SCF Notebook: Game Six

With Chicago on the verge of clinching their first championship title since 1961 in game six, we look at some of the pre-game notes heading into tonight’s match-up.

Game Day Coach Quotes

Q. Coach, I know everybody wants to say this is just another playoff game. But personally, what’s it going to be like for you knowing that the Stanley Cup is going to be in the house?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: Well, it’s exciting. I think it’s a lot of fun knowing that at the start of the year, this is what we set out to do. You know we have a chance to achieve our goal and our objective. I’m thinking like the players are, and that’s our concentration. Working the bench and being excited about getting the right guys out there and making sure that everybody has got a lot of energy.

Q. Coach, the year you won it, you were in a place where the Cup was in the building, you had a chance to win it and you lost that opportunity. Were your players maybe distracted by knowing that opportunity was there, and did you maybe use that to your advantage tonight?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: We need to win one hockey game. I think it’s important we keep our eye on the ball. That’s the game, the minutes that are being played, every stride that’s accounted for. I think what’s really important is our preparation to how we play tonight. And if we focus solely on that, then I like our team. I’m confident in our team’s ability to win a game.

The Flyers enter Game 6 with a seven-game winning streak at Wachovia Center and a League-best 9-1 home record in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They went 2-0 against New Jersey in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal, 2-1 vs. Boston in the Conference Semifinal, 3-0 vs. Montreal in the Conference Final and are 2-0 against Chicago in the Stanley Cup Final, outscoring opponents 37-20.

In six home starts, Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton is 6-0 with two shutouts, a 1.48 goals-against average and .949 save percentage, stopping 169 of 178 shots.

HOME CLUBS 5-0 IN STANLEY CUP FINAL

Home clubs are 5-0 in the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive season. In 2009, the home teams won the first six games before the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Detroit Red Wings in Game 7. In the 20 years prior to 2009, the home team won the first five games just once, in 2003 (New Jersey Devils, Anaheim Ducks).

Since the best-of-seven format was implemented in 1939, home clubs have won all seven games in the Stanley Cup Final on three occasions, in 1955, 1965 and 2003.

PRONGER, BRIERE NEAR FLYERS’ PLAYOFF RECORDS

Chris Pronger enters Game 6 as the scoring leader among defensemen in the 2010 playoffs with 17 points (four goals, 13 assists). He is one point from tying the Flyers’ playoff record for a defenseman set by Doug Crossman in 1987 (4-14–18 in 26 games).

Daniel Briere enters Game 6 ranked first on the Flyers and second in the League in playoff scoring with 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists). Briere is one point from tying the franchise record for postseason scoring set by Brian Propp in 1987 (12-16–28).

TOEWS SETS BLACKHAWKS PLAYOFF RECORD, EYES ANOTHER

Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews set a franchise record in Game 5 by earning his 21st assist of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Dustin Byfuglien’s game-winning goal in the second period. Toews moved past Denis Savard, who notched 20 assists in 1985. Toews leads the NHL in 2010 playoff scoring with 28 points (seven goals, 21 assists), one shy of the single-season franchise record set by Savard in 1985 (9-20–29).

Past Stanley Cup Final History

Teams hosting Game 6 trailing the Stanley Cup Final 3-2 have posted a 10-14 record since the best-of-seven format was introduced in 1939. Of the 10 clubs who forced a seventh and deciding game, three went on to capture the Stanley Cup (Detroit in 1950, Montreal in 1971, Pittsburgh in 2009).

TEAMS WINNING GAME 5 OF THE STANLEY CUP FINAL WITH SERIES TIED 2-2

In the 20 previous Stanley Cup Final series tied 2-2, the club winning Game 5 has wonnthe Stanley Cup 14 times (70%). The six clubs that successfully overcame a Game 5 loss: the 1950 Detroit Red Wings, 1964 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1971 Montreal Canadiens, 2001 Colorado Avalanche, 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning and 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins.

HIGHEST SCORING STANLEY CUP FINAL SERIES SINCE 1981

There have been 40 goals scored in this series (Chicago 21, Philadelphia 19), the most through the first five games of the Stanley Cup Final since 1981 when the New York Islanders and Minnesota North Stars combined for 42 in a five-game series win for the Islanders. The five-game total this year is more than the total of any Final, of any length, since the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks scored 40 times in the Rangers’ seven-game victory in 1994.The goals have been scored by 25 players (13 Blackhawks, 12 Flyers). No player has more than three goals.

OVERTIME IN THE STANLEY CUP FINAL SINCE 1990

The Flyers’ win in Game 3 marked just the fifth win for the home team in the past 20 overtime games in the Stanley Cup Final since 1990:

2010 - Chicago 3 at Philadelphia 4 (Game 3, Claude Giroux)

2008 – Pittsburgh 4 at Detroit 3 (Game 5, Petr Sykora)

2006 - Edmonton 4 at Carolina 3 (Game 5, Fernando Pisani)

2004 – Tampa Bay 3 at Calgary 2 (Game 6, Martin St. Louis)

- Calgary 3 at Tampa Bay 2 (Game 5, Oleg Saprykin)

2003 – New Jersey 2 at Anaheim 3 (Game 3, Ruslan Salei)

- New Jersey 0 at Anaheim 1 (Game 4, Steve Thomas)

2002 - Carolina 3 at Detroit 2 (Game 1, Ron Francis)

- Detroit 3 at Carolina 2 (Game 3, Igor Larionov)

2000 – Dallas 1 at New Jersey 0 (Game 5, Mike Modano)

- New Jersey 2 at Dallas 1 (Game 6, Jason Arnott)

1999 – Buffalo 3 at Dallas 2 (Game 1, Jason Woolley)

- Dallas 2 at Buffalo 1 (Game 6, Brett Hull)

1998 - Washington 4 at Detroit 5 (Game 2, Kris Draper)

1996 – Colorado 1 at Florida 0 (Game 4, Uwe Krupp)

1994 - Vancouver 3 at NY Rangers 2 (Game 1, Greg Adams)

1993 – Los Angeles 2 at Montreal 3 (Game 2, Eric Desjardins)

- Montreal 4 at Los Angeles 3 (Game 3, John LeClair)

- Montreal 3 at Los Angeles 2 (Game 4, John LeClair)

1990 - Edmonton 3 at Boston 2 (Game 1, Petr Klima)

*Notes courtesy of the NHL