Flyers gain stranglehold
Flyers 8, Penguins 4
Flyers gain stranglehold
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
What we have learned through three games and three victories for the Flyers against the Pittsburgh Penguins:
That goaltending in the playoffs can be overrated.
That rookies in the playoffs can play like veterans.
That fighting is still a part of playoff hockey.
That the Penguins are barely breathing.
And as the game wound down, the crowd at the Wells Fargo Center chanted, “You can‘t beat us.” And they haven’t so far. The final score on Sunday afternoon was Flyers 8, Penguins 4. They go for the astounding sweep of the series on Wednesday night.
This one was part circus, part wrestling match, and wholly outrageous. There were 72 penalty minutes in the first period and a wild series of brawls in the final 5 minutes of the third period. Somewhere, Gene Hart is smiling.
But in between, the game was wild and wide open and the goaltending was pedestrian on the Flyers‘ end and godawful on the Penguins‘ end, and that was that. Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has been terrible in the series, to put it charitably, and he was finally yanked after the second period and replaced by backup Brent Johnson.
Naturally, Claude Giroux scored on the first shot Johnson saw. Or maybe he didn’t see it.
There isn't a lot to say here. The Penguins were the Las Vegas betting favorite to win the Stanley Cup and now they are on the brink of elimination after three games of the first round. A young, young Flyers team has rollicked and rolled and fought and feasted on opportunity after opportunity provided by a Penguins team that has completely abandoned any semblance of defensive play (or teamwork, for that matter).
At this point, it seems all over but the misconducts.
However, you will defend that gutless Captain Cindy when someone even looks in his direction. He is a punk, gets away with murder. He started that whole 1st period assulat and got nothing for it. ITs a proven fact he is protected by the league. He knows it and used it to his advantage. Don;t comment unless you reallt know the meaning of a true hockey player.— phillyfan1- cheap shot losers, what do you expect from a city who's starting quarterback is a rapist???— seeker58
- Are we going to do anything in retaliation to Neal?
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It's not the time to run after guins...there's alot of games to be won,starting with game 4,the Flyers have a history of taking care of bussiness,I am not worried...
Revenge....a dish better served cold...— mean mean pride,mean mean pride. - Exactly, mean pride. Gordie Howe is famous for telling his teammates that "You've got all next season to even the score". Flyers should come out smoking, sweep these crybabies and settle the score with Neal, et al next year.
— backhand - It will be interesting to see what if any disciplinary action will be taken against the Pens after this complete meltdown in game #3. This is the organization that has been put front and centre by the league as all that is good about hockey. Now the NHL has to put its money where its mouth is with regard to head shots and general thugary. The Penguins organization from the owner right on down have condemded the very type of behavior exhibited today against the Flyers. I think it's safe to say they have zero credibility now after this hypocritical dislpay. I hope the NHL does the right thing and suspends both Asham and Neil. As for Crosby, he may be a gifted player but he truely is a mental midget.— slappywagflyers16
- Best post so far...top,dead,center slappywagsflyers16,
imagine if the Flyers had done the running around today.— mean mean pride,mean mean pride. - Composure and Character. When the Flyers got down by 3 and 2 goals in the first 2 games they showed character, kept their composure, played hockey and staged thrilling comebacks. The Pens (a/k/a "bobbleheads" for all their diving) showed their lack of character by losing their composure, intentionally starting fights and clearly attempting to injure the Flyers. I guess that is the only way they think they can win is to play against the Adirondack Phantoms— Starbuck99
- Craig Adams will be suspended - Instigation in the last 5 mins of the game is automatic!— PapaDrom
- Let's analyze this.
Adams pulls Hartnell's hair from behind. Hartnell will get suspended.
Asham crosschecks Schenn in the face, and then punches him in the back of the head while Schenn is face down on the ice. Schenn will get suspended for two games.
Neal delivers a cheap-shot to the head of Couturier. Couturier will get suspended.
The announcers on NHL Tonight are already making excuses for the Penguins players (Asham, Neal, Adams) so you know the fix is in. They work for the NHL and if they thought Brenden Shanahan was going to suspend any of them they would not have taken the Penguins' backs so publicly and so vociferously.
— backhand 
Comment removed.- One game at a time. Crosby is a punk. It looks like Pitts. are pooooor loosers.— John From Richmond Va
- Awfully classless exhibition by the Penguins. The refs were clueless. They obviously couldn't tell the difference between a tough, hard fought hockey game and one where a frustrated and embarassed team indulged their anger by taking intentional runs to injure some of the best players on the oponents team. They are very lucky the game didn't get completely out of control. I know this was a national broadcast and they want to show hockey as a tough man's game but they went overboard with what they allowed and the game devolved into a head hunting disgrace. The Penguins have a team persona similar to the personality of their star player...spoiled, entitled, indulged and of questionable character. The playoffs will be well rid of them and of him wednesday night.— Chrisnchris
- Time to thump Crosby's melon. Turn out the lights on that rancid little turd for good.— Hame of Famer
- Byslma is a dirtbag... So is Mario... Obviously, it comes from on high...— DroppedaKingDunlap
