PHILADELPHIA -- The identity of the Penguins under Mike Sullivan has been that of a team built around speed, skill and quick transition anchored by a core of elite offensive talents, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel, right?
True to form, the team's 20 goals and 4.00 goals-for per game after Friday were the most of anyone in the first round of these Stanley Cup playoffs.
More interesting, the offensive-minded Penguins are averaging the fewest shots-against per game at just 24.4. And that's against a Philadelphia team which had been averaging 32.1 shots per game during the regular season.
The Penguins are one of two teams in the postseason -- Winnipeg is the other -- yielding fewer than 30 shots-against per game. That's a substantial improvement over the regular season when they allowed 31.1 shots against per game, ninth-fewest in the league.
Obviously, there's still a long way to go, but 24.4 would also be an improvement over the last two springs when the Penguins won the Cup averaging 31.8 shots against in 2016-17 and 28.0 in 2015-16.
And, as Sullivan told me below, it's not just the shots that are down:
Indeed, the Penguins have given up just 27 high-danger chances against, second-only to Vegas' 25, according to naturalstattrick.com. The Penguins' 53.17 Corsi For percentage in all situations is fourth among the playoff field, trailing only Winnipeg (57.17), Washington (55.17) and Nashville (54.13), entering Saturday.
Thus, the Penguins have effectively neutralized Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek, the NHL's second and 13th-leading scorers in the regular season. Giroux has just two points and Voracek three.
Though the Penguins haven't gotten the results they'd have liked in two games this series, including Friday night's Game 5 when they lost despite leading in shots and possession, the math is simply not in the Flyers' favor to repeat that strategy and win three games in a row.
• The Flyers might have some momentum on their side but now comes the hard part: They have to -- gasp! -- beat the Penguins on their own home ice.
That's a trick they haven't pulled this season. The Penguins haven't just beaten the Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center, they've embarrassed them each time, outscoring them 20-4, regular season included. Listening to some of the Flyers speak after Friday's game, it sounds like all things considered, they'd rather not be in Philadelphia.
"We got two big wins on the road here, now we just have to figure out how to play at home," Giroux said. "It’s ... when you win, they’re the best. ... We just need to, I don’t know. ... We're going to talk about it. We're going to go back home. That’s an advantage for us. It’s got to be our best game."
Doesn't exactly sound convincing, does it?
"Obviously, we haven’t had our best at home," Shayne Gostisbehere told me. "For us, we’ve really got our system really dialed down. If we just play the smart way and not make any mistakes, we'll be good."
We'll see.
Of the 16 teams that qualified for the playoffs, only the L.A. Kings -- swept in the first round by Vegas -- had fewer points at home than the Flyers.
• That said, with their gutty win in Game 5, the underdog Flyers will be greeted like conquering heroes and the Wells Fargo Center will be rocking, "God Bless America," etc.
By forcing a sixth game with their 4-2 win in Pittsburgh on Friday, Philadelphia has met or exceeded whatever modest expectations most prognosticators held for them in this series. The Flyers are now playing with house money.
• When Patric Horqnvist missed eight games between Feb. 3-18 with a lower body injury, the Penguins' top-ranked power play went in a 2-for-16 tailspin.
With Hornqvist sitting out Games 3 and 4 with an upper body injury, the power play once again looked out of sorts, particularly in Friday night's Game 5 when the Penguins went 0-for-5 on just four shots. In nine power play chances, they scored just once sans the Swede. Before his injury, the Penguins were 4-of-15 on the power play against Philadelphia's 29th-ranked penalty kill.
The good news for the Penguins is Hornqvist should be back this afternoon.
• The bad news for the Penguins is that Malkin's status is uncertain after suffering an apparent leg injury in Game 4, though he did finish. Like Hornqvist, Malkin is a game-time decision.
If Malkin can't go, look for Derick Brassard and Riley Sheahan to assume the second and third-line center spots with Carter Rowney -- yes, that Carter Rowney -- drawing back into the lineup.
Rowney last played March 15 at Montreal after suffering an upper body injury, one of three significant injuries he's suffered this season. Josh Jooris' reassignment to Wilkes-Barre on Friday was a clear indication that Rowney, who has been practicing in full lately, is ready to return.
Jooris was probably a slight offensive improvement over Rowney, but neither player is the difference between winning or losing a Stanley Cup.
• A little time in the press box seems to have helped Dominik Simon rediscover his game. The Czech has played very well since returning to the lineup, earning an assist in each of his two games. Simon has even seen some time on the second power play unit and could be there again if Malkin is out.
• Not to tell Sullivan how to best utilize his players but 27:42 seems a little excessive for Kris Letang and 9:12 way too little for Jamie Oleksiak. And that was before Letang's three giveaways in Game 5. If it's any consolation, Phil Kessel had four giveaways.
• If Hornqvist can't go, Jake Guentzel would move into his spot on the top line. Bryan Rust might be the Penguins' most versatile forward, but Guentzel isn't far behind.
• Though Matt Murray has outstanding numbers, including a .933 save percentage, a 1.63 goals-against average and a pair of shutouts, Marc-Andre Fleury still has to be the early favorite for the Conn Smythe. With the Sharks up next in the second round, the Golden Knights can get to the Western Conference Final.
• Starting to think that the Blue Jackets don't have a Penguins problem. They might have a playoffs problem.