As we count down the hours till the fourth game of this series we find ourselves asking a lot of questions, likely along the lines of the following:
Can Pittsburgh rebound from Sunday's loss?
Will the Flyers send this back to Pitt and make it a best of three series?
Is this the must-win game?
If home ice proves to be the crucial factor in this matchup then the Penguins should be grateful. Amazingly one Rangers goal, in hindsight, can be the difference maker in a series they really have no part in. Many feel the first team to win a road game is the team that will take this down. What better time than now for the Pens?
The time has come for Pittsburgh to make up for their woeful outing Sunday afternoon and follow it up with a much - emphasis on MUCH - better effort. Most importantly the defense needs to help Marc-Andre Fleury out around the net. On far too many occasions the Flyers were given a free pass to the front of the net. A stronger game from Hal Gill and Brooks Orpik can change that. Cut down the lanes, force the Flyers to the corners and help contain the puck.
If Game Three proved anything it's that penalties are obviously prevalent for both squads. If the Pens can exhibit the same level of discipline as they did over the first two games then they will ultimately benefit in the end. If they drop to Philly's level it's just not their game.
Yet despite nearly 30 minutes in penalties for Sunday's game, each team picked up only one goal with the man advantage. So perhaps it also comes down to the stronger PK unit coming up big when needed.
Pitt have been saying it since the postgame - the Flyers made them play their style of hockey. It's time to get back on course and take this back to Pitt up 3-1. No reason to panic if this heads back to Pitt all tied up, but the ideal chance to secure an advantage awaits tonight.
