Series Outlook: It’s a battle for state supremacy, as the dynamic Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Philadelphia Flyers. Last season, the Penguins were quickly eliminated from the postseason, falling in five games in a short first round series against the Ottawa Senators. Meanwhile, the Flyers—perennial contenders prior—finished with the NHL’s worst record and embarked on an aggressive rebuilding effort. So while the Pens have taken a natural step forward in their impressive construction of a Cup contender, the Flyers’ meteoric rise back to prominence has been truly remarkable. Regardless of what happens in this series or the Cup Finals, Philadelphia GM Paul Holmgren should be a shoe-in to win Executive of the Year for his stellar work in the Flyers’ front office. This will likely go down as the fastest—and most effective—rebuilding effort in professional sports history.

FORWARDS

Penguins: Evgeni Malkin was, in a word, magnificent against the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. An absolute force on the power play, Malkin’s laser like shot and ability to bull his way through the Rangers’ defense made him the unequivocal difference-maker. If Malkin can continue to play dominating hockey—and if he gets the expected level of support from fellow wonder-kid Sidney Crosby—the Pens should have no trouble generating offense against the Flyers.

Flyers: It was no secret that the Flyers were going to lean heavily on Daniel Briere in these playoffs, and he’s certainly delivered (14 points in 12 games). But the key to the Flyers’ success has been their depth of scoring, the contributions they’ve gotten throughout the lineup from their less heralded forwards. Most notably, R.J. Umberger has seemingly come out of nowhere to score a team-leading nine goals in 12 games (to go along with a stellar plus-six rating). And with the likes of Vaclav Prospal, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Mike Knuble, and Scottie Upshall all chipping in with timely goals, the Flyers’ offense is impressively deep.

Advantage: Flyers

DEFENSE

Penguins: It would be too easy to credit the Pens’ second-round win over the Rangers to goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. For while Fleury was quite solid between the pipes, it was Pittsburgh’s diligent shot-blocking that was the biggest factor. And the biggest eye-opener of all is that Sergei Gonchar—known for his entire career as an offensive defenseman—is leading all Penguins players with 22 blocked shots in these playoffs. Brooks Orpik, Hal Gill, Rob Scuderi, Ryan Whitney, and Kris Letang have all demonstrated an unerring willingness to also throw themselves in harm’s way, and that—much more than the blue line corps’ offensive skill—has been the key to the Pens’ defensive success.

Flyers: Like the Penguins, the Flyers boast a tough-as-nails blue line corps similarly willing to help the cause and dive in front of opponents’ shots. From veterans Jason Smith and Derian Hatcher to youngsters Braydon Coburn, Lasse Kukkonen, and Randy Jones, the Flyers’ defense is solid from top to bottom. However, the Flyers are expected to be without power play quarterback Kimmo Timonen (blood clot) for the duration of the series. In his absence, Coburn and Kukkonen (as well as expected replacement Jaroslav Modry) will need to step up significantly. Perhaps the most interesting storyline in this series will be how the Flyers’ rearguards match up against Crosby and Malkin; if the Flyers are to win, they’ll need to come up big in containing the Pens’ superstar duo. It was expected that Timonen would be matched up against Crosby; now, that task will likely fall to Smith instead (assuming Coburn is matched against Malkin).

Advantage: Even

GOALTENDING

Penguins: Though Fleury didn’t need to outplay Henrik Lundqvist to advance to the Conference Finals, he was unquestionably solid between the pipes for the Penguins. He’s posted a miserly .938 save percentage and 1.76 goals-against average through the first two rounds, losing only one game in nine tries. Fleury is lightning-fast at moving from post to post, and he’ll definitely need to be at his best against the Flyers’ fast and physical forwards.

Flyers: Martin Biron has been excellent in these playoffs, helping the Flyers pull off upsets in the first two rounds. The Pens represent a deadly combination of the Flyers’ first two foes, boasting two superstar forwards (Crosby and Malkin) as compared to the Capitals’ one (Alexander Ovechkin) and a tic-tac-toe power play at least as dangerous as the Canadiens’. Without question, the Flyers need for the gutsy Biron to steal a game or two; if he doesn’t, this will be a short series in the Penguins’ favor.

