NHL Playoff Predictions 2012: Flyers' Desperate Mindset Puts Penguins in Danger

The Penguins may objectively look more dangerous than the Flyers. They went 51-25 this season, narrowly missing out on being the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference by a measly one point.

They have the league's best center in Evgeni Malkin and this season's second-winningest goalie in Marc Andre Fleury.

But still, the Penguins find themselves down 1-0 to the Flyers in the conference quarterfinals, and it's because the Flyers have something they lack: desperation.

Philadelphia was down 3-0 after the first period of Wednesday's game when head coach Peter Laviolette told his team to start playing the way it is capable of playing. He clearly struck a chord, as the Flyers rallied for a 4-3 win.

Afterward, forward Scott Hartnell told the Associated Press' Will Graves: 

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I think we’ve got to play that desperate hockey when it’s 0-0 when the puck drops. You can’t win too many of these games. 

"

Hartnell hit on something big for the Flyers. No matter how well they play, they always expect themselves to play better, and they know how to win when their backs are against the wall, when nothing is expected of them.

Given the success of the Rangers, the Bruins, the Devils and the Penguins this season, the Flyers aren't exactly the favorite to bring home the Cup in June. But look at the winner of this year's Super Bowl. Look at the Bruins last season, who were forced to win Game 7 of last year's quarterfinals series in overtime in order to keep their run alive.

Desperation can be a magical thing.

Twenty times this season, the Flyers have won games in which their opponent was the first to score. They've done it three times this month against the Penguins. They've scored first just eight times in their last 31 games but have still managed to go 18-8-5 in that period.

It's clear that they can always find a way to win and they never count themselves out. During the postseason grind when mental fortitude is as big a weapon as anything else, there is very little that is more dangerous than a team that steadfastly refuses to lose. 

The Flyers finished 47-26 this season with 103 points. Their goaltender is the 10th best in the league, and their top goal-scorer has lit the lamp 13 fewer times than Malkin.

Objectively, the Flyers might not look stronger than the Penguins, but they certainly know how to send Pittsburgh packing.