The Confluence
Game One: Penguins coast over Flyers, 4-1
by Tony on 04/15/09 at 09:35 PM ET
Comments (8)
One of the bigger keys in this series in my view was going to be the Flyers’ attempt at defending the balanced attack of the Penguins.
For one game anyway the Pens passed that test with flying colors. All four of the Penguins’ lines regularly came at the Flyers with speed and controlled the play for the majority of the game, fueling the Pens to a dominating 4-1 win over the Flyers tonight at the Igloo.
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin both scored for the Penguins, while Marc-Andre Fleury, who didn’t really have to be spectacular, made 26 saves for the big Game One win.
Conversely, Flyers’ goalie Martin Biron continued to have his problems vs. the Penguins. Biron stopped 29 of 33 shots, but allowed a couple of goals that some might consider to be of the soft variety.
The first period was nearly entirely played in the Flyers’ zone. The Penguins used their speed and aggressiveness to establish a good forecheck and had several good cycling shifts.
The Penguins took advantage of the first of several Flyers’ penalties to get on the scoreboard quickly in the first period. After an Arron Asham neutral zone hooking penalty, on the powerplay Malkin fed the puck from behind the net to Crosby, who was able to get enough on the puck to slide it underneath Biron, hitting the post then Biron’s skate and into the net to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead.
They doubled their lead early in the second period when Tyler Kennedy and Jordan Staal came into the Flyers’ zone on a 2-on-1 break. With the Flyers’ defenseman taking away the pass, Kennedy patiently waited then fired what looked like a knuckleball of a wrister that Biron couldn’t handle to pad the Pens’ lead to 2-0 at the 1:39 mark.
The Flyers played much better in the second period, though. They had several good shifts in the Pens’ zone, but the Pens’ defense for the most part kept their high-scoring wingers to the perimeter and away from Fleury, and as a result were unsuccessful in getting anything past him, keeping the Pens’ lead going into the third period at 2-0.
About six minutes into the third, Malkin provided yet more proof why he’s been the most dominating player in the game this season. Using his relentless forecheck, he forced a bad pass from the Flyers’ defensemen back to the Flyers’ net, where it rebounded back towards Malkin. He then waited until Biron dove for the puck and slid a backhanded shot into the net to give them a commanding 3-0 lead.
The lead ballooned to 4-0 a few minutes later when Crosby won a faceoff and slid it back to Kris Letang, who dished it quickly to Mark Eaton. Eaton simply threw the puck on net, where it appeared to deflect off a Flyers defenseman’s stick and past Biron for the goal at the 10:27 mark.
The Flyers got their only tally of the night on their own powerplay late in the third period when Mike Richards’ second hit post of the night rebounded right to the stick of Simon Gagne, who banged it into the net to cut the Pens’ lead to 4-1.
The Flyers, as expected, gooned it up in the waning minutes, with several penalties.
Other notes:
- A big key tonight was the Penguins NOT retaliating to the Flyers physicality. The only retaliation was in the final minute after a Ryan Parent cross checking penalty on Jordan Staal to the end boards. Bill Guerin dropped the gloves with Braydon Coburn at the next faceoff.
- Flyers’ Kimmo Timonen looked to injure his knee early in the game after a check by new father Chris Kunitz.
- The Pens’ powerplay technically went 1-for-9, but some of those were in the final minute. Overall though, while they got the first goal, they weren’t very fluid with the man advantage, including only five shots on goal. They could definitely do better.
- Letang and Eaton led the Pens with +2.
- 67 hits between both teams. Craig Adams and Brooks Orpik led the Pens with five hits each.
- Speaking of Adams, IHCDB would be smart to keep him in the lineup. There is no use for Eric Godard at this time.
- The big lead for the Pens resulted in only 17 minutes of ice time for both Crosby and Malkin.
- Only one giveaway credited to the Penguins tonight.
- Orpik had eight blocked shots tonight.
- Great night for the Pens in the faceoff circle, including Crosby going 12-for-16 and Staal going 11-for-14.
They’ll be back at it on Friday night at the Igloo for Game Two.
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Comments
Speaking of Adams, IHCDB would be smart to keep him in the lineup. There is no use for Eric Godard at this time.