Advantage: Even

PREDICTION

Flyers in Seven

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Game One
Penguins 4, Flyer 2
by Angie Carducci

Why the Penguins won:

Evgeni Malkin has been a Penguin for only two seasons, but it didn’t take him long to learn something native to every Pittsburgher – the rivalry with the Philadelphia Flyers is something special. Already arguably the best forward in this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, Malkin, as he so often has against the Flyers, found a way to further elevate his play in Game 1. He handled the puck with dazzling creativity, making chances happen on seemingly every shift he took, and he made it all look effortless. The 21-year-old Russian phenom used his strength to force a neutral zone turnover that set up the Penguins’ first goal, then scored twice more to lead Pittsburgh’s offense. Malkin also contributed to the Penguins’ physical game, throwing five hits, including a thundering shoulder check on Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn, and getting involved in an end-of-game scrum that saw him throwing a few punches at tough guy Derian Hatcher.

Shortly after the Penguins opened the scoring on a pretty backhand shot from Petr Sykora, the Flyers came storming back to take a 2-1 lead. At one point in a wild first period, Philadelphia was outshooting Pittsburgh by double, 12-6. But the Penguins took advantage of their opportunities and some Flyers miscues, staked out a 3-2 lead by the end of the period, then settled into coach Michel Therrien’s tight-checking, defensive system. The Penguins paid attention to keeping traffic away from around their net – the spot from which the Flyers have scored most of their goals in these playoffs, including the two in this game – and succeeded in shutting them down the rest of the way.

Why the Flyers lost:

Although the Flyers have a reputation for being a big, physical team, they also have plenty of offensive depth, with seven 20-goal scorers in the regular season. And early in this game Philadelphia’s offense threatened to make the contest a wide-open affair, with Mike Richards scoring twice in a 4:20 span of the first period to give his team a 2-1 lead. But a minute and a half after Richards’ second goal, Flyers goalie Martin Biron misplayed the puck from behind his own net, sending it along the boards and right onto the stick of Pittsburgh’s Marian Hossa. Hossa passed it in front to a waiting Sidney Crosby, who fired it home. The Penguins were tied again, and after adding Malkin’s two goals, never looked back. The Flyers took a total of 28 shots on Penguins netminder Marc-Andre Fleury, but came up with few big scoring chances until late in the game. That’s when Fleury shined, making several big saves, including an impressive glove steal on the Flyers’ Jeff Carter.

The Flyers had to adjust their defensive pairings after learning just a day before Game 1 that their best defenseman, Kimmo Timonen, was lost for the series due to a blood clot on his ankle. Timonen would have been enlisted to shut down the Malkin or Crosby line, and his presence on the blue line and 34 blocked shots in these playoffs were sorely missed by his team.

Play of the game:

With just 6.5 seconds left in the first period, Malkin fired a clean shot over Biron’s shoulder on the stick side to give the Penguins the lead for good. His second goal of the night was the more interesting, however, and seemed to be the one that took the life out of the Flyers’ offensive attack.

Early in the second period, midway through a Philadelphia power play, Malkin intercepted the puck, skated in on a break but came up empty before being hit hard behind the net by Richards. Malkin got up and just moments later found himself alone in front of the Flyers’ net, on the receiving end of a long pass from defenseman Sergei Gonchar. Malkin took a couple of strides and startled Biron by not putting a move on him, but firing a hard slap shot from in close for his first career shorthanded goal. “My penalty shots weren’t that great all the time, so in the last second I decided to shoot that puck as hard as I can,” said Malkin through interpreter George Birman. “I didn’t think about it, where to shoot, or to make any moves. Just as hard as I can.” It was a stunner.

What’s next:

The most penalized team in the playoffs, the Flyers put themselves in a good position in Game 1 by playing mostly disciplined hockey. Until the last minute and a half of the game, Philadelphia had taken only one penalty to the Penguins’ three. That’s a trend the Flyers will want to continue in Sunday night’s Game 2, as their penalty kill is stopping only 77.2 percent of opponents’ power play chances, and the Penguins are formidable on the man-advantage. Biron, who’s been hot in these playoffs but stopped only 17 of the 21 shots he faced in Game 1, will need to step up, but most importantly, the Flyers will have to find a way to limit the turnovers and odd-man rushes they gave up to the Penguins. “Against Crosby and Malkin, that’s a game you can’t play,” said Flyers coach John Stevens.

