[Tocchet22]

here is one of them
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08131/880812-61.stm

Cook: If Penguins keep this up, Flyers will be cast aside quickly
It isn't too early to talk sweep
Saturday, May 10, 2008
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Is it too late to pick the Penguins in three games?

OK, enough with the wise-guy stuff, but, really, is there any reason to think the series with the Philadelphia Flyers will go more than four?

I don't see one.

Reality hit the Flyers hard at Mellon Arena last night when the Penguins swarmed them with their world-class talent and won Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, 4-2. It will rock 'em even harder this morning when they wake up and realize it won't be any easier in the three games ahead without their best player, defenseman Kimmo Timonen.

Talk about your one-two punches.

It's hard to imagine the Flyers getting back up.

Game 1 was the one the Flyers needed to steal. The Penguins came out just a bit flat, at least defensively.

That was to be expected after the news the night before of Timonen's blood clot in his left ankle, an injury that should sideline him for the rest of the playoffs.

It's only human to relax after the opponent takes that kind of hit.

This also figured to be the one night the Flyers would rally around Timonen's loss and have an even bigger emotional edge. Certainly, that's what Timonen was hoping when he met his teammates late yesterday afternoon and told them, "Don't feel sorry for me. You guys have a game tonight."

That turned out to be the problem.

The Flyers had to play that game against a much superior Penguins team.

Sure, they had brief hope after turning the Penguins' early defensive lapses into a 2-1 lead. Center Mike Richards beat goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury with a wraparound shot that Fleury knocked into his net, a surprising goal considering Fleury's lights-out play in this postseason. Then, just 4:20 later, Richards scored again after teammate Joffrey Lupul outworked Penguins defensemen Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi in front of Fleury.

Penguins coach Michel Therrien wasn't happy but didn't blame his players for taking anything for granted because of Timonen's injury.

"We hadn't played in almost a week," Therrien said.

"The competitive level wasn't quite there in front of the net. We weren't aware of who was there. After we talked to the players, I thought we were much better."

This much is certain:

That 2-1 deficit turned out to be a mere annoyance for the Penguins.

Their stars made sure of it.

"The guys did a nice job coming back," Fleury said. "Everybody is always confident we can come back in any game."

With their talent, why not?

"When we get our chances, we score goals," said winger Petr Sykora, who got the Penguins' first one after a nice set-up pass from linemate Ryan Malone.

It couldn't have seemed fair to the Flyers to see Richards and Lupul work so hard for their second goal, then watch Sidney Crosby get an easy one 1:21 later when he swooped to the net and took a pretty pass from Marian Hossa before depositing the puck behind goaltender Martin Biron.

The next goal -- the tie-breaking goal -- hurt even more.

Evgeni Malkin -- the best player in the world in these playoffs -- beat Biron with a shot with just 6.5 seconds left in the first period.

"Huge goal, huge goal," Sykora said.

If that didn't deflate the Flyers, Malkin's second goal did after an amazing sequence early in the second period. Malkin was stopped by Biron on great shorthanded chance, an instant before he took a brutal hit from Richards. Malkin picked himself up slowly and did a little cherry-picking at the Flyers' blue line as play continued in the Penguins' end.

Malkin then took a pass from Sergei Gonchar and busted in on Biron for what amounted to a penalty shot. Malkin beat Biron with a fabulous slap shot.

"Phenomenal," Therrien said. "He's just phenomenal."

Where was that slapper on Malkin's penalty shot in Game 4 against the New York Rangers?

Not to be critical.

The truth?

There was nothing to criticize about the Penguins on this night, that slow defensive start aside.

They took what figures to be the Flyers' best shot and barely flinched.

I'll be surprised if the next three games aren't even easier.

Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com.
First published on May 10, 2008 at 12:00 am

[Tocchet22]

here is the other one

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08131/880815-61.stm

Malkin, Crosby too tough an assignment
Saturday, May 10, 2008
By Bob Smizik, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


The two best players still standing in the Stanley Cup playoffs were on the ice at Mellon Arena last night and neither of them was in the uniform of the Philadelphia Flyers.

That's not a good thing in competitive athletic situations.

The Flyers' vaunted balance vs. the Penguins' celebrated star power -- Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby -- was a mismatch in this first game of the Eastern Conference final. Balance goes only so far, especially when the other team has Malkin and Crosby -- to say nothing of Marian Hossa.

Superstars prevailed, 4-2, in front of a delirious crowd of 17,132. Malkin scored twice and Crosby once, on an assist for Hossa. Petr Sykora, another vital cog in the offense, also scored.

