Faceoff Factor

Game 4 Preview: Penguins At Flyers

Matt Bodenschatz | National Hockey League

May 15, 08:29 AM | Hype this story!

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Pittsburgh Penguins (2) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (6) Game 4
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Series Score: Penguins 3 – Flyers 0
Game Time: 7:30 EST
Location: Wachovia Center, Philadelphia
Television: Versus, CBC, RDS

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Preview
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While it’s too early to break out the brooms, it’s clear the Penguins have a stranglehold on the Flyers in the Eastern Conference Finals, and it’s only a matter of time until they top them off.

But, as we saw last night in Dallas, it’s not over until one team wins four, and the Penguins realize this.

“Obviously, we’re all aware of where we’re at, and it’s a great thing to be here,” forward Adam Hall said to Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “But, all year long, this team — no matter whether we’ve been on a little losing streak or a winning streak — all the guys have done a great job of keeping an even keel, never getting too high or too low.”

It may be a cliche, but the Penguins are taking it one day at a time and not yet looking to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Meanwhile, the Flyers also are taking it one game at a time, essentially hoping to delay the inevitable.

To counter the surprisingly spectacular defensive play of the Penguins, Flyers coach John Stevens has mixed up his lines.

Daniel Briere will center a line with wingers Mike Richards and Scott Hartnell, while Vaclav Prospal will center a line with Joffrey Lupul and R.J. Umberger.

The Flyers also are hoping to get a boost from defenseman Braydon Coburn, who could be back in the lineup tonight after suffering a broken orbital bone and receiving 50 stitches during Game Two.

“We’ll see how it feels [today],” he said to the Post-Gazette’s Shelly Anderson. “I had a good workout out there [yesterday].”

The Penguins will look to continue with their balanced offensive attack — Hal Gill, who had an assist Tuesday, was the lone Penguin without a point — and team defensive approach to discourage and shut down the Flyers.

The keys to tonight’s game are simple, as always.

1. Keep a level head throughout. It may be a coincidence, but the Detroit Red Wings looked ahead yesterday by announcing the presale of Stanley Cup Finals tickets, then finished the day with a 3-1 loss in Dallas. The goal is to win this game, not to worry about the next round.

2. Pick up where they left off defensively. It’s hard to imagine the Penguins will be able to shut down the Flyers tonight as well as they did Tuesday, but that should be the goal. Score a few quick ones and then force the Flyers to do the rest. In other words, the Penguins must dictate the game.

3. Stay focused on hockey. If the Penguins get ahead and the outcome looks ominous for the Flyers, there is little doubt this game could turn ugly quickly. If that is the case, the Penguins must keep their cool and avoid any situations that have a high injury-risk involved. In other words, stay healthy at all costs.

For a complete list of team leaders and statistics, click here.

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Injuries
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Penguins: Roberts, DTD (Illness); Eaton, IR (Knee)
Flyers: Downie, DTD (Fragile Psyche); Coburn, DTD (Broken Orbital Bone); Timonen, IR (Blot Clot); Gagne, IR (Concussion)