Faceoff Factor

Game 5 Preview: Penguins Host Flyers

Matt Bodenschatz | National Hockey League

May 18, 12:02 PM | Hype this story!

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Pittsburgh Penguins (2) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (6) Game 5
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Series Score: Penguins 3 – Flyers 1
Game Time: 3:00 EST
Location: Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh
Television: NBC, CBC, RDS

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Preview
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This is a game the Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t want to play. After all, they had a 3-0 series lead heading into Game Four against an injury-laden Philadelphia Flyers team with a fragile psyche.

But after a hot Flyers start, the Penguins couldn’t come out on top — in the game, or the series…yet.

This afternoon, on NBC — a national network in which the Penguins have had plenty of success this year — one team will look to put the series to an end, while the other looks to extending it.

“I think both teams have a lot of pressure on them,” Philadelphia forward Daniel Briere said to the Post-Gazette. “They’re trying to move on to the next step; we’re trying to move to the next game. So, at this time, I think both teams have a lot of pressure there. I don’t have the feeling that there’s more pressure on one side or the other.”

The Flyers are expected to get a much-needed defensive boost with the return of Kimmo Timonen, who suffered a blood clot in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Even so, the Penguins don’t have intentions of changing much — though one potential change could come with a whole lot of intensity.

“My lungs are cleared up, so come [today] I’ll take warmup and see how I feel,” Penguins forward Gary Roberts, who missed the previous two games with a mild case of pneumonia, said to the Post-Gazette.

If the grizzled veteran plays, he is expected to replace Adam Hall in the lineup, and will resume his normal fourth line left wing position.

His return will be a welcomed one, as Game Four proved to be quite physical, especially at the end.

With that being said, the Penguins must do three things if they plan to walk away from this one with a win and a ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals…

1. Come out fired up and get an early lead. The Penguins came out flat Thursday night and dug themselves into a hole that just couldn’t be climbed out of. Playing hard from the opening faceoff is a must, as the momentum — which is in the Flyers’ favor — needs to be on the Penguins’ side. If playing from behind, the Penguins are forced to focus more on offense and less on defense, and we all saw how that worked out Thursday. An early lead allows the Penguins to fall into their 1-2-2/trap and to stifle the Flyers with a well-executed defensive game.

2. The top two lines must regain form. Evgeni Malkin has been invisible since Game One, while Sidney Crosby and Marian Hossa were a few nothces below their normal levels Thursday. A full team effort — and offensive chances from both of the top lines — is a must. To add, the power play, which was blanked Thursday, needs to show up, especially if the game gets physical

3. Match the Flyers’ physicality, but stay out of the penalty box. It would seem the Flyers’ late-game shenanigans Thursday were an attempt to set the tone for Game Five. The Penguins have done a decent job answering the bell throughout most of the playoffs, but they will have to be on top of it this afternoon, as the Flyers certainly will be looking to set the tempo early. A few big hits from the third and fourth liners and Brooks Orpik early in the game will go a long way toward calming the Flyers.

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

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