Flyers Season Comes to a Disappointing End

The Flyers lost Game 6 to the Penguins in the 1st round of the playoffs, eliminating them from the playoffs.  This is the 2nd straight season that the Penguins have eliminated the Flyers from postseason play.

This was an extremely frustrating loss as the Flyers held a 3-0 lead in the 2nd period of this game.  You cannot lose a game in which you have a 3-0 lead at any point in the game, I don't care what the circumstances.  From that point on, the Penguins dominated the game and the Flyers could not get any offensive zone pressure at all.  The ice was slanted towards the Flyers end the entire 2nd and 3rd periods, and as the Penguins were able to tie up the game at 3 apiece by the end of the 2nd period.  As the 3rd period started, and the Penguins continued to put pressure on the Flyers, you knew, unfortunately, that it was only a matter of time before the Pens took the lead.  They did just that, and went up 4-3.  The Flyers did have some chances at the end of the game, including Giroux hitting the post.  The Penguins added an empty netter to win the game 5-3.

It is a very disappointing end to the season, that at times during the season looked very promising.  The Flyers struggled down the stretch, and ended up without home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.  The Penguins were also a very tough team to draw in the 1st round, as they might have more skill than any other team in the Eastern Conference.  There are no excuses however, as the Flyers had plenty of opportunities in this game, and in this series to win.

Flyers Avoid Elimination With Win

The Flyers stayed alive for at least two more days, fighting off elimination, and beating the Penguins 3-0 in Pittsburgh. Everyone can grow their playoff beards at least a little longer, and hopefully a lot longer.

The Flyers know they can play with the Penguins, and I think were a little angry at themselves for losing two games (Game 2 & Game 4) which wer every winnable. The Flyers came out and played a very focused, determined, and smart Game 5, while still playing their game. The Flyers victory allows the series to come back to Philadelphia for Game 6, where the most intimidating fans in the NHL are waiting.

After a scoreless first, Arron Asham got the Flyers on the board in the 2nd, with a nasty slap shot that couldn't have been placed any more perfectly in the upper corner of the net. In the 3rd period, the Flyers got goals from Giroux and Knuble to put the game away. The defense played their best game of the series, and Marty Biron obviously was solid, getting the shutout. The game was evenly played, the Flyers just being the team to put the puck in the back of the net. The Flyers did a great job back-checking, and not allowing the Penguins stars to ever get anything going.

This has been a very good series, probably the best first round series in the NHL so far, especially since it is between two rivals. Both teams now have 13 goals in this series. The Flyers need to keep doing what they have been doing the past few games in this series. They need to still play with a lot of focus, and desperation. Even though we held off elimination for one game, we still have to two more. We are still down in the series, and it's not going to be easy. But one game at a time is how the team has to approach it... and they did their job in Game 5. The series comes back to Philadelphia for a day game on Saturday.

Flyers Try To Avoid Elimination Tonight

The Flyers try to avoid elimination tonight against the Penguins in Game 5 of the first round series. The Penguins took a 3-1 series lead with a 3-1 victory in Game 4.

As bad an idea as it seems, there is nothing the Flyers can do other than continue to play the way they have played in the past two games. The Flyers won Game 3, and dominated the action in the Game 4 loss, but they want to keep doing what they have been doing. If that means playing another hard fought game, and losing, then so be it. The Flyers can claim they lost to the more skilled team, which is probably the case.

On offense, we need to see more from the top players. The Flyers had six 25-goal scorers in the regular season, but no one has really stepped up their game on offense, except for Claude Giroux. Danny Briere had a great assist in Game 3; unfortunately we expect more from Briere. Jeff Carter and Mike Richards both have one goal apiece, and we need more from both of them, especially when you get 8 power play opportunities in a game. The star counterparts on the Penguins have been doing their jobs. Malkin and Crosby are the reasons that the Penguins hold a 3-1 series advantage, along with Fleury, who has outplayed Biron in between the pipes.

A loss tonight would mark a disappointing end to the season. We expect more than a first round series loss from this Flyers team and this Flyers organization. The Flyers are an organization that has reached an elite status among NHL teams, yet have no recent Stanley Cups to show for it. We are always one of the better, more competitive teams, and thus first round losses are considered a disappointment. So hopefully we can put away our razors at least for one more game and grow our playoff beards a little longer.

