The BATTLE OF PENNSYLVANIA: A Philadelphia Flyers vs Pittsburgh Penguins NHL Playoff Preview!

The date and time is set for the Battle of Pennsylvania to begin its Saturday night in prime time at 8 p.m.

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Your Lockdown Flyer, your daily podcast on the Philadelphia Flyers, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day.

Hey there and welcome to Lockdown Flyers. I am Rachel Donner. I'm here as always with Russ Cohen and you can find us on all our socials at Lockdown Flyers.

We are going to be doing a big preview crossover episode today with our pals over at Lockdown Penguins. It's going to be a lot of fun before we toss to that.

Just a little bit of the Flyers news ahead of Saturday night's big playoff game. The Flyers recalled Carson Bjarnison to be the third goalie at practice and unfortunately because the Lehigh Valley Phantoms were eliminated from the playoffs.

Yeah, we'll talk more about that on the show next week. Generally the same lineup and in the rushes of practice.

Oh, and Tippett left part way through because he's a little banged up, but according to Rick talk it, he's going to be good to go for Saturday.

Even if he wasn't when he tells the truth, I'm not sure.

Yeah, I know, I know, but it's been a lot of fun in the ramp up as we'll get to with our Penns friends.

But just one little fun thing. We saw Denver Barkey and Porter Martone ring the bell for the Sixers, which I'm just so thrilled by because for all these years, we've seen the Flyers like congratulate the other teams in the market and give them well wishes.

And it's just so nice to see it the other way around.

Yeah, it's good reciprocating. It's nice.

Yeah, all right. Here is our preview of the Flyers vs Penn Stanley Cup playoff series coming up right now.

Well, well, well, fancy meeting you here. Hi, I'm Rachel Donner from Lockdown Flyers. I'm here with my co-host, Russ Cohen.

And our frenemies from Lockdown, Penguins, Hunter Hodes and Patrick Damp, how you guys doing?

Well, we were, none of us were supposed to be here and yet here we are. Pretty crazy.

It is funny you should say that, you know, because you look back at the season predictions here.

And you look, you look at what all the prognosticators had to say preseason. They did not tell a good story about either of our teams.

I agree. I mean, I picked the Flyers to be like four points out of the playoffs. They were better than that. Good for them.

I'll give Pat a pat on the back. No, no pun intended. He said they were going to be in the race towards the latter stages of the season.

He was right about that. We both didn't have the penguins making the playoffs though. So we both got that one pretty wrong.

Honestly, we took a lot of Ls this year. We didn't think Ben Kindle was going to make the team out of camp. He's been one of their best players.

Hey, I am a draft guy. I've been doing it for 20 years. I would have told you he will not make that team right.

And as Hunter said, I looked at this penguins team and my sunshine rainbows, no clouds in the sky ceiling for this team was until the last two weeks.

They're going to be competitive. They're going to be in the race. They're not going to get eliminated.

They're going to be in the pre-elympic break or anything like that. And low and behold, they caught lightning in a bottle early and never let it go.

And as for the flyers, I mean, it was up and down, but when it mattered the most, they.

Well, no, let's look at what the people said, because I've pulled up here the espn.com prediction here.

Both of our teams second to last and last, right. And then you have the daily face off crew, right.

Look at all that orange and black and black and yellow at the bottom there, right.

Not not too good for either of our teams.

Oh, look, here's what the athletic had to say. Look at those little zero percent at the bottom, right. Both of our teams.

I mean, you can't do any worse than zero point zero. I'll say that.

You literally can't.

Here's what I'll say, though, when a month into the season, I could tell the penguins were different.

And so like I was telling people, this is a different team. They've added a lot of pieces. They've added some youth, some youthful legs.

This seems better than you think. Then cross me a mouth and get hurt and people will tell me, Russ, they're going to drop out of it.

And I'm like, why? Why are you saying that? Do you do not see any of these other players? Do you not see that they're being well coached?

Like I just didn't like, I believed in them like a month and a half into the season. I was like, you know what?

This seems for real. Now it was easier to say that because they have these legends that are on their last legs, but they're still good.

