Eastern Conference Finals Set as Pens Blow Through Rangers

It was bound to happen. If the Flyers played well enough for long enough, they'd be rewarded with a battle against their newest rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Pittsburgh closed out their series with the Rangers on Sunday, and the Battle of Pennsylvania headlines started flying. Although the Pens needed extra time to seal Jaromir Jagr's Rangers (NHL?) coffin, at no point did it seem as though any other outcome were possible. Their opening round series against the Senators ended in a four-game flash, and the first three of the second round went Pittsburgh's way as well.

The Pens faltered in game 4, falling 3-0 at Madison Square Garden, but sometimes a wake-up loss can actually be a good thing—especially if you have a three-game comfort zone. Crosby & Co. responded, going up 2-0 in the second period of game 5 before letting the Rangers tie it up on two quick goals in the third. Trade deadline acquisition Marian Hossa netted the overtime winner though, and like the Senators before them, the Rangers simply had no answer for the far superior team.

How do the Flyers match up against a team that is 8-1 in the playoffs so far? Not too bad, actually. The Flyers have proved their mettle in two tough, hard-fought series that most experts had them losing. My guess is everyone but the monkey with the dart board will have the Pens taking this one, and I imagine the Flyers will be just fine with that. Both the Caps and the Canadiens were believed to be too fast, too fluid, too skilled, for the bruising Flyers to keep pace. But John Stevens seemed to tailor his game plans to control the tempo, slowing things down at times to stifle scoring threats, taking goalies out of their games, and turning the Flyers' scoring rushes on in spurts and barrages. One thing I heard quite a few times in both series, but particularly in the second round, was that the Flyers won despite being outplayed. I agree they won despite being outshot, and at times things appeared to be dicey, but the Flyers never let that get to them—whereas the Habs certainly did when they were down. Ultimately, the Canadiens went out with far less of a fight than I'd anticipated.

Home ice advantage belongs to the 2nd seeded Penguins, which is critical, because as the Pens Blog points out, they haven't lost at Mellon Arena since February. February. It's freakin May now. The Flyers need to break that streak by winning one of the first two games, or they'll be in serious trouble when the series comes to Philadelphia.

In the regular season, the Flyers won five of the teams' eight match ups. But the fifth win came in the last game of the season, in which many people, myself included, thought Pens coach Michel Therrien may have pulled the horses up to (A) rest Sidney Crosby and (B) prevent a first-round match up with the hard-hitting Flyers in favor of the plummeting Senators. By losing the game, the Pens missed finishing first in the conference by 2 points. There's no avoiding the Flyers this time around.

Things got pretty rough in the season series, especially in this game. However, it's not necessarily a foregone conclusion that that trend will continue in the playoffs. The Flyers have noticeably toned down that aspect of their game, and they haven't even been dressing an enforcer for most of the postseason. Similarly, Scott Burnside points out that Georges Laraque, the league's top bruiser, drew only his first penalty of the entire playoffs on Sunday.

Call me crazy, but I still think we're in for a battle.

But it won't be all blood, not by a long shot. Through two series, the Flyers have shown that they have the firepower to hang with the likes of Crosby, Malkin, and Hossa. Danny Briere is near the top of the league in goals and points in the postseason, and with 8 goals against Montreal, Pittsburgh native R.J. Umberger leads the Eastern Conference in lighting the lamp (9 total). Umberger torched the Pens in the regular season, so there's no reason to think he'll slow down.

In Pittsburgh, despite piling wins upon wins, some are wondering what happened to Sidney Crosby's finishing touch.

Crosby is generating chances for teammates but has just two goals on 24 shots in the playoffs and just two power-play goals (both April 2 against Philadelphia) in his past 38 games.

Great... Sooo, he's due to go off? Let's hope not, but even when he's not leading the scoring, Crosby is still an enormous factor to be accounted for on the ice. Burnside also tells us that Hossa has been something of an anomaly of inconsistency, though he's obviously as dangerous as they come.

Can Marty Biron continue to be the best goalie in the playoff field? He'll have to if the Flyers are to beat the Pens, and we've seen nothing to indicate he isn't up to the task.

Comments

[themajor]

I am definately excited for this series, this is what I wanted to see happen all year. so ho wlong til the pensblog just starts filling up with crappy photoshoped pictures and very little writing?