Pittsburgh didn’t get quite the start it wanted in the first period, but succeeded in dictating the tone of the game after that. If the Penguins hope to take a 2-0 lead before the series shifts to Philadelphia, they’ll need to continue playing patient hockey, stick to their effective defensive system, force the Flyers into mistakes and then capitalize with their speedy transition game. And if the Penguins’ offensive stars continue to ratchet up their level of play against their cross-state rivals – Malkin alone has 18 points in nine games against Philadelphia this year – the Flyers’ defense and goaltender may have their work cut out for them.

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Game Two
Penguins 3, Flyers 2
by Angie Carducci

Why the Penguins Won

The Penguins didn’t play their best hockey in Game 2, but still found a way to get the win. Captain Sidney Crosby turned in a strong effort for his team, creating opportunities, and got the game’s crucial first goal on the power play midway through the first period.

But in the second, the Penguins lost their focus and at times seemed to be more concerned with matching the Flyers’ physical play than staying committed to their own skating game. They took a few ill-advised penalties and made a rare miscue on their own power play, allowing the Flyers’ special teams to score twice, including a potentially deflating shorthanded goal with just 23.2 seconds left in the period.

For the remainder of the game, however, the Penguins continued to pressure the Flyers, both offensively, firing 38 shots at goaltender Martin Biron, and defensively, standing them up in the neutral zone and limiting their time and space with the puck. Although the Flyers got 32 shots on netminder Marc-Andre Fleury, the Penguins had the better of the scoring chances and never allowed their cross-state rivals to get much going offensively.

Finally, in what was a mostly even game throughout, the Penguins got the game-winning goal by capitalizing on a blue-line turnover by the Flyers’ Steve Downie. The Penguins’ fourth line of Georges Laraque, Max Talbot and Gary Roberts made the play happen, with Talbot getting the goal in his first game back after missing three with a broken foot.

“That’s been the story of the playoffs so far; those guys have stepped up,” said Crosby. “Even if they haven’t showed up on the scoresheet, they create a lot of momentum for us, and those guys are going to make the difference between winning and losing lots of times.”

Why the Flyers Lost

Already playing without their best defenseman, Kimmo Timonen, the Flyers caught another tough break just 1:51 into the game when perhaps their next best blueliner, Braydon Coburn, was struck by Hal Gill’s deflected shot near his left eye. Coburn had to leave the game and could not return, leaving Philadelphia with five defensemen.

Still, the Flyers did catch a few breaks in what was a very winnable game. With the Penguins up 1-0 late in the first period, Pittsburgh defenseman Sergei Gonchar took a backhand shot that appeared to cross the goal line completely before Biron pulled it out. But without definitive proof on the replay, the no-goal call on the ice stood, the Flyers avoided falling behind by two, then tied it on the power play early in the second. At the end of the second, with the Penguins up 2-1 and on the power play, the Flyers’ Mike Richards intercepted Evgeni Malkin’s pass, scrambled up ice on a spectacular individual effort and beat Fleury to tie it again.

The Penguins got six power play opportunities to the Flyers’ three, and the Flyers felt they didn’t get the benefit of the doubt from the officiating. Coach John Stevens pointed to a second-period call on defenseman Derian Hatcher for hooking Malkin, giving the Penguins a power play on which they scored. “We’ve got a couple of stars on our team, too,” Stevens said. “Derian Hatcher has been around the league for a long time; he knows how to defend.”

In reality, however, both teams could have had reason to be disenchanted with the officiating, and the Penguins were displeased with two calls against agitator Jarkko Ruutu, particularly one early in the third period when Ruutu was pushed down by Biron in front of the net, got shoved in the face by Hatcher, yet wound up in the box for unsportsmanlike conduct. “I want to address it with the [officiating] supervisor that sees us during the series,” said coach Michel Therrien. “As far as I am concerned, those were tough calls against him.”

