Bottom line Crosby didn't act like a captain. Started when he was banging at Bryzgalov's glove. Then too many skirmishes after that. He should have told his team to settle down and then go out and score goals. It's not like Philly was stopping the puck very well in the series either. They had a chance to be in that game, but lost composure and embarrassed the franchise. I've never turned off a playoff game in my life til that. So I went and did my taxes to cool off. They could have lost 8-0, fine, but once you start hurting players and lacking any self-discipline instead of bucking up and playing hard, you lose all respect.

I'm really hoping for a stiff suspension for Neal.
- wizard-of-croz

Why? Neal charged the guy and knocked him on his a$$! Big (frank)ing deal! Some people have blown this way out of proportion! Just remember, this team who some of you Pens fans are feeling so sorry for, wish and hope by their fans someone on the flyers would hurt crosby or malkin so bad that it ends their career and have for a long time.
s.

Not sure if you watched the game, but pay attention tomorrow as they will announce 3 Pens getting suspended. Crosby instigated the majority of the melees on the ice and looked like complete child doing it.

Neal’s act was a complete disgrace as well.

First Briere is run a week or two prior to the playoffs. I agree the hit was legal, but if you do not think there was an intent to injure and remove the NHL’s most productive playoff forward since the lockout just before their series with the Pens, you are more loopy than Crosby.

Now we have a series that has totally frustrated Malkin. The Pens and Malkin just have no answer for Courtier. Because of that they had to win at home. Now on the road they simply cannot get Malkin away from him. The rest of the league is finding out what we already know. At 19 Courtier is already one of the best all-around players in the NHL.

So Neal’s answer is to try and remove Courtier’s head from his shoulders. It should have been 5 and a game. It was not even called. Then he attempts to do the same to Giroux. Again, no call.

If you were leading 3 to 0 and Crosby and Staal almost had their heads taken off without a penalty, I’d think you would be ticked. So much for the Pens and their sensitivity towards concussions. I suppose anything goes now.
- acmilano3

I guess he should had went ole Shea Weber on them, the league seemed to think that was a clean play by grabbing a guy by the back of his head and smashing it into the glass.

Somehow I think there some flyers fans who wouldn't be all that upset if these things were done to crosby, malkin or anyone else on the Pens.

I apologize but sometimes cancer takes precedence over hockey.
- the-mitch-wilsons

I'm really sorry to hear this John. Whether it's you or a loved one I hope you conquer it.

This is all too comical. Crosby is put up on this pedestal and he can't do anything out of the ordinary otherwise he is scorned. The whole glove thing with Voracek was awesome, was Crosby a poop disturber? yes! Even better when you saw Voracek screaming at him in the penalty box saying you can't do that...

He gave Bryz a couple of extra whacks and he deserved the extra attention after the whistle, big freakin deal, happens in any game at any time.

As for the stupid reporter and his assinine questions, kudos to Crosby for staying calm and giving him the business in a respectful manner.

Love playoff hockey, brings out the worst in the players and the fans.

Look forward to MAF rebounding and having a TERRIFIC game 4 and beginning the comeback.

Sorry I wasn't around to clean things up today. I regret to inform you I will be unavailable during the day all week. I would suggest should we get swept on Wednesday people just avoid the blog altogether because it's going to be a gongshow.

Saw this on Insider On Pittsburgh Sports:

I do find it funny though how everyone in Philly is blind to the fact that they have been praising the Flyers for acting the way we did yesterday for years and now that we turn into them it's a travesty. I'm embarrassed by the way we are playing and acting however we are doing nothing more than mirroring what the Flyers have been for 30 years.

So true!!!

Hey at least the ratings are making NBC happy.

http://puckthemedia.wordp...ayoff-numbers-since-2002/

Sorry I wasn't around to clean things up today. I regret to inform you I will be unavailable during the day all week. I would suggest should we get swept on Wednesday people just avoid the blog altogether because it's going to be a gongshow.
- canadianpenfan

It's OK, appreciate your efforts.

what he needs to say is simple. something along the lines of "in light of comments i made last year, im disappointed in my teams actions yesterday blah blah blah, we will deal with the offenders internally blah blah blah, the penguins do not condone or accept what we saw on the ice yesterday."
- flyershockey

flyershockey is a huge troll but I give credit where credit is due and I agree with this completely. I don't expect anything to be said until the playoffs are over but I do expect a statement from Mario at some point. Had he not made the comments earlier I wouldn't have felt as strongly but he really will look like the trolls favorite word (hypocrite) if he stays quiet after this.

