No, a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals won’t be on the line when the Flyers take on the Montreal Canadiens in a matchup of division leaders. But that won’t make tonight’s showdown — coming on the heels of the Habs’ 3-0 whitewash of the reigning Eastern Conference champs last week — any less anticipated.
Especially after Flyers captain Mike Richards warned brash Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban that his over-exuberance might prove hazardous to his health if he doesn’t tone it down soon. When Subban countered he had no intention of changing his style, coupled with Scott Hartnell’s allegation that Maxim Lapierre choked him, it further stirred what was an already boiling pot.
“Usually when there’s a lot of talk, not much happens,’’ said Danny Briere, whose shootout goal gave the Flyers a rare 5-4 win in D.C. on Saturday night. “A lot of times, all the talk is done before the game and when you get on the ice you just play.”
A glimpse at the standings shows the Atlantic-leading Flyers (28 points) one point up on Northeast leader Montreal in the conference standings, with Washington (30) leading the pack. It’s not a stretch to see them meeting down the playoff road.
“It’s a team we’ll be fighting to the end of the season for the Conference,’’ said Briere. “It should be a good test.”
If nothing else, certainly not boring.
