – Timonen
Hatcher – Jones
Smith – Kukkonen
Biron[Niittymäki]
Scratches:
Modry (healthy)
Parent (healthy)
One of Downie or Thoresen (healthy)
Cote (healthy)
Tolpeko (healthy)
Gagne (concussion)
Habster:
Probable Canadiens lineup for game #4:
Forwards:
A. Kostitsyn – Plekanec – Kovalev
Higgins – Koivu – S. Kostitsyn/Ryder (if Sergei can’t start due to a back injury)
Begin – Smolinski – Kostopoulos
Latendresse – Lapierre – Streit
Defense:
Komisarek – Markov
Hamrlik – Brisebois
Gorges – Bouillon (the best defensive pairing in this series)
Goaltender: Price (I’d be surprised if it was Halak but we are dealing with the unpredictable Dr. Carbo)
Scratches: Stewart, O’Byrne, Grabovski, Ryder (or Sergei Kostitsyn if his back isn’t right).