1. How many games will the Penguins win against the Flyers in this series?
Probably none maybe one, depending on their mental state which at this point looks like they wheels have fallen off in that regard.

2. Is Sidney Crosby’s explanation of his actions Sunday credible because it’s “playoff hockey?” Would Sunday’s scenario played out any differently had it been the regular season? Should Crosby received the benefit of the doubt within the context of playoff hockey?
His explanation of his actions in that he hates the Flyers is fine, it's a big rivalry and it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone (except maybe Talbot as I thought they were friends). More so the problem is some of the stuff he did on the ice (not so much the thing with the glove that's kind of whatever). More the problem is the way he is acting it's clear that the Flyers are getting to him and his showing very little composure, and a time when his team seems to be falling a part as a leader of the team he should be the one telling others to reign it in and focus on hockey if they want to have a chance to win a game let alone the series. I doubt that any of this would have happened in the regular season it wouldn't have had two prior games building up the frustration, and I think the refs would taken a stronger hold on the game if it were the regular season.

3. Who is on the Penguins’ chopping block heading into the offseason – provided they don’t become the fourth team in history to win four straight (as the Flyers did against Boston in 2010)?
Asham and Sullivan are probably gone. Martin and Lovejoy should be gone, but it could be hard to move Martin. Perhaps Bylsma as well. He won a cup and is a good coach, but yesterday it looked like he had no control over this team.

4. Does anyone on the Pens deserve a raise?
Maybe Dupuis more so based on his regular season. Other than that a few guys look like they should be giving Mario back some money.

5. Are the Flyers this good or are the Penguins that bad?
Neither/both. The Flyers are a one of the few teams that could go goal for goal with the Penguins, and they're getting burned. It looks like the way the first two games went got the Penguins mentally and they're losing their composure now and they're play is falling off even more as a result.

6. Do you think the Pens would be down three nil against a different opponent? Should the league make a change to reward teams that finish second in conference points yet play the team with the third-most points in Round 1?
I doubt it, though it would depend who they were playing. I suppose it could have happened against the Rangers.

7. How has the quarterfinals matchup impacted your feeling toward the Penguins? If you were Mario Lemieux, what would you do?
As a Flyers fan I never liked the Penguins so not really at all. Though I was surprised by some off the Penguins actions yesterday. If I'm Lemieux I'm pretty embarrased right now (particularly with some of the comments he made after that Islanders debacle last year), and probably need to drop in on a team meeting or practice and tell them to get their heads on strait.
- whatthef

Thought this was a good post too.

Thought this was a good post too.
- canadianpenfan

I've been slacking

Saw this on Insider On Pittsburgh Sports:

I do find it funny though how everyone in Philly is blind to the fact that they have been praising the Flyers for acting the way we did yesterday for years and now that we turn into them it's a travesty. I'm embarrassed by the way we are playing and acting however we are doing nothing more than mirroring what the Flyers have been for 30 years.

So true!!!
- stevens87

Well the truth is the Flyers fans think they are a great team now but the truth is that the only thing covering up how bad their goaltending is our poor play. The Penguins have beat themselves in every game i've watched this series. Boston or New York won't be as generous as us.

I've been slacking
- Gunner Staal

I read through just to see if anyone posted anything terrible, I can see why you didn't feel like hanging around. Pretty much what I expected unfortunately. Anyway I had a long day, off to find something to eat in this Saskatchewan hotbed of a town I'm in. Wonder what the indian casino is frying up...

Well the truth is the Flyers fans think they are a great team now but the truth is that the only thing covering up how bad their goaltending is our poor play. The Penguins have beat themselves in every game i've watched this series. Boston or New York won't be as generous as us.
- lloyd095

To be fair, the goaltending and the team defense went very hand in hand through our season, and right now the Flyers are really opening up the offensive floodgates. Bryzgalov will have to be better, but I don't doubt he can be if the Flyers tighten it up again. It'd be nice to see Boston and New York exit early, though, and as we saw a couple years ago any team can be eliminated.

EDIT: On a similar note, I think Fleury deserves just a bit of slack. He hasn't helped the Penguins out at all in this series (except, in my opinion, early in game 1), but when a team defends poorly a goaltender suffers, and can lead to a huge dwindling in confidence. I wouldn't be shipping him out over this fiasco if I were Shero, considering how porous the Penguins have played.

EDIT 2: I edit a lot.

