Inside Hockey: Penguins-Flyers preview
by KEVIN GREENSTEIN, Inside Hockey
2. Penguins vs. 6. Flyers
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 the first round to 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.
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Forwards
Penguins: Evgeni Malkin was, in a word, magnificent against the New York Rangers in the 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 wunderkind 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, Kimmo Timonen and Derian Hatcher to youngsters Braydon Coburn, Lasse Kukkonen and Randy Jones, the Flyers' defense is solid from top to bottom. Perhaps the most interesting storyline in this series will be how the Flyers' rearguards match up against Crosby and Malkin, for if the Flyers are to win, they'll need to come up big in containing the Pens' superstar duo.
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 7
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