By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/
Destiny might have a new home, as the Penguins insist, but so does a 22-year-old Russian rookie named Sergei Bobrovsky, and like it or not, it's the very same swanky place.
The young Philadelphia Flyers goalie might be from Novokuznetsk, but Bobrovsky looks stunningly at home on Penguin ice, unless Tuesday night's 5-2 victory against Marc-Andre Fleury was simply a bonus-content rerun of his 3-2 victory against Marc-Andre Fleury on Oct. 29, which was unlikely to have been a rerun of his 3-2 victory against Marc-Andre Fleury three weeks before that.
No, there's no need to consult your local listings. The Flyers have now beaten the Penguins in all three of this season's appointments at 1001 Fifth Ave., a virtual mirror images hat trick that might throw a shadow over the postseason.
Penguins coach Dan Bylsma declined in invitation to address the significance of three Bobrovsky victories against his franchise goalie in Fleury's building, but allowed that the Flyers got superb goaltending at critical times.
"I think we, somewhat disappointingly, didn't capitalize on some good chances," Bylsma said. "But the Letang play was a strong save certainly, and he made some strong plays in traffic. I think we probably left him off the hook early when we had some pretty good shots on net, and we get only 11 shots halfway through the hockey game, that's not where we want to be."
What this third flop to the Flyers means in the stark aftermath is merely that the Flyers will almost certainly hang on to win the Atlantic Division and the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, or at least without further protest from a battered Penguins team that insisted its post-Crosby goal was nothing less than that.
There's little point in even the suggestion that Philly does not deserve it, as Tuesday night's effort means the Flyers have not only set a franchise record with 25 road wins, but now own a thunderously efficient 16-3-2 record against its Atlantic whipping boys.
That Flyers coach Peter Laviolette has continued to waffle on the identity of his postseason goalie, perhaps in an attempt not to ruffle the veteran Brian Boucher, seems just a little anti-climactic as the Broad Streeters head toward the playoffs as a pretty clear conference favorite.
The difference between the Flyers and the Penguins might best be expressed in the way they've played 5-on-5 this season, as neither team has been even competent with a man advantage (the Penguins are two for their past 59 on the power play). With all hands on deck, the Penguins have scored just 12 more goals than their opponents. In that same situation, Philly's goal advantage is 32.
But for this final regular-season episode, the difference was clearly Bobrovsky.
"This is always such a big rivalry so this was a really big win, obviously," said Flyers defenseman Sean O'Donnell, who set up Claude Giroux for the goal that overturned the Penguins' 2-1 lead just 47 seconds after Scott Hartnell tied it in the second period. "It was nice to get that lead back because their team is playing really structured now. When you're missing two key players like they are, they don't give you many chances when they get the lead.
"I think Bob[rovsky] played well but the big thing was the timing of his saves."
Bobrovsky was colossal at the start of the third period, turning away both Max Talbot and Pascal Dupuis on a two-on-one less than two minutes in. Talbot had a great chance and Dupuis an equally hugh opportunity on Talbot's rebound, but neither shot went in. Thirty-five seconds later, Bobrovsky stoned Talbot again, and two minutes after that, frustrated the snot out of Letang on the play Bylsma cited.
"Normally before games I'm a little nervous, but once it started I settled down right away," Bobrovsky smiled to a translator on the matter if the urgency of Tuesday night had impact on him. "It doesn't matter that I've beaten Fleury three times here. It's always good to get any win against any goalie."
He wouldn't likely have gotten this one had it not been for a brilliant cadenza midway through the second, when Bobrovsky stopped Chris Conner and Letang with dazzling saves 19 seconds apart. Leading at that point 2-1, the Penguins missed a chance to blow the game open and perhaps alter the course of near-term Atlantic Division history.
This is the same 22-year-old who prevented the Penguins from opening the new playpen with a victory, the night he became the youngest Flyers goaltender ever to win an opener. He might not be able to prevent from winning something a lot more meaningful in the coming month, but I wouldn't put it past him.
Gene Collier: gcollier@post-gazette.com
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11089/1135658-61.stm#ixzz1I71OYxTZ
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