A play-off contest between the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers always intrigues.
But never more than this year.
Boston hold a 2-0 lead after Monday night's victory in Philadelphia, but they know all too well that nothing is a sure thing against the Flyers. It was just 12 months ago that Philadelphia shocked Boston by roaring back from a 3-0 series deficit to eliminate the Bruins from the play-offs.
That was just the third time in the 90-year history of the NHL that a team had rallied from three games down to win a series, and the fact the Flyers came back from a three-goal deficit in Game 7 made the story all the more remarkable.
Or, from the Bruins' perspective, all the more tragic. It was the kind of defeat that could ruin a franchise for a decade or more, if the management decided the core pieces were not strong enough and opted to strip down and start over.
The Bruins, however, did not panic. They kept the goalkeeping tandem of Tim Thomas, who struggled with injuries, and Tuukka Rask, the promising youngster. They kept key defenceman Zdeno Chara and most of the forward group, led by Patrice Bergeron, Milan Lucic and David Krejci.
The decision to tinker with the fringes of the line-up rather than make major moves was a good one.
Thomas turned in a great season and could win a second Vezina Trophy in three years. Chara has been nominated for the Norris Trophy as the top defenceman. Bergeron remains a two-way star while Lucic and Krejci had breakout seasons.
The Bruins brought back Mark Recchi, 43, and his veteran leadership - and on-ice performance - speaks for itself. The Bruins won their division and gained the No 3 seed in the East entering the play-offs. (The Flyers, meanwhile, led the conference for most of the season before a late-season swoon dropped them to second place.)
Boston survived a first-round battle with Montreal, finally dispatching the feisty Canadiens in overtime of Game 7. The series was probably tougher than it should have been, but that the Bruins were able to win three games in overtime should add some steel to their play-off mettle. The first round is generally acknowledged as the toughest, and the Bruins passed that test.
Which brings us to Philadelphia. The Flyers, of course, have their own redemption motivation this post-season after losing in the Stanley Cup final to Chicago last year. But to make amends, they will have to get past Boston again. They are already in an 0-2 hole after losing two games at home, and cannot expect the Bruins to be as forgiving as they were a year ago.
NHL play-offs this week
Players of the week
• Dwayne Roloson, Tampa Bay. The goalie sparked the Lightning to three victories over Pittsburgh and two straight wins over Washington.
• Claude Giroux, Philadelphia. The Flyers winger has collected two assists in four consecutive games to take over the play-off scoring lead.
• Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay, below. He has come alive with three goals and seven points in his past five games, including two game winners.
Teams of the week
• Tampa Bay. The Lightning have won five in a row, thanks to a gutsy comeback against the Penguins and early domination of the Caps.
• San Jose. The team that no one is talking about will not be swimming under the radar for much longer.
Duds of the week
• Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens blew a 3-1 series lead to bow out of the play-offs. That stings.
• Ryan Miller, Buffalo. The Sabres stopper surrendered nine goals in his final five periods of play.
• Scott Gomez, Montreal. The Canadiens centre managed two assists in the final four games against Boston, posting a minus-6 rating.
Games of the week
• Washington v Tampa Bay, today, Saturday and Monday. The Capitals need to win a pair of games in enemy territory to even the series.
• Vancouver v Nashville, tomorrow, Saturday and Monday. It appears that goals will be at a premium in this series after the Canucks won the opener 1-0 and the Preds won 2-1 in overtime in Game 2.
sports@thenational.ae
Abdul Jabar Qahraman was meeting supporters in his campaign office in the southern Afghan province of Helmand when a bomb hidden under a sofa exploded on Wednesday.
The blast in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah killed the Afghan election candidate and at least another three people, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak told reporters. Another three were wounded, while three suspects were detained, he said.
The Taliban – which controls much of Helmand and has vowed to disrupt the October 20 parliamentary elections – claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mr Qahraman was at least the 10th candidate killed so far during the campaign season, and the second from Lashkar Gah this month. Another candidate, Saleh Mohammad Asikzai, was among eight people killed in a suicide attack last week. Most of the slain candidates were murdered in targeted assassinations, including Avtar Singh Khalsa, the first Afghan Sikh to run for the lower house of the parliament.
The same week the Taliban warned candidates to withdraw from the elections. On Wednesday the group issued fresh warnings, calling on educational workers to stop schools from being used as polling centres.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Bullet%20Train
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Elvis
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh359,000
On sale: now
The five pillars of Islam
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
