Published: May 16, 2008 12:26 am            

Still in the driver’s seat

PHILADELPHIA — As far as the Stanley Cup playoffs go, there are things far worse than becoming known as a team that can’t complete a sweep.

The Pittsburgh Penguins risk having that reputation after missing out on a sweep for the second consecutive round, as they lost 4-2 to the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night at the Wachovia Center.

Of course, if they rebound with a Game 5 win, like the did after dropping Game 4 to the New York Rangers in the conference semifinals, coach Michel Therrien will be just fine.

“After four games, we’re leading 3-1,” Therrien said. “That’s the most important thing for us. I like our chance after four games. We’re in good position, in command.”

The Penguins will have another chance to close out the series on Sunday in Pittsburgh, where they are unbeaten this postseason.

For much of Thursday’s game the Penguins looked little like the team that had dominated the Flyers in Game 3 and had won 11 of its first 12 games. Pittsburgh gave up 17 shots in the first period on Thursday. Worse yet, three of those shots got past Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

Rather than taking the Wachovia Center crowd of 19,972 out of the game early, as they did in Game 3, the Penguins allowed the Flyers faithful to be boastful and boisterous. If it was the Flyers’ last game at home this year, their fans certainly got their money’s worth, chanting derogatory comments at Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and booing forward Evgeni Malkin every time he touched the puck.

Of course it wasn’t the fans that made the difference but the Flyers, who beat the Penguins to loose pucks, played a physical game and fired shots at Fleury.

“We’re going to need that kind of urgency the rest of the way,” Flyers coach John Stevens said.

Despite trailing 3-0 after the first period, the Penguins kept plugging away, netting a pair of Jordan Staal goals in the third to close the deficit before Joffrey Lupol’s empty-netter sealed the victory.

In all, the Penguins outshot the Flyers 38-34, but goalie Martin Biron did enough to hold the lead.

“Marty was good,” Stevens said. “He was solid. He looked like he read things like he had previously. We knew he had to be good, and he was.”

Stevens is hopeful that injured defensemen Braydon Coburn, who has missed the past two games after taking a puck to the face in Game 2, and Kimmo Timonen, who has missed all four games of the series because of a blood clot on his ankle, could possibly return for Game 5.

“We won’t know until we see what each day brings,” Stevens said. “Is there a chance? I think there is, either or both.

“We’re not going to put anybody at risk. If we were able to get one or both back, it would be a huge lift for our team.”

        

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