So I’m sitting down with a few tins of Molson Canadian and a few tins of Labatt Blue ready for the Flyers/Penguins game. It’s game 5 and it’s a must win game for Philly. They trail the Pens by 3-1 going into Pittsburgh. The Pens will be looking to finish this game early and move on to the next round. They wont want a repeat of what is going on in the West with Dallas getting back into their series heading back to Dallas. I’ll do some updates throughout the game using the game time. Pre-game updates are BST. Lets get it on . . .

PRE-GAME

2000 BST: It’s 8 p.m. here, it’s game time and the Hockey Night in Canada feed to N.A.S.N. is starting up. Time to fill up the pint glass and get ready for the game. P.S. I hate how N.A.S.N. does not have the rights to show the official HNIC theme tune.

2003: Flyers Team News
Flyers will be without Brydon Coburn who’s eye injury has not yet healed while Kimmo Timmonen will be back for his first game in the series. That will be a huge boost for the Flyers. Kukkonen and Modry will be game time decisions as to which will be scratched.

2007: Loving Ron McLean’s description of Mike Richards, “A World class coach in a world class players body”. Mike Richards has been superb in these playoffs and P.J. Stock believes it was his big hit earlier in the series on Malkin that has kept the Pens’ superstar quite ever since. Here’s hoping personally that he stays quiet!

2011: So the line-ups are set. Hatcher will continue to play with Randy Jones while Timmonen comes back into the line-up with still no Coburn. Modry will be the healthy scratch on the Flyers blueline while Gary Roberts sits out for Pens and other than that their lineup is unchanged. Malkin, Sykora and Malone were challenged by their coach before the game. He could accept one bad game but not 3 bad games in a row. They will continue to match up with Jeff Carters line while the Pens will try get Sid away from Mike Richards line.

2014: Ahh some Don Cherry on the T.V. now to tell us how this one will go!!!

2019: Anthems over . . . Let’s get ready to roll.

FIRST PERIOD

1950 left in the 1st: Flyers lines
Briere – Richards – Hartnell
Upshall – Carter – Knuble
Umberger – Prospal – Lupul
Thoresen – Dowd – Kapanen

Smith – Kukkonen
Hatcher – Jones
Parent – Timmonen

Biron

1930: Penguins lines
Malone – Malkin – Sykora
Dupuis – Crosby – Hossa
Ruutu – Staal – Kennedy
Hall – Talbot – Laraque

Gonchar – Orpik
Scuderi – Gill
Letang – Whitney

Fleury

1748: The Penguins get the first powerplay of the game with Knuble heading to the box for hooking. Big PP early on this.

1730: GOAL Flyers 0 – 1 Penguins
Crosby fakes the slapshot but shoots for the tip which goes in off of Malone. It will go to the review but it wasn’t a kicking motion. It should be a goal I think. Bad start for Philly.

1433: Good scoring chance for the Flyers. Nice passing play breaking down the ice but Richards couldn’t score on what I can only describe as a backhanded slapshot. Still the Flyers look decent even being down one goal.

1107: Does Mike Richards ever lose a faceoff? It seems that way anyway!!

1010: GOAL Flyers 0 – 2 Pittsburgh
Evgeni Malkin who I mentioned was challenged pre-game by his coach has stepped up with the second goal of the game. Biron got caught behind the goals, was slow getting back to the net without his stick and Malkin scored on a wrap around. Malone picked up the assist – he too is stepping up.

0845: Flyers take a penalty on goaltender interference by Scott Hartnell. Flyers down a man yet again here.

0727: Under a minute left in the PP and Malkin missed an open net from a very narrow angle. But the Pens are really pouring it on here.

0645: Whistle goes for a commercial break as the Flyers kill off the PP. Hopefully this has given them a boost but they need something from somewhere because the Pens are in the driving seat.

0500: Little shoutout to the World Championships which are on at the minute. They are in overtime between Canada and Russia after a 4-4 game through 60-minutes. Dany Heatley broke the record for goals in a tournament with 12.

