ECQF Game 4 Review: Penguins 3 @ Flyers 1 - Penguins Lead Series 3-1

Oh well.

• I've been saying Marc-Andre Fleury was the key to this thing the whole time, and Game 4 certainly proved this. Flyers dominated this game and had nothing to show for it.
• What really killed the Flyers was not getting a goal real early. The Flyers came out blazing in the first ten minutes, while the Pens and even Fleury looked a little flat out of the gate. Getting an early goal woulda been huge, but Pittsburgh weathered the storm, got a super crappy goal from Sidney Crosby putting himself in the net before the puck, and they never looked back.
• With Daniel Carcillo of all people scoring (finally), the stage really was set for a huge goal in those waning minutes of the third. The Flyers played their worst hockey of the game inconveniently after Biron got pulled, which made for a pretty anti-climactic end to what could have been a pretty epic comeback.
  

This is what it must have been like for Montreal fans last year, watching your team dominate games and doubling up the other team's shot count, hitting post after post, not being able to score any damn goals while the opponent takes advantage of seemingly every opportunity they get. It's not fun.

There's no doubt in my mind that the Flyers "deserve" a lot better than to be down 3-1 at this point. One of those post shots goes in from Game 4, Carter buries that empty net in Game 2, and it's a whole different series.

Which is why I'm fairly sure the series is over, but Game 5 certainly isn't. The Flyers have not been outplayed at all since Game 1, and seem to know it. They get some bounces to finally go their way, and this thing could very easily be headed back to Philadelphia for a Game 6.

Let's Go Flyers.

ECQF Game 4 Preview: Penguins @ Flyers - Penguins Lead Series 2-1 - 4/21/09

Whenever I start thinking about this Game 4 tonight, my arms start twitching, my palms get all sweaty, my mouth gets all dry, I get short of breath and feel like I'm about to pass out. All of which makes typing pretty difficult. Damn, I love the playoffs.

Last year's Game 4 against Pittsburgh didn't really matter. The Flyers were down 3-0, and while winning it and avoiding the sweep was nice, it still only gave them a (generous) 13% chance of taking the series.

This year is totally different. A win tonight and it's a tie ballgame, a best-of-three for a spot in the second round. Flyers would have all the momentum, and the Penguins would be crying even more than usual.

And on the other side, a loss tonight would be fatal. As much as the Flyers "made it a series" by winning Game 3, they would completely unmake the series by losing tonight. It would be over. I'd say there was still hope, but I'd be lying.

So with all that in mind, here we go...

Why the Flyers Will Win:

• Because the Flyers are really, really good. Their depth is absolutely nuts, with any of around eight of them completely capable of having a multi-goal game tonight.
• The Flyers should have all the momentum tonight. They outplayed the Penguins in Game 3 and most of Game 2. The Flyers could be overconfident and had trouble stringing wins together down the stretch, but if there is any momentum it will be squarely with the orange team.
  
• As you should have read earlier, the Flyers are money in Game 4s. They've won five straight and eight of their last nine. I'm not sure if this means anything, but it's good all the same.
  
• I have no evidence for this, but I feel like the Flyers are going to get pretty favorable officiating tonight. They're really due.

Why the Penguins Will Win:

• Because the Flyers have been completely incapable of containing Evgeni Malkin. He's leading the league with seven points in these playoffs. Seven points in three games.
  
• I didn't know which section to put this in, but once again I think this game is completely in Marc-Andre Fleury's small French Canadian hands. If he bounces back big from his Game 3 disappointment, it will spell trouble for the Flyers. If he doesn't, the Flyers win.
  
• Because the Penguins are getting more used to the Wach by now. If you think that the crowd was a big factor in Game 3, you gotta realize that it won't be as big a factor tonight. Add that to the fact that Flyer fans won't be given any free orange shirts (sorry), and life should be a little easier for the Pens.

Prediction: Flyers win 3-2. OT. Epic.

Puck drops at 7, on Versus, CBC, CSN Philadelphia, and FSN Pittsburgh.

Do it to it, boys.

ECQF Game 3: Penguins 3 @ Flyers 6 - Penguins Lead Series 2-1

3

@

6

And we have a series.

• All that orange is a beautiful thing. From the T-shirts (which the Penguins were too cheap to give out this year) to the Kate Smith, it's easily the best playoff atmosphere in any sport. And I say that as a completely impartial observer.
  