The other guys are close. And so like, you knew they were still there. And I think that was interesting because both teams as we've just seen were underdog teams and surprises to make the playoffs, but they took very different paths, right?

Yeah, that's the funny thing. Like the penguins, they had that eight, two and two start pattern. I were coming on the show saying, this is unexpected. They've been really good, but we still wanted to pump the brakes because hey, it's the first month of the season.

Let's see how everything goes. And, you know, November, December, they're a bit rocky. They blow all those leads in December. It looks like the bottom's going to fall out, but they come out of the holiday break.

And they just start whooping team people's butts. Like I felt things were really different when they had that three goal come back against Columbus back in January, where they were down for one late in the second.

They cut it to two, then they tie it late in the third and then said, does what he always does in Columbus and wins the game in overtime. That's when I said, okay, like this is truly different. This is a legitimately good team has a chance at getting in the playoffs.

It's so funny. Like, I remember a month ago, I put a tweet out, like, there was a couple of videos with the flyers. And I was just wondering, you know, what is their direction because they were nine points out, didn't look like they were going to get in.

And then all of a sudden, they just rip off win after win after win. And they got hot at the right time. It's so funny. You're not supposed to be able to come back from nine points down with basically less than 20 games.

That just does not happen in the NHL literally ever, but they got hot at the right time. And when you combine that with two teams in front of you that just basically collapse. There you go.

And Columbus helped Detroit didn't Detroit beat the flyers and hurt them a little bit, but Rick bonus will tell you Columbus helped.

Yes, he will. Yes, the Islanders also had their collapse too. But again, correct to fill it. They got also Porter, Marton, who, you know, I know the penguins were definitely high on going into the draft. But, you know, he's been fantastic. A lot of their young talent has also carried them throughout the season too. And again, I'm really excited for this. That's going to be a really fun series.

And the one thing I noticed that was different. And then I think Dan Muse did a good job with this. He's, he's really a defensive coach, right? That's always been his kind of thing. And he kind of freed up Eric Carlson, because Eric Carlson was struggling the last couple of years. Like he looked like a guy that was just like I got he got points, but he wasn't like getting major points.

But I could see this year that since he didn't have to really worry about playing a lot of defense, things were going to be different. And he's to me seems a lot more dangerous this year.

I do think with the Muse and Carlson of it all, there was a bit of an element, I think, where Muse kind of went the opposite way of Sullivan and where he's not overcoaching Carlson. I think the conversation between the two of them was

let the game come to you and you will dominate it because you watch him under Sullivan. Let's say he's got 10 opportunities to pinch in the offensive zone.

Nine of those he's going to pinch. And most of those pitches ended up being disastrous this year. He's a lot more selective of when to pinch, when to join the rush, when to lead the rush.

And lo and behold, he has been a revelation. Meanwhile, if we're going to talk about surprises, both Russ and Rachel, here's something that I don't think I've said in my entire hockey life.

Philadelphia Flyers have gold tending.

Yeah, it is, it's been interesting. You know, you were talking about Dan Muse a lot there. And I think, you know, with both teams having new coaches this year, that's had such a huge impact. You talked a lot about how, you know, Dan is affected the defense and Carlson.

I think Rick talk had affected the Flyers defense as well. And, you know, John Torturella always talked a good game about a defense first structure, but Rick talk had actually pulled it off.

And in a way that he hasn't, you know, we hadn't seen in years, right? And you look at the Flyers gold differential much, much better this year, you know, especially in the post Olympic surge that the Flyers have had.

And the gold tending, right, has helped that quite a bit as well. And, and that has been a huge, huge aspect to the game, you know, with Dan Villard, just having an absolutely phenomenal season.

Yeah, I mean, it's the most games that were played in his life in one season. And so like, you know, we had a temper expectations for that because you just didn't know, and he did have some clunkers down the stretch.

But then in the big games, he came up big. And so, yeah, they have good gold tending.

Yeah, he's top 10 and goals, say it above expected this year just came out of nowhere, honestly. So I do think going into this, he would tell you differently.

Like, at least going into this series, I would say, you know, on paper for the this year, I think the Flyers to have the edge there. But again, Stuart Skinner, I know, say what you want.