0220: Laraque trying to get Hatcher to drop the gloves but Hatcher ignores him and gets on with the play. It would be very foolish for Hatcher to drop his gloves with Laraque and leave the game for five minutes.

0218: Flyers will get their first PP of the night with with Ryan Whitney heading to the box. With only two minutes left in the period it is crucial the Flyers do something here in a must win game.

0127: While the Flyers continue to try score, Illya Kovalchuk has grabbed an OT goal for Russia to hand them a 5-4 win and the Gold Medal in the World Hockey Championships.

0000: And thats the end of the period and it’s 2-0 Pittsburgh. The Flyers have been a shaddow of themselves in game four and will need to change it around in the last two periods. This could be their last two periods of the season if they dont find a way to play more physical, keep disciplined, shut down Malkin and Crosby and grab some clutch goals. Sounds so easy doesn’t it?!!!!

SECOND PERIOD

2000 left in the 2nd: Ok, I’m not focusing on this game as much as I probably should and I’m definately neglecting the beer so I’m going to cut down the amount of updates and try get some good vibes going by really focusing on my 27 inch LCD TV screen hoping it will edge the Flyers on to a come back and maybe even a victory. Right now the absolute must for this period is one goal, but preferably the Flyers want to tie it up going into the third. They NEED a second period like the first period in game 4. The puck has dropped . . .

2000: After a little pushing on the buzzer at the end of the 1st, Ryan Malone picked up a high sticking call and will start the second period in the box. A gift to the Flyers there. Fresh ice for the Flyers on a 5 on 4.

1249: Ok commercial break. The longer this continues like this — a very quiet period, little physical play, few shots — the more chance I think we’re going to see handshakes tonight.

1136: GOAL Flyers 0 – Penguins 3
Hossa scores from Crosby and Talbot. Crosby made a superb defensive play and when the play moved up the other end he fed a sweet pass to Hossa for the goal that has probably put the knife into the Flyers.

1058: The Flyers go onto the powerplay as things get a little chippy.

1052: Another penalty, this time against the Flyers for tripping on Timmonen. So much for the Powerplay.

0818: GOAL Flyers 0 – Penguins 4
And so the Flyers ship has sunk. Malone is really stepping up with a great tip from the point shot. He has two goals and an assist now, his second goal tonight on the powerplay. Malone was one player challenged by his coach to step up — he has clearly listened. Crosby gets yet another points with an assist.

0058: GOAL Flyers 0 – Penguins 5
So the Pens move on to the Stanley Cup finals and Crosby gets a shot at his first Stanley Cup – possibly the first of many. Pens win the forechecking battle with Talbot, the puck breaks out front and Jordan Staal sweeps it home. Assists to Max Talbot and Adam Hall.

0000: The period comes to an end with a Flyers goal being rulled out because the nets were off the moorings. The shot count is 9-8 Pittsburgh, three goals to Pittsburgh in that period and a place in the Stanley Cup Finals. I hoped the Flyers would play a period like they did the first period in game four but the reality was it was quite the opposite. The Flyers have refused any interviews at the end of the period as John Stevens gets set to read the riot act.

THIRD PERIOD

2000: And so the third period gets underway. The Flyers may as well just go out and enjoy the last twenty minutes of their season. After this they will be on a golf course for 4 months.

1657: GOAL Flyers 0 – Penguins 6
And Hossa has his second of the game. Everything that can go right for the Pens is going right and the Flyers are having their worst game of the playoffs so far. Biron has had such a solid playoffs so far and it’s a shame to see him go out like this. Pittsburgh will be looking to avoid trouble the rest of the game as they move on to the Cup Finals. (Dupuis and Orpik with the assists).

0210: Penguins fans chating, “Na na na na, Whey hey, Goodbye”. Rubbing it in but I guess that is their earned right now. The Pens are worthy winners of this series.

0140: Adam Hall taking a penalty late on . . . Is this a chance for the Flyers to make a comeback (sarcasm mode!!).

0000: And there goes the horn and the misery for the Flyers is over. The Penguins move on to the Stanley Cup Finals. Let the handshakes begin.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are the 2007/2008 Prince of Wales Champions.

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