Blackhawks at Flyers, Game 4

Here is a look back at Game 3 and ahead to Friday night's Game 4 between the Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks at the Wachovia Center.

Lethal line

Danny Briere, Ville Leino, and Scott Hartnell have been the Flyers' best line in the Finals. By far.

The trio has combined for six goals, 14 points, and a plus-5 rating in the three games. During a lot of the shifts, they have been matched against Jonathan Toews' line, which is Chicago's top unit.

"They're playing really loose. Things are clicking for them," said Toews, who is goal-less in the Finals. "We just have to be more aware, because they're supporting each other; they're working hard . . . making plays and taking advantage of their opportunities.

"So we have to try our best to try to take that confidence away. Maybe we'll have to focus on them a little more - more than we have."

Comfortable feeling

The Blackhawks like their position heading into Game 4.

"Going into this thing, if you would have said we'd be up 2-1 after three games, we probably would have taken it," Chicago forward Adam Burish said. "We're still in a good spot."

Physical Flyers

The Flyers have been slightly more physical than the Blackhawks in each game, and they had 40 hits - nine more than Chicago - in Game 3.

Hartnell (six hits), Darroll Powe (six), Braydon Coburn (five), and Simon Gagne (five) - Gagne! - led the Flyers' hit parade on Wednesday.

"I think we've brought our physical play up a notch as well," Toews said. "It's going to be a natural thing. If you're playing for the Cup, it's going to be tough."

Fighting words

The Chicago Tribune's David Haugh says the Flyers, who have been shorthanded four fewer times than the Blackhawks, look as if they belong in a World Wrestling Entertainment event.

Haugh wrote: "The Flyers aren't better than the Hawks, but they have done a better job in the last five periods of this series dictating the style of pace. The Flyers have turned the Stanley Cup Finals into a WWE match, with Chris Pronger thriving in the role of John Cena."

For the uninformed, Cena is a star in the WWE world and also a rapper and actor.

Maybe Pronger could join him in a duet - like Kate Smith and Lauren Hart - after the Finals.

A lesson for baseball?

For the Flyers, a replay awarded them a goal and negated another in their 4-3 overtime win Wednesday.

Flyers goalie Michael Leighton was asked Thursday if he was glad the replay was in the NHL.

"Well, obviously, I think baseball is wishing they had it or the guy in Detroit obviously wishes he had it last night. But it just keeps the game fair," Leighton said.

Leighton was referring to Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga, who lost a perfect game with two outs in the ninth Wednesday on a call that first-base umpire Jim Joyce later admitted he blew.

"Sometimes it slows the game down when you have to wait for it to go to Toronto and get looked at," Leighton said of the NHL replay system. "But at least you know what really happened and you get to know the truth and whether a goal does go in."

Listening, baseball?

- Sam Carchidi

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