Flyers Lose Game 4

The Flyers came out on the short end of a much needed Game 4, 3-1. It was a very frustrating game for the Flyers as they dominated the game for the most part, but couldn't get the bounces, and couldn't get the puck past Marc-Andre Fleury, who was the only reason the Penguins won the game. Fleury made 45 saves on 46 Flyers shots, the only goal being a point blank shot out in front of the net by Carcillo.

After a scoreless first period, the Penguins got a lucky goal on a bounce that the Flyers never seem to get. As Crosby was sliding into Biron and the net, which looked more like he was trying to steal 2nd base, the puck hit the shaft of his stick, and somehow found the net. It looked like Crosby took out Biron before the puck was in the net, and before the puck even hit Crosby's stick, but the goal was allowed. The Flyers meanwhile hit about 100 posts in this game, and couldn't get any bounces. The Penguins made it 2-0 shortly after, and that would be all that Fleury needed. Carcillo got a goal halfway through the 3rd to make it 2-1, and even though the Flyers dominated the 3rd period, they couldn't get the puck in the net, and the Penguins would eventually put the game away with an empty net goal.

The Flyers went 0-8 on the power play, and this game hurts to lose because the Flyers were the better team, and had so many chances. The series goes back to Pittsburgh with the Penguins having a chance to close the series out on home ice. All you can do in Game 5 is continue to play the well you have the past two games. It won't be as easy on the Penguins ice, but the Flyers have played well the past three games of the series, and the only thing they can do is continue to play the way they have and hope that they get the early lead, and get some bounces go their way to come back to Philadelphia for a Game 6.

Flyers Game 4 Preview

The Flyers face their 2nd straight must win game at home, in Game 4 of their first round series against the Penguins. A win would send the series back to Pittsburgh tied 2-2, essentially becoming a best of three series. A loss would put the Flyers in a big 3-1 hole going back to Pittsburgh, a situation we want to avoid.

The Flyers looked bad in Game 1, good in Game 2, and great in Game 3. They need to come out and play exactly the same way they played in Game 3. We still need to eliminate the penalties, but being the more physical team, we need to keep hitting, and keep with the rough stuff, to wear down the Penguins. One of the reasons the Flyers thrive in a 7-game series is because we can tire out our opponents as the series goes on. Being physical is easier said than done, especially when the Penguins have the snipers on offense that they do. Crosby and Malkin are both playing well in this series, and that is not a good thing for us.

It is also very important for the Flyers to continue to play from ahead in these games. They played from ahead in Game 2, but ended up losing, and played from ahead in Game 3, which allowed them to control the game for the most part. If the Flyers play from behind, they will need to take more chances, which will allow the Penguins to come through the neutral zone more easily, and get odd man rushes.

The Flyers also need to play very strong defense, much like they did in Game 3, and get solid goaltending from Marty Biron. If the offense can feed off of the crowd, and the refs aren’t out there giving the game to the Penguins, the Flyers have a good chance to get back even in this series.

Flyers Lose Game 2 in OT

The Flyers Lost Game 2 against the Penguins 3-2 in overtime. It was an extremely tough pill to swallow, as the Flyers had leads of 1-0, and 2-1, but allowed the Penguins to tie the game both times, including late in the game on a power play. Once the game went into overtime, the Penguins got a two-man advantage, and scored late in the first OT.

The Flyers looked like a much better team in this game than they did in Game 1 when they were dominated. The Flyers actually played their game, which we knew they were capable of. The Flyers held a 2-1 lead, and should have pushed it to 3-1 halfway through the 3rd period when Fleury stoned Jeff Carter on what looked like an easy open net goal for Carter. It definitely helped that the Flyers got the 1st goal in the game, a power play goal in the first period by Scott Hartnell. It is imperative that the Flyers play from ahead in this series, and they really need to get the first goal in all games.

It's extremely tough to lose this game, and to watch the Flyers lose on a two-man penalty kill in overtime. The Flyers have to quickly put that game behind them, and look forward to Game 3. The Flyers did a lot of things right in Game 2, and need to carry that over to Game 3, and hopefully play even better since the game is at home. Our home crowd will be ready to go, and can get the Flyers players fired up to play. Obviously Game 3 is a must win for our boys.

Flyers Need to Step it Up for Game 2

Game 2 of the Flyers Penguins first round series is tonight, and the Flyers really do not want to go down 2-0 in this series, even with the next two games being in Philadelphia. As the road team in this playoff series, the goal in the first two games in to just win one. The Flyers can accomplish that tonight, and no matter how bad they looked in Game 1, a victory tonight takes back home ice advantage.