In the end, the Flyers simply couldn’t find a way to sustain offensive pressure and score at even strength against the Penguins, especially during an extended stretch of the second period when the Penguins got away from their game and allowed Philadelphia to go on the attack. Fleury was a big part of that, however, stopping 30 of the 32 shots he faced. And the misplay by Downie that led to the Penguins’ game-winner was a backbreaker. “Can’t happen,” said Stevens. “Move your feet; it is a costly turnover there.”

Play of the Game

The feisty Talbot couldn’t have written a better script for his first game back from injury. At 11:09 of the third, with the score tied in a tight contest, Laraque got control of the puck and passed it to Roberts behind the Flyers net. Talbot, cutting in with speed, called for the puck, and Roberts fired it sharply in front of the net as Talbot went down to his knees and snapped a shot past Biron. That gave the Penguins a 3-2 lead and held up as the game winner.

“It’s a great way to come back,” said Talbot. “This morning I was just happy to be back in the lineup, I was happy as a kid.”

What’s Next

Although the Flyers had lost Game 1 on the road in both of their first two playoff series, this is the first time they’ve also dropped Game 2. They’ll return to Philadelphia on Tuesday facing what is essentially a must-win situation.

The Penguins, meanwhile, have won both of their first two games at home for the third straight series and head to Philadelphia with a commanding 2-0 lead. They’ll have to play better than they did in Game 2, however, if they hope to win on the Flyers’ home ice, avoiding a repeat of the breakdowns and mental lapses that could have cost them the game. “We know it’s going to get tougher from here on in,” said Crosby.

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Game Three
Penguins 4, Flyers 1
by Angie Carducci

Why the Penguins Won

The Penguins knew they were heading into truly hostile territory for Game 3 at Philadelphia, where they had failed to win in four tries this season. The City of Brotherly Love has not been kind to Pittsburgh’s hockey franchise over the years, and neither have the Flyers’ passionate fans.

But the Penguins weathered the Flyers’ early storm, then got on the board just 5:03 into the game when Ryan Whitney took a shot from a sharp angle on the power play and got a lucky deflection that went past goalie Martin Biron. The Flyers faithful were unhappy with the penalty, called on big defenseman Derian Hatcher for hooking Penguins star Evgeni Malkin, as Philadelphia’s belief that Pittsburgh gets preferential calls for its star players has been a running theme of the series. But just 2:38 later, the Penguins’ Marian Hossa scored on a dazzling individual effort that put his team up 2-0 and took much of the life out of the Flyers, as well as their orange-clad crowd of nearly 20,000.

“That was our game plan, to make sure we pursue the puck really well and try to attack them as quick as we can,” said Penguins coach Michel Therrien. “Having a two-goal lead, that kind of took away their emotion, and after that we committed defensively and didn’t give up much.”

It’s no coincidence that Pittsburgh is now 9-0 when scoring first in these playoffs. Once the Penguins are in the driver’s seat with a lead, they’re happy to settle into the smart, simple, tight-checking defensive style that has served them so well, and that’s exactly what they did to Philadelphia in Game 3. They completely shut down the Flyers’ offense, allowing them only eight shots on goal through the first two periods. Philadelphia had three opportunities on the power play, all in the first period, but was unable to come up with so much as a shot on goal.

Therrien has his entire team buying into the defense-first concept; Sergei Gonchar, known far more for his skill as an offensive-minded defenseman, made the defensive play of the game midway through the second period. With the Flyers’ Mike Richards racing toward the net on a shorthanded chance, Gonchar threw his body down, waited a split second, then poke-checked the puck away to rob Richards of a terrific scoring chance.

Why the Flyers Lost

Three games into the series, the Flyers simply can’t seem to find a way to solve the Penguins’ defensive system. For a moment, midway through the first period, it seemed that the Flyers might get back into the game when Vinnie Prospal made a nice move to wrap behind the net and dish the puck out to Pittsburgh native R.J. Umberger, who had gotten himself alone in front and beat goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. But that was the only offense the Flyers could get past the Penguins’ defense or its young netminder.

