The Philadelphia Flyers have a commanding 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. History leans in the Flyers’ favor. They are 10-0 in series in which they had a 3-0 lead. Across league history, teams are 209-4 in this situation.
One of the 4 teams to successfully come back from a 3-0 deficit was the 2010 Flyers against the Boston Bruins.
So sure, Philly could rely on history to guide them to a win, but they know they have to keep their foot on the gas.
“[The Penguins are] a group that’s not going to [give up], you’re gonna have to stick a fork in them. I’m sure there are reading clippings of teams that come back from 3-0; I’d be doing the same thing. It can happen,” said Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet.
I won’t lie to you. Sitting in on Penguins head coach Dan Muse’s media availability following Wednesday’s game, I saw a coach who looked and sounded dejected and defeated. He’s been entirely outcoached. But I also saw a coach who had fire and anger in him.
Muse said a lot. Sure, he put a lot of blame on the officiating. The turning point in the game was when “They put all of the players in the box,” per Muse. “It’s the scrum there, and we get the extra penalty. *Long pause* That changed everything.”
But, he said one thing that really stuck. “We’ve got to win a game. It’s got to be our focus. We’ll turn that page, and we’ll focus on that one game, and getting this series back to Pittsburgh.”
This Penguins team won’t give up. The Flyers have to keep their foot on the gas.
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Rick Tocchet has used the hockey cliche a few times, saying that the 4th game is always the hardest to win. But that 4th game is hard for both teams.
“I think it’s hard on both accounts,” said Tocchet.“You’re playing a team that you know is desperate and will do anything to win. Then the team that is up, do they get comfortable?”
The Flyers have done an excellent job of maintaining their intensity, even late in games. Even with multi-goal leads, Philly has kept the intensity high. That cannot change on Saturday.
The Flyers have the chance to put the series to bed. They punch their ticket to the next round with a win on Saturday, but it won’t come easy. The Penguins are coming, and for better or for worse, they will be angry. After Wednesday’s loss, emotions are high in Pittsburgh.
That will play out in one of two ways. The Penguins could have their best start of the series, and really put and hold the pressure on the Flyers early on in the game. Or, they could let the emotions get in the way and make mistakes, leaving the door open for the Flyers.
The only thing Rick Tocchet’s team can do to make none of that matter is to keep that same intensity they have had in Games 1 and 2.
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The post Flyers Up 3-0 in the Series, Can’t Take the Foot off the Gas in Game 4 appeared first on Philly Hockey Now.