NHL Playoffs: Flyers, Stars Hold On

I am proud of that photo because it is cleverly cropped to seem as though a Flyer is in the process of punching a referee.  Yeah, I could see that.

For one thing, this year's Flyers have had one of the most suspension-laden seasons ever.

For another, the refereeing this post-season has been the worst I can remember.

What is it about Dallas and the crease?  They get goals there no one else is allowed to count (every Sabres fan knows what I'm talkin'bout!).  No way Tomas Holmstrom was in the crease, whereas the Dallas goal that was allowed was a lot more questionable.

In any case, the Stars have not fallen and the Wings have not soared into the Stanley Cup Finals yet.  However, with Johan Franzen on the mend and Turco's problems in Joe Louis Arena, the future is not exactly bright for the Stars.

In the East, the Flyers have staved off elimination as well, getting two goals from Joffrey Lupul and another from both Jeff Carter and Daniel Briere.

The longer they keep this going, the better chance they have of getting Braydon Coburn back onto the ice.  Kimmo Timonen will not be back, but if you have playoff veterans like Jason Smith and Derrian Hatcher, you can get by with one of your top two defensemen not in uniform.

But how good is Pittsburgh to be able to get two goals from its third line, both by Jordan Staal?  You cannot fight that kind of forward power in four straight games with your top two guys missing from your blue line.

It is interesting to note that 33 years ago the Pittsburgh Penguins became the second team to blow a 3-0 series lead; 33 years before they did, the Detroit Red Wings became the first.

If either team loses Game Five at home, then maybe we can talk about history repeating itself...you have to go win again on the road, and if you fail you face a Game Seven against a team on a roll...

Unless that happens, the 33 year cycle is little more than a pipe dream.  Just ask me how well the team with the second best record in the regular season did with that.