Game 3: Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 Against Philly Flyers

Game 3: Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 Against Philly Flyers

PHILADELPHIA -- Marc-Andre Fleury wasn't perfect Tuesday night.
However, his take on the Penguins' performance in a 4-1 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers was apropos.

"I felt useless," Fleury said after facing only 18 shots - one of the finer defensive efforts in franchise playoff history.

Speaking of history, the Penguins joined elite company last night.

They are only the fourth team in NHL history to start the playoffs 11-1.
They are also only a victory from their first Stanley Cup final since 1992.

The Penguins lead the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final, 3-0. Game 4 is Thursday, also at Wachovia Center.

By then, the hockey world might have come around to perhaps the best-kept secret in North American pro sports:

"It's something that's not talked about as much here as it would be somewhere else because of the stars we have on this team," defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "But I don't think anybody (in the Penguins' dressing room) is disappointed that our defense is something that's not talked about."

Coach Michel Therrien is no fan of speaking, but even he could talk for days about his club's defense.

"This is a young team playing a mature game," Therrien said of the Penguins, who have allowed only 22 goals in the playoffs, including three or fewer in eight games.

"They're all committed defensively. This is what I like about our team."

Therrien also likes his enviable array of talented forwards, which includes captain Sidney Crosby, who assisted on the Penguins' opening two goals last night by defenseman Ryan Whitney and right wing Marian Hossa.

But even Crosby, who now leads the playoffs in scoring with 19 points - so much for that lack-of-domination talk - was delighted by the Penguins' defensive effort against the Flyers.

He said it rated among the Penguins' best during his three years in the NHL.

"It's up there," Crosby said. "Especially the first two periods, we didn't give them much at all."

The Flyers entered the third period down, 2-1 - not bad given their eight shots.

Whitney's first goal of the playoffs at 5:03 of the first period snapped a 30-game drought. His power-play shot was deflected past Flyers goaltender Martin Biron by Philadelphia defenseman Jason Smith.

"I'll take it," Whitney said.

Hossa scored his first of two in Game 3 - he also added a late empty-net tally - at 7:41 to put the Penguins ahead, 2-1. He has scored eight goals, including three in the series, after recording only an assist in four playoff games with Atlanta last year.

The Flyers registered only three shots in the second period but opened the third with five in the first 10 minutes.

They trailed, 3-1, by then. Left wing Ryan Malone scored his fourth of the playoffs at 9:58.

Malone had not scored since Game 3 of the second round - a 5-3 victory against the Rangers that was the Penguins' lone victory of the season at Madison Square Garden.

They had not won at Wachovia Center this season prior to last night.

Like their win in New York, the Penguins' first victory in the building belonging to an Atlantic Division rival put a hated foe on the edge of playoff extinction.

The Penguins' reputation as a fire-wagon hockey club is as deserving of the "endangered species" tag as the Flyers.

"It's a little different," Fleury said. "I don't know what's better - our offense or our defense. I never thought I'd have to think about it."

Game 3: Pens push Flyers to brink - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Woooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Hells yeah! God I love my Penns! Stanley Cup playoffs here we come. Redwings beware. :dance:

As a Caps fan, I hate the Pens with a passion. I'm positive that Pens fans don't hate the Caps as much as Caps fans hate the Pens though. I think my hatred for them is because of a) Crosby, b) the fact that they lucked out and sucked for so long and stock-piled a shit load of high draft picks, and c) because they have a history of owning the Caps in the post season. These are new Caps and Pens teams and nobody says that trend is going to continue, but still.. you have to be nervous with how the Pens are playing.

Fuck the Flyers. I hope neither team wins the series, but if I had to choose one (can't believe I'm saying this), I would choose the Pens to win.

i resent that :(

Oh no!

Higher, I haven't seen you in forever!

There's always next year babe ;)

Awww I'm glad you hope the Penguins pull it off.

Their game is tonight and I hope they win. Then it'll be 3-3.

Then maybe, just maybe we'll win another Stanley Cup.

*crosses fingers*




















Fucking Detroit hahaha.


Go Mr.Fleury, You Spectacular, Sexy Bastard!