Playoffs, Pens and Flyers make for great matchup
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If you’re a Penguins fan, Sunday’s game was more chatter and jockeying than anything else. How much does it really matter whether the Pens finish fourth or fifth? It’s a foregone conclusion that the teams will meet in the first round of the playoffs.
If I’m Dan Bylsma, I don’t want to be giving away any info that can be used against me in the postseason. I want to keep my team healthy. Both teams are watching tons of video, but already know each other pretty well. Of course, the way Bylsma has used his line combinations it would take a genius to figure out what the Pens might go with in the playoffs -- maybe there is a method to his madness.
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The Flyers might have a goaltending controversy of the good sort. Sergei Bobrovsky has never lost at CONSOL Energy Center and Ilya Bryzgalov is the $50 million man and starter.
Let’s not kid anyone, these Flyers have plenty of depth. Would I trade it for Pittsburgh’s? No, but Sean Couterier, Eric Wellwood and Brayden Schenn do a great job of agitating and have a bright future as skilled players.
It’s nice to see Evgeni Malkin playing physical, North-American style hockey, but that’s not what the Art Ross Trophy winner gets paid to do. The NFL might've suspended the New Orlean Saints coach because of bounties, but if I’m the Flyers I’m giving out cheese steaks every time Malkin gets goaded into throwing a rabbit punch or tries a face wash. After all, the best one in Philly is named
“Geno's".
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Whether Sidney Crosby gets provincial treatment in the commonwealth rivalry between the two organizations is debatable – as the league’s marquee player it would stand to reason that he should – but Eddie Olczyk missed that memo.
Some of Olczyk’s commentary seemed misguided.
Olczyk questions Crosby’s decision to dive for a puck in the Flyer’s crease.
“If Crosby doesn’t dive he’s better suited to get more stick on the puck.” After looking at the replay he back-tracks from his comments a bit.
I understand he’s trying to be objective, but sometimes he comes off as a bitter ex-Penguins coach. Remember, he was the coach that tried moving Crosby from center to wing.
Or this on Jordan Staal.
“I think we’re always expecting more from Jordan Staal...third line center for Pitttsburgh Penguins is not a bad job.”
Sounds like damning Staal with faint praise. He doesn't speak of Staal's increased offensive production or improved faceoff ability.
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It was great to see Kris Letang return Sunday. Why he wasn’t on the Pens’ top power-play unit until the third period didn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense.
The five-forward power-play unit does a great job of putting pressure on the goalie – unfortunately that goalie is Marc-Andre Fleury all too often.
Speaking of Letang, opponents really seem to target him physically, more so than any other player. Philadelphia laid the lumber on him numerous times Sunday. Surprisingly, Letang wasn’t able to duck or juke his way out of many of the hits. I don’t know if his lower-body injury slowed him down just a tad or what, but he probably led the game in getting hit.
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The Flower has gone from a Vezina Finalist lock to a slumping netminder faster than you can read the article
“Putting a Flower in the Vezina Trophy”.
Philly’s first goal, the five-hole trickler that even the review judges couldn’t determine whether to award to Claude Giroux or Scott Hartnell, was pretty much soft. Some of the others were fluky, like Marc Andre-Bourdon’s, but whatever the case, the Flower needs to pick it up a bit. Perhaps after a 22-2-2 stretch he was due for a letdown of sorts. Better now than next week.
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Neither the Pens nor the Flyers have gotten much rest lately. Pittsburgh has played every other day (at least) since March 15. Philadelphia got two days off March 27 and 28 for the first time since March 2 and 3. I think the Pens would be well served with a couple days off.
Hopefully they’ll have clinched fourth place by Saturday and can lighten up on the minutes of some of their top stars against Philly.
Personally, I don’t see a big advantage to getting home-ice advantage against Philadelphia. Pittsburgh plays better in Philly and the Flyers do better at CONSOL. Of course Penguins management probably won’t give me any of the revenue take from four home games instead of three (if necessary).
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So Pierre McGuire calls Brayden Schenn a “tremendous character kid” immediately after Schenn cross checks Sidney Crosby in the back 10 seconds after the whistle. I just don’t get that. Was he afraid Schenn might give him a cheap shot, too?
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I’m still not sure why the Flyers’ coach, Peter Laviolette, jumped up on his boards when his players attacked the Penguins after a clean check by Joe Vitale near the end of Sunday’s game. Vitale’s hit wasn’t penalized.
Apparently Laviolette was upset Pittsburgh used it fourth line after previously sitting it for the bulk of the third period. I guess Laviolette doesn’t know that a team down by two goals wants it scoring line out on the ice.
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Sixth months into the journey, it’s all about the Penguins and Flyers and a first-round playoff match. The playoffs can’t get here soon enough.
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Treasure Life!
JT
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • 
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