Actually there are WAY more than 3 reasons but this should be enough to convince Pens fans to wager early and heavily and Flyer fans to wish they liked soccer.
Conditioning: Consider the physical and mental fatigue that is endured during a best of 7 series especially when the opponent is a heated and hated rival (true hockey fans can totally relate to this). It only makes sense to bring up the argument that a game and perhaps the series might be won by the last man standing. Considering the Penguins scored a league leading 106 tallies in the 3rd period (40% their total goals scored) I believe the Pens will wear down the flyers after the first two periods and put them away or climb back from a deficit in the final frame (possibly OT). Also, the Pens lead the league with a .457 winning percentage after trailing opponents. Should the Flyers pull a 4 leaf clover out of their hockey pants and somehow take a lead against these Penguins they must know that NO lead is safe against a team with as much tenacity and talent as the Penguins.
Discipline: The Flyers almost double Pens in total PIMS with a league leading 1318 versus a respectable 880 for the Pens. The Flyers averaged a league leading 16.1 PIM per game while the Pens cashed in at 10.7 PIM per game. Considering both teams are hovering around a 20% conversion rate on the PP I’m calling the well coached and disciplined Pens to outscore the Flyers at a 2-1 pace on the PP. Add to the equation that the Pens lead the league in PK at home (89.1%) giving up only 13 PPG all season, I’m inclined to say the Pens special teams could score as many as 5 goals for every 2 they surrender. Get ready to poop your pants…the Pens averaged surrendering an amazing 1 PP goal for every 3 home games during the regular season!
Scoring: The Pens out shot all regular season opponents at a league leading 5-4 clip. During the course of 60 minutes of play statistics suggest that the Pens could post SOG numbers around 40-32 against the Flyers. Considering the spectacular performance Mark Andre Fleury has offered almost all season while posting a league leading 42 wins, the Flyers are going to need more in net than what they have. Everyone in Philly and within range of a radio knows that lack of solid goaltending will be the Achilles heal for the Flyers. When an NHL team shoves 20% more pucks at your net than your guys can muster, you have a problem! Did I mention that some of those pucks will be coming from the sticks of Art Ross trophy winner Geno Malkin , Captain Sid, James (the sniper) Neal, et al? If I were in net against the almighty Penguins I would make sure to have SPF 120 slathered on the back on my neck to protect me from the UV rays from the constant beaming of the goal light! Also, I would suggest cotton to protect your ears from the never ending goal horn not to mention the “boos” and moronic utterings of the less than classy Flyer fans!
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This hypothesis was completely inaccurate. funny to read this and see the exact thing happen, except…complete other way around. flyers are about to sweep these snobs of hocket. bye bye crysby and gorilla (malkin).
What is hocket?
Flash ..you never made a typing error? The “T” and the “Y” are next to each other on a keyboard. If someone has to explain that to you then your a moron. You must be a penguin troll hiding behind a philly screen name….
It’s “you’re a moron.” You simpleton.
Hey guys, I just wanted to apologize for being such a ginormous douchebag… and for this horrible, god-awful article and prediction. My bad about that.
Great article. It fails to mention that if the penguins are losing, they will just start doing their best to injure the Flyers. Still, excellent prediction.
“NO lead is safe against a team with as much tenacity and talent as the Penguins.”
BEST PART OF THE ARTICLE…
from a classy flyers fan , i’d like for you to never have the audacity to write another sports article as long as you live.
Congratulations you moron. Such a one sided dismissive article that really made no sense, can not be critiqued any better then the reality that is before you right now. Wins is not a stat to gauge your goalie on, that is a flawed stat. Did you watch hockey in March? Bryzgalov was teh better goaltender with back 2 back NHL player of the week. You wrote an article that pointed out positives of the penguins, yet dismissed the positives of the flyers. A sweep is RARE these days and a 4th seed sweeping a 5th seed is even less likely. You made is seem more than a possibility, a certainty. You are a terrible writer.
MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!
Maybe they will win in four – who knows???
Looks like it’s gonna be the other way around. LOL
Three Reasons the Flyers Should Sweep the Penguins
Haha, wrong, you suck
Southside Shultzie…regular season does not mean anything come playoff time… You should know that. Flyers win game 1…your article is already irrelevant.
Told you so.
The penn. rivalry is great; this will be a fantastic series. I gotta disagree with the flyers getting swept though. Conditioning wont be an issue, and neither will scoring. The emotional / discipline aspect will be huge. Im also anxious to see how well mez, briere, grossman and bryz are doing health-wise. …injuries, as always, are the flyers biggest problem. Sure as hell isnt scoring.
Dont forget that philly owns the rivalry historically and (more importantly) recently.
One does not simply sweep a team that beats them 6/8 times.
I like the confidence, Shultzie. I don’t see a sweep in this series, but I think we’ll out-play the Flyers in every facet of the game. At the risk of being accused of fellating the best hockey player in the world, the Pens are simply the more complete team.
How’s that working out for you? So far, the Pens haven’t outplayed in any facet of the game.
“So far” must have been before last night’s game, huh HockeyFan? It’s only one game, but it was one big game.
LET’S GO PEN’S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LET’S GO PEN’S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a crock of shit….all i have to say about your whole article is the penguins only have 683 penalty minutes in 82 games yet they average 10 pim a game good math buddy…also the flyers lead the league in come from behind wins….its okay to be a homer, heck the pens may even win the series, but get sydneys ***** out of your mouth and be realistic
Yeah, the flyers don’t have scoring depth at all or anything……thy had what 120+ points by ROOKIES this year, but yeah you’re right they don’t have scoring depth like the pens……blow me
Yup thanks for calling that out anon! I transposed the numbers it hould have read 863 instead of 683. In any event that doesn’t change my opinion that the Pens will in deed sweep your Flyers.
Again, you only took pittsburgh statistics as the basis for your article… you ignored all facets of the flyers game. The flyers are TORCHING your PK and TORCHING your goaltender.
Bahahhahahahahahahahahahhaahhahaahaha.
Whew. Wait. Hold on. I can’t breath.
BAHAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHA
i guess our rookies are getting sick of all your snobby 1975 jokes you shittsburgh fans think are funny. im laughing for sure, but this time at your entire team. HAH HAH
Well Anon, I called the league and the Pens win percentage after trailing is indeed .457 and best in the league as I posted. Your flyers were a close second at .435. I can understand why second place hurts so much seeing as your Flyers have been in the finals 8 times and lost 6 of those while being swept twice! However, you are correct about the PIM numbers being off, I transposed the numbers it hould have read 863 instead of 683. In any event that doesn’t change my opinion that the Pens will indeed sweep your Flyers saving you from the anguish of finishing second yet again!
Series is not over by a longshot, but your prediction is. While philly caught a break on the briere goal, u could say the same about the lack of icing on the pens third goal. There should be a lot more venom in game 2!! That means power plays and whoever wins the special teams battle, wins game 2 simple as that…good day
Yea Anon.. I though it was a joke the league apologized for the offside call but not the icing in the first period. It’s a joke..