dshoalts@globeandmail.com
Toronto Globe & Mail
May 19, 2008
PITTSBURGH - MAY 18: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins makes a charge against Vaclav Prospal #40 of the Philadelphia Flyers as Pascal Dupuis #9 skates by during the first period of game five of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Mellon Arena on May 18, 2008 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins are a team long on talent and desire, but their success can be summed up quickly.
"We set the tone," head coach Michel Therrien said shortly after the Penguins earned a trip to the Stanley Cup final for the first time since 1992 by dominating the Philadelphia Flyers 6-0 yesterday.
"We were really sharp offensively, we concentrated really well defensively. When there were a few breakdowns, Fleury was outstanding."
Fleury is Marc-André Fleury, the Penguins' 23-year-old goaltender. He did not have to work particularly hard yesterday against the Flyers, but when they presented a small threat early in the second period, he made two big saves, and a few minutes later, the Penguins ran away with the game.
With Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marian Hossa and Sergei Gonchar handling the offence, and Ryan Whitney, Hal Gill, Rob Scuderi and Brooks Orpik taking care of the defence along with Fleury, the Penguins have more weapons than any NHL team of recent vintage.
As they like to say, they can play the game away you want: offensive, defensive, physical, and even - once they establish a lead - with a smothering neutral-zone trap.
The Flyers can certainly testify to that after being knocked out in five games in the Eastern Conference final.
"[The Penguins] got rolling and it just seemed like - it hadn't happened all year - but our spirit was a little bit broken there," Flyers coach John Stevens said.
The most important ingredient in the Penguins' makeup is talent. But that is supplemented by two other essentials, according to Stevens.
"First of all, they've got very talented players," he said. "On top of that, their talented players have a great passion for the game. And their [coaching] staff has really got them to buy into a real team game.
"So they've got the three ingredients, in my opinion, you need in terms of a team. They're solid in every position. The goalie is playing great, obviously. The back end has experience. They've got big guys who are puck movers and big guys who are stay-at-home, and they've got great depth up front."
PITTSBURGH - MAY 18: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates after scoring a goal at 9:50 of the first period as goaltender Martin Biron #43 of the Philadelphia Flyers reacts during game five of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Philadelphia Flyers at Mellon Arena on May 18, 2008 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Once the Penguins established a two-goal lead against the Flyers, they brought out their trap game, one that is not advertised as much as their offence. Therrien does not like to use the T-word, preferring to call his team's defensive game "controlling the ice."
And control it they did. Once they were ahead 2-0, the Penguins went to a 1-4 trap, taking over the neutral zone.
The difference with the Penguins is that they can switch back into their offensive mode quicker than anyone. This was shown in a marvellous sequence just after Fleury made two saves in succession on Daniel Briére and Scott Hartnell early in the second period.
Mike Richards, the Flyers' best forward in the series, carried the puck into the Penguins' zone. But he didn't see Crosby, who wheeled behind him, lifted his stick and started a rush the other way.
At the end of a three-way passing play with Hossa scoring, the Penguins had a 3-0 lead and added a power-play goal a little more than three minutes later to turn the game into a rout.
This leaves an interesting battle ahead for the Penguins, who have lost just two games so far in the playoffs. Assuming the Detroit Red Wings will finally put the Dallas Stars away in the Western Conference final, the Penguins will face a complete team with more experience.
However, the Red Wings are weaker in one crucial spot: goal. Chris Osgood is not Fleury's equal, which could be fatal given the quality of the Penguins' shooters.
Fleury came into the season with a lot of questions surrounding him. But after he returned from an ankle injury late in the season, he began living up to the promise the Penguins saw when they took him first overall in the 2003 draft.
Now, the entire team is firing on all cylinders.
Peter Diana/Post-Gazette
Penguins Marc-Andre Fleury makes save against the Flyers in the second period.
Crosby was not quite as good as Malkin in the first two rounds, but hit his stride in this one. Malkin's play receded against the Flyers - and Therrien was unhappy enough to call him in for a chat - but he was much better yesterday.
Hossa shook off his reputation as an uninspired playoff performer to score big goals. And Gonchar, once known as all-offence, was easily the best defenceman in the series.
Soon, the Penguins will do something else for the first time since 1992 - win the Stanley Cup.
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