Bitter Rivals Battle for East Title
By TED STARKEY,
AOL
Posted: 2008-05-09 12:26:28
Gregory Shamus, Getty Images
Breaking Down
Flyers-Penguins
Offense: Evgeni Malkin is tied for second in the league with 14 points during the Stanley Cup the playoffs, and the Penguins feature one of the most potent offensive lineups in the league.
Edge: Penguins
Eastern Conference Finals
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
2007-08 Records:
Pittsburgh: 47-27-8, 102 points, Atlantic Division Champions
Philadelphia: 41-29-12, 94 points, Seventh Place, Eastern Conference
2007-08 Playoff Results:
Pittsburgh: Defeated Ottawa, 4-0, Defeated Rangers 4-1
Philadelphia: Defeated Washington, 4-3, Defeated Montreal, 4-1
2007-08 Season Series:
Philadelphia Wins Series, 5-3
Last Playoff Meeting:
1999-2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals - Philadelphia Wins Series, 4-2
Pittsburgh Penguins' goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, left, stops Philadelphia Flyers' Mike Richards short-handed breakaway attempt in the second period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, April 6, 2008, in Philadelphia. The Flyers won 2-0. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)
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Pittsburgh Penguins' Marian Hossa, left, of Slovakia, and Philadelphia Flyers' Kimmo Timonen, behind, of Finland, vie for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, April 6, 2008, in Philadelphia. The Flyers won 2-0. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)
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Philadelphia Flyers' Scottie Upshall reacts after scoring the game-winning goal late in the second period of an NHL hockey game with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Sunday, April 6, 2008, in Philadelphia. The Flyers won 2-0. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)
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Philadelphia Flyers' goalie Martin Biron, left, deflects a shot on goal by Pittsburgh Penguins' Ryan Malone, right, during the third period of an NHL hockey game on Sunday, April 6, 2008, in Philadelphia. The Flyers won 2-0 as Biron had his second shutout in a row. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)
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Philadelphia Flyers' goalie Martin Biron, left, deflects a shot on goal by Pittsburgh Penguins' Jarkko Ruutu, right, of Finland, during the first period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, April 6, 2008, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)
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Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury makes a save against the Philadelphia Flyers in the second period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, April 2, 2008. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
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Philadelphia Flyers' Scott Hartnell, left, and Patrick Thoresen sit on the bench in the final minute of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, April 2, 2008. The Penguins won 4-2. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
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Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin (71), of Russia, is brought down by Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Randy Jones in the second period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, April 2, 2008. The Penguins won 4-2. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
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PITTSBURGH - APRIL 02: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates after being named the number one star against the Philadelphia Flyers on April 2, 2008 at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/NHLI via Getty Images)
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Pittsburgh Penguins coach Michel Therrien smiles behind Pens' Georges Laraque during the third period of a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in NHL hockey action in Pittsburgh Wednesday, April 2, 2008. The Pens clinched the Atlantic Division Championship with the win.(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
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While the NHL has had franchises on both sides of Pennsylvania since 1967, the two teams have never met with the stakes this high.
Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are two in-state rivals who don't care for each other, but they meet for the first time in the postseason in eight years, and they never have met with a trip to the Stanley Cup finals on the line.
Both teams took radically different paths to reach this point, both in this playoff season and the past couple of years.
The Penguins finished last overall in 2006, but years of top draft picks finally paid off with the team's first division title since 1998. The young, speedy Pens breezed past Ottawa in a four-game sweep in round one, then had little trouble ousting the veteran-laden Rangers squad in the second round.
Philadelphia had the NHL's worst record last year, but a series of aggressive trades put the Flyers back in the playoffs after a one-year absence. The Flyers nearly blew a 3-1 series lead in the first round to Washington, but won the deciding game in overtime and then ousted Montreal in five in the second round.
This series also will provide two contrasting styles, as while the Penguins favor a free-skating, fast-paced tempo game, the Flyers have shown in the first two rounds that they can slow down talented teams and try to throw teams out of their preferred style of play. However, the Flyers' task gets tougher as they will be without All-Star defenseman Kimmo Timonen, as he was one of the blueliners who could keep up with the speedy Penguins forwards.
The key to the series is how the Penguins deal with the punishment the Flyers deliver to some of Pittsburgh's young forwards, as Philadelphia was able to throw Washington and Montreal off their games through physical play. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will certainly be targets of hits from those in orange-and-black, and how they fight through these checks will say a lot if the Penguins can reach their first Stanley Cup final since 1992.
