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CHICAGO - The Philadelphia Flyers have been here a bunch of times this spring.
Now the stakes are higher because they are so agonizingly close to the big prize.
“The way it’s gone this post-season, we haven’t done anything easy,” said Flyers defenceman Kimmo Timonen after the Flyers 7-4 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center Sunday night.
The ’Hawks can win their first Stanley Cup in 49 years with a win in Philadelphia Wednesday night.
The Flyers came back from a 3-0 hole against the Boston Bruins in the second round - only the third team in NHL history to do that - and bounced back from a 2-0 hole with a pair of wins at home in this series.
Now they cannot afford another loss, down 3-2 and heading into Game 6.
Sunday night they had a terrible first period, falling behind 3-0, and never recovered.
“That was probably the worst period we played in the post-season,” said Timonen. “Give them credit. They were skating hard, winning the 1-on-1 battles and beating us to pucks. They were the better team. This time of year, that’s unacceptable. We’ve got to get back to our game which is skating and forechecking hard.”
“We’ve just got to play better and stop turning pucks over to a good offensive team,” said Flyers captain Mike Richards.
NOTES: When asked about being on the ice for six of the ’Hawks seven goals, Flyers defenceman Chris Pronger replied: “Thanks for the Green Jacket,” referring to his minus-5, which would be a pretty good golf score...The Flyers had a right to be upset for a missed highstick by Chicago defenceman Duncan Keith on Philly forward Daniel Briere. It came off a faceoff and Briere was cut for 10-12 stitches...Chicago coach Joel Quenneville shook up his lines, starting the game with Jonathan Toews with Tomas Kopecky and Marian Hossa; Patrick Sharp between Andrew Ladd and Patrick Kane and Dustin Byfuglien with Dave Bollard and Kris Versteeg. “The line changes obviously looked like a good thing,” said Toews. “But the number one thing was the way we played as a team. We all understand in our locker room it doesn’t matter who you are playing with; you have to go out there and make a difference.”
chris.stevenson@sunmedia.ca