Penguins pose a big test for playoff-bound Flyers

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Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Posted: 10:10 a.m.
By Tim PanaccioCSNPhilly.com

PITTSBURGH -- Suffice to say, Tuesdays encounter with the Penguins has to be the biggest two points of the season for the Flyers.

Flyers fans know the story by now. Peter Laviolettes club has just 14 points in its last 14 games (5-5-4) and has seen an eight-point lead on the Penguins (Feb. 24) dwindle to just two.

Unless the Flyers snap out of their malaise, they could be tied with Pittsburgh after tonight in the Atlantic Division. The Flyers have 100 points.

There are many theories as to why the Flyers are sleepwalking through the end of the regular season.

Sean ODonnell has been in the NHL for 16 years. Along with Chris Pronger, hes seen it all during his lifes journey, in which he and Pronger won the Stanley Cup together in Anaheim in 2007.

ODonnell has his own view on the Flyers current state of affairs.

After going to the Final last year, after getting the great start we had this year, some guys have kind of thought, perhaps not a conscious thing, but theyre thinking lets save it because the playoffs are a two-month grind to win the Cup, ODonnell said.

But now its time. We really need to start winning. We need a nice run here to make sure that come Game 1 in the playoffs, were ready and this Pittsburgh game is a great test for us.

Pittsburgh is hot, having won eight of its last 10 games, including an NHL record four consecutive shootouts.

Coach Dan Bylsma has transformed the team from an offensive machine into a defensive-conscious team without Sidney Crosby (concussion) and Evgeni Malkin (knee surgery) in the lineup.

Want proof? The Pens are 8-1-4 in one-goal games without those two players. That says volumes.

Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is looking like he did a few years ago when the Pens won the Cup. Flower, as his teammates call him, is 6-2-1 since March 2 with a 1.83 goals against average and .930 save percentage.

Over his past 50 starts, Fleury has allowed two or fewer goals 33 times.

The Flyers come into game knowing they need to pick it up offensively. Theyre not getting many shots lately, and as a result, theyre not scoring many goals.

Part of it is giving credit to opponents, ODonnell said. Pittsburgh and Boston and Jersey are probably the three teams that suffocate you in the offensive zone. Theyve done a good job. When things are going like that, sometimes, we get away from getting pucks toward the net.

You notice on both the goals by Boston, it wasnt the original shots they scored on. It was the rebounds, its the chaos that happens when you get the puck to the net. Sometimes, if guys are struggling a bit, simplifying is the best thing to do.

While there is no question the Flyers miss Pronger (broken bonehand) in the lineup, you have to wonder whether they miss his strong, vocal presence in the dressing room even more.

Kimmo Timonen said this week that not enough players are coming to the rink ready to play each night. Pronger has a personality in room unlike any other player.

Prongs is a pretty unique guy in the way he plays and the way he is very assertive in the room, ODonnell said. We really dont have anyone else like that. I dont know if were missing that right now.

I cant put a finger on what were missing. Maybe its that or maybe its all the games weve been playing or maybe its because we had a comfortable lead and we dont have it anymore.

I think its a whole bunch of things coupled with teams like Pittsburgh that have played very well and even with Washington.

Theyve closed the gap. Its that 10 percent extra that were not getting that we had before and we need to ratchet it up. It starts with this game against Pittsburgh.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net

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