[mike]

I think what is the most overlooked aspect of the Pens, given the firepower, is how well they're playing defense. This definitely isn't the team the Flyers saw all year in their own end. Their PK is 90%(!) in the playoffs, tops in the league. Hal Gill has been a big difference maker since coming over at the deadline, and Fleury is a completely different player now than at any point in his career so far. He's getting rattled far less, he's controlling rebounds, and he's in position all the time. Goals are going to be much harder to come by for the Flyers than they were against Mr. Consistency Carey Price. But you can't say enough about how Biron is playing either.

I'm in a weird spot. I live in Pittsburgh now, and I was never really a hockey fan until I moved out here, so I have a Pens allegiance, but the home ties make it impossible to root against a Philly team. I think it's going to be an awesome series, and I can't wait til the puck drops.

[Sanganoski]

Are the planets starting to get in proper alignment? There are no representatives from Canada, and which just last season, a team that was considered a "doormat" for the league, is dealing with and containing the "elite" players of the league, and now, their next step is a "baby step" when considering travel between venues' of playing arenas', one may think that "karma" is sitting at the table and has some high "hold cards" in its possession. This upcoming series is not a "make or break" for what the Flyers have already accomplished in the playoffs. Eight more wins and the "Philly snide" is a memory, and I for one can now appreciate what this Flyers team has done so far, and if "karma" is standing pat and the universe is getting aligned, this just may become a very gratifying summer!

[brendan]

wow, im a die hard Pens fan and somehow you make it really hard to hate the flyers right now. dont get me wrong, i hate the flyers, but your blog is actually pretty fair and reasonable. very classy. i look forward to your next posts during the conference finals. oh, and Lets Go Pens!

[themajor]

its only classy cause dale hunter isn't here. whats that? he is now a pens fan

[Caps Fan...not Dale Hunter]

Go ahead Philly. Take 'em out. You guys are on a great run and I'm proud to say at least my team put up a fight. Unlike some pansy French-Canadiens. Now go and unleash your vengeance on Cindy.

[MSM]

Conference Schedule is up on NHL.com. Flyers start on Friday, playing every other day.

[tom]

just mentioning sidney crosby's name in this article is a 2 minute minor.

[Loqiel]

If the Flyers can win TWO games in the playoffs on Hockey Night in Canada IN MONTREAL, then they can freaking steal a game in Pittsburgh for God's sake. Unless they give Sidney Lougainis a 10.0 from the springboard.

(Jim Ross voice) "Wait.. what's that... oh my God! That's the Commissioner's music!" (cut to Gary Bettman entering Mellon Arena wearing a Crosby jersey)

This whole series gives me the jibblies. Not because of the teams involved, but because of what goes on around the teams involved.

[jd]

@loquil

outstanding point!

if they can pull those wins off in the holy land of hockey, there is no reason why they can't take one game in pitt.

let's just hope they get those ice issues figured out.

GO FLYERS! BEAT THE BEAT THE PENS!

[Walklett]

@ brendan:

You're gonna find it pretty easy to hate the Flyers when we smoke your team in the playoffs.

[steve]

So even if we take that last Pens game out of the equation. 4 of 7 is all we need to win. I feel really good about this series, the fly guys are too hot right now to fall.

[Tkmycall]

Getting no respect in the poll on http://www.sportsline.com/nhl/

Go...do what you do best.

[ill]

Needs more Stormy.

Go Flyers!

[GreggyD]

I am so excited for this series. I wouldn't be surprised if it went to 7 games because it's going to be very hard fought. Whomever wins this series is going to have their hands full with Detroit in the Finals. I just can't see Dallas toppling the Wings. I wish we didn't have to wait until Friday to see this game. I'm getting very antsy. I love hearing die-hard Flyers haters giving the boys their backing just because they had Crosby. If the Flyers do manage to take down the Pens, they will have defeated the two best players in the NHL in this playoff run, and that's really an accomplishment.

[BCapp]

Crosby is soft. Flyers are a machine right now. Bring 'em on

[Loqiel]

The Flyers are showing that having a balanced team is better than having a superstar. You can key in and plan on a superstar, scheme for him. You can't isolate an entire team.

Someone please get Marty Biron off of his head until Friday, I'm afraid he'll pass out.

[Sanganoski]

I don't think that either team will have "healthy" scratches for the entire series. EVERYBODY gets to play at least one game because this is the series that will propel either team to heights that even at the begining of the season neither thought they would accomplish. This series has all the "earmarks" of being one helluva time at either rink and it won't be one for the "squeamish" or "faint of heart" because if these two teams don't get your blood moving, heck, you already have one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel!

[Michael H.]

I cannot wait to see a fist pump from Danny, Jason Smith's beard get longer, and RJ score another 53 goals. Go Flyers!

[Mike L.]

