In a heated playoff series between two bitter divisional rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils lock up in the opening round of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This marks the fourth postseason series meeting between the two clubs, all of them taking place since 1995. The Devils have won two of the three, and went on to win the Stanley Cup both times.http://www.flyershistory.com/cgi-bin/poffs.cgihttp://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/stanleycup/E2vE7/story/2010/04/12/spf-devils-flyers.html

The two teams faced each other six times in the 2009-10 regular season, with the Flyers claiming victories in five of those contests. Three of those victories were by one goal. Philadelphia was victorious by a 5-2 count on October 3, by a 3-2 count on November 16, then took both ends of a home and home series by identical 3-2 scores on February 8 and February 10, and also 5-1 on March 28. New Jersey's lone regular season victory came on December 12 by a score of 4-1.http://www.flyershistory.com/cgi-bin/games.cgi

The Devils won the Atlantic Division, giving them the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Philadelphia qualified on the last day of the season with a shootout victory over the New York Rangers and was slotted as the seventh seed. As such, Games 1, 2, along with 5 and 7 if necessary, will be held in New Jersey's home venue, the Prudential Center. Games 3, 4 and if necessary, Game 6, will be held on the Flyers home ice of the Wachovia Center.devils.nhl.comflyers.nhl.com

The series began on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 when the Flyers rode goals by Chris Pronger and Mike Richards while getting 23 saves from Brian Boucher to stun the Devils and Martin Brodeur by a score of 2-1. Travis Zajac had the lone goal for New Jersey. The Flyers are 20-8 all time when they win the opening game of a playoff series.http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/20100415_Flyers_beat_Devils_in_Game_1_of_playoffs.html

The series schedule is as follows:

• Game 1: Wednesday, April 14 Flyers 2 vs. Devils 1 Flyers lead series 1-0.

• Game 2: Friday, April 16 Flyers vs. Devils 7:30 pm on TSN

• Game 3 Sunday, April 18 Devils vs. Flyers 6:00 pm on TSN

• Game 4 Tuesday, April 20 Devils vs. Flyers 7:30 pm on TSN2

• Game 5 Thursday, April 22 Flyers vs. Devils 7:30 pm on TSN ~x

• Game 6 Sunday, April 25 Devils vs. Flyers TBD on Versus ~x

• Game 7 Tuesday, April 27 Flyers vs. Devils 7:30 pm on TSN ~x

Note: All start times are ET.

~x : If necessary.http://espn.go.com/nhl/schedule/_/date/20100421

The last meeting in the postseason between the two teams came in the 2004 Eastern Conference quarterfinals. The Flyers ousted the Devils in five games, with Flyers goalie Robert Esche recording the first shutout in postseason tilts between the two clubs in Game Four of the series.http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/stanleycup/E2vE7/story/2010/04/12/spf-devils-flyers.html

The Devils go home after losing the series, while the Flyers move on to the Eastern Conference Finals before being defeated by the eventual champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in seven games.http://www.flyershistory.com/cgi-bin/poffs.cgi