He has had some big games for the oilers, especially in Western conference finals, he helped them get to back to back Stanley Cup finals. If that version of Stuart Skinner does show up, like the good version where he was playing his butt off against the Dallas stars, for example, helping them get to the final.

I do think, you know, the gap closes a bit, but, you know, Vodar has been very good in the Flyers. They're top three and expected goals against for 60 minutes at five on five this year.

You know, a lot of credit has to go direct talk it for that. They've been don't talk about the power play.

That is the ones that we do not talk about because, you know, they're bottom three in the league in both, but, you know, I did see that I saw.

I guess we'll bring it I'll bring you for two seconds that they have the worst power play. If you look at a couple of websites, but penguins PK.

It's been struggled a little bit as of late. They're going to get Blake Lizot back. It looks like for this series, which I gotta say that's huge.

He's not the entire unit, but he does do a lot of heavy lifting for the way he wins battles, the way he blocks shots gets clear.

He's kind of the engine of it. So I do like, at least from a penguins perspective, that advantage. And Pat, I also talked about this.

Power play has also got to get going again, Pat, because it's been kind of slacking off a bit lately.

It does. And it's going to get the penguins power play unit will get its cookies because you look at the murderers, row of players who populate the top power play.

They'll find a way, but it does need to get back to the level that it was at earlier in the year, especially in 2025.

When it seemed like if you gave them four power plays in a game, they were getting at least one goal, but as of late, it's trailed off.

If you're in this isn't the twist the knife for our frenemies here from locked on flyers, but if you're the flyers, you want this series played at most, most of the time at five on five hundred.

Oh, yeah, there's no mistake about that. You know, the one thing I'll say about Skinner, because I do other shows too.

And I felt I said a trap for somebody on another show. I'm like, listen, he's got 14 playoff wins. Like you can say what you want. He's had his off games, but he does.

And that proves your point on her. Like there are times where he has been good people. All we remember the bad.

Yeah, that's true. And again, you know, he's definitely had some conquerors for this team as well.

You know, it's been kind of annoying that already has struggled down the stretch because he had such a great start to this.

Yeah, he was really good early. Yeah, there was multiple times on our show. We were talking about how he'd be the one a going into playoffs within Skinner.

Start now play him down the stretch. And that's where we have arrived where we think Skinner should get the game one start for them.

Has a veteran experience. He's been a bit better down the stretch. Now with his leash belong. I still would probably vote.

You know, no, I think it's a he struggles a little bit. I think damn use because they've been doing this rotation throughout the year.

We're not hesitate to go to already in the playoffs. I know there's been a lot to talk about. So they're mirrored.

I don't see that happening. I don't think it's happening just because they want to get him the colder cup run in the NHL playoffs.

But I do think next year he is going to be up.

Yeah, he'll be back for next year. But you throw him into it this year. That's kind of crazy.

I come back to this when it comes to Merchov. This isn't a 2016 2017 level penguins team where you look at it and go,

the only thing that could derail them is goal tending. So give the young hot shot a chance.

This is a team where for both of us, you're looking at it and going, we're in and we weren't supposed to be in.

So we are going to let this ride. Yeah.

Yeah. And I think, you know, bringing that back around to the initial point of all of this about both teams like are kind of just happy to be here in a lot of ways.

But I think it's different for the two teams, right? Because on the pen side of things, it's more from the outside.

It seems more of like is this a last hurrah for Sid and Geno, right? And Chris Latange and, you know, just that original core, right?

Versus the flyers are a much, much younger team overall. And it's just like a we're just happy to be here.

Like we're playing with house money this year in the playoffs.

I mean, I think for the penguins, it's both and right? I think that you look at it from the perspective of the core players of your Crosby,

Malkin and Latange and even Carlson and think, yeah, this is maybe the last kick at the can they're going to get.

But you also look at where this organization was just eight months ago and nobody expected them to be in the postseason.

This was supposed to be two or three years from now and that was going to be this one song.

So the question more is how do you want to approach it mentally? Do you want to look at it as this is going to be our ESPN last dance Michael Jordan in the

finals moment? Or is this just, hey, we're ahead of schedule. Let's see what happens. And then you have to wonder, is this sustainable?

