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Pens Pound Flyers To Reach Stanley Cup Finals

POSTED: 8:37 pm EDT May 18, 2008

(Sports Network) - Marc-Andre Fleury made 21 saves to record his third career playoff shutout and Marian Hossa posted a goal and three assists, as Pittsburgh secured a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals with a 6-0 shellacking of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Ryan Malone registered two goals and an assist for the Penguins, who won the Eastern Conference finals, 4-1, to reach the championship series for the first time since winning the second of back-to-back titles in 1992.

Sidney Crosby and Maxime Talbot both collected two assists for Pittsburgh, which is 8-0 at home in the playoffs and 16-0 at Mellon Arena since a 2-1 shootout loss to San Jose on February 24th.

"We've come a long way, worked hard for it," Crosby said. "This is a great opportunity for us all."

The Penguins will play either Dallas or Detroit in the Cup Finals. The Red Wings hold a 3-2 series lead in the West finals with Game 6 scheduled for Monday in Dallas.

"We realize we have a tough test in front of us," Malone said. "Our goal wasn't to get there, our goal is to get the whole thing done."

Martin Biron was roughed up for six goals on 25 shots for the Flyers, who welcomed back defenseman Kimmo Timonen to the lineup. The 33-year-old Finn missed the first four tests of this series with a blood clot in his left ankle and was originally expected to be sidelined for the entire series.

"We don't think too many people gave us a chance to be in this position right now," Flyers forward Brad Richards said. "It was a good year for us, but it was still disappointing that we lost in this fashion."

Philadelphia's Mike Knuble was whistled for hooking 2:18 into the game and the Penguins needed only 12 seconds to connect on the man advantage. Crosby held the puck at the right point and his intended slap pass caromed off the left skate of Malone at the side of the net and past the glove of Biron.

Evgeni Malkin gave the Penguins a 2-0 lead at the 9:50 mark of the first period, collecting a loose puck behind the goal and stuffing it between the pads of Biron on the wraparound.

Pittsburgh broke the game open with three goals in the second period.

The Penguins grabbed a 3-0 lead when Hossa's one-timer from the left circle found room on the short-side at the 8:24 mark of the middle stanza.

While on a power play, Hossa worked the puck up top to Sergei Gonchar, whose quick wrister deflected off Malone in the slot and past a stunned Biron with 8:18 remaining in the second.

The Penguins had an insurmountable 5-0 lead after Jordan Staal's backhander beat Biron in the final minute of the frame. Philadelphia had a goal called off in the waning seconds because Fleury was interfered with on the play.

Early the third period, Hossa pulled up at the right point and fired a wrister that went off the leg of Pittsburgh's Pascal Dupuis and over the glove of Biron to complete the scoring.

Game Notes

Timonen recorded three shots and a minus-2 rating in 21:43 of ice time...Philadelphia defenseman Braydon Coburn missed his third straight contest with a facial injury sustained in Game 2...Pittsburgh finished 2-for-4 on the power play, while the Flyers went 0-for-4.

Pittsburgh Penguins

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Scoreboard

Wed, Jun. 4FINAL
Detroit (54-28) 3
Pittsburgh (47-35) 2

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