Flyers get buried, 10-3
Penguins 10, Flyers 3
Flyers get buried, 10-3
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
Well, then. Maybe this is happening a little earlier than we thought, given how the first three games of the series went, but it was going to happen sometime this spring, and now it has. We have arrived at the point in the proceedings where the coach earns his money.
The Flyers’ Peter Laviolette has an exciting, young group in his dressing room -- many of them new to the team and many of them involved in their first playoff experience -- and that young group has just been knocked off of the wave it was riding and made to swallow a bucketload of seawater besides.
Penguins 10, Flyers 3.
And now we will find out some things.
The care and feeding of the ego of starting goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov is one bit of business for the coach in the next daty. Laviolette yanked Bryz at 3:07 of the second period, after Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang ripped a shot past him on the power play that gave the Penguins a 5-3 lead. Whatever the message being sent -- Bryzgalov was bad but not godawful, which admittedly might be a difference without a distinction -- is known only to the coach. As it turned out, backup Sergei Bobrovsky was even worse.
But smoothing over things in goal isn’t the half of Laviolette’s task. They all can mouth the words that this was just one game, and that we still have a three-games-to-one lead in the series, and that the pressure is still on the Penguins, and blah blah blah. Saying it is one thing, though. Believing it is another.
Laviolette needs to make them believe it.
A lot of these guys do not have a road map. This is a new group, with new leaders and lots of new followers, and Wednesday night really was a horror show. The goaltending was bad, yes, but the Penguins fell behind, got ahead, fell behind again after a bunch of penalties left them shorthanded seemingly forever, and then pulled ahead again. There was enough fight in that group to assure an interesting Game 5 on Friday night at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.
But that was only part of it -- because the Flyers completely turtled beneath the avalanche. There is no pretending. They weren’t going to win the game, but they were the ones who stopped skating. They were the ones who took the dumb, undisciplined penalties. “Unglued” might be too strong a word but “overwhelmed” would not be.
Ten is a very big number. It has resuscitated the Penguins, and nobody can argue that it has not. That said, the Flyers still have the home-ice advantage. They still need only one more and the Penguins still need three. This is still supposed to be their series, even after everything. And there is no question that all of the right things will be said in the coming hours and days.
But, in the end, they will just be words.
The momentum just swung right back to Pittsburgh. This will be a series again and things could get ugly fast.— ESFjellin- ESF? You are the quintessential Phillies apologist and pie in the sky optimist. I love the Phils, but have the objectivity to see their warts. Don't become a rookie hockey fan, who doesn't understand the game, and is so pessimistic. Please keep projecting WS wins for the Phils, and OUR Flyers will be just fine. GO FLYERS!!
- Off the high horse dude. I see plenty of problems with the Phils and Flyers. If you want to cast the blind faith towards the Flyers, knock yourself out. I hope they win, I really do but I also know the Pens have way to much talent to go down the way they have so far. I also know the Flyers have a big block of swiss cheese for a goalie and he is the ultimate x-factor. That being said, the Pens needed this and the Flyers should handle them in game 5 or 6. Pens might have 'shot their load' so to say. — ESFjellin
- Flyers fans - Everytime a TROLL from Pittsburgh tries to post on the board, click on the report abuse button. Enough reorts and tehy will be gone. — Daddio
- Hey Daddio, You sure are taking the "high road". Whenever someone questions your viewpoint, you try to "take them out". You are the quintessential Philadelphia sports fan bonehead. Go ahead, whine again and file a "fake abuse" Typical Philly Loser! Nothing ever changes in the Delaware Valley. Go Pens!! — fetko
- Loser - I have way too much class to visit another teams message board (unlike you lowlife trolls who come here). This board is for Flyers fans not other teams fans. What compells someone to post on another teams board. You all must be sick, sick people. — Daddio
- Wow. Lost in all the fun of the first three games of this series was the fact that our goaltending wasn't very good. Tonight it was embarrassing.— Oak46
- Nothing to be worried about. And no sense in trying to cast any doubt.— gpants
- 3games to 1........relax— fman727
- Goaltending exposed for what it is. Wouldn't be the playoffs without a Flyers goalie carousel!— jibberjabber
- take a good look at tape- defense was pathetic!!!! stand around looking at puck- they forget how to get down and block a shot. bryz looked like he was sleeping— psychockey
- No Goaltending = No Sweep = No Cup = $51 million down the drain
Same story different year— kadhia - TROLL - go drown yourself in a puddle.... — Daddio
- also, like how rinaldo get thrown out for a little roughing but neal gets nothing for the hit on couturier. refs made this a very boring game - calling every little thing- flyers deserved the loss- a disgrace to be on the ice and play like that— psychockey
WARNING: Reports of Pittsburgh trolls in the area have been reported. Be advised. Hide yo wife and hide yo kids.