And is it going to keep happening over the next couple of years? Or is it a blip on the radar?

I'll tell you this. I'm secretly hoping that like the legal mass cost to travel, let us travel and Gritty goes there and just steals icebergs.

Air horn because when you're in that building that is the most annoying thing on earth.

I'm not going to disagree with you. It's very annoying.

As long as we get to hear the air raid siren before the game, no, that's fine. I'm cool with that.

But I'm telling you as media, you know where the media sits for like the Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh and iceberg is right there and we all want to strangle.

No, it's annoying. Well, thank God, rest will not be in Pittsburgh to strangle your mascot.

Not for let this time, but it won't be it won't be a repeat of the classic film sudden death that we don't have to worry.

Right. I won't spend them. I don't know.

But we have some other players to touch on and we are going to do that coming up next.

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We've already mentioned guys like Sydney Crosby Dan Vladar we've talked about Eric Carlson we've talked about Porter Marton and a little bit about this vets versus kids narrative that surrounds these two teams but other than that hunter is there somebody on the pens that you think is going to have the most impact on this series.

So yeah we've already discussed Ben Kendall how I'm really excited to watch him in this series I think this is going to be great for his development overall as a player you know it's always cool when you get to see these young players who you know like someone like Kendall felt like he wasn't supposed to be here this early.

Now he's going to get his taste of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time you know we haven't talked about him too much yet we've talked about him a little bit but you know I've been really excited for playoff air Carlson we haven't seen him.

And since the 2018-19 season we all know how great he can be in the playoffs he was money for the penguins down the stretch especially when they didn't have Crosby and Maulkin for several games in the month of March Carlson was putting this team on his back basically night in and night out.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what you can do in this series.

I also wanted to shout out Ricardo Kel another veteran who came back from his hand injury he had a great end to the season finish with 24 goals 48 points Pat and I've talked a lot on our show if he had not gotten hurt and missed all that time he would have had another 30 plus goal season and he's playing center right now he's centering Maulkin and Tommy Novak that's another player who I think could have a good series as well I could bring up Anthony Manta to he's had a 30 plus goal a year plays on the third line but you know I'll kind of.

You know I'll kind of keep it to the Swedes right now hey listen they we can a sweet they brought in 648 Elmer Soda Blum I mean he's been awesome like he and he's I was at practice today Russ looks like he's going to be in the line up they have Justin Brazo is the first healthy scratch yeah so it's like so to have some hands yeah he's he's so good at protecting the puck down low he's great along the boards it's almost impossible to get the puck off his stick when you look at the way he's playing for these last 20 games five goals 10 points he's been on that.

Third line now with Ben Kendall with Anthony Manta you know he earned that spot because I said the time okay might be a 13th forward guy you're going to get him to look here while the team is a bit banged up no he's played like one of the 12 best boards and he has earned his way into the line up here.

Hunter only briefly touched on him and I'll just say it real quick it's got to be Anthony Manta for me he led the penguins and goals he is one of the several players that Kyle Dubas took a flight

and a chance on and it worked really well 33 goals the guy had himself one hell of a year and for the penguins and the flyers in this matchup I know this will kind of get a little misconstrued when I say it but I do think that the top six of both teams are going to kind of play to even they're going to play to almost negate one another

Anthony Manta continue to have the type of season and performance he had this year in a third line role that could be arguably the biggest X factor for the penguins going into this series.

That's what's so interesting about it because I was going to bring up like if you guys hadn't already that third line for the pens right it's scary good right and and you've just laid that out and I do think that's where some of the additions that the flyers have made this season can kind of counteract

that right so we have a Porter Martone and now taken one of the top six spots Trevor Zegress has had like one of the best seasons of his career I mean the most in terms of points and but overall with it with his game.

He's just been a revelation since he came over from Anaheim like for the flyers and this is his first playoffs and he is like chomping at the bit here and so when you when you look at all that and then you dig down into the flyer the flyers third line is so much better now than it was and you have no accates as you know who perennially has been getting silky votes.