Well the truth is the Flyers fans think they are a great team now but the truth is that the only thing covering up how bad their goaltending is our poor play. The Penguins have beat themselves in every game i've watched this series. Boston or New York won't be as generous as us.
- lloyd095

But what I love during the past few days is how much the flyers fans love to be playing " the victim". Oh that mean James Neal, that mean Aaron Asham, than mean Craig Adams; our boys, present and past never acted like that.

To be fair, the goaltending and the team defense went very hand in hand through our season, and right now the Flyers are really opening up the offensive floodgates. Bryzgalov will have to be better, but I don't doubt he can be if the Flyers tighten it up again. It'd be nice to see Boston and New York exit early, though, and as we saw a couple years ago any team can be eliminated.

EDIT: On a similar note, I think Fleury deserves just a bit of slack. He hasn't helped the Penguins out at all in this series (except, in my opinion, early in game 1), but when a team defends poorly a goaltender suffers, and can lead to a huge dwindling in confidence. I wouldn't be shipping him out over this fiasco if I were Shero, considering how porous the Penguins have played.

EDIT 2: I edit a lot.
- BulliesPhan87

The Flyers are opening the floodgates because our defense and goaltending have been atrocious. Not to many teams are going to give away a 3 goal lead and a 2 goal lead in the playoffs.

To be fair, the goaltending and the team defense went very hand in hand through our season, and right now the Flyers are really opening up the offensive floodgates. Bryzgalov will have to be better, but I don't doubt he can be if the Flyers tighten it up again. It'd be nice to see Boston and New York exit early, though, and as we saw a couple years ago any team can be eliminated.

EDIT: On a similar note, I think Fleury deserves just a bit of slack. He hasn't helped the Penguins out at all in this series (except, in my opinion, early in game 1), but when a team defends poorly a goaltender suffers, and can lead to a huge dwindling in confidence. I wouldn't be shipping him out over this fiasco if I were Shero, considering how porous the Penguins have played.

EDIT 2: I edit a lot.
- BulliesPhan87

Bryz probably let in more soft goals than Fleury yesterday. It is a bit strange IMO how much flack Fleury is taking, and I'm generally the kind of fan that's hard on goalies. Once the coverage game in and game out is so poor, the goalie is gonna start thinking way too much about compensating for the porous D coverage and stop just focusing on stopping pucks. I think that's what Bryz's problem was most of the year, and to a degree it's his problem in this series. I can't imagine that Fleury's situation isn't analogous.

The Flyers are opening the floodgates because our defense and goaltending have been atrocious. Not to many teams are going to give away a 3 goal lead and a 2 goal lead in the playoffs.
- lloyd095

No doubt about it. But the Flyers offensive depth gives them a good shot at doing it on any given night, with the rookies playing as they have. A better team defensive effort will do the Flyer well, moving forward.

By the way, yes I think we have a great team. Flyers fans should think our team is great. A big gamble was taken turning this team over to add youth, and it's paid dividends. Veteran players are stepping their game up again, and if they continue to step up who knows where they go. And frankly, I don't give a damn if you're not convinced. You can call us delusional, I'm going to call you bitter.

Bryz probably let in more soft goals than Fleury yesterday. It is a bit strange IMO how much flack Fleury is taking, and I'm generally the kind of fan that's hard on goalies. Once the coverage game in and game out is so poor, the goalie is gonna start thinking way too much about compensating for the porous D coverage and stop just focusing on stopping pucks. I think that's what Bryz's problem was most of the year, and to a degree it's his problem in this series. I can't imagine that Fleury's situation isn't analogous.
- eayost

Bryz was not good yesterday, but he did show strong play through a lot of the first two games. And I agree the two goaltenders have analogous situations, because I think that's how goaltending goes. One hand washes the other, and the success of one bolsters the confidence of the other. Likewise, the weakness of one diminishes the capability of the other.

Bryz was not good yesterday, but he did show strong play through a lot of the first two games. And I agree the two goaltenders have analogous situations, because I think that's how goaltending goes. One hand washes the other, and the success of one bolsters the confidence of the other. Likewise, the weakness of one diminishes the capability of the other.
- BulliesPhan87

I think too much has been made of the goaltending. These teams are playing like it's an all-star game, except with hitting and fighting.

I think too much has been made of the goaltending. These teams are playing like it's an all-star game, except with hitting and fighting.
- eayost

+1

Washington Boston game is a good one. Back and forth all game.

Washington Boston game is a good one. Back and forth all game.
- kgrpitt

Backstrom took a match penalty at the end and is suspended at least one game.

Backstrom took a match penalty at the end and is suspended at least one game.
- Gunner Staal

What did he do?