• It definitely got pretty scary there in the early second, with the Penguins erasing a two-goal cushion in like twenty-five seconds of playing time. Sure the Flyers had the lead for 53 minutes of this game and never trailed, but those seven minutes weren't fun. The Frenchies got together and decided that not having the lead was no good, and decided that they (Martin Biron, Claude Giroux, Simon Gagne, and Daniel Briere) should start playing really well. And it was a beautiful thing to see.
  
• Claude Giroux is such a great human being. Not only did he get a real pretty goal, a prettier assist, and the prettiest fight (that he only got roughing for), he also has managed to grow a playoff beard that is almost as orange as his jersey. It's a great look.
• The main thing to take home from tonight's game is that I really know what I'm talking about. I've been saying all series long that the key is whether or not Marc-Andre Fleury plays well, and tonight was another shining example of that. Fleury stunk up the joint wire to wire, with a save percentage around 82%. And the Flyers won. Game 4 will largely balance on how he bounces back.
• As much as dumping on Daniel Carcillo is the pasttime here, I gotta say he had a pretty decent game today. He was one of only four Flyer forwards who didn't spend any time in the box, and didn't do anything too boneheaded. I still think Luca Sbisa contributes more, but it worked out alright today.
• The only thing I noticed Sidney Crosby do all game was get face washed by Darroll Powe, who by the way is having one hell of a series.
• Congrats to Jared Ross on choosing a pretty good occasion to score his first NHL goal.

Tuesday is now the hugest night of everyone's life. Git 'er tied, boys.

ECQF Game 2: Flyers 2 @ Penguins 3 (OT) - Penguins Lead Series 2-0

2

@

3 (OT)

Well that sucked.

• Losing but playing well really isn't enough. Moral victories mean nothing this time of year, though this game was infinitely better than Game 1. The Flyers controlled play most of the way, and had the lead with less than four minutes remaining. Can't get too much closer.
  
• NEVER have I heard of a 5-on-3 in overtime in the playoffs before. Neither call was terrible, but both were unfortunate. Claude Giroux's penalty especially was just bad luck, as he would not have gotten a call at all if these composite sticks didn't break so easily.
  
• Jeff Carter's inability to bury that shot with Marc-Andre Fleury way out of position was absolutely killer. I really have no other words to describe it.
• Martin Biron was great, except for in overtime. The goal was pretty soft, but way worse than that was when he inexplicably came out to like the blue line to challenge a racing Penguin for a puck. He barely won the battle, but NO way was it worth the risk. Not in regulation in the regular season, much less overtime in the playoffs. Had he been a half step slower, the game would have ended right there, in about the worst fashion imagineable. But all in all, he was good.
  

The focus at this point has to be on extending the series one game at a time. Winning Game 3 means there will be a Game 5. Winning Games 3 and 4 means there will be a Game 6. Baby steps.

Game 3 puck drops at 3 on NBC. Go Flyers.

ECQF Game 1: Flyers 1 @ Penguins 4 - Penguins Lead Series 1-0

1

@

4

Can't get too much worse, right? Right...?

• The Flyers can't afford to think everything was okay in this game, and that they'll just bounce back. Because it wasn't, and they won't. The Flyers have to do exactly what they did after that horrible performance in Toronto not so long ago. Beat themselves up over it, change shit, and come out firing, and score five goals in the first period. That would be good.
• The Flyers just did not look good. Any of them. Braydon Coburn looked okay. Maybe Mike Richards wasn't bad. But nobody was great. Jared Ross may well have been the third best player on the ice. Not good.
• Just about every Flyer forward was totally invisible tonight, except for the two previously mentioned, Scott Hartnell, and Claude Giroux.
• Arron Asham's penalty was really weak. Led to the first goal, and the game seemed over from there on. That's the only whining I can muster out of this--the Flyers didn't deserve to win at all.
  
• Martin Biron was pretty mediocre. No terrible goals, but he could have had the first three. Especially the third, from Evgeni Malkin. Those are the kind of weird breakdown goals that the Penguins seem to get a lot vs. our boys. No reason for Biron not to start Game 2, it really isn't debatable. He hasn't been immaculate, sure, but Antero Niittymaki has been just bad lately, so putting him in really shouldn't be an option.
  
• That guy who predicted that the Penguins would win Game 1 by the score of 4-1? He must be a freakin' genius.

The split is what we needed, and the split is still in play. Game 2 becomes a must win now, no way around that.