You know down the line from from voters and Mitch cough is is sitting there ready to go on the right wing now he's on his good side right and then you have like a young kid in Denver Barkey who's just like rare and to go here I just I think that both teams have sneaky good depth that maybe people would underestimate.

Yeah I would say I think Mitch coughs going to be one of their top two scorers I do I think he's down the stretch secretly kind of been like the engine I think that people out there that kind of don't notice it sometimes because he doesn't get all the power play time but he's very tricky out there and he's a guy that defensively he's hard to handle because he is a little dirty he's like a fire plug so he's got strength but he's always working towards the net always looking to score in the corners banking on.

I don't know if the goalie all those kinds of annoying things and I think that's something that pens have to really account for I do think that it and this is going to this goes for both squads going into this series I it's not going to be a repeat of 2012 so let's not all excited about that team is that but I do think that we saw it in spurts throughout the season series I know Rachel we're going to talk about the season series later on in the show but you could start to see the

start to bubble up again the rivalry was started this team as much as he hated the 2012 I'm not sure no but you can see in spurts that the rivalry was starting to bubble up again and I do think discipline is going to be a huge factor in this because to what you were what you were saying about guys like Zegris and Mishkov really starting to get excited and really have that little edge to their game not only do they have that but they're getting into their first playoff actions

so how far are they going to go did are they going to you know get a little too wound up are they going to get a little over their skis or they going to be able to channel it and then the same goes for your Connor Clifton's with the penguins who they're not afraid to mix it up so right are these teams going to get in their own heads and get so amped up they might end up cost in their their squad

there's a worry of that there's a worry of that on the flyers with Mishkov with Marton sometimes with connecting but less this season there's there's a little worry of that because again with the penguins power play I mean they're up in the top near power play pk and and goals for so that's you know you don't want to give them any up any extra opportunities

yeah and connecting he's he's kind of a pure rat but in a good way but he'll get under your skin so penguins will have to be on you know high alert for that it's funny you go back to that 2012 series it's funny you bring that up they were just so unhinged under Dan Vilesma that changed when Mike Sullivan came in you didn't really see much of that and even under first year head coach damn use really having seen this team just go overboard super often this year so you want to spice up the series TNT should have hired like Scott Hartman

over to be between the benches so this way when he calls over Sydney Crosby for an interview how would that go

don't imagine would go very well Russ I think he still probably harbors some resentment from I think come on that's good television fifth I can't believe this is 15 years ago we're all old but speaking of the the older guys though I think that's where you know in terms of the discipline that's where the leadership of both sides are going to have to come into play here and and you know we mentioned a track

of his connecting that's a little older and a little wiser right now he knows when to pick his battles in a way that he didn't you know earlier in his career we have Sean Couturier

who was around for the last playoff run for the flyers and now he's the team captain and he's playing a different role on the ice but a similar leadership role off the ice and and I think you know Christian

Vorak has been such a tremendous addition to the flyers and has helped at the dot and just created a lot of stability in that top six and you know he hasn't been an incredible playmaker for the flyers as well.

It's really good it's freaky that Sydney Crosby used to live in like Marriable Lemuse basement you know like it's just crazy 30 what 37 some like 38 crazy.

But yeah no I know we've talked a lot about the veterans and obviously the flyers have a lot of youth I be remissed if I didn't bring up Igor Chinakov the work that he has done.

He's been really good I think he's going to be a huge x factor for the series 18 goals and 36 points just with the penguins since going to speed right because the penguins needed some speed.

And that was the thing when they got him in a trade I tweeted about it because I'm like I know Chinakov and he he was just dying in Columbus

and this guy's got speed I thought they would match him up with Malcolm because I thought that would be a natural matchup but.

And they were Ross. Yeah he was on that line for a long time and then they decided to try him with Crosby and it's been pretty smooth sailing ever since so he works with both wingers I would despise if you see damn use continue to mix and match his lines throughout this series.

But yet Chinakov he's fast and you know it his releases lightning quick it beats basically every gold tender in the league he has been everything for this team.

It was a good I mean it was a steel really can't disagree and for real quick for the people who are here from our audience I'm just going to say this locked on penguins fans.

