Box score
Game summary
Event summary
Play-by-play
An empty-netter ends it. Final score: Pens 4, Flyers 2 -- just like in Game 1.
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The Pens break the tie. After Steve Downie flubbed a clearing attempt along the boards, the Penguins pulled ahead by 3-2. Maxime Talbot scored it, alone in front, on a pass from Gary Roberts.
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For the first time in the series, there is real tension in the building. Tie game, third period, 13 minutes to go, conference finals -- it is an agonizing bit of business, and it is starting to show. Everybody on both teams knows that while one great play might decide it, it's probably more likely that one great mistake will be the difference.
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Out of nowhere, it's tied at 2-2. Shorthanded, Mike Richards picked off a puck at his own blue line and skated in on a breakaway and scored on a forehand. Unassisted, shorthanded, with 26.2 seconds left in the period, the Flyers again have life.
The Flyers played a solid 10 minutes in the middle of the period and appeared to take some of the play away from the Pens, but then the Penguins began to dominate again. The Richards goal was enormous. It really does give them a chance here.
Meanwhile, the word on Coburn is gruesome. Daily News colleague Ed Moran is reporting that Coburn required more than 40 stitches to close up the cut around his eye. He will not return tonight, for sure.
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More bad news. Danny Briere got clocked by Evgeni Malkin near the end of a shift and went down in a heap. When he got up, he looked very woozy and had trouble getting off of the ice. This bears watching, too.
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With 6:26 to go, Hatcher goes off for hooking Malkin, kind of a tough call, and the Pens immediately scored to go ahead. Just 9 seconds into the power play, Marian Hossa took a backhanded whack at a rebound in front of Biron, and it was 2-1.
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Back to back power plays, and the Flyers have tied it. Joffrey Lupul, lidless, passed the puck from the corner to an unchecked Jeff Carter in front, and Carter buried it. So it's 1-1 at 5:46 on the power play. And even for about 2 minutes before the first power play, following a big save by Biron on a 2-on-1, there was a subtle shift in the momentum. Whether the Flyers can sustain it, of course, is the question.
Meanwhile, here is the NHL statement on the goal review in the first period:
"The play at 16:41 of the 1st period in Pittsburgh was reviewed. Since video review of the play proved inconclusive as to if the puck crossed the goal line, the call of no goal on the ice stands. No goal."
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No Coburn to start the second period. He still isn't on the bench, and there still has been no announcement about the injury.
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So, the first period ends with a 1-0 Penguins lead. The Flyers are barely hanging on here. No Timonen. Coburn hasn't returned, and we still have no word on the injury. Offensively, they can't get anything going -- can barely even maintain puck possession in the Penguins' end. As stretched as the defense is, that puck-possession business is the part that will have to change, and soon.
Shots are nine apiece.
Hatcher played 9 minutes, 8 seconds in the first period -- a huge number for him.
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The Flyers just caught a huge break from the replay officials. A puck was shot by Sergei Gonchar, deflected up off of defenseman Derian Hatcher's face and then down toward the goal line, with Crosby whacking away. The call on the ice was that Biron covered it before it crossed the goal line. After an extended delay for review by the NHL video guys in Toronto, it was ruled no goal -- even though, in their hearts, everyone probably thought it was over the line before Biron covered it and brought it back. The problem was that, even though it seemed over, there really was no definitive angle that showed the puck completely over the line.
Huge break for the Flyers. Enormous. And, maybe, we can stop talking about conspiracy theories.
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Check that Biron-is-back stuff. Sidney Crosby just scored the game's first goal from a very severe angle along the goal line, sneaking it between Biron and the post. Yes, it was a power play and, yes, it was still basically a 2-man advantage because a Jeff Carter penalty had only just expired and he hadn't yet re-joined the play, but it wasn't a good goal. You can't be allowing stuff like that to sneak in the short side. So it's 1-0 Pens at 10:48.
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The bad news is that the Flyers' power play is abysmal without Timonen. The good news is that Biron appears to have returned to form, stopping Pacal Dupuis on a shorthanded breakaway.
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The first fight of the series was lots of fun, Scottie Upshall and Tyler Kennedy both landing significant punches, Kennedy early and Upshall late. Later, there was some bumping around goaltender Marty Biron and a few other extracurriculars that landed Georges Laraque in the penalty box for roughing. About this, the Flyers are not unhappy. They want the game played on the edge of mayhem, if they can.
