PHILADELPHIA – Goaltender Brian Boucher might need a few games to get comfortable in a series.

At least that’s the way it seems, as the Flyers’ rookie opened his second straight playoff round with a home loss yesterday in the Eastern Conference final.

By allowing three first-period goals to the Devils, the initial one coming just 55 seconds into the game, Boucher, 23, hardly resembled the player who was named to the NHL’s All-Rookie team last Friday.

While he would settle down after the early roasting, the damage was too severe as the Flyers fell 4-1 at First Union Center to go down one game to none in the best-of-seven series.

“They came at us really hard,” said the peeved-sounding Boucher, who stopped 20 shots. “Maybe they caught us by surprise a bit.”

But hadn’t the Flyers learned their lesson in the preceding series, when the Penguins grabbed the first two games here in the cheesesteak capital of the world? Would they really expect to come back from a 2-0 deficit heading to New Jersey?

“We can’t dig ourselves a hole like we did against Pittsburgh,” Boucher said.

Defenseman Eric Desjardins said he is confident that Boucher will rebound with a strong performance tomorrow in Game 2.

“I think he can come back,” Desjardins said. “He responded well against Pittsburgh in the third game.”

Not that he had to work that hard, as he faced just 18 shots in the Flyers’ 4-3 overtime win. It wasn’t until the epic five-overtime, seven-hour Game 4 when Boucher was put to the test as he turned aside 57 of 58 shots in the Flyers’ 2-1 victory.

So that’s why the Flyers expect Boucher to brush off yesterday’s showing by today’s practice.

“He doesn’t get affected,” said right wing Rick Tocchet, who was also a teammate of Ron Hextall when the goaltender was a star rookie with the Flyers in ’87. “He could have 10 goals on him and he’ll bounce back Tuesday. That’s why he’s such a poised player, even though he’s a rookie.”

The Devils began roughing up Boucher almost immediately when Scott Niedermayer blasted a one-timer from the top of the right circle that whistled over the goalie’s glove. After Petr Sykora went through the five-hole with 2:22 to play in the period to make it 2-1, Bobby Holik scored his first playoff goal since ’97 with 1:56 left to open up a 3-1 Devils lead.

Claude Lemieux finished the onslaught 5:19 into the third period.

Now Boucher knows how crucial it is that he plays well tomorrow.

“It’s a must win,” he said.

Flyers center Keith Primeau returned from his concussion that he suffered in Game 6 against the Penguins and played 17:06, finishing with a minus 2.

“I felt as good as can be expected,” he said. “I was glad I was able to play.”

Asked if he had taken a chance in playing, Primeau responded, “I’m a father and a husband, but I’m also a hockey player. I wanted to be out there.”