PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, May 10, 2008
PITTSBURGH - MAY 09: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins takes the shot that would score a short-handed second period goal making the score 4-2 over the Philadelphia Flyers in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Mellon Arena on May 9, 2008 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
What were they thinking?
Minus Kimmo Timonen, their best defenseman, the quarterback of their power play and the facilitator of their fast-break, what were the Flyers doing trying to play run-and-gun with the Penguins on Friday night at Mellon Arena?
Here it was, Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final, a time for grit and character and patience and, above all else, puck possession.
And there were the Flyers, playing pick-up basketball.
At this pace, the Pens will have "next" all the way to the final.
They weren't especially sharp themselves in the early going of Game 1, and still they coasted, relatively speaking, to a 4-2 victory.
The turnovers kept on coming, and the quick-strike Penguins kept making the Flyers pay.
Philly's Plan B for Game 2 ought to include a lot of dumping and chasing and cycling and trying to slow the game down and maintain possession in the Penguins' end.
Instead, an inability to play keep-away backfired repeatedly.
In the process, it was revealed that even Evgeni Malkin can score on a breakaway when given two chances in 30 or so seconds.
It was Malkin who had gotten the Penguins started after a first-period turnover by Philadelphia winger Patrick Thoresen at the Pens' blue line. After gaining possession, the Pens quickly turned on the jets and so many Flyers covered Malkin on the ensuing rush that Petr Sykora had all the time and space he needed to make goaltender Martin Biron appear overwhelmed.
PITTSBURGH - MAY 09: Sidney Crosby #68 of the Pittsburgh Penguins waits for the puck to drop during a face off in the second period against the Philadelphia Flyers in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Mellon Arena on May 9, 2008 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Penguins won the game 4-2 and lead the series 1-0. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
A Biron turnover on a misguided backhand clearing attempt from behind his net directly set up the Penguins' second goal, a deft tip from the slot by Sidney Crosby that made it 2-2 at 14:11 of the first period.
And with the period winding down, Philly winger Scottie Upshall simply gave the puck away, sliding it from the Flyers' side of the blue line into the neutral zone even though he wasn't pressured.
What was he thinking?
Pens defenseman Ryan Whitney pounced on the mistake and fired a pass to Malkin on what instantly became a bang-bang buzzer-beater that gave the Pens a 3-2 lead 6.5 seconds prior to the first intermission.
Anyone else sense a trend right about then?
In the second period, the Flyers afforded Malkin his consecutive opportunities to burn them.
The second of those resulted from center Daniel Briere whiffing on a shot and then turning the puck over following a check from Marian Hossa.
One more long breakout pass later, and the puck was behind Biron again.
We'd seen that fish before, although the goal coming short-handed at least provided a variation on the theme.
The Penguins had just 17 shots after two periods and had skated with the man-advantage on just one occasion.
The turnover-induced opportunities provided by the Flyers saw to it that periods of extended pressure weren't necessary.
Such continued carelessness on the Flyers' part will make for a short, one-sided series.
So will giving Crosby so much space to operate that his available options included gaining entry into the offensive zone, cutting back across the ice and then wheeling back toward the blue line, which was precisely the case during one second-period shift.
What were they thinking?
And what if that's the best Philadelphia can come up with?
Mike Prisuta is a columnist for the Tribune-Review. He can be reached at mprisuta@tribweb.com or 412-320-7923.
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