They’re also playing seriously shorthanded with the loss of their two best defensemen, Kimmo Timonen, who’s out for the series with a blood clot on his ankle, and now Braydon Coburn, whose left eye is still swollen shut after taking a shot to the face in Game 2 that required more than 50 stitches to close.

Jeff Carter and Mike Knuble paced Philadelphia with five shots apiece, and Scott Hartnell almost created a great opportunity for his team when he lured Fleury behind the net to play the puck with one minute remaining in the first. But despite tripping over his own defender and losing his stick, Fleury was able to scramble back into position in time to make a post-to-post split save on star forward Danny Briere. That kept the Penguins’ 2-1 lead intact, and was typical of the luck the Flyers didn’t get in Game 3.

Philadelphia’s Steve Downie also found himself out of luck when, for the second consecutive game, he made a costly turnover that led to an important goal. Midway through the third period, Downie’s miscue at the offensive blue line ended up on the stick of Malkin, then Petr Sykora, and finally Ryan Malone who backhanded it past Biron. That made the score 3-1 and gave the Penguins a comfortable margin of victory.

“They’re checking us into turnovers, and we’re not executing with the pressure we’re receiving,” said Flyers coach John Stevens. “They’re creating all their offense from the checking side of the puck, and they’re doing it very well. You hear about their offensive game, but they’re committed defensively right now.”

Play of the Game

Hossa continues to shine for the Penguins, and his goal at 7:41 of the first period stood up as the eventual game winner. Taking a pass from line-mate Sidney Crosby at the defensive blue line, Hossa cut in toward center ice, put on a gorgeous display of puckhandling as he maneuvered his way around three Philadelphia defenders, then snapped a shot past Biron. Hossa eventually added an empty-net goal with 53.7 seconds left that sealed the Penguins’4-1 win.

What’s Next

If the Flyers have been the Cinderella team of this year’s playoffs, the clock is rapidly approaching midnight. Now down three games to none, the Flyers return to the friendly confines of Wachovia Center for Thursday’s Game 4 hoping to avoid a sweep. Their best chance is to fire as many shots as possible at the Penguins net in hopes of generating some offense. Philadelphia can also try to dictate the tone with a more physical game, which nearly derailed the Penguins in Game 2 as Pittsburgh tried to respond in kind and briefly forgot about playing its own skating game.

At this point, however, it’s hard to imagine much stopping the Penguins’ march toward the Stanley Cup Final. They’re now 11-1 in the playoffs, becoming just the fourth team in NHL history to win 11 of their first 12. Their offensive stars are firing on all cylinders, with Crosby now leading all playoff scorers with 19 points and Malkin tied for second with 18. They’re getting significant contributions from all four lines. Fleury continues to play outstanding hockey, with his 1.80 goals-against average second only to Detroit’s Chris Osgood, and the team as a whole boasts the fewest goals-against in the playoffs. The Penguins must remain disciplined and committed to their shut-down defensive system in Game 4; most importantly, they must focus on the task at hand and resist the temptation to look ahead. The tough, proud Flyers are down but not yet out, and are certain not to go quietly.

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Game Four
Flyers 4, Penguins 2
by Angie Carducci

Why the Flyers Won

After scoring only five goals in the first three games combined, Philadelphia reminded Pittsburgh just how much firepower it has. The Flyers set the tone in the first period, pressuring the Penguins, who had been so disciplined defensively in these playoffs, into making mistakes, and exploiting Pittsburgh’s confidence with the puck. Within a stretch of a minute and a half early in the first, Philadelphia had great chances by Mike Richards on a shorthanded breakaway, Jeff Carter on a forehand deke as he cut across the crease, and finally Joffrey Lupul, who beat goalie Marc-Andre Fleury with a blast from the right boards at 8:27. That sent a clear message that the Flyers were going to throw every possible opportunity at the net, and by the end of the first period, they had generated 17 shots on goal – one less than they had in all of Game 3 – and had built a 3-0 lead over a stunned Penguins team.

