Sixers to face Heat in first round

The Sixers clinched the playoffs over a week ago, but, after their loss to the Magic on Monday, we have just now learned who their opponent will be: the Miami Heat. While the Sixers looked like a strong contender to earn the 6th seed in the East, losing 4 of their last 5 games dropped them below the Knicks and into the 7th seed, forcing them to take on LeBron and the number 2 seeded Heat.

Given how the Sixers fared against the Heat this season, losing all three times they faced them by at least 9 points, it should be a quick playoff showing for Philly. While any of the top teams in the East were going to be difficult for the Sixers, it was no secret that they hoped to get a shot at the Celtics, a team they have shown they can hang with this season. The Heat just aren't a good matchup for the Sixers.

According to John Finger of CSN on Twitter, the Sixers/Heat series will start on Sunday. Check back later for more on this series.
(AP PHOTO)

Sergei Bobrovksy unveils new mask for the playoffs

Sergei Bobrovksy has unveiled a new goalie mask just in time for the playoffs. The mask is a definite winner, complete with an American flag, Rocky and Sideshow Bob. Maybe it will help him re-find his game that has gone missing recently or possibly get the first Flyers shutout of the season. Images via Sarah Baicker of CSN on Twitter.

How they were built: Phillies

The following shows every player that has played for the Phillies this season, with their salaries and how they were acquired by the team. Contracts in baseball are hard to find information about and can be confusing to understand, what with arbitration and teams owning players rights, so I did the best I could to gather this information. If you see any errors in the info here, please let me know.

Like the others, this chart will be updated from time to time and will always be found at the link on the right side of the ATPS homepage.

Phillies acquired via:
Draft: 6
Free Agency: 12
Trade: 6
Rule 5/Waivers: 3

Notes:
Salary and contract information taken from Baseball Reference and Cot's Baseball Contracts

Players listed with "arb" after their contract end date will be arbitration eligible at that time. Players listed with an asterisk (*) after their contract end date will still have their rights owned by the Phillies, so they won't be free agents.

Players without salaries signed minor league deals and I couldn't find any information regarding how much they were making in the majors.

Analysis:
The Phillies have relied heavily on trades and free agency to build their team around the core players they have drafted over the years. They did a great job drafting quality infielders but they haven't done as well drafting outfielders. While there haven't been many drafted players breaking out in recent seasons, several have been used as assets to acquire their stellar pitching staff.

Flyers vs. Sabres: Series begins Thursday

The NHL has released their 2011 playoff schedule and the Flyers and Sabres will begin their series on Thursday, April 14th. Here is the complete schedule of games for the series:

Game 1: Thursday, April 14, Buffalo at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, April 16, Buffalo at Philadelphia, 5:00 p.m.
Game 3: Monday, April 18, Philadelphia at Buffalo, 7:00 p.m.
Game 4: Wednesday, April 20, Philadelphia at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
Game 5: Friday, April 22, Buffalo at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
Game 6: Sunday, April 24, Philadelphia at Buffalo, 3:00 p.m.
Game 7: Tuesday, April 26, Buffalo at Philadelphia, TBD

As the favorites in the series, the Flyers find themselves in a much different position than they were at any time in the playoffs last year. They split the season series with the Sabres, 2-2, but outscored Buffalo 17-14 in those games. It should be a great series, be sure to check back in the coming days for a complete breakdown.

Flyers to face Sabres in first round after clinching #2 seed

It was far from pretty, but the Flyers took care of business in their last regular season game, downing the Islanders, 7-4, winning the Atlantic Division for the first time since 2004. The win also clinches the #2 seed in the East for the Flyers and ensures that they will play the 7th seeded Sabres in the first round of the playoffs.

With the poor defense and shaky goaltending they showed against the lowly Islanders, it's hard to have much confidence in the Flyers heading into the postseason. If they can't figure out how to flip the switch and become the team that dominated the league for much of the season, they could be facing a quick out against a Sabres team that has been playing well down the stretch.

Check back to the site in the coming days for my usual playoff previews and predictions. It's time for the best playoffs in professional sports to begin!
(AP PHOTO)

Michael Leighton clears waivers, returns to Flyers

Well, now he's officially back with the Flyers: Michael Leighton has cleared waivers. With every team in the NHL passing on the former Stanley Cup Playoff standout, despite being able to have him for half his salary, Leighton will now return to the Flyers and could be with the team as early as Friday.

GM Paul Holmgren made it clear that Leighton will be starting one of the final few games of the season but that doesn't mean he will be a starter in the playoffs. The move to bring back Leighton was strictly for depth, a move that gives them insurance should Sergei Bobrovsky not be able to shoulder the load in the playoffs.

Of course, you just know that Leighton is going to backstop the Flyers to their first shutout of the season.