PLUM, Pa. -- Years ago, young R.J. Umberger sat in the crowd with his father at Mellon Arena and cheered for the Penguins to beat the Flyers in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Today, with Pittsburgh getting ready to battle Philadelphia in the NHL's Eastern Conference finals, the 26-year-old Umberger finds himself on the other side of this intrastate rivalry.

As a Flyer, the hometown boy from Plum is trying to kill the Pens' championship dreams -- but which team will his family and friends root for?

"I've put them in quite a bind here. They're not complaining, though," Umberger told WTAE Channel 4's Jake Ploeger by phone. "Whatever happens, it's a win-win situation for them. They get to see me in the finals, or the Penguins."
Uncut: R.J. Umberger Interview With WTAE (Audio Only)

His parents said they're ready for dishing out and receiving some good old-fashioned trash talk when the Flyers come to town.

"All our friends, the people we work with, they razz us all the time, but when we beat them, we razz right back," said Umberger's father, Rick, a proud Flyers fan.
Video: Watch Sheldon Ingram's Report

R.J. Umberger got hooked on hockey as a kid, captivated by the powerful Penguins teams that won back-to-back titles in the early 1990s.

"Of course, I was definitely a product of (Mario) Lemieux," he said. "What he was doing in the late '80s drew my interest to the sport. Then they won the cup and it was complete mayhem, and I wanted to be a hockey player. It was just a great time."

He laced up his first pair of skates when he was 7 years old and never looked back. His mother, Roseann, said nine years of playing in hockey leagues cost the family about $20,000, but it was worth it.

"I don't think you can describe it," she said. "You're just so proud and overwhelmed with it all. It's just amazing."

Umberger is one of two local products in the conference finals. Ryan Malone, an Upper St. Clair native, is the other.

"He was two years older than me, so we never really played together or against each other," Umberger said. "Once we got older, we played in the summer in the camps and stuff, and a couple of years ago in the world championships for a little bit, so the guy's a friend of mine but a guy who I never did get to play with growing up."

Maybe now, Umberger or Malone -- like Lemieux before them -- will inspire a starry-eyed young fan in Pittsburgh to pick up a stick.

"It's remarkable how hockey's coming in Pittsburgh. More rinks are being built, there's more players. Hopefully, it continues to grow," Umberger said. "It would be great to know that there's people who are playing because of the success we're having. It's just a thrill to see kids now who are in college playing hockey a lot more than they have been."

Philadelphia has never lost a playoff series to Pittsburgh -- and if that streak continues, the red-hot Umberger will likely play a big part. He scored an incredible eight goals against Montreal in the conference semifinals.

As if that didn't worry Penguins fans enough, Umberger admits he gets even more fired up for a game when Pittsburgh is the other team on the ice with the Flyers.

"It's hard not to," he said. "Any person who plays his hometown team in the city where they grew up playing, all my friends and family constantly watching, it's definitely an extra motivator. You don't get to do it every day."

The Pens-Flyers series starts Friday night. Dad can't wait -- even though his son is now the enemy in Pittsburgh.

"We get treated a lot better in Philly," Rick Umberger said. "I guess they both get carried away at times."

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What Are The Fans Saying?

Here are some of the latest comments posted on ThePittsburghChannel.com's Penguins message board:

Bryan_Mc says, "Let's Go Flyers! hoping for a great series. considering where we finished last year, we're playing with the house's money
flyers in six!"

J.R.1971 says, "Fleury is not just a flower.. he's more like an ivy... he is all over the net!!!"

Mike Bonn says, "I predict the Penguins will go far in the playoffs, and can win the Stanley Cup if everyone stays healthy, including Gary Roberts. .... #19 of the Philly Flyers should be thrown out of the league for his cheap shots against Crosby."

PensFan144 says, "Crosby needs to WAKE UP! A game last night is where a superstar has to put the team on his back and carry them. Instead I thought he was on the Rangers, being that he only passed to blue shirts all night. WAKE UP CROSBY, ITS YOUR TIME TO SHINE!"

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