For all the Flyers talent, they have three strong lines, none of their forwards matches up in skill with Malkin or Crosby or, for that matter, Hossa.

That was one large advantage for the Penguins.

Another was the absence of defenseman Kimmo Timonen, perhaps Philadelphia's best player, who is expected to miss the entire series with a blood clot.

If that wasn't enough -- and it was -- the Penguins, as near as could be determined, had the better goaltender in Marc-Andre Fleury. Although in fairness to the Flyers' Martin Biron, Fleury didn't have to face Malkin and Crosby.

"I thought we got the start we needed, we got the shots on net, we had the lead, but we didn't manage the puck," said Philadelphia coach John Stevens.

"Giving up rushes against Crosby and Malkin, that's the game you can't play."

It was Malkin, who came into his own when Crosby was injured for more than a third of the regular season, who undid the Flyers. While Crosby has been less than 100 percent with the high ankle sprain that caused him to miss 28 games, Malkin has grabbed the postseason stage and won't let it go. He continues to forge his own identity. He's no longer the other center behind Crosby. He's challenging Crosby for the right to be called the best player on the Penguins, if not the NHL.

With less than 10 seconds remaining in the first period and maybe when some of the Flyers had relaxed, Malkin got the puck from Ryan Whitney, bore down on Biron and lasered a puck to the wide side to give the Penguins a 3-2 lead.

It was the kind of play the superstars make. It was a play that swung the game in the Penguins favor, after they had come back from a 2-1 deficit. It inspired the Penguins and deflated the Flyers.

"It gave us confidence in the second period," said Penguins coach Michel Therrien. "It gave us the confidence we needed to play."

Malkin wasn't through tormenting Biron. Early in the second period, he toasted him again. Malkin was slow getting back into the play after he had been crushed against the boards behind the Flyers goal and knocked to the ground by Mike Richards, who scored both Philadelphia goals. As the play went down the ice, he slowly came back.

But, by the time he was at his blue line, the Penguins had the puck. Sergei Gonchar flipped it to him just outside his blue line. Malkin skated in alone on Biron.

For all his skills, this is not Malkin's strength. He's rarely sent out to participate in shootouts. Who can forget his feeble attempt on a penalty shot against the New York Rangers? Well, here he was again on what amounted to another penalty shot. This time it was Malkin the superstar, not Malkin the hesitant.

Biron didn't have a chance as Malkin would up and blistered a slap shot into the net.

"In that situation, I didn't have a lot of time to think," Malkin said through an interpreter. "It's not really a penalty shot when you think how you're going to make the move. I had a few second to think and I decided to shoot as hard as I could."

Crosby was asked if he had ever seen a slap shot from so close. "Whatever works," he said. "It was a great shot."

Crosby had been taking criticism for his lack of goal-scoring in the playoffs, although he had 12 assists and was tied with Malkin with 14 points. With the Penguins down, 2-1, with about six minutes remaining in the first period, Crosby took a pass from Hossa and threw it past Biron.

The game, befitting a contest of such importance, was hard-hitting with bodies flying. That's not always the time for superstars, but Therrien looked to his.

"Our good players play hard," he said. "They don't back down. Malkin, Hossa, Crosby, those type of players they play hard."

Hard and good -- too good for the Flyers.

Bob Smizik can be reached at bsmizik@post-gazette.com.
First published on May 10, 2008 at 12:02 am

[Ryan20]

Just keep talking about how we won't win. Everyone said it in the other series, and look at where we're at. It'll feel all that much better when we pull it off.

[Drew]

Ahhhh that Karma is a wonderful thing, isn't it? I hope he gags on his words, and a dick. Blow me, Pittsburgh.

[Andy]

Wow.

If that's not ammunition to make you want to slit someone's throat, I don't know what is.

I really hope we win the next four so that we can show that on our screen during our cup run.

[flyersfan4life]

Does this guys write for the Sun Times or the World Gazette? Cause he's full of shit!!!! What will he write next, that the world will be overtaken by an alien race?

MALKIN being the best player in the playoffs (and world??)??? Just look at the Flyers stats vs. the Penguins stats. C'mon, lets be for real now. Those refs tonight just SUCKED. Mostly all of the goals tonight were on POWER PLAYS!!! That tells you right there that they cant play a fair 5 on 5 game and win it that way!!

[Drew]

Perhaps his next column should be about how Dan O'Halloran and Kelly Sutherland (and basically all NHL officiating) have hardons for anything in yellow and black.