Philadelphia Flyers have hope after all against Pittsburgh Penguins

PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 20: Scott Laughton
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 20: Scott Laughton /
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Just when it seemed like all hope was lost, the Philadelphia Flyers kept their season alive against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a huge Game 5 win.

A few days ago, the Philadelphia Flyers looked like a team that was on the verge of their 2017-18 season coming to an end when looking at how horrendous they looked for the most part in their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Turns out, the Flyers appear to have a little fight in them after all when seeing how good they looked on Friday night against the Penguins during their 4-2 win.

All of a sudden, this series between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh just got a little more interesting since these two teams will head back to the City of Brotherly Love for what should be an epic Game 6 on Tuesday. The Penguins may have dominated their division rivals in Philly during Game 3 and 4 earlier in the week, but if the Flyers manage to play like they did on Friday, this series could very well end up going to Game 7.

Without question, the presence of Sean Couturier made a huge difference for Philadelphia after the star was forced to miss Game 4 due to an injury suffered in practice the day before. When seeing how the Penguins had little trouble getting by in that game during their 5-0 win, it’s easy to understand why the Flyers were thrilled to see Couturier return to the lineup for Friday’s game to extend the season for at least one more game.

In fact, it was Couturier’s go-ahead goal with 1:15 remaining in the game that ended up being the difference maker for Philadelphia before Matt Read sealed the deal with 18 seconds remaining with another score. Taking down the defending champions on their own ice during must-win situation wasn’t going to be the easiest task for the Flyers, but this team deserves all of the credit in the world for coming through when it matters the most.

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As for whether they can continue playing this well on Sunday in another must-win game, only time will tell for Philadelphia. Then again, when looking at how Flyers fans have established a reputation for being one of the best in the NHL, that place will be absolutely rocking on Sunday afternoon with the hope Game 7 ends up taking place a few days later.