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A terrible first 2 minutes for the Flyers. Coach John Stevens had appeared to change up his defense pairings, putting Braydon Coburn with Jason Smith. Then, a shot by Hal Gill appeared to deflect off of the stick of Evgeni Malkin and hit Coburn somewhere around his eyes. He was bleeding considerably but managed to skate off on his own power. We'll update the severity of the injury when we find out more, but it is a huge blow. Coburn had become the Flyers' de facto No. 1 defenseman in the absence of Kimmo Timonen.
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First, a weather report from inside the Mellon Arena. It used to be called the Igloo, which seems appropriate, because it's freezing in here tonight. Part of it must be because the weather outside has turned, with rain earlier and lashing winds and temperatures around 50 degrees at game time. You wonder, too, if they might have turned up the air conditioning a little, given the obvious deterioration of the ice in Game 1.
For whatever it's worth, an NHL guy in the arena guessed that it was more about weather and wind whistling through gaps in the old building than anything. But the result might -- underlined, might -- be better ice for Game 2.
Rich Hofmann has been at the Daily News since 1980. He previously blogged the Eagles' postseason run in 2006. 
Ed Barkowitz was the first Philadelphia Newspaper journalist to write a blog, starting back in 2002.
Comments (34)
...A crosschecking call that even the announcer said was weak, giving the Pens a 2 man advantage, a deflection by Kikonen (who's STILL looking for his jock after Ovechkin smoked him in Game one of that series), it squibbs through the short side. Could Biron have had the play? Certainly! Was it possible he was playing where the puck was going before the Nordic Pylon deflected it? Yes. Was Cindy Crosby lucky? He11 yes!
Posted by Jersey Joe | May 11, 2008 8:21 PM
Playing tough tonight..Send someone after Cindy and Sall Malkin...Pens will fall to their knees. They are a bunch of babies
Posted by ryanrayne | May 11, 2008 8:40 PM
Playing tough tonight..Send someone after Cindy and Sall Malkin...Pens will fall to their knees. They are a bunch of babies
Posted by ryanrayne | May 11, 2008 8:40 PM
Again, a BOGUS call by the f'in zebras! Even the announcers say that Hatcher did it right... Ya think the NHL wants a Sidney Crybaby Final???
Posted by Jersey Joe | May 11, 2008 9:14 PM
that goal was nobody's fault but the stripes. the fix is in.
Posted by falese | May 11, 2008 9:15 PM
I don't usually say this, but Hatcher actually made a good defensive play. And yet the announcers on versus of course say it was the right call because his stick was between Malkin's legs ... yeah, he was trying to check him duh. I miss Comcast ...
Posted by Flyergirl | May 11, 2008 9:18 PM
NO WAY HE HOOKED THAT MAN ,HATCHER.REFS ARE SCARED TO PISS OFF THE FANS
Posted by PHILLY DAN | May 11, 2008 9:22 PM
NO WAY HE HOOKED THAT MAN ,HATCHER.REFS ARE SCARED TO PISS OFF THE FANS
Posted by PHILLY DAN | May 11, 2008 9:22 PM
NO WAY HE HOOKED THAT MAN ,HATCHER.REFS ARE SCARED TO PISS OFF THE FANS
Posted by PHILLY DAN | May 11, 2008 9:22 PM
NO WAY HE HOOKED THAT MAN ,HATCHER.REFS ARE SCARED TO PISS OFF THE FANS
Posted by PHILLY DAN | May 11, 2008 9:22 PM
Malkin illegfally nails Briere--where's a ref when ya need one? 5 minutes for intent to injure woulda been nice.
Posted by Jersey Joe | May 11, 2008 9:23 PM
Thank you Mike Richards!!!
Posted by Flyergirl | May 11, 2008 9:29 PM
refs have been bad for both sides tonight. i really wish you guys would watch the game objectively. the penguins had a goal taken away for crying out loud.
Posted by Bob | May 11, 2008 9:38 PM
Bob --
I thought the national announcers provided the objectivity--and *they're* saying the zebras are screwing the Flyers...
Posted by Jersey Joe | May 11, 2008 10:07 PM
Thought the Briere goaltender interference call was bogus, too--he was pushed in by the D!
Posted by Jersey Joe | May 11, 2008 10:09 PM
Let's give it up for "Soft Hands" Downie - to make it worse, Laraque gets an assist.
Posted by clarkie | May 11, 2008 10:11 PM
And the wheels spin right off.
Stevens outcoached himself. Hatcher is a minus 2 for the game, and Downie turns the puck over for the GWG.