The Flyers looked bad in Game 1, and the Penguins looked very good. There isn’t much time to get this all figured out either, since Game 2 is tonight. The Flyers need to find a way to slow down the Penguins through the neutral zone. I’m not sure how they are going to be able to do that against the quicker and more skilled Penguins, but they need to be able to do that. The Flyers also need to stay out of the penalty box. The Penguins can throw Crosby, Malkin, and Gonchar out on the ice together on the power play; all three of those players extremely efficient 5 on 5, and much more dangerous with the man advantage. It will also be important to get the first goal in this game. Another early Penguins goal could mean trouble in this game. You do not want to have to come from behind, the Flyers really have to play from ahead to have any chance in this game.

As we stated in the preview, it was a bad draw to end up playing the Penguins in the first round, who may be the most skilled team in the entire Eastern Conference. But the Flyers are a very good team as well, and need to get back to playing their game in this Game 2. If the Penguins are the better team, then let them beat us while we are playing good hockey. We did not show what we can do in Game 1, and you have to wonder if John Stevens, or captain Mike Richards will try some way to fire up the team going into tonight’s game.

Game 2 is a must win for the Flyers and is tonight at 7:00 PM.

Flyers Overmatched by Penguins

The Flyers lost Game 1 of their their 1st round series against the Penguins, in disappointing fashion last night, 4-1. The Flyers were completely overmatched on the ice in this game, a game in which the Penguins took control of early.

The Penguins took a 1-0 lead early in the first on a power play goal by Crosby, which set the tone for the game. They took a 2-0 lead in the 2nd period, and proceeded to score two more in the 3rd period to make it 4-0 before the Flyers got on the board with a late power play goal by Simon Gagne. The Penguins pretty much controlled this game from start to finish. They had more shots, and more opportunities. They won almost twice as many faceoffs as the Flyers, and they had a lot more takeaways than giveaways. The Flyers were the opposite having many turn giveaways than takeaways. The play in the neutral zone was a glaring difference between these two teams, and an area in which the Flyers will need to improve quickly, if they want to have any chance in this series. The Penguins were able to glide through the neutral zone with ease, and carry the puck into the Flyers zone. That enabled the Penguins to turn normal rushes through the neutral zone into scoring chances. The Penguins were also able to keep the puck in the Flyers zone when they got it in, and generate scoring opportunities that way as well. By keeping the puck in the Flyers zone so much, this allowed the Penguins to get so many takeaways, and force the Flyers into penalties, which the Penguins took advantage of.

The Flyers on the other hand could not move the puck through the neutral zone. When they did, it was often with crisp passing, but was never able to set up any sustained offensive pressure. The Flyers did not spend too much time in the Penguins zone at all until late in the game. The chances that the Flyers did get went off the post or just off the Flyers players stick, and Fleury made the saves he has to make. The opposite of the Penguins, by not spending time in the Penguins zone, the Flyers were not able to get into their cycling game down low, or force the Penguins into too many penalties. Players like Danny Briere need to start actually playing, and get the puck deep, and work the forechecking game.

Unfortunately, with the speed and skill that the offensive players have on the Penguins, the Flyers are going to have to find a way to combat that in this series, and find a way quickly. The Flyers have not been playing good hockey for the past month, and you wonder if John Stevens will be able to get anything out of this team, or if he no longer can motivate them. The Flyers did lose the first game of their series last year in the playoffs against both the Capitals and the Canadiens, and came back to win both of those series. Either way you look at it, a loss is a loss, no matter how badly they played. The Penguins were at home, and were supposed to win this game. If the Flyers can find a way to take Game 2, they take home ice away from the Penguins. That, however, is easier said than done.

Flyers Penguins 1st Round Preview

The Flyers take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1st round of the NHL playoffs, with Game 1 getting under way tonight in Pittsburgh. The Flyers lost out on home ice advantage in this series by losing in the season finale to the Rangers.

Unfortunately, much like football and the NFC East, I am not too happy that the Flyers play an Atlantic Division foe in the Penguins. Going into the playoffs, I would have rather played any other team in the playoffs than the Pens, Devils, and even the Rangers. The Flyers are 2-4 against the Penguins this season, with one loss coming in OT, and another coming in a shootout. These two teams also met up last season in the Eastern Conference final, with the Penguins winning the series and advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Ohhh yeah, and these two teams don’t like each other too much. Anytime you play a team as much as the Flyers and Penguins do throughout the season, and meet up in two consecutive playoff series’, there is going to be a good rivalry. These two teams have forged one of the better hockey rivalries as of late, with the cross-state teams both being among the elite in the Eastern Conference.

