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Flyers look to even series against Malkin, Penguins

May 11, 2008 - 2:46 PM Philadelphia at Pittsburgh 7:30 pm EDT Eastern Conference finals Penguins lead, 1-0

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) - For the Philadelphia Flyers to even their Eastern Conference final series at one win apiece, they will have to find a way to contain Evgeni Malkin when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday in Game Two.

Malkin wasted little time exploiting the absence of defenseman Kimmo Timonen on the Flyers' blue line. The Russian center scored two goals - including a shorthander - as the Penguins drew first blood in the conference finals on Friday with a 4-2 victory over the Flyers.

Petr Sykora and captain Sidney Crosby also scored and Malkin added an assist for the second-seeded Penguins, who improved to 6-0 at home this postseason.

"When we get our chances, we scored goals," Sykora said. "Geno (Malkin) was great again tonight. He took over."

Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves for Pittsburgh, which has won the opening game in each of its three playoff series this season.

Mike Richards netted both goals and R.J. Umberger collected two assists for the sixth-seeded Flyers, who have dropped Game One in each of their three playoff series.

"It's a position we've been in before," Richards said. "We'll just have to come back with another solid effort. Hopefully, we'll do that on Sunday."

"The first game always seems like the toughest for us," Philadelphia's Daniel Briere added. "But we've been in this situation before, so hopefully we can find a way to bounce back."

An All-Star this season, Timonen was expected to spend most of the conference finals opposite Malkin in an attempt to limit the Hart Trophy finalist's scoring chances. However, the Finnish defenseman was diagnosed with a blood clot in his left foot on Thursday and will miss the entire series, and likely the Stanley Cup Finals should the Flyers advance.

Philadelphia certainly missed his presence Friday as Malkin scored the eventual game-winner in the waning seconds of the first period and then added another in the second period. With Pittsburgh a man down, Malkin took a long outlet pass for a breakaway and then unleashed a slap shot for his eighth goal of the postseason.