Does Martin Biron have to steal this series?
He has been the star for Philadelphia in the playoffs, a potential Conn Smythe candidate because he has won games the Flyers should have probably lost. He has done it facing two pretty good offenses, but neither that has as much overall firepower as the Penguins. The real danger for Biron is his team’s penchant for taking penalties in these playoffs. They have been penalized more than anyone, and if that continues, he will probably have to be a thief for his team to advance. Is Marian Hossa about to break loose? He has developed a rep over the years for falling flat at playoff time, and he didn’t do much to change that in the first round against his old team, the Senators. Hossa scored only once in that sweep despite a slew of chances and failed to convert many of his opportunities against the Rangers. But Hossa did score four times against New York, including the winner among his two in the series clincher, so he could be in for bigger things now that his comfort level on a line with