Flyers match up well. I say they take it in 7. But only if Dale decides to continue frequenting this here site.

[never tellin]

["rangers suck" comment deleted by Enrico]

[Mike]

A well written, insightful post....but we're playing the Penguins, not the Rangers...and while I agree the Rangers do suck, it would be more prevalent at this point in time to say the Pens suck...just a thought.

[Dale Hunter]

Wow! I hate both of these teams!!!

Can the scoreboard above the ice crash and crush both teams?

You'll have my pick on Friday

[Benjamin]

DAAAALLLEE!! Welcome!! Have a seat, get comfortable, and let us prop your eyes wide open, clockwork orange style, for a sweet viewing of the Flyers hand it to the Pens.

[Benjamin]

Now for my real post, now that Dale has been dealt with:

I really want to take Game 1. Not that I'll turn down taking game 2, but I would so much rather go into game 2 with an opportunity to take home a 2-0 lead. It may be outlandish, but this team has me believing that anything is possible. They set their minds to winning game 5 in Montreal, and look at what they did. One can argue, easily, that the Flyers current level of play is beyond anything we've seen all year. It's all come together at exactly the right time, the planets are aligned, and I am ready.

I've also bought all the Smuttynose Baltic Porter's I could find for the rest of the playoffs. I picked it as a hard core, winterish, warming beer for playoff hockey, and it has been the best of choices. When I told the beer guy at the store why I needed all the remaining bottles, he RAN to the back to find the rest.

[Castor&Cottman]

Lets be honest here guys. We have been playing with house money since the end of the Caps series and I love it. If we lose to Pittsburgh our team played great this year and I couldn't be prouder of them. I think we have an awesome shot at taking on the West for this years Stanley cup and I think we should get a group to head down to a Frankford ave bar to watch a game. Lets go Flyers!!!

[nastyNate]

i cannot belive the confidence exuding from the comments of this well written blog. yes, philly was in first place in the division at one point and played good hockey during the early to middle portion of the season.

however in round 1 they were one ovechkin slapper from hitting the links and in round 2 beat a team that trotted out a rookie goalie who gave up 5 goals to the bruins once.

the flyers are tough and built for playoff hockey but they have yet to face the offensive firepower that pittsburgh can bring. yes, during the regular season they played well vs the pens but lost the last few games of the series when the pens started to heat up. most of you have been gluld to your set for flyers games and failed to noticed that the intensity the pens are playing with. Their special teams has been flawless (PK 90%!!) Malkin and Sid have picked up their game. which star will stevens decide to throw his #1 defensive pair against?

while biron seems to sparkle in his playoff debut, check the numbers. no goalie in the playoffs has given up as many goals as him (34). Fluery has given up only 17 and leads with a .938% and 2 SOs.

another thing you might not have noticed but pittsburgh had the best home record in the East and hasn't lost a game their in almost 3 months (Feb 13th, lord.) Benjamin, a win in pitt would be a steal, dont be dissapointed if it happens. theres a good chance it wont

i wouldn't be so confident, but what do i know.

[brendan]

@ jd...

oh jd, trust me, i dont need a reason to hate the flyers. i was just commenting on the well written post of this certain blog. make no mistake, i anticipate a well fought series. do i believe the flyers can take the Pens? Hell no! you have battled through suspect goaltending and unbalanced teams. i applaud the flyers for beating ovies team and the number one team in the conference, but how will you combat a team where you cant tell line one from line two and you also cant tell which line is three and which is four? i would wish you luck but youre going to need more than that. oh, and thats only because im a gentleman.

[Sanganoski]

For the sake of this upcoming series, and I know that THEY have to earn their paycheck too, I just hope that the on ice officials just let the players decide the outcome and winner. I can't help but feel deep in my bones that, because of the known physical play of both teams, it will be "suspect" that the league will have a pow-wow with the officials before the start of it to curtail any type of extended nonsense and make them play rigidly to the new rules and not get out of control. Officiating in any sport is a necessity but to overdo it just leads to frustration of the players which leads to the upheaval of both fan support and viewership of those not so fortunate to attend these games outright. I'm not looking for "goonery" by either club, just the type of series that the players know they can deliver and the fans also know what to follow. Deviation by either clubs' known play just to appease corporate money funding will be a great disappointment.

[Pensfansarecunts]

I don't know who is more cunty! Cindy Criesby or unknowledgeable (all of them)pens fans! Flyers in 4. Next season is when you assholes will start meeting Mr. Salary Cap!!! Thats ok though, you can go back to tanking the regular season to stock up on draft picks. Now go fuck your miserable selves!!!