Pens-Flyers Update

Just like it wasn't time to celebrate too early after Wednesday's victory, it's not time to panic after Sunday's loss.

The Flyers came out fired up, their fans came out fired up (although my buddy Dan had a good point -- they'll chant "Crosby sucks," but they won't chant, "Let's go Flyers"), and they played a solid game from top to bottom.

The Penguins didn't play all that badly, they just didn't play anywhere near as well as the Flyers. Although Fleury played the worst game I've seen him play in the last three seasons. And, the bottom line is that the Pens didn't play as poorly yesterday as the Flyers played on Wednesday.

And, bottom-bottom line, even if we lose Tuesday, we still come back to Pittsburgh with two of the next three at home. I like those odds.

Also, I like the odds that Fleury won't lay another stink bomb like he did on Sunday. I like the odds that Crosby won't let the crowd in his head again like he did on Sunday (he really did; Weidman pointed it out about midway through the second period). I like the odds that, top to bottom, we'll play better hockey the rest of the series than we did Sunday.

The Flyers were bound to win one. We can still win it in five (hell, we can still win it in six). And, as my friend Dunderwood pointed out in the comments section of the last hockey post (by the way, Dunder when I said "they" I was referring to the Flyers, not the Pens), the Penguins are simply too talented to lose to the Flyers.

"Talent: Malkin, Crosby #1 and #3 leading scorers in the league. You don't catch a whiff of Flyer in those stats until #12 or unless you are 50 miles from Philadelphia."

And that's pretty much it. No reason to panic, just keep on an even keel. It's a long postseason. Save your energy and Concern Rays for the moment.