Learn the name Porter Marton and learn to hate it because I have been being snarky if you follow me on social media saying oh he ran back to college is the six overall pick you know who didn't bend Kindle he just made the team out of camp but it's me being jealous because that kid.

Is the truth he's going to be a star in you as a penguins fan are not going to like him. Yeah and Porter Marton win at every single time even when he's not asked we'll talk about how good a decision it was for him to go to Michigan state and how much he learned there and how much he grew as a person and as a player and this was the right move at the right time to do that and then come to the flyers right now.

And more than a point per game in his NHL debut like he's going to be a tremendous player before the fire moving forward that and he's been in these high pressure situations all year whether it's with really good with Michigan state whether it's at world juniors you know I think that he's learned so much this year and he's he's like putting it all together at the right time.

We're going to kick off his NHL career but we talked a little bit about the bad blood from the past we're going to get a little bit more into that as well as look at the season series and see if that gives us any clues as to the outcome and finally give our predictions.

We will do that coming up next.

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We talked a little bit about this on locked on flyers that there was a season split between the two teams here to and to but the pen for a little bit more dominant in the regulation games and the flyers had to win theirs in a shoot out or so like what do you make of that.

This was actually in my notebook that I got sit in my handy dandy notebook for my blues clues kids sit next to me here is this was actually a question I wanted to have for you guys because the penguins that we the penguins shoot out struggles are genuinely one of the most confusing things I have ever seen as a hockey fan you would think a team with that level of talent would just sleep walk through them and get wins but they were unable to.

But on the other end this year the flyers were damn near automatic in the shoot out yeah yeah but as you said penguins they got their wins pretty dominantly in regulation the flyers they had to get their wins against the penguins in the shoot out and as we all know.

So the fake skills competition goes away and it's not around the playoffs so yeah so it's a big deal does that give you guys pause when you go into this series.

I think they'll be some overtime games it's flyers penguins like there's definitely going to be I mean I think some of those that maybe ended with three on three which is also a gimmick honestly I think will play differently five on five.

Yeah I would agree with that as well because that's the other thing is on a similar note for the penguins this year in three on three overtime it was like beat in your head against the wall because they would play really well.

Yeah they wouldn't finish they played well in overtime they just couldn't find a goal but then you look at the penguins at five on five this season they're pretty darn good.

So if you're playing a five on five overtime in the Stanley Cup playoffs which Russ said it there is no world rum and a disagree with it.

It's penguins flyers we're not playing a penguins flyers series without more drama than the Jersey Shore.

So we're going to get the overtime yeah we're going to have games that make it want to pull our hair out so yeah for me we're I know we're going to do predictions in a little bit so I'll save it but I do think this is going to be despite the differences in the statistics

because it's penguins flyers because it's two teams that kind of are photo negatives of one another.

This is going to be a series on a razor's edge and a lot closer than I think people expect.

Yeah it's going to be a lot of fun just because again like what the flyers are really good at they're really good at suppressing chances again they're top three unexpected goals again

credit to Rick talk it for instilling that defensive structure going up against a team that they've scored the third most goals in the league this year whether it's at five on five power play all situations.

This team is scored all year I mean heck they just scored five goals with their age I'll line up in the last game of the season where it goes down in the playoffs we all know that.

Yeah that is very true and we all know the rest like to swallow the whistles I will say the first round you get the most penalty calls but they keep going down and further down as you get deeper in the playoffs.

We all know that this isn't our first row to hear what the Stanley Cup playoffs but you know I do like the way the penguins have generated at five on five scoring chances expected goals shot attempts but that chess match with the way the flyers play defensively.

I'm curious to see from a penguins perspective how damn use the tax it you brought up those four games no and they were all fun you know obviously the penguins you know they had their two big wins in regulation but even those two that the flyers won.

You know that first one you know the penguins they were able to salvage a point out of it you had that whole thing with a chari and Trevor Zegress the other one we're probably more content play I think both teams played really well in that game and Trevor Zegress I mean he's basically automatic in shootouts but you know as Pat said that goes away three on three goes away I will echo what Pat said they were honestly if you watch the three on three over times they were good in them but they were just stone walled every single time they played a goalie like they were four and six and over two.

