R1G5: Some Nights

The Philadelphia Flyers won a weird hockey game Friday night 4-2. The Penguins power play went 0-5, Phil Kessel missed a couple one-timers, Michael Neuvirth played like an actual NHL goalie, Valtteri Fippula appeared to be an actual player in the National Hockey League.

With all of that in mind, for the first time in this series, we had an actual close game. Rather than scrolling Twitter on your phone with 15 minutes left in the third, you actually had to watch.

This is the playoffs. The fourth win is the most difficult, a team that’s spent six months working toward this isn’t going to just roll over and call it quits. If you expected it to be easy, you thought like an idiot.

Let’s roll.

First period was sleepy. Penguins didn’t have the killer instinct you’d hope for a team coming home with a chance to end their rival, but this rival hasn’t looked exactly potent this series. That said, “Playoff performer” Claude Giroux would get his first goal in the playoffs since 2014.

Good for you, Claude. I want to say that Dumoulin’s leg usually comes up big there, but….

So that would be that and taeks would be out come intermission.

Second period – the Pens took over and Big Game Bryan arrived.

When it matters – Bryan Rust is there. Penguins held the zone for what felt like 20 minutes and this led to it.

The Pengs continued to pour it on as the second continued and it was Playoff Jake Guentzel’s turn.

Say what you will about Matt Murray being a playoff performer (he is), but Jake Guentzel loves the postseason.

Then with under a minute Fippula would score a shorty. Tie game. Power play wasn’t the force we’ve come to expect in this one. Saturday is likely going to be dedicated to Mike Sullivan’s Film Room of Shame.

Win the period, win the series, right?

Welp.

Penguins owned the third for the most part – then with 1:15, Shawn Courtieriermesiterberger makes it 3-2 and that’s where it would stand.

Couturier breaks the tie late in the third period. pic.twitter.com/LtODLNDv5x

— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) April 21, 2018

Some nights, the bounces go your way, other nights, not so much.

With just under a minute, Neuvirth would rob Sid and Matt Read (apparently in this series, who knew?) would hit the empty net to send Elvis packing.

I would break this game down more, but here’s a fact, Jack: It’s the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This Pens team has occasionally laid some eggs. They’ve occasionally felt they can just show up and get the win. They felt this tonight. They know what Sunday means. Sullivan knows what this means. Play the way they did in the final 40 minutes and Flyers don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell.

The Marines won’t keep Hornqvist from playing Sunday, book it.

Let’s roll.