2012 Stanley Cup Review - (4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers

Series Summary

Goals, fights, suspensions. "Come on down, bring the kids, we have fun for the whole family" or better yet (especially for Game 3) "The fans are standing up to them! The security guards are standing up to them! The peanut vendors are standing up to them! And by golly, if I could get down there, I'd be standing up to them!". Slapshot aside, how bad do these teams hate each other? I get the in-state rivalry, but this series took it to a whole new level. What’s amazing was how bad the goaltending was in this series. Bryz must have thought he was back in Phoenix and Fleury couldn’t keep the puck out of his net, especially with his team giving him the goal support. Blowing leads in the first two game is going to catch up to the Pens and it did. The story of the series was Game 3. Crosby’s antics, Asham trying to get Schenn to taste his stick, and Neal hitting everything in sight were the main points of that game. The Pens did come back in a big way, putting up a 10-spot against Philly in Game 4 (a game in which the ref let NOTHING slide) and winning probably the closest (and definitely the lowest scoring) game in the series in Game 5. Philly finally put the nail in the Pittsburgh playoff coffin in Game 6. Now the Flyers will continue on while I demand and be disappointed in my yearly ritual of wanting Crosby in the World Championship for Canada.

Games

Philadelphia Flyers 4 (OT)
Pittsburgh Penguins 3

Philadelphia Flyers 8
Pittsburgh Penguins 5

Pittsburgh Penguins 4
Philadelphia Flyers 8

Pittsburgh Penguins 10
Philadelphia Flyers 3

Philadelphia Flyers 2
Pittsburgh Penguins 3

Pittsburgh Penguins 1
Philadelphia Flyers 5

Three Thoughts On The Series

• Remember kids "There is no fighting in the playoffs".
• Probably the only thing I'll give the Flyers credit for this series: Being able to turn Hartnell into Hulk Hogan.
• Bryzgalov and Fleury kept my hope alive that I can make the NHL as a goalie.

Picture Of The Series

This is what we call a "save". It was very rare to see one of these in this series.

Play Of The Series

Instead of just one play, here is a compilation of all the fights in Game 3.