Crosby has played well in his second trip to the postseason, although the Pens' young captain Crosby was held without a goal against the Rangers. Still, Sid the Kid added six assists for 12 points in just nine games for Pittsburgh. Malkin is currently tied for second overall in playoff points, notching six goals and eight assists for the Pens.
** FILE ** In this Nov. 10, 2007 file photo, San Jose Sharks center Jeremy Roenick reacts after scoring his 500th career goal against the Phoenix Coyotes in the second period of their NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif. The Sharks got off to a head start on their offseason moves, re-signing Roenick, forward Joe Pavelski and backup goaltender Brian Boucher on Wednesday, June 25, 2008, six days before the start of the free-agency period. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
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OTTAWA, ON - JUNE 20: 17th overall pick, Jake Gardiner of the Anaheim Ducks talks with the media during the 2008 NHL Entry Draft at Scotiabank Place on June 20, 2008 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)
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** FILE **In this March 28, 2008 file photo, Carolina Hurricanes' Tuomo Ruutu (15), of Finland, brings the puck down the ice past Atlanta Thrashers' Chris Thorburn (27) during third period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C. The Hurricanes re-signed Ruutu on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 to a one-year contract worth $2.25 million. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker, File)
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** FILE ** Broadcom Corp. co-founder Henry Samueli leaves the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, Calif. after a hearing Monday, June, 23, 2008. Samueli has been suspended indefinitely by the NHL. The decision by commissioner Gary Bettman comes a day after Samueli pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to the Securities and Exchange Commission. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
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** FILE ** In this May 9, 2008 file photo, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin, of Russia, skates against the Philadelphia Flyers in the third period during Game 1 of the NHL hockey Eastern Conference finals in Pittsburgh. Until a deal is signed with the NHL, the founder of the new Russian-based Continental Hockey League says there is nothing wrong with his teams trying to poach star players, such as Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
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This handout provided by Men's Vogue shows New York Rangers hockey player Sean Avery in the Men's Vogue fashion closet in New York last week. Avery, the NHL's No. 1 pest, is more gourmet than goon these days. Food, music and fashion are all on his plate as a summer intern at Vogue magazine. (AP Photo/Men's Vogue)
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** FILE ** In this May 9, 2008 file photo, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin, of Russia, speaks to the media after the Penguins beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 in Game 1 of the NHL hockey Eastern Conference finals in Pittsburgh. Until a deal is signed with the NHL, the founder of the new Russian-based Continental Hockey League says there is nothing wrong with his teams trying to poach star players, such as Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
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** FILE ** In this May 30, 2008 file photo, Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin, of Russia, participates in the NHL hockey team's practice at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh in preparation for game four of the Stanley Cup Finals. Until a deal is signed with the NHL, the founder of the new Russian-based Continental Hockey League says there is nothing wrong with his teams trying to poach star players, such as Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
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New Tampa Bay Lightning owner Len Barrie, gestures during a news conference Monday morning June 23, 2008 with fellow owner Oren Koules, not shown, in Tampa, Fla. Koules and Barrie are two of an eight-man ownership group approved by the NHL last week. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
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New Tampa Bay Lightning owner Oren Koules gestures during a news conference Monday morning June 23, 2008 with fellow owner Len Barrie in Tampa, Fla. Koules and Barrie are two of an eight-man ownership group approved by the NHL last week. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
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On the flip side, Daniel Briere is a big reason the Flyers have advanced this far, notching 14 points, while R.J. Umberger was tremendous against Montreal, notching eight of his nine playoff goals in just five games against the Habs.
Both goaltenders have also performed well, as Marc-Andre Fleury has a 1.76 GAA and a .938 save percentage in two rounds, while Martin Biron has been solid when the Flyers have needed him to. Both netminders figure to be busy, Fleury with a physical presence the Flyers unleashed on Cristobal Huet and Carey Price, while Biron will have to be at the top of his game against a powerful Penguins lineup.
Philadelphia will try to wear down Pittsburgh with a constant barrage of hits that they hope will slow down the Penguins and knock them off their game. During the regular season, the Flyers won five of eight from the Pens, and this figures to be a tight, punishing series for both teams. In the end, the Penguins' talent level will carry them to their first final in 16 years, but it certainly won't be the cakewalk the first two rounds for Pittsburgh has been.
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