The Sidney Crosby Show: Round 3 Game 5: Pens v Flyers (W 6-0)

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This is what it's all about. Keep your eyes on the prize, Boys!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! Wow. What an incredible victory!!! We knew all along that the Pens were a tour de force, but WOW. The Pens absolutely destroyed the Flyers. Marc-Andre Fleury made a few "HOLY SH!T" saves to earn his 3^rd shutout of this playoff season. WHAT A GOALIE!!!

I missed the first period of this game because I was at my Goddaughter's 4^th birthday party, and I can't watch it right now because I'm recording the post game hoopla on FSN Pittsburgh for my husband. But I know that Sid set up a play that resulted in Ryan Malone's first goal of the night... [Pens 1, Flyers 0]

...and Evgeni Malkin was able to stuff the puck into the net while Marty Biron had no stick. [Pens 2, Flyers 0]

When I got home and got my TV on, the second period was 6 seconds in. We were told that Bugsy was in the box for a high sticking incident that occurred at the buzzer at the end of the 1^st. Mad Max Talbot had a shorthanded chance, but neither team scored while the Flyers had the power play. Sid was playing at a level that can't be described. He was an absolute maniac. Flower had to make 2 consecutive unreal pad saves to keep the Flyers scoreless, one on Daniel Briere, the other on Scott Harnell on the rebound.

Big Georges Laraque was freaking beast out on the line with Geno and Bugsy. Later, Mike Richards had the puck in the Pens' zone, he was gearing up for a shot when he was beautifully poke checked by the Saint. That enabled Mad Max Talbot to steal the puck and send it to Marian Hossa, whose first shot was blocked by Martin Biron. In a stunning display of his skill at both ends of the ice, Sid sailed into the corner, got the rebound, and sent it back to Hossa, who promptly scored. [Pens 3, Flyers 0]

On the very next play, Geno almost scored. As the play was whistled to a stop, RJ Umberger (who wasn't much of a Penguin killer this post season) went after Geno. It prompted a scrum between the two teams. After the dust settled, the Flyers ended up with a power play after Geno, Umberger, and Hal Gill were all given roughing minors. Right off the first faceoff of the Flyers' power play, Kimmo Timonen (back for his his first game of this series after missing a handful with a blood clot in his foot) tripped Jordan Staal to end the Flyers' power play opportunity a mere 6 seconds into it. On the ensuing 4-on-4, Brooks Orpik was incredible. But neither team scored a goal. Geno burst back onto the ice like a man possessed. He ended up drawing a penalty on Jeff Carter for tripping. The Boys of Winter needed just 14 seconds to put another nail in the coffin. Sergei Gonchar blasted a shot from the blue line that Bugsy redirected into the net. [Pens 4, Flyers 0]

A little while later, Pascal Dupuis was smeared by Jason Smith (it took him a few minutes to get up after the hit). At the same time, Scottie Upshall got a breakaway chance. MAF coolly stood his ground and stopped Upshall in his tracks. The Flyers got an odd man rush, but Flower turned Mike Knuble's shot away, too. While I was watching this game, Sid and Geno just looked like a couple of cobras ready to strike every time they were on the ice. Then we heard this familiar announcement: "One minute remaining in the period." Before the announcer could finish the phrase, Staal banged one home after Adam Hall and Mad Max battled for control behind the net. [Pens 5, Flyers 0]

The craziness wasn't over yet... With 4.6 seconds left, a centering pass from Jim Dowd somehow went into the net behind Flower. It was immediately waived off because Patrick Thoresen interfered with MAF's ability to try to make a save. This one was not sent to the War Room for review. The second period ended with the odds stacked WAAAAAAAY against the Flyers.

Exactly. (Click that sucker to enlarge it.)

Despite the five-goal lead, the Pens did not abandon their offensive game. It paid off yet again less than 5 minutes into the period when Hossa fired a shot from the near wall that caromed off Pascal's thigh and into the net. [Pens 6, Flyers 0]

Wow. Vinny Prospal got a chance a little later, but MAF said "NO WAY." Rob Scuderi almost got in on the scoring action, but his shot hit the post. Flower made one of those "HOLY SH!T" saves on Carter, and Biron dodged a barrage of bullets in the final minutes of the game. With 1:40 left in the game, Hall was penalized for hooking, but Mad Max made a spectacular diving clear and Gill made a nice block to help preserve Flower's shutout.

PENS WIN!!!!!!!

The confetti flew and then we had the PRESENTATION OF THE PRINCE OF WALES TROPHY (during which our superstitious Sidney didn't even touch the table that the beautiful trophy was sitting on):