Cliche or not, Philly must win Game 3
With defence thinning out, Flyers have to get help from their fans
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 | 6:32 PM ET
CBC Sports
Losing defenceman Braydon Coburn after he was hit in the face by a puck in Game 2, just made Philadelphia's task that much harder for Game 3 on Tuesday night. (Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press)The Philadelphia Flyers are hoping some reinforcements will make a difference as they head into Tuesday night's absolutely, totally, without-a-doubt, must-win game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
No, that wouldn't be young Ryan Parent, who likely will be in the lineup to replace Brydon Coburn, who took a deflected shot off the face that closed his left eye and put the Flyers' defenceman out of Game 3.
We're talking the 19,000-plus wacko Philly fans in the stands, considered by everyone the toughest in all of sports. If those folks can intimidate the 2-0 Penguins just a little, it might be enough to crawl back into this Eastern Conference final.
"I would say it's a pretty tough place to play," said Penguins star Sydney Crosby, after a light skate on Monday. "At the same time, in the playoffs it makes for a great atmosphere.
"They're just a tough crowd. They're not afraid to say anything."
Unfortunately for the black-and-orange, those fans can't play defence, and that's where the real problem is going to lie. Philly is already without its best defender, Kimmo Timonen, who was lost before the series started with a blood clot in his leg.
Now, Coburn is out, with Parent and his 22 regular-season appearances plus the opening game of the playoffs in Washington, in to hold the fort.
But this fort is under siege by Penguins shooters.
Philadelphia did a pretty good job of keeping the flightless birds under control in Game 2, but this club only needs a small opening to get a good chance.
Without two of your main defenders, those openings may be more forthcoming.
GM says Flyers have to take flight
"We're 0-2 right now, and I don't think we've played very well," said Paul Holmgren, the Flyers' general manager. "We played better in the second game, but I think we have to play better if we expect to win the game."
Getting something out of the top line of Daniel Briere, Vaclav Prospal and Scott Hartnell would be a nice start. They don't have a point in two games, and are a minus-7.
Looking for anything that might help, Philadelphia has been complaining about the referees, especially a pair of Game 2 calls that left the Flyers shaking their collective heads.
One was an elbow to the back of Briere's head by Evgeni Malkin that wasn't called, and the other was a relatively soft call on Philly's Derian Hatcher for hooking Malkin.
"That is something that should be called," said Flyers coach John Stevens of the Malkin elbow to Briere. "We all know how the league is cracking down on blows to the head."
Like when it gave a 25-game suspension to Jesse Boulerice and a 20-gamer to Steve Downie early in the regular season for head hits of their own.
Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien was nonplussed about the whole thing.
"I read some comments about John Stevens, about how he's disappointed about some calls," he said on Monday. "At the same time, we're disappointed about some calls, as well.
"That's playoffs."
With files from Associated Press
