Lessons from the Enemy: How the Flyers Can Learn From the Penguins Series
Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Eric Hartline-Imagn Images The Philadelphia Flyers are down 3-0 in their second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes. It’s a situation they are familiar with, considering they just had their rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins, in the same spot in the last series. The Flyers dominated Games 1, 2, and 3 against the Penguins.
With their backs against the wall, facing elimination, Penguins head coach Dan Muse and company flipped a switch and turned up the intensity. They were playing desperate hockey, and it helped. Pittsburgh fought its way back into the series, winning Game 4 in Philadelphia, before a gutsy Game 5 win to really put the pressure on the Flyers.
Even in Game 6, you can make the argument that the Penguins were the better team, but they just could not outlast the Flyers in overtime. Now, the Flyers find themselves in that same position. Trailing 3-0 to the Hurricanes in the series, their backs are going to be against the wall in Game 4.
It’s an elimination game – the season is on the line. The Flyers are no strangers to facing adversity. They had been written off before, and beat the odds this season.
“We’re not going to quit. Everyone thought we were dead at the Olympic Break, and we fought our way into the playoffs,” said center Christian Dvorak. Game 4 starts desperation time in Philly.