Penguins 3, Flyers 2 (OT)

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

This team just can't catch a break nowadays. I give them a lot of credit for coming back with two goals at the end of the second period to tie the score, but somehow they couldn't hold on for another ten seconds to go to a shootout. The powerplay was atrocious (what was it, like 0-6 or something?), and there seemed to be lengthy intervals where Pittsburgh just dominated the neutral zone. A couple of times, it looked like the Pens had more players out there, probably due to better positioning on their part. The Flyers once again couldn't get it done on a 5-on-3, and honestly looked like a team still getting the kinks out of the system.

A few highlights:

- Luca Sbisa looks really good out there for someone his age. I would have thought that Stevens would send him to the Phantoms, but he's holding his own out there. He even showed up on special teams tonight. If he keeps this up, I can see him becoming a top-6 offensive defenseman real soon.
- Simon Gagne scored again, though he still makes me cringe every time he goes into the corner.
- Riley Cote and Erik Godard got into a pretty decent heavyweight bout in the first. I'm all for fighting and letting your enforcers go at it, but isn't there an unwritten rule about removing your helmet first? No sense in breaking your hand in a fight, plus it evens up the odds. This weekend, when Jarome Iginla and Willie Mitchell fought, both guys took their helmets off. Good veteran move. Iggy straight dropped Mitchell with a left hook. Beautiful.
- To be honest, the Pens didn't impress me all that much save for their superior work in the neutral zone. I still think we can come out ahead of them come April and take the division, but right now the Flyers need to play the full 60 minutes.

Flyers head out to Denver to play the Avalanche, then to California to face the San Jose Sharks. Speaking of Cali, the Phils are one game away now from the World Series. ONE. I know it's breaking all the hearts over at Fox Sports since they won't get their precious Dodgers-Sox matchup (Tampa's killing Boston right now 11-2 in the eighth). Ah well.

Seriously, the Phils win tomorrow night and this place will go nuts.