Drop the gloves, let’s get physical

Don’t look for any finesse here. Both the Flyers and Bruins like to hit hard, intimidating opponents with the forecheck.

It’s no surprise then that a Versus announcer used the word bloodbath on Wednesday night when describing this weekend’s Stanley Cup playoff series.

“It’s going to be a bloodbath — on the ice, and in the stands,” he said.

The Bruins and Flyers combined for nine penalties when they met in the Winter Classic, including a first-period fight between Shawn Thornton and Dan Carcillo. Not surprising, the Flyers accounted for five of those. During the regular season, the Flyers tallied 1,362 minutes in the box. Compare that to the Bruins at just 953.

“Their forecheck is a little different and the neutral zone is a little different,” said Flyers coach Peter Laviolette. “But I shouldn’t speak for them. Our game is two-man aggressive, up ice, pushing the puck in the neutral zone.”

The Flyers are 2-2 all-time in the postseason against Boston, where the Flyers haven’t won a playoff game since 1974. This year, Boston won the season series, 2-1-1, including that controversial overtime win at the Winter Classic. For the Flyers, that game is a distant memory.

“It’s been a long [break],” said Kimmo Timonen. “Finally we know it’s Boston, so I think we’re all really looking forward to start playing games.”