As the Penguins had in prior games of the series, once the Flyers had established a lead, they were free to play their game. They played physical and caused the Penguins to lose their composure, earning four power play opportunities from a frustrated Pittsburgh team and capitalizing on two of them. They stood up the Penguins at the blue line, preventing them from getting their own offensive game going; the matchup of Jeff Carter’s line against Evgeni Malkin’s proved particularly effective in shutting down Pittsburgh’s most dazzling offensive player. And when Pittsburgh was able to generate chances, Flyers goaltender Martin Biron rose to the occasion, stopping an impressive 36 shots on the night.

Why the Penguins Lost

For the second consecutive series, the Penguins came into Game 4 with a 3-0 series lead and the opportunity to sweep in the opposition’s building. And this time, they vowed to take a lesson from last round’s Game 4 loss at the hands of the New York Rangers.

“I think we realized how desperate teams are going to be” when facing elimination, said captain Sidney Crosby prior to the game. “We’ve always said the last one’s the toughest, and that’s always the case. So we know more than any time, we have to be ready.”

But for the second consecutive series, the team facing elimination came out looking like the hungrier competitor by far. And although the Penguins and Fleury held off the Flyers after the first period onslaught, the three-goal lead was simply too much for even Pittsburgh’s offensive stars to overcome.

It was the Penguins’ energy line of Jordan Staal, Max Talbot and Tyler Kennedy that nearly staged an improbable, third period comeback. The line’s hard work and pressure on the forecheck led to two goals for Staal, and the 19-year-old forward’s accomplishment was all the more impressive considering that he had left the team on its off-day Friday to attend the funeral of his grandfather.

The Penguins ramped up the intensity in the third and began to play with desperation, outshooting the Flyers 13-8 and threatening to tie, but it was too little, too late. Pittsburgh pulled Fleury in an attempt to get the equalizer, Lupul scored into the empty net to secure the Flyers win, and Philadelphia had managed to stay alive.

Play of the Game

Flyers coach John Stevens shuffled his lines in an attempt to generate some offense, and it paid off, especially for star forward Danny Briere. Held without a goal for the first three games of the series, Briere moved from center to wing and found himself with significantly more space and scoring opportunity. At 11:48 of the first, the 5’10” Briere cashed in on the power play with a hard-fought goal, crashing the net behind 6’7” Penguins defenseman Hal Gill to put home Randy Jones’ rebound. The goal put the Flyers up 2-0, and began the process of frustrating the Penguins and derailing them from playing the tight-checking, smart defensive game with which they’d been successful thus far.

What’s Next

The Flyers got what they wanted, an opportunity to go back to Pittsburgh for Game 5 on Sunday afternoon. Now they’ll see if they can maintain the pressure by getting out to another quick start at Mellon Arena and setting the Penguins back on their heels. A quick start is also key for Pittsburgh, which is 9-0 in the playoffs when scoring the first goal.

The series began to take on more of the antagonism one might expect between two such bitter rivals. Scrums after whistles began to happen more frequently in Game 4, and the game wound down with a fight between two of the teams’ toughest players, Philadelphia’s Derian Hatcher and Pittsburgh’s Ryan Malone. Then, close to the final buzzer, a game-long exchange of words between Richards and Crosby escalated when Richards went for Crosby immediately following the face-off. Both teams will need to contain their emotion and play with discipline in Game 5, or they’re liable to be on the wrong end of the other’s dangerous power play.

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Game Five
Penguins 6, Flyers 0

Why the Penguins Won

The Penguins lost Game 4 by falling into the trap of letting the Flyers dictate the tone of the game. They didn’t make that mistake in Game 5, coming out skating hard from the start and drawing the game’s first penalty just 2:18 in, when the Flyers’ Mike Knuble hooked sparkplug forward Max Talbot. It took Pittsburgh just 12 seconds to cash in on that power play, with Ryan Malone deflecting home a Sidney Crosby rebound, and the Penguins had the first goal with which they’ve been unbeatable – 10-0 in these playoffs.

After that, the Penguins played sound defensive hockey, their trademark during their 12-2 playoff run so far. And for the most part, they resisted taking the kinds of retaliatory penalties they fell victim to in Game 4.

“It’s a tough thing to do; it’s a lot easier to say it than to actually take a punch in the face and just be able to skate away, but I thought that was huge,” said defenseman Brooks Orpik. “We were able to keep the tempo and the pace of the game pretty high, and when we do that, it’s tough to play with us.”

