• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Talbot propels Penguins past Flyers

May 12, 2008 - 4:17 AM PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- Maxime Talbot returned with a flourish Sunday.

After missing his team's last three games due to injury, Talbot snapped a tie 8:51 into the third period as the Pittsburgh Penguins skated to a 4-2 triumph over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Two of the Eastern Conference finals.

Captain Sidney Crosby and All-Star Marian Hossa each had a power-play goal and defenseman Sergei Gonchar had three assists for second-seeded Pittsburgh, which secured a two-games-to-none lead in the best-of-seven series.

Jordan Staal added an empty-net goal with 29 seconds remaining and Marc-Andre Fleury made 30 saves for the Penguins, who set a franchise record by winning their first seven games at home this postseason.

"Obviously, we stressed it the whole playoffs. We want to play well here," Crosby said. "Going there 2-0, that's the best position we could have been in at this point. We know it's going to get tougher from here on in. We're happy with the way we have played at home."

Jeff Carter scored a power-play goal and All-Star Mike Richards added a shorthanded tally for sixth-seeded Philadelphia, which hosts Game Three on Tuesday.

"It's frustrating, there's no difference in losing by a lot or losing by one," said Flyers goaltender Martin Biron, who finished with 34 saves. "They took care of business in their building, we're going to go home and take care of business in our building.

"It's all about desperation and urgency in our game, especially in Game Three. We've played in a Game Seven before where if you lose you go home. Game Three isn't like that, but it's as close as it's going to get. I think we played pretty good, but we can play better. There's some things in our game we've got to clean up."

With the teams tied at 2-2 midway into the third period, the Penguins' fourth line went to work and produced the eventual game-winning goal.

After keeping the play pinned in the offensive zone after a failed clearing attempt by rookie Steve Downie, veteran Gary Roberts collected a loose puck from behind the net and backhanded a feed to the slot where Talbot unleashed a shot past Biron for his second goal of the postseason.

"Of course, you dream about it, but for the perfect scenario - a winning goal like that feels great," Talbot said. "But it feels great to get a win; it always feels great to get a win and we got Game Two."

"He yelled for it, and I knew there was two D-men on either side of the net, so I kind of figured he was wide open so I threw it in front," Roberts said.

Talbot had missed the team's last three games after blocking a shot in Game Three of Pittsburgh's conference semifinals series against the New York Rangers.

Penguins coach Michel Therrien had no qualms about putting his fourth line out on the ice in such a pressure situation.

"It is about rewarding," Therrien said. "As a coach, you got to show some trust at times, and they did a great job. They scored a big goal. ... And it's about rewarding and showing the players that you've got trust in their game."

Trust is something Flyers coach John Stevens has in Downie, but the coach admitted that the miscue cost the Flyers dearly.

"Turnover can't happen," Stevens said. "Move your feet. I'd like to see them roll into that puck instead of putting his butt on the ledge, now we got to reach across and get that puck.

"But that's just, it is a learned skill, and it is a costly turnover there. But he's a good kid. He will rebound from it."

Another event which proved costly for the Flyers was the loss of their second defenseman of the series to injury, when Braydon Coburn was on the receiving end of a puck to the face just 1:51 into contest.

Veteran defenseman Hal Gill blasted a shot from the left point which deflected off All-Star Evgeni Malkin's stick and into the face of Coburn, who immediately fell to the ice and was bleeding profusely. The Flyers' blue-liner was attended to by trainers and quickly retreated to the locker room. He did not return.

"He got (a) really bad gash in his forehead across his eye," Stevens said of Coburn. "Pretty swollen and we'll have to re-evaluate him when we get home, but obviously unable to come back (tonight)."

Prior to the start of the series, All-Star defenseman Kimmo Timonen was diagnosed with a blood clot in his left foot on Thursday. The Finnish blue-liner will miss the entire series and, should the Flyers advance, likely sit out the Stanley Cup Finals.

Without Coburn, the Flyers had to rely heavily on slow-footed veterans Derian Hatcher and captain Jason Smith - and the Penguins immediately went on the attack.

Crosby opened the scoring with 9:12 remaining in the first period.

With Pittsburgh on a 5-on-3 power play for just four seconds, Crosby quickly gained possession of the puck in the right faceoff circle. As Carter bolted out of the penalty box to join his shorthanded teammates, Crosby quickly wristed a shot which caromed off the stick of defenseman Lasse Kukkonen and just inside the right goalpost for his fourth goal of the postseason and second of the series.

"It's frustrating," Richards said. "I thought everybody played well; they got a couple of bounces tonight."

Carter leveled the contest at 5:46 of the second period, redirecting a centering feed from Joffrey Lupul past Fleury and just inside the right post for his fifth goal of the postseason.

Hossa regained the lead for the Penguins with 6:17 remaining in the session, just nine seconds after Hatcher was called for hooking.

After Pittsburgh won the faceoff, Gonchar fired a shot on goal which caromed off Ryan Malone in front of the net. Hossa cleaned up the loose puck and deposited it into the vacant net for his sixth tally of the playoffs and third in as many games.

Richards evened the contest with 23.2 seconds remaining in the session.

With Hatcher once again in the penalty box - this time for cross-checking - the Flyers looked to be in trouble. This time, Richards intercepted a pass from Malkin at the Philadelphia blue line before racing down the center of the ice and wristing a shot past Fleury for his seventh goal of the postseason.

"They were good plays, especially that breakaway," Fleury said. "That was a good shot but, at the same time, I wish I could do it again, try to make a big save there, so we can keep the lead. But even though they scored, I thought the guys did a great job coming back. They keep working hard until the end and get big goals for us."