NHL Playoffs 2012: If the Flyers Beat the Pens Will They Be the Cup Favorites?

Philadelphia Flyers fans have got to be feeling very good right about now.

After another stirring come-from-behind win over the Penguins in Game 2, the Flyers find themselves going home to the Wells Fargo Center with a surprising 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with Pittsburgh.

As thrilling as the Game 1 win was for the Flyers, this one was even better.

They fell behind just 15 seconds into Game 2.

They trailed 3-1 after the first period—and they battled back.

They continued to seemingly give the Pens control of the game, only to take it away from them just as quickly.

"A child shall lead them," is how the old saying goes. And in Game 2, 19-year-old Sean Couturier tallied a hat trick for the Flyers that helped put the Penguins in the proverbial coffin.

A hat trick by Claude Giroux then started the process of hammering the nails into that coffin.

Now, I am a card-carrying Capitals fan, but what the Flyers did in Game 2 was so impressive it is impossible for anyone but the most biased and jaded to deny.

Philadelphia could have easily just rolled over at multiple points in Game 2 and been satisfied that they were going back to Philly with a split in the series. But, they kept coming back, showing tremendous resilience, heart and tenacity.

Whether you like the Flyers or not, you have to think this series with the Penguins—who many had pegged as the eventual Stanley Cup champions—is just about over. After all, the Flyers are 17-0 when they have won the first two games of a series.

The Pens look as though they have forgotten what defense is, or how to play it. The apparent strategy to just try and bury the Flyers with offensive firepower and depth has backfired badly.

So, with things going so well, who could blame the Flyers fans if they start to look ahead and dream of lifting Lord Stanley's Cup for the first time since 1975.

After all, if they can take out the vaunted Pittsburgh Penguins, with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the lineup, they would have to be considered the favorites to win the Cup, right?

As Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast my friend."

There is no question that if the Flyers dispatch the Penguins, they have to be considered a favorite to win it all. But saying they would be the favorite might be somewhat premature.

There are several reasons for this.

Most importantly, the Flyers have to be a bit concerned about their own defensive lapses and their own goal-tending woes.

And continuing to fall behind in games will eventually catch up with them.

"I don't know how many times we'll be able to do comebacks like that," Giroux said after Game 2. "We've got to have a better start."

While the Flyers may have the Penguins number, things might get much more difficult for the Flyers as they advance.

For instance, if they play the Boston Bruins, this run and shoot style of offense will probably not get them very far. The Bruins took three of four from the Flyers in the regular season and, as Flyers fans know all too well, swept Philadelphia from the playoffs last season.

The Bruins are a much better team defensively than the Penguins and have just as much offensive depth. If the Flyers hope to beat the Bruins, they will have to tighten things down greatly.

As if that was not bad enough, against the No. 1 seeded New York Rangers the Flyers lost all six meetings with New York this season. No, the regular season means nothing come this time of year, and yes, the Flyers match up better with the Rangers than they do against the Bruins.

Still, going zero for six against anyone would have to be concerning for any team.

As for the rest of the East though, the Flyers were quite successful. They split the season series with New Jersey and Ottawa, and took three of four from Washington and Florida.

The way the Flyers are playing right now, they should not have much difficulty with Ottawa, Washington or Florida as none of those teams really has the type of defense that can stifle an attack like the one the Flyers are displaying right now.

New Jersey would pose some problems for the Flyers if Martin Brodeur is on his game. Still, the Flyers would have to be considered the favorites in that series as well.

As for whichever team emerges from the West, the Flyers fared pretty well against those teams so if they get to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Flyers would have a great chance to end their long championship drought.

So, once the Penguins are finally put away, are the Flyers the favorites to win the Cup? First, they have to get to the Finals and that will not be easy.

I see the Flyers getting to the Eastern Conference Finals. From there it depends on who they meet as to what their chances will be.

For the Flyers and their fans, they need to hope to avoid the Bruins as that is the one team they do not match up well against.

For now, though, the Flyers are playing fantastic hockey and need to focus on getting rid of the Pens quickly, giving themselves time to rest and study up on their next opponent, even if it is the Bruins.

Right now, you have to consider the Flyers a strong contender to win it all.

As for considering them the favorite to win the Cup though, after only two playoff games, and considering the teams still standing in their path, would seem to be prematurely optimistic.

We will find out soon enough.