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Penguins look to sweep Flyers, advance to Stanley Cup Finals

May 15, 2008 - 2:07 PM Pittsburgh at Philadelphia 7:30 pm EDT Eastern Conference finals Penguins lead, 3-0

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) - The Pittsburgh Penguins will look to make short work of their Keystone State rivals as they go for the sweep Thursday, meeting the Philadelphia Flyers for Game Four of their Eastern Conference series.

All-Star Marian Hossa scored two goals Tuesday as the Penguins moved within one game of the Stanley Cup Finals with a 4-1 triumph over the Flyers in Game Three.

Defenseman Ryan Whitney and Ryan Malone also tallied as second-seeded Pittsburgh grabbed a commanding three-games-to-none advantage for the third consecutive best-of-seven series.

Captain Sidney Crosby had two assists for the Penguins, who became the fourth team in league history to open the postseason with an 11-1 record.

"We're being consistent right now," Crosby said. "We have a great attitude. The reward you get for making sure that you take each game serious and that you're consistent - but I don't think we feel like we've achieved anything. I think that we're just happy with the attitude and way we're working."

The 1983 Edmonton Oilers were the last team to win 11 of its first 12 games in the playoffs. The Wayne Gretzky-led Edmonton Oilers eventually succumbed to the New York Islanders, who won their fourth Stanley Cup in as many years.

Pittsburgh native R.J. Umberger scored for sixth-seeded Philadelphia, which now has a monumental task in front it. Only two teams have overcome a three-games-to-none deficit in NHL history and no team has accomplished the feat since the 1975 New York Islanders defeated the Penguins in the quarterfinals. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs also did it in the Stanley Cup Finals.

"We cannot lose again," Philadelphia right wing Joffrey Lupul said. "It has happened before where teams come back. We are not going to quit. We are going to come out in Game Four and play as hard as we can."

The shorthanded Flyers played Game Three without two of their top defensemen - All-Star Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn. Timonen was diagnosed with a blood clot in his left foot prior to the start of the series, while Coburn was hit near the left eye with the puck just 1:51 into Sunday's contest.

Timonen will remain sidelined and Coburn is questionable for Thursday's contest.