NHL Gameday Sunday - Flyers still fighting against Pens
The Philadelphia Flyers got off to a blazing start, which was the difference in their huge Game 4 win. But now, they will head to Mellon Arena to face the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 5 on Sunday for another chance to stay alive in this year's NHL playoffs.
Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins – 3:00 PM ET
The Flyers raced out to a 3-0 lead after the first period, and had to hang on for a 4-2 win as the Penguins turned up the heat in the final stanza. Joffrey Lupul tallied a pair of goals, while Scotty Hartnell added three assists for the Flyers, who were outshot 38-34 in the contest. Martin Biron had his best game of the series with a 36-save performance, but the key to the game may have been the decision to put Mike Richards on a line with the struggling Daniel Briere, who managed to score one of Philadelphia's two power-play goals.
Jordan Staal scored both of the Pittsburgh goals, with assists going to Maxime Talbot and Tyler Kennedy each time. But the Penguins' big trio of Sidney Crosby, Marian Hossa and Evgeni Malkin were kept under wraps by the Flyers, and Crosby in particular was frustrated by Philadelphia's rough tactics, as evidenced by an end-of-game scrum with Richards. Marc-Andre Fleury made 30 saves for the Penguins.
The Penguins are -260 favorites to close out the series at home, where they are 7-0 so far in the postseason. The Flyers will need a similar start to Game 4, but it is highly unlikely as the Pittsburgh fans will be in full voice. The Flyers may get injured defensemen Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn back for Game 5, but if they are not at 100%, the Penguins will abuse them with their team speed. Look for the Penguins to advance to the Stanley Cup final with a victory on Sunday.
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