Eastern Quarterfinals, Game 3 -- Flyers lead series, 3-0
[Complete Coverage] - [Pittsburgh Reaction] - [Discussion Thread]
[Event Summary] - [PBP Log] - [TOI Log] - [Faceoff Report]
[Shift Charts] - [Head-to-Head TOI] - [Shot Differential] - [5-on-5 Faceoffs]

For the second straight game, the Flyers dropped eight goals on the Penguins. That part was awesome. But unlike last game, Game 3 overfloweth with Pittsburgh bullshit that could leave its stench for the rest of the Flyers' playoff campaign.

Straight to the bullets.

• Since the first goal in this series has meant absolutely nothing, of course the Penguins got it. It was the weakest goal Ilya Bryzgalov gave up thus far, but no one thought it would mean anything.
  
• What was surprising was how little shortlived the lead was. Whereas the Flyers have normally saved their comebacks for later stages of games in this series, Max Talbot scored a super terrible goal to level the game at 1-1. It was a shorthanded goal, of course, because the Pittsburgh power play is a complete joke.
  
• Elfin superstar Danny Briere then scored twice to give the Flyers a 3-1 lead, which really did seem to effectively ice the whole series. Unfortunately there was a lot of time left on the clock for nonsense to take over.
  
• Everything spiraled out of control on the shift after Briere's second goal, which saw completely absurd fight pairings develop like Sidney Crosby-Claude Giroux and Kris Letang-Kimmo Timonen. The latter two got ejected, setting a tone of anarchy that would sadly rule the rest of the day. In some ways it was awesome, in that whole sort of "whoa, this shit is out of control, yo!" way, but you want things to stay in control when you are utterly dominating a series against a team that is no longer a relevant part of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
  
• Pittsburgh sucks, in case you didn't get my point already. Arron Asham, my favoritest Penguin, pulled off the dirtiest play since a few days ago when he knocked down Brayden Schenn after a clean hit, then punched him in the head after Canada's answer to Eli Manning was already on the ice. Asham got a match penalty immediately, and should be suspended for the remainder of the series. No place for that whatsoever.

Questions with Answers

1. Pittsburgh defense has been awful, starting with Kris Letang. Can they buckle down at all? Eight goals allowed again, so, uh, no. Letang didn't make it out of the first period
   
2. Can Sean Couturier continue to own Evgeni Malkin? Malkin was again impotent.
   
3. Claude Giroux breaking out was a big part of the Game 2 win. More from that line?Oh yes. But huge cloud of doubt over Claude's health now. Best wishes, bud.
   
4. Can the Flyers continue to win the special teams battle? Yep. Little they didn't win.
   
5. Does the crowd have any obvious impact on the game? Not really, I don't think you can say. They were awesome, but what they had to watch was a mess.
   

(A rare picture-laden) Comment of the Day

My daughter can't take anymore

>> darkside3744

3 down, 13 to go. OH MY GOD THIS IS HAPPENING.

Go Flyers.