Flyers not about to give up

With the Stanley Cup so close to the Blackhawks' grasp - and their bravura Game 5 performance still uppermost in everyone's memory - it's easy to ignore the franchise's worst-case scenario over the next 72 hours.

But if there are any pessimists in the crowd, Philadelphia coach Peter Laviolette and top defenseman Chris Pronger can let you know how the abyss feels.

When Laviolette coached Carolina to the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, his team took a 3-1 lead over Edmonton before losing the next two games.

"It was nauseating," Laviolette said of his team's 4-0 loss in Game 6. "I went back to the hotel room in Edmonton and I almost threw up.

"Game 5 wasn't much better. We were winning; they tied it up late. We went on the power play in overtime, and they scored on a short-handed goal in our building with the Cup being polished out back."

At least Laviolette's Hurricanes went ahead and won the Cup in Game 7 on home ice. Pronger, Edmonton's top scorer in the playoffs, skated off that ice a loser in his first Finals.

"It was tough to start that next season," Pronger said, "knowing that you came (within) what was essentially a 2-1 hockey game barring an empty-net goal with 25 seconds left or whatever, but it was tough. It was tough to get motivated again to get back on the ice."

These are all matters of the soul that can be revisited only if the Hawks' world falls apart.

For now, the Flyers are the ones seeking Superglue to put their globe back together after a dreadful Game 5 performance Sunday. Laviolette again dodged questions Tuesday about his starting goaltender's identity, though he did it in a more artful and informative manner.

He asked whether Hawks coach Joel Quenneville had been asked for his goalie choice - knowing full well what the answer would be.

"Our goaltender has the best numbers in the playoffs," Laviolette said. "I didn't think I had to announce it."

That's a bit of a trick answer because starter Michael Leighton owns a playoff-best 2.34 goals-against average - but backup Brian Boucher is second at 2.47 GAA. The Hawks' Antti Niemi sits at 2.62.

"I'm very confident in Michael," Laviolette said. "He's played excellent in the playoffs. His home numbers are terrific. Yeah, I'm very confident in Michael."

Leighton told reporters in Philadelphia that Laviolette said he was disappointed in the team as opposed to the goaltending in Game 5 but replaced him after the first period to shake up the Flyers.

"I think he's the type of guy that can let things like that roll off him and just go out and be focused and be prepared," Pronger said of Leighton. "I'm not too worried about him. I don't think anybody else is either."