Flyers vs. Penguins Game Two

If game 1 was any indication of how the rest of the series will go, I think I may have a coronary.

The Flyers were "lucky," in Timonen's words, to pull out a W in game 1. I agree. While the Flyers owned the play for the final 40 minutes of the regulation plus overtime, the bad habit of falling behind by a few goals early will kill any team, even one as good as Philadelphia.

This game is huge for the series. 1-1 or 2-0. That is a huge difference. The Flyers have to do what the Penguins failed to do on Wednesday, put a team away. The Flyers can start putting the Penguins away by grabbing game 2. The Penguins would then have to take both games in Philly to make it interesting. After blowing game 1 up 3-0, and then losing two straight home games, the Penguins may effectively be done.

On the other hand, if the Flyers fail to win they give all the life and momentum back to Pittsburgh. Yes, they did split Pitt's home ice advantage which is something needed by every lower seed. However, It would be a disappointment to let this opportunity slip them by.

A 2-0 lead could make this a shorter series, making it less toll on their bodies. This could lead to a longer playoff run.

A 1-1 tied series going back to Philly will most likely result in Philly being in a long, hard battle. If they win, they may be worse for the wear. Something that will affect them come the later rounds.

The Flyers showed, quite repeatedly, that their rookie centers can shut down the Pens' superstars. Both Schenn and Couturier were huge in the winning effort. Look for that to continue in Game 2. Even if Malkin or Crosby get on the score sheet, the rooks can still shut them down and make them less of a factor. 

If the Flyers play as physical as they did in Game 1, and come out ready to go, they should steal another win in Pittsburgh tonight. 

Here is the Flyers' TV Game Preview