Philadelphia Flyers goalie Michael Leighton looks over his shoulder as Montreal Canadiens' Tom Pyatt scores during first period of Game 3 NHL Eastern Conference finals.POOL/Dave Sanford/The Canadian Press
For a team that's facing elimination, the Montreal Canadiens don't look especially worried.
And with good reason, they are 5-0 in do-or-die games this post season, and will try to mount their second 1-3 series comeback of the year tonight at the Wachovia Centre.
"Only three games away from the big show, Chicago in June, what could be better?" said winger Michael Cammalleri, who has scored six of his playoff-leading 13 goals in elimination games.
Rookie defenceman P.K. Subban, the team's leading point-getter in the conference final, said "as a team we're ready for this challenge . . . I don't get the sense of any nervousness in this room."
The Habs will indeed face a stiff challenge in the Philadelphia Flyers, who have lost only once at home this post-season.
And they may have to do it without winger Tom Pyatt, who is carrying a shoulder injury, and didn't take part in the team's morning skate.
Pyatt, who features on the Habs' top penalty-killing unit, is officially a game-time decision, but if he can't play coach Jacques Martin will have to shuffle penalty killing assignments around and could include either Mathieu Darche or Sergei Kostitsyn in Pyatt's place.
It's expected the Habs will again play with seven defencemen.
Philly faces no such quandaries - although coach Peter Laviolette will have to decide whether he can make room for agitator Daniel Carcillo - as they seek to finish off an opponent at home for the first time this playoffs, having taken care of the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins on the road.
"I expect the crowd to be pretty wild tonight, knowing the situation that we're in. I mean, it's been a while since the Flyers have been in this position, so I expect the fans to help us in that department," said Philly forward Daniel Briere.
Captain Mike Richards alluded to the team wanting to pay back its fans, who have rallied in rarely seen numbers as the Flyers have embarked on their run.
"Not paying for a whole lot of meals right now," Richards observed wryly.