The first round of the playoffs have ended and after what seemed like forever, the Flyers have finally found out who their next victim will be for round deuce. Round one proved to be a confidence booster for the squad. Here’s a look back on some of the things that stood out for me and some of those witty PFC awards that you just all love:

Why They Won

• Limited chances from Ilya Kovalchuk
• Great penalty killing…and there was plenty of it
• Solid defense and a tremendous job of blocking shots (see Lappy) in front of Boucher
• Boucher making the saves he needed to make
• Flyers had the Devils’ number coming into the series
• Marty Brodeur has aged and was haunted by the Wachovia Center crowd (Maaaaarrrtttyyy)

What Needs to Improve

• Staying out of the penalty box (way too many dumb penalties)
• More guys need to step up their games to account for the injuries

Turning Point in the Series

• Dan Carcillo’s overtime game winner in Game 3

Standout Stars

• Brian Boucher
• Chris Pronger
• Kimmo Timonen
• Dan Carcillo
• Claude Giroux
• Mike Richards
• Ian Laperriere

Key Losses

• Simon Gagne (foot—could return later in playoffs)
• Jeff Carter (foot—done for rest of season)
• Ian Laperriere (brain contusion and concussion—done for rest of season)

Best Moment

• Dan Carcillo’s reaction after scoring both of his goals

Best Playoff Duster Thus Far

• One Dan Carcillo

Most Likely to Wear a Visor from Now On

• Ian Laperriere

Spent More Time Down on the Ice Than on His Skates

• Scott Hartnell

Best Quotes

• Ian Laperriere on Mike Richards:

“He’s our leader and we’re going to go as far as he takes us,” Laperriere said of Richards. “When your leader just goes all out like that it’s contagious. I’m the oldest on the team and I get goose bumps when I see him hit and give his body up like that. He’s got the worst body on the team but he puts it in front of anything. He might not be flashy like Crosby on the other side of the state but he’s as effective or even more.”

Asked if he could define what he meant by the “worst body on the team,” Laperriere quipped, “He’s built like my 8-year-old son.”

• Carcillo when asked if he saw Eddie Van Halen solo or with the full band in concert four years ago:

“I can’t remember, so it must have been a good concert.”

Series MVP

• Without a doubt, the most valuable player has to go to Brian Boucher. How could you not choose the guy who outplayed the legendary Marty Brodeur and ensured that the nightmarish Conference Finals from 2000 didn’t repeat itself?