The Battle of Pennsylvania: Penguins vs. Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins are in the middle of an Eastern Conference playoff battle.

Coming into the series, the Flyers were the decided underdog. In the first two games, the Penguins had home-ice advantage and won both times. The next two games were at Philadelphia, with the Flyers winning Game 3 and the Penguins taking Game 4.

Being a Philadelphia team, the Flyers are used to playing from behind and know how to adapt. Another Pittsburgh win would grant them a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals and eliminate the Flyers. With Pittsburgh at home for Game 5 tonight, the Flyers will have to pull out an unexpected win and prove everyone wrong.

These teams could not be more evenly matched, and the stats prove it. The Flyers won 44 games and the Penguins won 45. Both teams scored 264 goals and had a one goal difference defensively (Pittsburgh gave up 239, Philly 238). Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin make it interesting for the Flyers defense, led by Kimmo Timonen. Jeff Carter and Mike Richards lead the Flyers in points, and try to disrupt Marc-Andre Fleury in Pittsburgh’s goal.

I’m personally rooting for the Flyers! What can I say, they’re my home team! They may be the underdog in this series, but they’re not new to being underrated and out-sized by their competition.

With a nasty rivalry brewing between the two for decades, this one won't be pretty. The 2009 Flyers are no Broad Street Bullies, but they’ll get the job done.