Four and six and over time three and ten in shootouts you know whatever but you know I'm just really curious to see how especially damn use does in his first playoff series as a head coach like that something that I've been talking about a little bit on the pod but I'm really excited to see how he attacks this in his first rodeo here in the playoffs.

One of the things that you have to consider here is this post Olympic run for the flyers and peeking at the right time right because you look at especially that January 15th loss which was atrocious for the flyers right but that was part of a very terrible run that the flyers were on right and so you look at post Olympic.

Flyers did win the one game that they had between the two games and they've been on a remarkable run they're shooting much more than they were before their shot accuracy has gotten a lot better so and to our conversation earlier about the flyers defensively you know the flyers play better at five on five and so this is this is actually a really good situation for the flyers here when you look at it that way.

It really is and like I said I think when you compare these two teams and hunter talked about it to you've got and I know that I know that it's different in the playoffs but you've got a team that is really good offensively and a team that is really good defensively and something is going to have to give here and this is we talked about it in the second segment and we touched on it a little bit but I'll just reiterate it.

The X factor in the big determining factor in this series to me is going to come down to the guys in the nets because Dan Vlodar I joked about it already on the show it's weird territory for me to look at the flyers and go oh my god they've got gold tending because all my life it's been the joke but they've got it right now the penguins kind of depends upon the day it's not the Tristan Jari or Matt late Matt Murray nightmare anymore but it's still Stewart Skinner and I'm not sure if it's going to happen.

Art she loves who have wobbled a little bit so will the penguins offense be able to keep up in the playoffs or will it trail out like it usually does and can the flyers defense find a way to stop this penguins attack.

I mean I wonder which teams going to have too many too many men on the ice penalties.

The flowers had too many lately. I don't know how the pens have done with that. honestly I don't know.

I've been too many bat at least not from there's usually not too many.

too many. There's obviously been some throughout the season, but it seems to be at a bad time,

right, Rachel? Yeah, yeah. Hasn't been a big issue here as a wait. That's for sure. No,

and they're all going to be leaving. They're all going to be cheating on with the changes.

And I mean, not to not to jump ahead here because Rachel, I know you're hosting here, but I just

got to say this part to I am so freaking excited to have penguins flyers with actual stakes again.

Oh my God. I mean, right? Even if the rivalry itself has been a little bit dormant,

part of it is because we have not had genuine good teams at the same time since the last playoff

series in 2018. Yeah. And it is like finding a big glass of water in the middle of the desert.

No, I could not agree more. And you know, you look at that series, you know,

pens win it in six games, but it was an excellent series overall. And like to have something like

that again, obviously with a different outcome would be would be I think tremendous for everybody.

I think Gary Batman loves that this series exists. And that's why he is the playoff structure

in place that he does. Like, this is exactly the moment that he wants. And he's certainly going to

go ESPN to the for some reason ESPN is stuck on the first round. Like, let's have the best first round

matchups. And then sometimes they wane after that. But that's what they seem to want.

And we said it on our show on Thursday when the game won schedules came out. You look at the

rest of the first round series. And there's a lot of good matchups. Oh, yeah.

But there is but only one penguins and flyers. And that is why it is at 8 p.m. on Saturday.

It's the only true rivalry one. I mean, the other one we all kind of look at is the Dallas one.

That's that's going to be really good with Minnesota. But this is the only true rivalry one.

Yeah, I think they were probably hoping that Montreal was going to get home ice in the first

round. So they could put the bell center up there. But no, that's okay. Tampa Bay got home ice.

You can we can be in the prime time slot for this one. They got it right because it's so funny.

I kept hearing early in the week. It was 2 p.m. Then it went to 8 and just kept going back and forth.

And I'm like, all right, glad we settled prime time penguins flyers as it should. I'm just glad

the Lehigh Valley phantoms beat the Montreal Canadians for that too. I'm just going to warn you now,

though, guys, there could be one really early game and Philly because of the Sixers and other

things that's going on. It wouldn't shock me if there's going to be an afternoon game. So don't be

shocked. That makes sense. Yeah. The building is very busy right now.

