There were no more excuses, there was no more room for error. The Flyers found themselves in a 3-1 hole, and only had themselves to blame.
The team recited each cliche in the book. "One shift at a time, one period at a time..." was said until they were blue in the face.
Game 5 was put up or shut up. Apparently the Flyers had no interest in firing back.
On Monday, the Flyers learned they would be without star F Claude Giroux for Game 5, due to a suspension stemming from an illegal hit on the Devils Dainius Zubrus. However, the team regained D Andrej Meszaros, who had not played since March 1st.
The Flyers needed to set the tone early, and maintain the lead. They were only capable of doing one of the two.
Zac Rinaldo had been given the start, in hopes that he would be a spark plug in the teams' checking department. In the first period, he layed a vicious hit to Anton Volchenkov, knocking him into next week.
Less than a minute later, Max Talbot would score off a Danny Briere centering attempt, and the Flyers were up 1-0.
But as they had the first four games, the Devils had their own answer, and it would come in the form of Bryce Salvador. It was his second goal of the playoffs, with both goals coming in the Second round.
The Devils had tied it at 1-1, but it still felt as though Game 5 would belong to the Flyers.
But all hell broke lose.
Ilya Bryzgalov's puck handling had been shaky all series. It would bite him in the ass when it counted most.
Subject to blue line pressure from David Clarkson, Kimmo Timonen sent a puck back towards Ilya Bryzgalov.
David Clarkson, who had been relentless all series, charged towards Bryzgalov after the puck.
In an attempt to clear, Bryzgalov threw it right to David Clarkson less than 5 feet away.
Off Clarkson's leg, through Bryzgalov's legs. 2-1 Devils.
A euphemism of the Flyers Second Round.
That would end the scoring for the next two periods.
Bryzgalov would save 11 shots on his end of the ice in the 2nd period, and Marty Brodeur would take care of all 7 of his.
The Flyers would miss out on their only Power Play opportunity of the game in the 2nd period.
With the 2nd period coming and going, the Flyers needed to dominate the last 20 minutes. They would fail to do that.
Five minutes into the 3rd, James Van Riemsdyk would be called for holding on Patrik Elias, a horrendous penalty to take.
Well the Devils would cash in. FOUR seconds into that Power Play, Ilya Kovalchuk would send home a slapshot from the point to make it 3-1.
Dainius Zubrus would send home an empty netter to make it 4-1. Just salt in the wound.
That would be all she wrote.
So what the living hell happened to the Flyers, the new Cup favorites?
Everything. Everything, but Bryzgalov. Bryz was a stalwart in net for most of the series who kept them in the series for periods at a time. It would be lackadaisical Defensive play, whether it be poor shift changes, or just losing their man.
However, the killer would be the Offense.
What carried them past the Penguins killed them against the Devils.
Their Power Play scored on better than half of their chances. Versus the Devils, the Flyers went 3-19.
In Game 5, Briere, Simmonds, Schenn and Couturier accounted for 4 Shots On Goal in Game 5. Zach Parise had 5 alone.
They allowed the Devils too dictate their game.
Peter DeBoer deserves as much credit for the series wins as his players on the ice. He was able to get them to play hard on both ends of the ice, for all five games.
Their tenacity at the blue line frustrated the Flyers, and completely took them out of their element. Players like Scott Hartnell and Wayne Simmonds were complete non-factors.
The Devils were the hungrier team, and the Flyers will have a long, long offseason ahead of them.
The 2011-2012 season, one filled with so much hope, ends up bittersweet.
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