"I think it's on the ice. We hate each other more. Great players on both teams, battling hard every night, we all
want to win. If you want to be on top of your division or win a Stanley
Cup, you've pretty much got to go through each other. You can't hide
from each other."-Flyers forward and Pittsburgh native R.J. Umberger
ESPN.com's splash page right now hypes up the interstate rivalry that is set to start tonight. Seeing any of our teams in the national spotlight always gets the juices flowing just a bit more.
Scott Burnside's take is that he thinks this series will be a war. We expect nothing less.
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Some random Flyers/Pens links after the jump.
From a chat with Barry Melrose -- who rocks! -- and Burnside:
5. Of the four remaining teams, which arena is the toughest to play in?
Burnside: I'm guessing Wachovia Center in Philly given that Flyers fans are whacked.
Hradek: Philly! You never know when a friendly Flyers fan is going to drop into the visiting penalty box.
Melrose: I think The Joe is the toughest to play in because it's
different, older than the others. There's no flash and dash there; the
dressing rooms are worse than the newer buildings. No lounges or
anything for the players. All the buildings will be packed and loud,
but The Joe is different. Of course, if you're looking for sheer
craziness, you don't get any crazier than Philly.
News
You know it!
Also of interest:
- Bill Clement picks the Flyers in seven. [Hockey Buzz]
- The Pens Blog is surprisngly picking the Pens. +1 for the funny fat man logo. [Pens Blog]
- Also from the ESPN chat from above, they all seem to think Malkin is playing better hockey now than the NHL's wonderboy Sidney Crosby.
- Ed Moran with a preview. [Daily News]
- More on the Rocky garbage. [Puck Daddy]
- Art Rooney got owned! This jersey-on-statue business is getting old. [Orange Crush]
And finally: