NHL Playoffs 2012: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers Game 4 Prediction

The vultures are circling the Wells Fargo Center.

They sense a wounded group of Pittsburgh Penguins inside struggling for survival. All they need now is for the Philadelphia Flyers to finish the job and put the Pens out of their misery.

There is really no reason to believe that this series will make it back to Pittsburgh. For Penguins fans looking for some hope to hold onto, for some sliver lining amongst the gathering storm clouds, my suggestion is this—spend some more time studying the Steelers' schedule because I really can't see how the Penguins will win this game.

I, like so many others, felt the Penguins would win this series easily and go on to win the Stanley Cup. I could not have been more wrong.

The biggest problem for the Pens and their hope to send this series to a Game 5? What else can they try that they have not tried so far?

In Games 1 and 2, they tried to overwhelm the Flyers with their offensive might. While the Penguins scored in bunches, their shockingly absent defense and the abysmal performance of Marc Andre-Fleury in net resulted in a stunning inability to keep a lead and the Pens dropped the first two games at home.

In Game 3, the Penguins tried to channel the Broad Street Bullies from the seventies and use that against the present day Flyers. The result was the same ,and the Flyers took a 3-0 series lead.

Thus, it is hard to look at Game 4 and see anything the Penguins can change that would have such a drastic momentum and series changing effect. Matching firepower failed; trying to be the more physical and aggressive team did not work.

One has to wonder if the Pens could play a truly defensive style of game, at this point, without compromising itself so badly that the game would be over in the first 20 minutes.

One thing I do know, however, is that Sidney Crosby will show up. The Penguins' dire situation is not Crosby's fault. He has played a topnotch series and leads the Pens with five points. The usually mild-mannered superstar was also at the center of many of the fisticuffs and scrums that erupted in Game 3.

And you can't blame him. The Flyers fans will call him a crybaby tonight. They will taunt him unmercifully. He won't care. Crosby will do what he has always done, which is do the best he can to give his team the best chance possible to win.

He could sure use some help though, particularly from Evgeni Malkin, who has yet to find the back of the net in this series, even though the Pens have lit the lamp plenty.

And, if the Penguins are to have any chance at all, they must do something about their special teams. When you are allowing as many shorthanded goals as you are scoring power-play goals—well, the result is exactly what we have seen.

As if all of this was not bad enough, the Penguins will be without Aaron Asham, James Neal, and Craig Adams tonight, all of whom were suspended for their actions in Game 3.

For the Flyers, the picture is much brighter. They are getting good balance up and down the lineup. Claude Giroux is having a tremendous series with eight points. Danny Briere has four goals. Jaromir Jagr has four assists. Maxime Talbot has two shorthanded goals and a power-play goal. Rookie Sean Couturier has a hat trick.

Ilya Bryzgalov has been a bit inconsistent in this series, but he did look somewhat better in Game 3. If he is on his game tonight, the Pens really don't have a chance.

Up and down the lineup, the Flyers are getting contributions. It may not show up on the score sheet, but Flyers fans see it, and they love it.

For the Flyers, though, I do feel that ending it tonight is essential. Make no mistake, the Penguins are still a very dangerous team. The worst thing the Flyers can do would be to give life, and confidence, to a team as dangerous as the Penguins.

The Flyers know all too well that a 3-0 series lead can be overcome. They would be wise to take a history lessen from themselves and end this tonight, on home ice.

In the end, I don't think the Flyers have too much to worry about. These teams know each other so well, and the Pens will be missing some key players. I just can't see how the Pens can pull this out with so many things going against them.

I think the game will be closer than the past two. I do not think the Flyers get to eight goals again tonight.

But I do think the Flyers faithful should bring their brooms to the arena tonight as the Flyers will end this series with a 5-2 win.