Stanley Cup Betting: The Battle For Pennsylvania

Keystone State rivals renew acquaintances in the NHL's Eastern Conference finals

May 7, 2008

By Mike Halford
Bodog Nation Contributing Writer

If the National Hockey League was searching for the most marketable Eastern Conference final possible, Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia is as close as it gets.

Sure, maybe Gary Bettman et al. would've liked the Big Apple presence of the New York Rangers or the Montreal mystique of les Canadiens. But as far as star power and storylines go, it doesn't get much better than Flyers versus Penguins.

This upcoming series will mark the first time that league poster boy Sidney Crosby has advanced to a conference final. Same goes for his running mate Evgeni Malkin, who last week was named as a finalist for the Hart Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL's most valuable player.

Philly, meanwhile, brings rabid fan support and a legion of talented young stars to the dance. The roster boasts a remarkable nine first-round picks since 2000, including three of the top-25 picks from 2003 - defenseman Braydon Coburn and forwards Mike Richards and Jeff Carter.

Evgeni Malkin does not like the Flyers. (AP Images)

There's also a distinct smell of hatred in the air between these two clubs. Having faced off eight times this season (Philly won the season series 5-3), animosity was bred thanks in no small part to two major blowouts - an 8-2 Philly win in December and a 7-1 Pittsburgh win in March. Malkin less-than-fondly recalls the December loss, a fight-filled affair that ended with popcorn being dumped on the Pens' bench by rowdy Flyers fans.

"That's [Philadelphia] one of the teams that it's really not a pleasure to play against," Malkin told the Associated Press. "I really don't like playing against them. I don't like that team."

The History

What's making NHL execs drool is the amount of drama heading into this series. First, you've got a tremendous in-state rivalry that not many other clubs can boast. With all apologies to the Leafs-Senators, Flames-Oilers, Rangers-Islanders and Ducks-Sharks, this Keystone State clash has the most going for it at the moment. Then, consider the following:

• During the Broad Street Bullies heydays of the 1970s, Philadelphia took special pride in beating the crap out of Pittsburgh. In fact, the Penguins once went 15 seasons without winning in Philadelphia.
  
  
• The Flyers were the first team to openly question Crosby for his Greg Louganis-like sprawls onto the ice. Former Philly bench boss Ken Hitchcock insinuated as much during Sid the Kid's rookie season.
  
  
• The two teams played on April 6 of this year, a game Philly won 2-0 that cost Pittsburgh the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Ottawa Senators coach Bryan Murray then accused Pittsburgh of intentionally dumping the game so they could play the Senators and avoid the Flyers entirely.

Youth is Served

The series will also mark a dramatic shift in National Hockey League history. There's an alarming number of young players in starring roles - the aforementioned glut of first-round picks in Philly and the baby Penguins in Pittsburgh.

What makes Pittsburgh's situation so unique is that nearly every position on the ice is manned by a precocious player. In net, 23-year-old Marc-Andre Fleury brings his 8-1 record (1.76 GAA, .938 SV%) into the conference finals for the first time in his career. On defense, 21-year-old Kris Letang is averaging over 17 minutes per contest.

It's a young man's game in Philadelphia. (AP Images)

While the exploits of 20-year-old Crosby and 21-year-old Malkin up front need no explanation, those of Jordan Staal, 19, and Tyler Kennedy, 21, do. The pair have played brilliantly in their checking roles and combined for almost 35 minutes of ice against New York in the series-clinching Game 5 victory.

Philly, meanwhile, continues to reap the benefits of the loaded 2003 draft class. Coburn, Carter and Richards - all 23 - have been the unquestioned leaders of the team thus far (special mention to Danny Briere, who at the ripe age of 30 leads the team in scoring, with 14 points). Coburn averages 23:58 of ice time per game and has five points through 12 games - second to fellow defenseman Kimmo Timonen in both categories.

Carter and Richards have formed a dynamic duo up front. Richards is third in team scoring with 11 points while Carter's plus-6 rating leads the team; they're neck-and-neck for the team lead in minutes played by a forward.

Looking Ahead

This series could be won via line-matching. Through the first two rounds, Richards was forced to shadow the likes of Alex Ovechkin and Alex Kovalev - so the precedent has been set. Richards sticks like glue to the opposition's stars and tries to man-mark them into obscurity.

If the Flyers can play the kind of physical game they enjoy, that could be tough for Crosby and Malkin to overcome. But given how nasty the regular season series between these two was, it's hard to fathom the young Penguins being rattled by rough-and-tumble hockey.

It promises to be a beauty.

TOP PHOTO: There is little love lost between the Flyer and Penguins. (AP Images)