If the Flyers want to have any chance in advancing in these playoffs, and this series, they need to start playing better hockey than they have been down the stretch. The Flyers have been playing average hockey to end the season, while the Penguins have been playing very good hockey. The Flyers are just 3-4-1 in their last eight games. The offense hasn’t been poor for the most part, but the defense hasn’t been great, and Biron has been very inconsistent. All of that said, the Flyers still could have had home ice in this series had they just beaten/lost in OT to the Rangers in the last game of the regular season. They had a 3-2 lead in the 3rd period on home ice, and ended up losing the game in regulation. Good teams don’t let that happen. Teams that will go far into the playoffs don’t let that happen. I’m not saying the Flyers can’t do it, because I believe they can, but they will need to rebound quickly in order to even hang with the Penguins in this series. They will need to rely on their offense to do so. The Flyers offense is dangerous, with six 25 goal scorers in Carter, Richard, Gagne, Hartnell, Knuble, and Lupul. Throw a healthy Briere, and rookie Giroux in the mix, and the Flyers offense is among the best in the league. The defense, beyond Timonen, and Coburn is just average, and Biron will need to have another playoffs like last season for the Flyers to be successful.

The Penguins on the other hand have a record of 18-3-4 since February 15th, when Dan Bylsma became the interim head coach. Bylsma is obviously getting the most out of his players, because when he took over, the Penguins weren’t even in the playoff picture. No matter how the Penguins are playing, they are still an extremely scary team, as they feature two of the top three players in the world on their roster. Evgeni Malkin, and Sidney Crosby are a lethal combination. Malkin finished the season as the NHL scoring champion, compiling 113 points, which Crosby was 3rd with 103 points. Marc-Andre Fleury, the Penguins goalie, always seems to own the Flyers also no matter when or where they play.

No matter what the outcome, it will be an exciting series for the fans to watch. These two teams always play each other well, and like I stated before, have a great rivalry going on right now. The Flyers can make it even more fun to watch by winning the series and advancing. Even if the Flyers play well and lose the series, a first round loss is not what we are looking for out of this team. The Flyers are too good, and have too many good players, that a first round loss is considered a disappointment, especially considering where this team went last season in the playoffs. The Flyers are still a young team, but do have enough talent to win this series against the Penguins.

Picks
Mr. Green: Flyers in 6
Roget: Flyers in 6
Queen Aoleon: Flyers in 5

Worst Case Scenario for the Flyers

The Flyers ended the season on Sunday with 99 points, good for 5th in the Eastern Conference. Coming into this weekend, they held the upper hand on the 4th seed and home ice advantage. Not only that, the Hurricanes were also in the 5th position, a team which the Flyers held a 3-1 edge during the regular season. After a Hurricanes loss Saturday, a Penguins win Saturday, and a Flyers loss on Sunday, the Flyers fell to the 5th seed, and allowed the Penguins to take over home ice with the 4th seed.

This is the worst case scenario, because the Flyers wanted to get the 4th seed and home ice in the first round. And all they had to do was get a point in the final regular season game on Sunday against the Rangers. The Flyers were at home, with a 3-2 lead in the 3rd period, having only to go to OT to get 1 point, but they couldn't hang on. It wouldn't have been so bad if the Flyers ended up as the 5th seed, and the Hurricanes ended up as the 4th seed. I'm not saying the Flyers could beat the Hurricanes in a series, but I'm pretty sure every Flyers fan would much rather play the Hurricanes in series than the Penguins. The Penguins have been one of the best teams in hockey over the past 2 months of the regular season. They are a team with so much skill, with 2 of the best 3 players in the world in Crosby and Malkin. The Penguins can look so bad for games, or periods at a time, but have that switch they can just turn on, in which they are virtually unstoppable. Their goalie, Fleury, always seems to play well against the Flyers also.

It should be an exciting first round if nothing else, given the rivalry the Flyers and Penguins have forged these past few seasons. These teams do not like each other. Unfortunately, the Flyers have come out on the short end as of late, losing the Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, 4 games to 1. The Penguins also hold a 4-2 edge on the Flyers this season. Playoff hockey is always extremely exciting, and it would definitely be a disappointment if the Flyers bowed out in the first round.