THE FLYERS AND Chicago Blackhawks - unlike each of the Flyers' first three matchups of this 2010 Stanley Cup playoff run - do not have a long and storied rivalry.
Philadelphia and Chicago have squared off just once in the NHL playoffs, way back in the 1971 quarterfinals - before the Bullies came to Broad Street.
These two teams met just once this season and have faced each other just twice in the last 3 years.
Here is how they stack up:
FORWARDS
FLYERS: Offense has not been a problem for either of these teams. The Flyers have averaged 3.18 goals per game, slightly above their regular-season average of 2.96. In their last six playoff games, the Flyers have failed to score three or more goals just once. Mike Richards (21 points) and Danny Briere (18 points) have continued to make their case for playoffs MVP. The Flyers' now-healthy top line of Simon Gagne, Richards and Jeff Carter can compete with almost any line in the NHL on a nightly basis. The Flyers could use a little more depth scoring from players like Scott Hartnell and James van Riemsdyk, who both only had one goal during the Eastern Conference finals. The Flyers' fourth line has yet to contribute with the odd goal.
BLACKHAWKS: Few lines have been as good as Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa. Toews is the league's leading playoff scorer with 26 points and Kane has 20. Hossa (11 points) has been to the Stanley Cup finals 3 years in a row - and hasn't won in his first two trips. Perhaps the biggest player to watch might be the biggest forward out there: Dustin Byfuglien (pronounced BUFF-lin). Byfuglien is a massive 6-4, 257 pounds. And he can skate. He has four game-winning goals in the playoffs alone, enough to win a whole series. Former Flyer Patrick Sharp (16 points) and surprise scorer Dave Bolland (5 goals) help a balanced Hawks' attack.
EDGE: Blackhawks
DEFENSE
