BOX SCORE
PITTSBURGHIts all over now except for the whining, the yelling, the expletives, the drama, and of course, the excitement that will come next week when the Flyers and Penguins open the playoffs.
Saturdays 4-2 Flyer loss was merely a tuneup for the best-of-seven series that figures to be the marquee matchup in the Eastern Conference.
So the season series ended with the Flyers winning four of six games, and losing for the first time in six trips to the CONSOL Energy Center, where Sergei Bobrovsky was previously undefeated. He has started every game for the Flyers in this building.
The playoffs series will begin in Pittsburgh. Games 1 and 2 are Wednesday and Friday in Pittsburgh. Games 3 and 4 are Sunday and Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center.
Because of the extra day in Philly, the Penguins will fly home between Game 3 and 4.
Officially, the NHL wont release this schedule until later this weekend, were told, but we thought you should know now anyway.
NHL
There was nothing to be gained by either team in this one, other than to escape without anyone getting injured.
The Penguins played a very shoddy opening period, failing to take advantage of a five-minute power play, during which they were outshot by the shorthanded Flyers, 2-0.
Even worse, they allowed a tying goal in the final minute of the period.
Early on, call-up Harry Zolnierczyk, seeking some retribution on Joe Vitale for his two hits last game that knocked both Danny Briere and Nicklas Grossmann out of the lineup, dropped his gloves. It was a pretty one-sided fight and a win for Vitale, but it scored major points for Harry Z with his teammates.
Pascal Dupuis finished the season with an absurd 17-game scoring streak, beating Bobrovsky from the left circle at 5:33 for a 1-0 lead.
Six minutes later, Zac Rinaldo took Zbynek Michalek hard into the back boards on a check from behind, earning a five-minute major and game misconduct, plus a likely hearing with Brendan Shanahan and a possible suspension for Game 1 of the playoffs.
Given Rinaldos role on the checking line, that amounts to an unnecessary hit that hurt the team.
Ironically, the 15 minutes in penalties Rinaldo accrued gave him the temporary NHL lead in penalty minutes at 232 -- nine more than Columbus Derek Dorsett.
Chris Kunitzs career-high 26th goal gave the Pens a 2-1 lead 7:15 into the second period on a tough angle shot from the right circle that dribbled through the short side.
With Pens goalie Marc-Andre Fleury going for a franchise record 227th victory, Pens coach Dan Bylsma pulled him midway into the period for Brent Johnson. Naturally, Jaromir Jagr greeted Johnson with a power play goal on the first shot he faced at 12:21 to tie the game again.
In the final 2:06 of the period, however, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin had their say with Bobrovsky to quickly make it a 4-2 affair.
Crosby scored on the power play, then Malkin netted his 50th goal of the season off the rush, prompting a wild celebration on the ice. Hes the ninth Penguin to achieve that mark. Malkins previous career-high was 47 goals in 2007-08.
He also likely finishes as the Art Ross Trophy winner with 109 points, given his bulging scoring lead over Tampas Steven Stamkos going into Saturday night.
(more coming...)E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net