Defenseman Kimmo Timonen was found to have a blood clot in his left ankle and will likely miss the remainder of the playoffs.

"My biggest disappointment is that Kimmo is not able to continue on," coach John Stevens said. "He's been such a big part of our team."

Before the season began, the Flyers lost Scottie Upshall to a fractured wrist. During the season, they lost Simon Gagne, Mike Richards, Joffrey Lupul and Derian Hatcher to injuries.

For every setback, they had the resilience to bounce back and move ahead. But especially in the conference finals, this injury is a major blow.

Timonen held a key to success against the Penguins on the power play, and especially in containing Russian star Evgeni Malkin.

Stevens said Jaroslav Modry would likely return to the lineup. Timonen's partner, Braydon Coburn, figures to be reunited with Hatcher.

"We'll come up with something that works," Stevens said. "You're not going to replace him. . . . Obviously, on the power play, it's a big loss."

The Penguins enjoy playing with the puck. They amuse themselves with a half-dozen tight passes, taunting the opposition as if to say, "Try taking it from us."

Then they bury a shot.

The Flyers are not a puck-possession team. They like to hit you and hurt you, and if those back boards don't shake every 45-50 seconds or so, it's not Flyers hockey.

That describes the two styles of play in this series.

Before learning of his injury, Timonen said that puck control was vital to the Flyers' success.

"If we can keep the puck, make plays, then we're taking away a lot from [Sidney] Crosby and Malkin, because they really like to hold the puck and make plays," he said.

The truth is, no one on the Flyers is as good at holding onto the puck as Timonen.

On paper, everything favors the Penguins, given their array of talent. Yet the Flyers are the more dangerous team because they are so unpredictable. Plus, as Crosby has pointed out, they have the most balanced scoring attack of any team still playing.

Danny Briere is third in playoff scoring with eight goals and 14 points. R.J. Umberger has scored nine postseason goals. The Flyers have eight players with three or more playoff goals.

Who would have guessed Umberger would score a club-record eight goals in a five-game series? Can the native of Plum Borough near Pittsburgh continue to have that impact?

"I can just imagine it's probably going to be one of the most intense times of my life," Umberger said. "I don't know if you can keep that exact pace up. . . .  I've been shooting the puck a lot more. Sometimes when you shoot the puck, it finds a way to get in the net."

This series will be about self-discipline. The Penguins have perhaps the most feared youth movement in hockey with Crosby, Malkin, Jordan Staal and Ryan Malone. And then there's veteran Marian Hossa. They strike quickly and unexpectedly and are adept at coming from behind.

And these Penguins pack a snarl with Gary Roberts, Jarkko Ruutu and Georges Laraque. Their defense is surprisingly strong, anchored by Sergei Gonchar and Brooks Orpik, while goalie Marc-Andre Fleury boasts a 1.76 goals-against average.

The Flyers' Marty Biron has proven himself a worthy adversary in goal in these playoffs, but he may have to play even better.

"Every series, our defensive game got better, and I think that is how my play gets better, too," Biron said.

If the Flyers take undisciplined penalties, they will have to deal with a Penguins power play reminiscent of the days of Mario Lemieux.

And the penalty-killing unit now lacks Timonen as well. The Flyers are facing daunting odds to even give the Penguins a long series.

"I would never count these guys out," Stevens said. "They're capable of great things."

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