When it became clear that the NHL would be in for a Battle of Pennsylvania in the First Round, nobody could have foreseen the extent to which the Philadelphia Flyers would dominate the Penguins. Since the Sidney Crosby era began in Pittsburgh, the team has had the upper hand over the Flyers in what feels like forever. Crosby’s still the player with the most points against Philadelphia in the team’s history.
However, the Penguins captain’s vast experience has proved inadequate this time, prompting widespread discussion.
Jason Demers at a Loss For Words About Penguins’ Disastrous First Round
The Penguins have very little hope of recovering from a 3-0 deficit; Crosby and company are at the cusp of being eliminated at the very onset of the postseason by their archrivals. Over three playoff games, the Flyers have outscored the Pens 11-4, including dealing the team a shutout at Penguins’ home ice. Even Stuart Skinner, who has arguably played better than the rest of the team, could not salvage Pittsburgh’s chances.
As things stand, the Flyers’ series lead appears insurmountable by a rather unmotivated Penguins team. It also shows that, regardless of how successful the Penguins’ rebuild may have been, they are not yet a team capable of lifting the Stanley Cup.
It was Jason Demers who had predicted a clear victory for the Penguins, but the reality is turning out to be far from it. In his appearance on “Real Kyper & Bourne”, Demers expressed his shock about how things have transpired between the teams.
“I mean, I am shocked that Pittsburgh is down 3-0. I did not expect them to lay an egg this big and of this magnitude. And credit goes to Philly, Dan Vladar, Porter Martone. This team looks great right now. They look very structured ever since the Olympic break,” Demers said.
The Penguins have had an unparalleled regular season, so it is hardly believable that this is how the team should meet its end: being swept by their sworn enemies in the first round of the postseason. Unfortunately, the Pens seem headed in that direction.
“To me its the most intriguing to see. Is this the way the Penguins are going to go out? A sweep? Sid the Kid, the year they had with Dan Muse. And it just seems they have forgotten how to play hockey,” Demers concluded.
As the former NHL blueliner pointed out, the Flyers’ post-Olympic form is something that the Penguins should have accounted for heading into the playoffs. Philly dealt the Pens a 4-3 shootout loss on March 7, and overall, Philadelphia’s position in the Metropolitan Division also improved significantly over the same period.
On April 17, the Flyers’ record over the past 10 games was 7-3-0, which is significantly more encouraging for a playoff-bound team than the Penguins’ 5-5-0. Before taking the playoff stage against the Pens, Philly defeated teams like the Carolina Hurricanes and the Montreal Canadiens for the final two regular-season games.
Moreover, for all of Crosby’s exploits against the Flyers that have defined this iconic rivalry, he is 38, and it’s high time the franchise takes some of the weight off his shoulders. The Penguins have come this far for the first time in years, and while it is extremely likely that they won’t progress beyond this round, the management ought to have a blueprint for next season.
