All around Montreal, whispers of destiny are starting to get louder. It is completely natural after two of the most improbable upsets in Habs history. A victory over the regular season champs with the largest points differential ever between the number one against number eight resulting in the eight winning was one miracle. The second a victory over the defending Cup champs. One a victory against the world's best player, and the other against the other world's best player.

That's the Habs destiny scenario.

However, the Flyers date with destiny might even be more easy to believe in. Imagine the Flyers made the playoffs on the final day of the regular season and in a shootout no less. They then pull off only the third 3-0 series comeback in history and the first since 1975. On top of that, they came back from 3-0 in the final game. Now that is a date with destiny.

So don't kid yourselves, if you have managed to believe that only the Habs are a team of destiny this year. It's called a storybook finish for a reason.

As much as you want to believe in some sort of puppeteer named destiny pulling the strings on the playoffs, it will be the players who decide it as they always have.

And these players match up in some interesting ways. There are so many cross currents that are good stories.

Start in net where the Flyers will rely on Michael Leighton who had a cup of coffee in a Montreal uniform before being shipped out for what one assumed were the final moments of his pro career. Look who's back in town and would like to stand in the way of your Habs' dream.

In the other net, Jaroslav Halak who is only here wearing bleu, blanc, rouge because Halak shopping with Philly wasn't successful.

On defence, the Flyers have not only a great talent in Chris Pronger, but a nasty competitor who can bring out the girl in anyone with high flying elbows and a cross checking habit that just keeps on giving. Say what you want about Pronger, but he's always playing in mid May.

The Flyers defence is thin though with injuries.

The Habs defence has stopped a certain type of forward successfully enough to get to the final four. A highly skilled, sometimes tenacious, mostly dangling, rarely destroying kind of forward.

The Habs defence worked against the world's Crosbys. Welcome now to the City of No Brotherly Love. The Flyers forward is mostly angry, crashes to the net, will whack you if he gets a chance, and has to be reminded that the puck is important too. Only Briere and Gagne stand out as two players who will beat you with their hands that are actually still using a stick. Richards, Hartnell, Asham, Carcillo, are among the many who are battlers of a different kind. It is not the 70's but this team is rooted in some of the ways the Flyers always have played.

The way the Habs deal with the Flyers no doubt much more physical attempts of crashing into Halak, frightening Tomas Plekanec, intimidating Andrei Kostitsyn, hacking Mike Cammalleri, taking Bergeron right out of the lineup by drilling him at every turn, is to ignore it.

Here is the blueprint for a Habs series win. Don't get into that battle of hitting. Habs can't win it. Trying will make it a more physical series which is not what you want, so don't even go there. Play your game and appeal to the refs for a call on anything dirty and the Habs will get their powerplays. After the whistle, as Josh Gorges said swallow your pride and don't get involved with that nonsense. Appeal right away that Halak remains protected inside his crease. If penalties are called for impeding Halak, it is a huge advantage to the Habs.

They can then begin to exploit their injured defence. Martin has a big job to do to ensure he has his best players fresh and ready when the Flyers are tired. They are truly using only four. That can't work in the long run with good line matching.

The man the Habs have to shut down is Richards. He is a fierce competitor. He can win series by himself. Crosby got one. Malkin got one. I guarantee Richards gets more than one goal. Briere has been a Habs killer too and he loves the way his opposition plays, soft on him with no fear in the mix. Expect that he will be a nemesis again.

For me, the Habs win the goaltending battle. I think they win on defence too. At forward, I like the Flyers slightly.

The only way the Flyers win the series is if they intimidate. If the Habs aren't going to compete because of fear, then the Flyers win. Montreal only has to welcome the pain. If they welcome it, play through it, don't get involved in it, then the Flyers are out of bullets. The pain delivered will produce its share of penalties too, then the Habs powerplay does its job, then the Flyers will have to reconsider their hits that are costing them.

So the officials play a key role too. How will they call it?

You will see how the series is going to play out very quickly. The Flyers will be the agressors. The Habs should counter punch by playing hockey. If there is courage, swallowing pride, powerplays, and intelligence, the Habs win.

If the hits keep coming with no Flyers penalties which leads to more brave hitting resulting in timid Habs who don't see a solution beyond loss of teeth, then the Flyers win.

It's a three-step process: absorb the hit, play with courage, wait for penalties, pounce on the powerplay, all the while rely on the leagues playoff MVP so far Halak to outdo the Habs castaway Leighton.

Is it 2008 again when the Flyers were just too hard to contain, or do these Habs have an answer for agitators?

You will know by 9:30 tomorrow night.