Ann 22008 NHL Playoffs - Eastern Conference Finals: Penguins vs. Flyers Game 2 REVIEW
May 12th 2008 22:48
Penguins defeat Flyers 4-2 to take a 2-0 lead in the series.
Don't let the score fool you, the Flyers played a much better game this time around. They were down 1-0 at the end of the first period but Crosby's powerplay goal was nothing more than a lucky bounce the puck deflected off a Flyers defenseman's skate and beat Biron on the glove side. Philly equalized the mark 5 minutes into the second period through Jeff Carter, also on the powerplay. But then the Penguins took the lead once again on the powerplay after Marian Hossa cashed in on a Biron rebound. When the Penguins had another man advantage at the end of the second period, it was the perfect opportunity for them to take a 2-goal lead. However, the Flyers weren't about to quit and Mike Richards scored the equalizer on a breakaway while his team was shorthanded. By the beginning of the third period, it was obvious that the game could swing either way. Halfway through the third, Maxime Talbot celebrated his return from injury by scoring the Pens' third goal after a beautiful pass from Ryan Malone. The fourth goal was an empty-netter which reassured the Penguins and crushed the Flyers' hope.
The Flyers could have won that game. Two things prevented them from achieving that goal: indiscipline and Briθre's invisible act. The Flyers took ten penalties during the game. It's hard to build some offense when you're always defending. They were even luckier during a penalty in which the best defenseman was a broken stick lying on the ice. The stick was right between the blue line and the slot and moved around a bit. It prevented the Penguins from making those cross-ice passes they love so much, and their defensemen couldn't take low ice-level shots from the point. In Briθre's case, before these series, he had 3 game-winning goals and led the team in powerplay goals with 5. He's been pretty invisible in the Finals so far, scoreless in both games. If he's off, his linemates are off, and the Flyers are left hanging without their number one line. He has to play better in the next two games if the Flyers are to have a chance.
The Penguins shouldn't be too happy with themselves. Yes, they won the game and had a disallowed goal (more on that later), but they let the Flyers come back from behind twice in the game instead of trying to build a more comfortable lead. At 3-2, you could tell that they were getting nervous and praying for the Flyers' failure. Malkin wasn't as dominant as the first game and even though Crosby was their best player on the ice, his goal was a still a piece of luck.
About the disallowed goal, I don't quite remember when it happened but had it counted, the score would've been 2-0 Penguins instead of 1-1. Anyways, the puck hit the post, rolled inside the red line and was grabbed by Biron. Now, for it to be a goal, the puck has to cross the red line entirely. In this case, Biron' glove covered the puck right when it completely crossed the line. After a long review, they disallowed the goals because the video evidence wasn't conclusive enough. But I think it was a goal. The video didn't offer enough proof but what about common sense? The puck was rolling, it crossed the line and was covered by Biron's. It's physics, that's all. But I guess they wanted to see it on TV to be sure it was real. The Penguins won so it didn't really matter. But if they had lost, you would be hearing all about it today. It's a shame, really.
Don't let the score fool you, the Flyers played a much better game this time around. They were down 1-0 at the end of the first period but Crosby's powerplay goal was nothing more than a lucky bounce the puck deflected off a Flyers defenseman's skate and beat Biron on the glove side. Philly equalized the mark 5 minutes into the second period through Jeff Carter, also on the powerplay. But then the Penguins took the lead once again on the powerplay after Marian Hossa cashed in on a Biron rebound. When the Penguins had another man advantage at the end of the second period, it was the perfect opportunity for them to take a 2-goal lead. However, the Flyers weren't about to quit and Mike Richards scored the equalizer on a breakaway while his team was shorthanded. By the beginning of the third period, it was obvious that the game could swing either way. Halfway through the third, Maxime Talbot celebrated his return from injury by scoring the Pens' third goal after a beautiful pass from Ryan Malone. The fourth goal was an empty-netter which reassured the Penguins and crushed the Flyers' hope.
The Flyers could have won that game. Two things prevented them from achieving that goal: indiscipline and Briθre's invisible act. The Flyers took ten penalties during the game. It's hard to build some offense when you're always defending. They were even luckier during a penalty in which the best defenseman was a broken stick lying on the ice. The stick was right between the blue line and the slot and moved around a bit. It prevented the Penguins from making those cross-ice passes they love so much, and their defensemen couldn't take low ice-level shots from the point. In Briθre's case, before these series, he had 3 game-winning goals and led the team in powerplay goals with 5. He's been pretty invisible in the Finals so far, scoreless in both games. If he's off, his linemates are off, and the Flyers are left hanging without their number one line. He has to play better in the next two games if the Flyers are to have a chance.
The Penguins shouldn't be too happy with themselves. Yes, they won the game and had a disallowed goal (more on that later), but they let the Flyers come back from behind twice in the game instead of trying to build a more comfortable lead. At 3-2, you could tell that they were getting nervous and praying for the Flyers' failure. Malkin wasn't as dominant as the first game and even though Crosby was their best player on the ice, his goal was a still a piece of luck.
About the disallowed goal, I don't quite remember when it happened but had it counted, the score would've been 2-0 Penguins instead of 1-1. Anyways, the puck hit the post, rolled inside the red line and was grabbed by Biron. Now, for it to be a goal, the puck has to cross the red line entirely. In this case, Biron' glove covered the puck right when it completely crossed the line. After a long review, they disallowed the goals because the video evidence wasn't conclusive enough. But I think it was a goal. The video didn't offer enough proof but what about common sense? The puck was rolling, it crossed the line and was covered by Biron's. It's physics, that's all. But I guess they wanted to see it on TV to be sure it was real. The Penguins won so it didn't really matter. But if they had lost, you would be hearing all about it today. It's a shame, really.
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