Pens, Flyers Rivalry Heating Up
Darren Dreger
12/12/2007 10:44:22 PM
As Philadelphia's starting goaltender Tuesday, Martin Biron witnessed and participated in a fight filled third period against the Penguins that has added significant spark to the Atlantic Division rivalry.
Down 7-2 Crosby ruffled Biron's feathers when the two met behind the Flyers net. Biron felt that Crosby was trying to slew-foot him. The Philadelphia crowd erupted and Biron admittedly got caught up in the pack mentality and challenged Crosby in an effort to settle the score.
A short while later Penguins enforcer Georges Laraque curiously charged toward the Philadelphia night before awkwardly bailing on what appeared to be an attempt to spook Biron.
According to Biron, Laraque uttered something like, “you're going to get it.”
The nastiness of the night didn't rattle Martin Biron. In fact, he enjoys playing Crosby and players like him who aren't afraid to get in his face.
Penguins coach Michel Therrien's frustration over the Flyers' running up the score hasn't subsided. Therrien recalls the criticism he received a year ago when Crosby who scored 6 points in an 8-4 romp over the Flyers was kept on the bench late in the game out of respect to Philadelphia.
Therrien says Crosby understood at the time and knew it was the right thing to do.
Therrien also says his team didn't sense the rivalry others have attached to the Penguins-Flyers season series over the past two years, but adds now there is something to talk about.
It certainly makes January 24th, the next scheduled meeting between the two teams a must see.
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