Stunned

Call it what you want, last nights performance from the second period on was not a true display of Penguins hockey.  The NHL favorite to win the Cup came out flying last night against Philadelphia, posting three goals in the first period before going soft for the next forty minutes.  It appeared for the moment, that the Pens were going to post six goals to the shaken Bryzgalov over the next two periods.  However, we all watched the Penguins for the second time in as many weeks get blown away by the come back kids of Philadelphia in their own building.

If I would not of known any better, I would also say that 71 was a scratch last night and didn't play.  Malkin was non existent as well as his two line mates Chris Kunitz and James Neal.  Throughout the second and third period the Penguins looked out of sync, rattled and in a daze.  I questioned whether Bylsma was in a daze as well, the fact that he could not believe his eyes when the orange and black stormed from behind again to dominate the last two periods of play.  The Pens did not present any offensive presence last night outside of the first period, they had eight giveaways to the Flyers three.

The Flyers led the league with 20 come from behind victories this past season, a team which for the better part of the year has always had a slow start then really got into the game come the second and third period.  You would love to think Bylsma presented that statistic again to his locker room after the first twenty.  You would also love to think he would take a time out half way through the second period when they were being absolutely dominated on both ends of the ice.  "We got away from our game, thats really what it was", said Sidney Crosby.

Despite it all, the Penguins have a true test in front of them.  This is going to be a long series, but the Pens have a must win game in front of them at home Friday evening.  Don't expect the type of start you saw last night, that will not happen again.  The Pens need to control the tempo of the game from the drop of the puck or we could see this series head back to Philadelphia with the Penguins down 2-0.

But then again, anything could happen, last night was a true testament to that.