I will do whatever I have to do to watch a penguins and flyers game. Even if I got to get this

phone out and just sit there like because I am not missing penguins. I watched I was at a

Phil Collins concert. I was watching a game and I had a little crowd. It was a Sony watchman at the time.

And I had a little crowd around me watching the game. Well, I was listening to Phil. So I've done it.

And I think, you know, Russ brought up Gritty earlier in the show and, you know, Gritty is

already Taunt and Iceberg out there. And this is our first experience in the playoffs with fans

in the stands with Gritty available. And I like the chaos will rain. That is for sure.

It's, I can't, is much as my cold black penguins heart won't let me accept Gritty. I am

interested to see what Gritty is going to do with actual fans in the stands in the play.

But here's the thing. I expect a lot of cheek cakes thrown. That is for sure.

Are you going to listen to the TNT play of high play or are you going to listen to your local radio

guy and sink it? I think I'm going to do sports net Pittsburgh because Josh gets off. He's been

fantastic throughout the season. I think I got to go with him. Yeah, that's the right answer. He's

been really, really good this year. He deserves to call a playoff series on TV. He's been awesome

throughout the season. Great. Press share if you will. Yes. Although you're going to be a Saturday

game, right? And I think one of those is ABC and then that crew is not great. Hopefully I'm covering

that game so I don't have to listen to it. Well, we got our intrepid broadcaster, Brian Bouchet,

who was of course, you know, part of earlier Flyers playoff runs in net. And he did the voice

over for the Flyers hype video this year. So it was really good stuff. Very, very like run through

a brick wall kind of kind of attitude there. So I'm so excited for this series. It's going to be

an absolute blast to wrap it up. Let's give our final predictions and start with Pat.

I'm going to do my best Shannon Sharp impression here. And I'm going to say, I don't care if it's

the Philadelphia Flyers, the Dayton Flyers or a campaign flyer. Penguin's in five. Okay.

I'm going to go with the penguins. I'll say six hard fought games. I don't think this will be an

easy series. I will take the penguins mainly because of their depth. And you know, Sid, you know,

he loves playing this team. So there's that factor, of course. And I think Skinner will do just

enough. I don't think he will lose them this series. So I will go penguins in six hard fought

games could easily see going seven. But I don't think this is going to be easy. I will take Pittsburgh

though. Yeah, I kind of figure Philly's going to win one in home and one in Pittsburgh.

Historically, they've always won at least one in Pittsburgh that you never expect them to win.

And I think it is going to be penguins in six. I think they're all going to be really good games.

I don't think it's going to be like seven six games like we saw once upon a time.

Yeah, I do got to add my caveat real quick for my yoga side. I don't think it's going to be an

easy five. Like I don't think this is going to be your gentleman's sweep where they win

four easy games and one of them doesn't go their way. Right. I just think that you stack them up.

I think the penguins can do this in five, but it is not at all going to be easy.

I think Dan Vlidar is going to be a giant hero, big damn hero, as they say, and flyers in six.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Nice. This has been a blast. I said frenemies at the top of the show,

but could not love talking to you guys anymore, despite the cross state rivalry.

And I love the city of Pittsburgh, if not their hockey team.

Yes, Rachel, I'm right there with you. I have a Philadelphia girlfriend. I love the city of

Philadelphia. I just don't like the hockey team very much. I mean, Mr. Rogers is from Pittsburgh.

There's a lot of good stuff in both cities and looking forward to getting going Saturday night at 8 p.m.

All right. Once again, thanks to Hunter and Pat over at Lockdown Penguins. It was a lot of fun.

If you never miss an episode, the Everydayer Club is built for you. Get Lockdown Flyers ad free,

plus members only discord access and more head to Lockdown Flyers.supercast.com to join the club.

And as a reminder, we always want to hear from you. You can send us those mailbag questions or

flyers thoughts about the playoffs to any of our socials at Lockdown Flyers. You can email us at Lockdown

Flyers a Gmail or comment over on our YouTube channel. I'm Rachel. I'm on Blue Sky in Twitter at

our Miriam. That's our M-I-R-I-A-M. I'm Russ. I'm at Sportsology on the same socials,

S-P-R-T-S-O-L-O-G-I. Have a great day, everyone, and go Flyers.