Battle of Pennsylvania @ Blogspot: Five

The Penguins just don't know how to win at the NHL level anymore and with a core team with only 1 year of NHL experience, it's been a long frustrating season. The Philadelphia Flyers have been plucking guys off other teams rosters since the league came back into business. The newest Flyer to be welcomed into the 'Burgh is the long time Penguins killer Petr Nedved. He's there to replace the ailing Peter Forsberg in the lineup. Don't Bobby Clarke know that there's a salary cap in place?

Also new to the Penguins is the first time being featured on NBC broadcast. You would think with all the money that they have, there would be some sort of posh high-tech NBC studio. But no, the NHL on NBC is no different production wise than OLN. It's the same Clement, Davidson, and McGuire that limits just about any chance for fresh ideas in a broadcast.

The game was quite different from what the Flyers saw the first time around. The Penguins played up to their competition with the intensity and determination not to give up the first goal. That plan went down the tubes when RJ Umberger (the RJ stands for "Benedict Arnold") hit a power play goal from Nedved and Kapanen. That goal soured me even more to the abilities of Marc Andre Fleury. I think we were all sold a bill of goods on just how great he's supposed to be. If he was really that great, he wouldn't let "softies" like that first goal in the net. It hit him in the shoulder and trickled across his chest to where it eventually landed in the net. That should never happen. Ever.

In the second period, the broadcasting crew welcomed Mario Lemieux for a interview. He ducked some questions regarding his health and when he might be expected back. To NBC's credit, they tried prying the information from him by asking three different times in three different ways. Then they also addressed Lemieux stepping down as team President in favor of Ken Sawyer and preparations.

The worst thing that NBC did was to tone down the fighting. They must have gotten a memo or something to stress to fairweather fans that the fighting is trying to be phased out of NHL hockey. Bitches.

It's 9 straight losses for the Penguins. Can they make it 10 in a row Monday night in Philadelphia?