Patrik Elias was a 14-year-old kid back in what was then still Czechoslovakia when Jaromir Jagr made a splash with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1990-91.



But Jagr, now a member of the Philadelphia Flyers, was never an idol for Elias.



"I really wasn't aware of anybody until I was 17 years old when I started traveling with the national team," Elias said. "Then I came to and played in Kladno, where he's from, and I heard everybody talking about him. He won those two Stanley Cups right from the get-go.



"I didn't look up to him. I really never had anybody like that except my brothers. But, sure, I can understand who others did. Just look at his accomplishments. Look at his stats. It's amazing what he's done for many years and he's still doing it."



Jagr, 40, is the all-time scoring leader among Czech-born NHL players with 1,653 points in 1,346 games. Elias, 36, ranks secons with 894 career points in 1,042 games.



In the first round against the Pens, Jagr had seven points (one goal, six assists).



"I'm not surprised, a guy with his size and strength," Zach Parise said. "He looks likes eight years younger than he is. He's still playing really well."

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Defenseman Bryce Salvador, slashed on his left arm by Florida's Kris Versteeg in Game 7, said he feels okay for the next round. He was able to come back and play in that game.



"Initially it didn't feel good," Salvador said. "It was one of those things where I could tell it wasn't broken so I knew I wasn't going to do any damage to it and I was able to play. Pain is relative, right?



"I just kind of look forward now. It didn't feel good at the time but right now everything is good. When you just shoot the puck off the glass all the time you don't have to feel your hands, do you?"



What does he expect from the Flyers?



"Philly plays a hard game. In-your-face, finish your check. That's hockey," he said. "I don't really over-analyze it any more than that. I think it's going to be a good series. We match up really well against each other. If I was a fan, it would be a good series to watch. They have a big, fast team and so do we."



Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov allowed just one goal in four appearances against the Devils this season (two shutouts).



"He's been up and down but we know he can pout some good games together," Martin Brodeur said.



Ilya Kovalchuk has played with the unpredictable Bryzgalov.



"This was his first season in Philly. It's a diffrerent market than Phoenix, so there's a lot of pressure on you," Kovalchuk said. "It seems like he's settled now and is playing well. I don't think he played that bad against Pittsburgh and they have a great offense."

