Pens look to fly past Philly

Throughout their entire first-round playoff series against the Ottawa Senators, the Pittsburgh… Throughout their entire first-round playoff series against the Ottawa Senators, the Pittsburgh Penguins displayed unity and passion in their effort to win four straight games.

After that, they advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, facing off against the New York Rangers and former Penguin captain, Jaromir Jagr. While Pittsburgh won the series, 4-1, it showed fans two different teams packed into one.

The first team that fans witnessed displayed tantalizing forechecking and tenacious backchecking. That was the Penguins team we saw in all four games against the Senators. It was also the same team that took a 3-0 series lead against the Rangers.

That team pushed through adversity.

Trailing 3-0 early in the second period of game one, the Penguins’ offense fought back, scoring four straight goals in less than 20 minutes.

The series’ second game featured a 26-save shutout from Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. The Penguins came out on top, 2-0. At that point, the Penguins looked strong. But in the second period of game three, the team began showing some weakness.

Holding a 3-1 lead, the Penguins allowed two quick goals to start the second period. Luckily for Pittsburgh, Malkin and Ryan Malone sealed the victory with a goal each. Still, the Rangers out-shot the Penguins, 39-17.

In the next game, Jagr scored two goals and added an assist, leading the Rangers to their first victory of the series, 3-0.

The Penguins showed a lackluster effort throughout the entire game, and the Rangers took advantage of it with speed to neutralize the Penguins’ defense. They unleashed 33 shots on Fleury. Fleury allowed two goals before the Rangers put the game away with an empty-netter.

The Pittsburgh offense couldn’t generate anything through the neutral zone and the frustration showed as Sidney Crosby and Malkin were both thrown in the penalty box after retaliating to a hit on Marian Hossa with six minutes remaining in the game. The youth really showed in those final minutes as the desperation that could once be seen on all of the Penguins’ faces was now gone. Instead, a solemn, unenthused look was painted across the faces on the Pittsburgh bench.

But that somber look was reversed quickly for game 5 – at least for the first 10 minutes of play. The team came out flying, but its energy was shot down as the Rangers controlled play until the Pens scored two quick goals in the middle of the second period.

A shot through a screen by Lauri Korpikoski and a backhand from in front by Nigel Dawes tied the score early in the third period for the Rangers.

Throughout the third, the Rangers gave the Penguins numerous chances to take the lead. Still, Pittsburgh couldn’t capitalize.

The Penguins even had a four-minute power play at the end of regulation that carried over to overtime, but the team failed to score until Marian Hossa clinched the series about seven minutes into the extra period.

Had the Penguins lost this game, critics could have put the blame on their roster’s youth or on the coach, Michel Therrien. But in reality, the periods of inconsistency that we saw throughout the final three games of the Rangers series should be placed on the leadership in the locker room.

Guys like Crosby, Gary Roberts and Sergei Gonchar need to step up to their teammates and challenge them in situations like this in order for the Penguins to beat the Philadelphia Flyers, their opponent in the Eastern Conference finals.

Mental lapses and periods of poor play will not bode well against a hard-hitting, high-scoring Flyers team that is coming off an emotional series against the Montreal Canadiens.