Posted by Clarkie | May 11, 2008 10:25 PM
I will say it again tonight, the flyers are not a bad team, but you guys can not compete against our younger legs and more skilled players. Cry all you want, flyers are not clearing the zone, they are turning the puck over and just don't have the legs after the first two series. Pens in five becuase I want us to win it at home. Let's go Pens.
Posted by Anonymous | May 11, 2008 10:29 PM
Home Ice might get us a win, hopefully two but I just don't think we have enough energy left to pull off another series, give these guys another year to mature, grab a higher seed and not force themselves into longer opening and second round series than absolutely necessary. I haven't given up hope but the Pens are playing very well and the refs have been a non-factor as far as I can see, any flyers fan blaming the refs is just kidding themselves
Posted by Matt | May 11, 2008 10:39 PM
Why even play the game??? The refs and seems that the whole NHL community has the Pens in this one. I'm a fan of the conspiracy theory....
Posted by sarasplinter | May 11, 2008 10:47 PM
REFS WERE F'IN AWFUL!!! Hatcher played Malkin perfectly, Briere gets knocked into Fleury who dives, phantom calls on Flyboys all night! Cheap shot on Briere by Malkin, guys continually getting socked in the face with no calls, Biron getting run by these cheap, fairy bastards and getting away with it!
i dont like to whine but it is SSSOOOOOO obvious!
And when are we going to get a break??!! I mean, first Timmo and now Coburn (not to mention Gagne, and banged up Hatcher, Smith and Knuble). If there isnt a curse id like to know why everything works against us all the time!! I mean i love the way the boys have fought through it, but you can only take so much!
OK, lets get home and our fans will make it rock tuesday night!! Things are bound to turn and we can still do this!! Dont stop running these bastards hard into the boards! Hatch, Smittty, Upshall keep it up!
LETS GO FLYERS!!!!
Posted by TNFlyerFan | May 11, 2008 10:49 PM
Dumb, Pens fans get off the board.
Honestly, what would happen if you lost
Gonchar and Whitney?
Stupid a**holes.
Hatcher has been playing hurt too.
The Penguins are going to go all the way
to the finals without being challenged,
and then they are going to get blown out
by Detroit. That would be true justice
as they have been trying to cheat the hockey gods
this whole time. Throw a game to face the worst team. Then, play a weak Rangers team with all their stars over 35. Now, playing the Flyers without their top 2 defensemen. Whoopdie do!!
Wow, Sidney and Malkin are so awesome! They are playing minor league defensemen!! Woohoo.
The only justice will come when Detroit sweeps them in 4. And I hate Detroit, but the Pens need a lesson.
Posted by DrZ88 | May 11, 2008 10:50 PM
I'm not so sure the Flyers would actually have made the Conference finals if they met the Pens in round 1..IMO
Posted by sarasplinter | May 11, 2008 10:54 PM
This loss had nothing to do with who was missing. It had everything to do with who was on the ice.
Hatcher was a minus two. His two penalties cost the Flyers a goal.
Downie turns the puck over for the GWG. While Georges Laraque gets an assist, Downie gets a minus one.
Biron gives up the post, which is exactly where Crosby scores one goal and possibly the second disputed goal.
Umberger was totally invisible this game. Same as Briere.
Richards has been 75% of the Flyers offense in these two games. That ain't gonna cut it.
Sure, Malkin was shut down on the scoresheet - but you have Hossa and Crosby scoring. Enough with the Flyers having seven 20-goal scorers in the regular season - outside of Richards, who is becoming the next Jagr, no one is doing anything.
Oh, I forgot- Flyers were outshot by Pittsburgh tonight, too.
Posted by DrZ88 | May 11, 2008 10:57 PM
HATCHER PLAYED POORLY AGAIN; he was -2 (should have been -3; the disallowed goal he knocked into the net); also he turned the puck over frequently, took two bad penalties and was two steps behind in his line shifts, making it harder to clear the puck out of the defensive zone, especially in the third period.
I wonder if RICH HOFFMAN's Daily News article tomorrow will repeat his opinion again that Kimmo Timonen is NOT the main reason the Flyers lost?
that article was a professional embarassment that demonstrated conclusively that he has become a poor NHL sports beat writer, terribly out of touch with this team, who can NOT speak the truth and its concerning to the imformed fan base.
Kimmo Timonen is the "MOST IMPORTANT, MVP" of this team and he was our "ONLY" all star this year; his loss is GARGANTUAN, and it was obvious before game #1 was played, to ever sports beat writer in the entire country.
Tomorrow Rich Hoffman is going to have to eat alot of crow...
I want truth from these Daily News articles about the Flyers with accurate informed opinions.
