Game 3 slipped away from Penguins, and so has the series
While it has been a very spirited Battle of Pennsylvania, it could be over sooner than some fans would like.
The Philadelphia Flyers came back from an early deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 3 of the Metropolitan Division Semifinal, 5-2, taking a 3-0 series lead. It was a rough loss for the Penguins, who got an early goal from Evgeni Malkin. However, the Flyers stormed back in such fashion in the second period that Pittsburgh could hardly recover. Even when it looked like they might be able to close the gap with a goal from Erik Karlsson in the third, they gave up a quick goal in response, costing them the game.
Now, Pittsburgh faces almost unattainable odds to come back against its Keystone State rival. Facing elimination with no answers for Philadelphia, Sidney Crosby and company could be hitting the links pretty soon.
On Thursday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton explain how the Penguins’ dropping Game 3 could spell the end of their season.
Tyler Yaremchuk: It’s discipline. It’s a bad penalty kill. It’s not getting a timely save. It’s never gonna be one issue or one reason why you fall down 3-0 in a series. It’s gonna be a handful. For Pittsburgh, they just haven’t been able to stop the bleeding. Now, they face a pretty insurmountable 3-0 deficit.
The mindset is cliché as it gets, you gotta go one game at a time right? You gotta just say, ‘Hey let’s win. Get this series back to Pittsburgh. Get back on home ice down 3-1.’ You go try and win that one and put Philly on their heels. If you view it as uh we’re down 3-0 and need to try to win all four games at once, you’re just gonna get way out in front of your skis.
Also, no shot [Stuart] Skinner starts Game 4, right?
Carter Hutton: I think you have to go with Arturs Silovs. I think he brings in that X factor, like he’s been put in tough spots before. He could steal it. After those two goals – the Rasmus Ristolainen and Nick Seeler, one from the point – you just need saves there. Skinner is who he is. At this point, Dan Vladar has been a huge difference maker in this series. There’s a few moments during this game where he is so dialed in and he’s making big save after big save. Even at times if it looks a little awkward.
There will be something to keep an eye on, because [Bryan Rust] drove the net at one point and caught him with a knee in the elbow. It looked like it almost hyperextended [Vladar’s] elbow, and he reacted pretty painful to it. So, interesting to see if they can get to him in that sense, because right now they are just winning this series on every facet.
You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…