Exactly. Adams was great tonight.
The big lead for the Pens resulted in only 17 minutes of ice time for both Crosby and Malkin.
This will help down the road. Rolling 4 lines as much as possible only helps the penguins chances of lasting through the playoffs.
Great night for the Pens in the faceoff circle, including Crosby going 12-for-16 and Staal going 11-for-14.
I can not remember a time in the past 5 years that the penguins were so dominant in the faceoff circle.
Posted by Gretzky_to_Lemieux on 04/15/09 at 09:53 PM ET
Did anyone else notice the cheap shot that Carcillo put on Talbot on the final face off? I looked at it several times on my DVR. Right in front of the ref!!. Carcillo did not go for the puck at all. He pulled his stick off the ice as Talbot was going for the puck. Talbot was was getting in position to shield Carcillo from the puck and Carcillo came across the back of Talbot’s head and neck with the upper part of his stick. Carcillo had no intent of playing the puck it was a blatant foul intended to injure Talbot. I think the refs and the announcers missed a major mugging and should be reviewed by the NHL.
Posted by NCpensfan from Statesville, NC on 04/15/09 at 10:09 PM ET
That was one boring 2nd period. Looked more like a circa 2000 Devils mid-season game.
What is it about the Flyers? I swear, for so long its hard to remember, they can be good, but also so undisciplined and mentally fragile. Back in the Lindros days, they could win 10 straight, followed by losing 10 straight. This season was like that in some ways. Does it start with Ed Snyder, the owner? Clarke has essentially an executive/ welfare position with the team, but is it him? They remind me so much of that Pee-Wee team with the hot-headed moron for a coach that loses it whenever faced with adversity. (and thats not to blame Stevens..he seems pretty even keeled)
Its not toughness. A few weeks ago after the Wings came back to beat them, Paul posted that he’d received many emails from Flyers fans that Detroit wouldn’t be able to match Philly physically. I don’t know where that comes from. Tonight the Pens were far more physical, as they were last year in the playoffs. Maybe the Flyers are more physical during one of those mid-season games against a disinterested opponent, but when they are matched physically in a meaningful game, they inevitably become undisciplined.
The Pens looked pretty good tonight, but not as good as they are capable of being. Crosby was great in the face-off circle. Its also ironic that the typical knock on him and Malkin that they aren’t primary penalty killers was high-lighted on the local Philly broadcast as a good thing, as it keeps them better rested in a series like this, where Richards and Gagne will get exhausted. It’ll be interesting to see how this one plays out.
Posted by dip from philly on 04/15/09 at 10:13 PM ET
NCPen,
I saw Talbot go down and assumed he’d been sticked (it is the Flyers, after all), but I didn’t see the actual foul. Since when does Carcillo even take draws?
Say hello to Lake Norman and Bill’s Marina for me.
Posted by dip from philly on 04/15/09 at 10:16 PM ET
NCpensfan—I saw Talbot go down after the draw, but I didn’t notice Carcillo’s actions. Carcillo isn’t even a center, did the Flyers C get kicked out of the draw or did they send him in to do damage?
Either way, not cool—especially since Max and Carcillio were former teammates down in Wilkes-Barre, you would think that Carcillio would have a little more respect than that, in the dying seconds when the game has been decided. Why cheap-shot a guy then? I’m sure the Pens will take his number and look for him next time.
Posted by Hooks Orpik on 04/15/09 at 10:17 PM ET
I didn’t see the hit at all…
Of course, I had to watch the Versus feed, unfortunately…
Posted by Tony F from Virginia Beach, VA on 04/15/09 at 10:30 PM ET
Yeah FSN showed the replay of Carcillo hitting Talbot. Who cares though, its nothing worse then what we’ve seen the entire league do to Crosby since he entered the league. Max will get him back before the series is over.
Posted by kstewy16 on 04/15/09 at 11:37 PM ET
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Flyers are Toast & they know it, That’s why they gooned it up late, The Know the Pens are Bigger, Faster, Stronger, Hungrier than the Flyers & the HUGE advantage they Have is their 3rd Line of TK-Staal & Cooke is possibly the Best 3rd Line in the League & in Goal also
Posted by Evilpens on 04/15/09 at 09:49 PM ET