Posted by sdeens | May 11, 2008 11:01 PM
Time to get ready for football, Go Eagles!! Oh I forgot they suck too!!
Posted by Anonymous | May 11, 2008 11:11 PM
The calls didn't go in our favor. Our players got hurt. The ice was lousy. The Penguins got to play the Senators in the first round. Have I missed any the excuses? Adversity reveals character. What kind of character is Philadelphia showing?
Posted by Patrick | May 11, 2008 11:37 PM
Five- yes, five terrible calls against the Flyers.
1) This is the most debatable- but the trip on Staal in the first? Staal went down like a feather.
2)Knuble's "cross-check"? Again, Staal goes down like a feather, not to mention gets up and cross-checks the Flyer in front of the net, but that isn't called (this penalty led directly to the first goal- and please stop blaming it on Biron, he is playing the pass, and in order to get over and cover the other side, he as to leave the pipe. Not his fault Kukki deflected it)
3)Scottie Upshall "holding" Crosby at the end of the first. Upshall TOUCHED crosby, didn't slow him, didn't turn him, just touched him and gets called for a hold.
4)Hatcher gets called for hooking on Malkin. The stick was dangling down, never hooking anything. Are we not allowed to defend against the Penguins anymore? Can't touch them at all? Again, leads directly to a goal.
5)Orpik blatantly holds Briere behind the net (no call), then Briere skates around front and Orpik shoves him into Fleury, and Briere gets called. Seriously?
So by my count, two Pens goals come directly from terrible calls. Even giving Crosby the disallowed goal, even without conclusive video evidence, all this takes 2 goals away from the Pens and gives one back. That means the score should have been tied 2-2 near the end, and no empty netter is scored. I'm not saying the Flyers definitely would have won, but give us a chance. We lose our top 2 defensemen (just bad luck), and then we gotta play the refs, too? Is there any way we can petition to have those refs fired tomorrow?
I just wanted a fair game, that's all. That's too much too ask when you are playing Pretty Boy Cindy and the Mighty Pens, I guess.
Posted by SexyHexy | May 11, 2008 11:49 PM
Wow, a 33 year conspiracy by the NHL to keep one of the largest markets in the league from winning the Stanley Cup. Talk about bad luck!
Posted by Patrick | May 11, 2008 11:53 PM
Wow. The NHL must really hate the Flyers.
First, they let Pittsburgh "throw" a game.
Then, they "challenged" the Flyers with Washington. Thank God the Flyers survived that obvious set up.
Next came Montreal, which, despite the best efforts of the NHL, Gary Bettman, the Pittsbrugh media, and God, mangaged to lose to Philly in 5.
So now the Flyers have to fight against the Penguins. As the nearly illiterate Flyers' backers bleed orange, cry conspiracy, and make up 3rd grade nicknames for Malkin and Crosby, the Penguins will be marching across the commonwealth with a two game lead.
Conspiracy theorists, unite! You still have two more games to cry about.
Posted by geno | May 12, 2008 12:27 AM
Wow. For a bunch of people calling Crosby a baby, you Flyer fans sure so a LOT of whinning and crying and finger pointing when your team isn't winning. MUST be thr refs and the NHL, can;t be that your team was outplayed, nnnnaaaaahhhh.
Posted by mr. matt | May 12, 2008 8:53 AM
Get over it. I have never heard so much from cry babies. Did you forget in game one there were no penalties called on the flyers until very late in the game. They lost. Now we have the NHL wanting the Pens to win. What is the next excuse; the cheesestakes were bad the day of the game. Get over it
Posted by JTbrick | May 12, 2008 8:59 AM
It's amazing how the Flyer fans sound remarkably similar to the Ottawa and Ranger fans. What a bunch of whining maggots.
Face it. The Flyers are being beaten by a better hockey club. Just like the Senators and Rangers were beaten by a better hockey club.
The Penguins played their WORST game of the playoffs last night, and still NEVER trailed.
Enjoy the last 2 games of your season. On Tuesday, you're going to see a Pittsburgh team you haven't seen yet. The one that skates circles around their opponents. It's going to be a lot of fun rubbing those pumpkins noses in it.
The Flyers aren't very good, and this season will end for them like every other season has for the last 33 years.
The PENS ARE JUST TOO LOADED!!!
Posted by PensAreJustTooLoaded | May 12, 2008 9:15 AM
at the start of game 3,when the pens score early and often let the philly fan whining commence...what haven`t you whiners complained about?how bout`--the walt whitman bridge is too crowded to jump off of,lol...waaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!
Posted by oldiesfanjohn | May 13, 2008 10:39 AM