by ANGIE CARDUCCI, Inside Hockey

Updated: May 12, 2008, 11:02 PM EST 43 comments

add this RSS blog email print

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 by 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 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 by firing 38 shots at goaltender Martin Biron and defensively by 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," Crosby said. "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 backhanded 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, and 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," coach Michel Therrien said. "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," Stevens said. "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," Talbot said. "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 if they hope to win on the Flyers' home ice, and try to avoid 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," Crosby said.