|
 |   |
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
Clamping down Flyers defense giving Sabres fits
Posted: Monday April 17, 2000 10:29 PM
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Don't ask Craig Ramsay to discuss Philadelphia's "defensive system." "We call it a 'chase-and-attack system,' " the Flyers' interim head coach says. Call it whatever you will, but his team's excellence in front of goaltender Brian Boucher has Philadelphia on the verge of chasing the Buffalo Sabres right out of the playoffs. Ahead 3-0 in their best-of-7 first-round series, the Flyers can complete their sweep Tuesday night at Buffalo. Only two teams have won an NHL playoff series after trailing 3-0: The 1975 New York Islanders and the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs. The Flyers are trying to make the second round for the first time since reaching the Stanley Cup finals in 1997. "We try to play an aggressive system that I've believed in for a long time," Ramsay said Monday. "The best way to play against good players is to make them play in their own end. Our game is [played from the] red line in, not red line back. "It's chase-and-attack." The Flyers have worked it to perfection, coming off a regular season in which they allowed an Eastern Conference-low 179 goals. In the playoffs, the Flyers have limited Buffalo to three goals, none in the last 109 minutes and 20 seconds of play. Boucher has made some important stops, but credit the team's commitment to disciplined play. Philadelphia held Buffalo to 17 shots -- few from close range -- in Sunday's 2-0 victory. "It's the kind of style any team wants to play in the playoffs," said John LeClair, who has two goals but also has provided defensive help. "You want to play a tight game and not give up many chances." Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff spent a good part of Monday trying to rattle his Sabres. Referring to his team's Game 3 performance as "embarrassing," he criticized his players for looking "frazzled." "You've got to make some plays. We didn't make any plays," Ruff said, pounding a table. "I've got to give the Flyers some credit, they played hard. They played harder than us. They played smarter than us, too," Ruff added. "If you want to beat a good defensive team, you've got to be in your lane, you've got to know your route. ... You can't have three forwards standing on the other side of center ice where you can round them up with a lasso. We made it pretty easy for (the Flyers) at times." The Sabres also have to cut down on penalties. Philadelphia's special teams have punished Buffalo, accounting for six of the Flyers' seven goals -- five on the power play and one shorthanded. The only thing keeping Buffalo's hopes up is having All-Star goalie Dominik Hasek, who is capable of shutting down an opponent. But the Sabres have to score to win. "We have to break down their system down low," Buffalo's Doug Gilmour said. "We have to get in there, we have to create. ... It's back to the basics when you look at how you play, especially on power plays. You have to get (the puck) back to the point and shoot, shoot, shoot."
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