Pittsburgh limited the Flyers to 21 shots on goal, but once again, 23-year-old netminder Marc-Andre Fleury was nothing short of spectacular when he needed to be. Fleury’s biggest moment came early in the second period, when he came up with a quick left pad save first on the Flyers’ Danny Briere, then again on Scott Hartnell’s rebound chance. With his team up 2-0 at the time, those stops by Fleury prevented the Flyers from cutting the lead to a goal and gaining any momentum.

Even with the lead, the Penguins continued to press on offense whenever they had opportunities, firing 25 shots at Flyers goaltender Martin Biron. And, as is often the case for a team playing with so much confidence, it seemed like most of Pittsburgh’s chances were finding their way into the back of the net, from Marian Hossa ’s hard one-timer from the left faceoff circle to make the score 3-0, to Jordan Staal swooping in to backhand an innocent-looking play in front of the net past Biron with less than a minute left in the second to make it 5-0.

Why the Flyers Lost

From the time Pittsburgh jumped out to the early lead, the Flyers were in trouble. That forced Philadelphia to open up, playing the kind of skating game that favors the Penguins.

“They got rolling and our spirit was a little bit broken there,” said Flyers coach John Stevens. “We got down and were trying to catch up. I thought we had guys trying to do too much, and we started to fall into some habits that were there before.”

The Flyers got an emotional boost from the return of defenseman Kimmo Timonen, who was expected to be lost for the remainder of the playoffs with a blood clot on his ankle. And although the presence of Timonen, Philadelphia’s best puck-moving defenseman, was welcome on the power play, the Flyers still went 0-for-4 with the man advantage against Fleury and Pittsburgh’s tenacious penalty kill.

The Flyers showed heart in sending the series back to Pittsburgh for Game 5, but in the end, they were simply outplayed by a Penguins team that’s getting the kind of offensive firepower, commitment to a whole-team defensive effort, and stellar goaltending needed to challenge for the Stanley Cup.

“They’re solid in every position,” said Stevens. “They’ve got big guys that are puck movers, big guys that are stay at home, and they’ve got great depth up front. They’re a great team, and they’ll be a test for whoever comes out of the West.”

Play of the Game

This playoff run is particularly special for Pittsburgh native Malone, and he stepped up with a big, two-goal effort in Game 5. But Malone’s finest play of the day may have been his assist on Evgeni Malkin’s goal at 9:50 of the first period to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead.

Malone powered into the Flyer’s zone and challenged Biron, who had come behind the net to play the puck. Malone’s physical play resulted in the goaltender losing his stick. Malone then left the puck behind the net for Malkin, who astutely grabbed it and jammed it under Biron’s right pad. It was a smart play by Malone, and another example of Pittsburgh generating its offense from pressure on the forecheck.

What’s Next

Philadelphia has much to be proud of. After finishing dead last in the league last season, the Flyers’ run to a Conference Final came much sooner than could have been expected, and they can be confident in the knowledge that they’re likely to return to this stage in the near future.

“We’ve made tremendous strides this year, and we’ve come an awful long way,” said Stevens. “And if you look back, we played the one, two, three seeds in the East in the playoffs, and I thought we did a remarkable job.”

For the Penguins, they’ll await the winner of the Detroit-Dallas series and head to their first Stanley Cup Final since their last championship run in 1992. Pittsburgh, just two years removed from being the second worst team in hockey, has also arrived at this point far sooner than anyone might have anticipated.

“It’s pretty cool that all together we lived through those tough days,” said Fleury. “Everyone improved together, we’re winning as a team, and everything is a lot more fun.”

Coach Michel Therrien’s team also continues to show remarkable poise, especially considering the overall youth of the team. When Sidney Crosby was presented with the Prince of Wales trophy for his team’s Eastern Conference title, the 20-year-old captain did not touch the hardware, nor did the Penguins don the Eastern Conference Champion t-shirts or hats waiting for them in the locker room.

“I’ve watched a lot of Stanley Cup playoff games,” said Crosby, who leads all playoff scorers with 21 points. “It’s a good feeling to go up there, but we all realize that’s not the [trophy] we want to be holding.”