(Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Penguins have rolled to the Eastern Conference finals with the combination of a prolific offense and a more than adequate defense.

The Penguins are hoping that formula will work once again, as they face an Atlantic Division rival for the second consecutive round.

Pittsburgh swept the Ottawa Senators in four games during the opening round and then notched a five-game series victory over the rival New York Rangers. The Penguins will now take on their cross-state foes in the Philadelphia Flyers.

It marks the first time two teams from the same state or province are meeting with a Stanley Cup berth on the line since the New York Islanders defeated the Rangers in the 1981 semifinals.

Sidney Crosby and the Penguins were bounced out by Ottawa in the first round of the 2007 playoffs, but are now in the conference finals for the first time since 2001, when they lost to New Jersey.

Despite not scoring a goal in the Rangers' series, Crosby is still tied for Pittsburgh's scoring lead in this year's playoffs with 14 points (2 goals, 12 assists) in nine games. Sophomore sensation and Hart Trophy finalist Evgeni Malkin also has 14 points and leads the Penguins with six goals.

The firepower that a duo like Crosby and Malkin bring to a lineup is enough to make Pittsburgh a tremendous offensive force, but they managed to add a third star to the mix by acquiring sniper Marian Hossa at the trade deadline.

Hossa came to Pittsburgh from Atlanta in exchange for Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito and a first-round selection in this year's draft. Pittsburgh also received forward Pascal Dupuis in the deal, but many folks questioned if the Penguins gave up too much for Hossa.

The debate about the Hossa trade will continue if the Penguins don't win it all this year, and even then it could subside if the Czech winger decides to re-sign with Pittsburgh in the offseason.

Hossa had been considered a playoff disappointment during his time in Ottawa and also last year when he made the postseason with Atlanta. However, the 29- year-old is coming off one of his best-ever playoff series, as he tallied four goals and an assist in five games against the Rangers. Hossa, who has five goals and five assists in this postseason, also bagged the OT game-winner for his second goal of the series-clinching Game 5 victory.

Crosby, Malkin and Hossa, who are spread out over Pittsburgh's top-two lines, each have 100-point seasons on their resumes and having them on the same power-play unit creates serious matchup problems for opponents.

The Penguins have scored on 23.4-percent (11-of-47) of their power-play opportunities in the playoffs, but were kept in check at times by New York in the conference semis. After scoring on 4-of-13 chances with the man advantage in the first three games, the Rangers allowed Pittsburgh just one power-play goal in its final 11 opportunities in the set.

Also, on Pittsburgh's top power-play unit is one of the NHL's best offensive defensemen in Sergei Gonchar. The 34-year-old Russian was second in the league in terms of scoring by a defenseman during the regular season with 65 points (12g, 53a). Gonchar has a goal and four assists in nine playoff games this year.

Other keys to Pittsburgh's offensive success are wingers Ryan Malone and Petr Sykora, who are both utilized on the power play as well.

After Crosby, Malkin and Hossa, Malone is the next leading scorer for the Pens in this postseason with nine points (3g, 6a). Sykora has notched four goals and two assists.

Marc-Andre Fleury has been terrific between the pipes in these playoffs, going 8-1 with a stingy 1.76 goals against average and .938 save percentage. The 23- year-old goaltender is 18-3-1 dating back to his last 13 starts of the regular season.

Since being selected with the first overall pick in the 2003 draft, the expectations have been through the roof for Fleury and he seems to be fulfilling those hopes in this year's playoffs.

Helping out Fleury is an underrated stable of defensemen, who are not all as offensively skilled as Gonchar, but who provide stability on the back end. Hal Gill, who was acquired from Toronto at the trade deadline, has been the best of the bunch. The 6-7, 250-pound American has delivered the type of physical play from the blueline that every team could use in the playoffs.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (6th seed, East)

REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 42-29-11

2008 PLAYOFFS: Defeated Washington 4-3 in conference quarterfinals; defeated Montreal 4-1 in conference semifinals

(Sports Network) - Although it only took a year in reality, it's been a long road from the basement to the Eastern Conference finals for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Last year, the Flyers suffered through the worst season in franchise history, finishing dead last in the NHL for the first time ever and set a dubious club record with just 56 points.

Philadelphia had to battle until the final week of the regular season to make the playoffs, but obviously had a huge turnaround with 95 points during the 2007-08 campaign. Once in the postseason, the sixth-seeded Flyers then outlasted Washington in seven games during the opening round and disposed of top-seeded Montreal in five tests to reach the conference finals for the first time since 2004.

The Flyers will now try to get to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since getting swept by Detroit in 1997. Philadelphia last won the Cup with the second of back-to-back titles in 1975.

Changes came early on last season, as head coach Ken Hitchcock was fired and replaced by John Stevens and Paul Holmgren took over as general manager when Bob Clarke resigned.

Holmgren made a handful of moves last year and kept the wheeling and dealing going in the offseason. Since Holmgren's arrival, the Flyers have added many new faces at goaltender (Martin Biron), forward (Danny Briere, Scott Hartnell, Scottie Upshall, Joffrey Lupul, Vaclav Prospal) and defense (Kimmo Timonen, Jason Smith, Braydon Coburn).

Those changes combined with the blossoming of homegrown forwards Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and R.J. Umberger, have allowed the Flyers to make such a quick renaissance. The trio not only provide the team with offensive production, but also are adept at playing in the defensive zone.

Briere was Philadelphia's best offensive weapon in the Washington series, as he notched six goals and 11 points during the opening round. After two rounds, the 30-year-old Quebec native leads the Flyers with 14 points (8g, 6a).

This is Briere's third straight trip to the Eastern Conference finals after he made this stage in each of the previous two seasons with Buffalo. The Sabres failed to reach the Stanley Cup both years.

While Briere was the offensive story in the opening round, it was Umberger who gave the Canadiens fits in the conference semifinals. Umberger scored just one goal in the Washington series, but exploded for eight markers in the second round.

He was just two goals shy of the franchise record for most tallies in a series. Tim Kerr scored 10 times in seven games during the 1989 division finals against Pittsburgh.

Umberger is also a native of Pittsburgh and has played the best hockey of his career against his hometown club. He has 18 points (8g, 10a) in 23 career games versus the Pens, including six goals and five assists in eight tests this year.

Briere and Umberger may have been the offensive stars in the first two rounds for the Flyers, but goaltender Biron has probably been the club's best overall player in this postseason.

Biron's playoff numbers (2.72 GAA, .914 save pct.) haven't been exactly stellar, but the 30-year-old backstop has made big save after big save in his first-ever postseason. The 395 shots Biron has faced is also the most against any goaltender in these playoffs.

Philadelphia's scoring depth has been its strength all season long, as the Flyers had seven players post 20 goals or more. That balanced offensive attack has continued so far in the playoffs, as the Flyers have 12 players with at least one goal and eight skaters with three or more tallies.

Brier's linemate Vaclav Prospal is second on the team with 12 points and is followed by Richards and Umberger, who each have 11 points. Carter has also been excellent with nine points.

The Flyers have translated the depth into a potent power-play attack. Philadelphia was second in the NHL during the regular season with a 21.8- percent success rate with the man advantage. The Orange and Black have improved those numbers in the playoffs by scoring on 12-of-50 opportunities for a 24-percent clip.

One weakness for the Flyers is a lack of depth at the back end. Philadelphia has an excellent top pairing in All-Star Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn and a solid duo in veteran Derian Hatcher and Randy Jones.

The real problems begin with the team's fifth defenseman, captain Jason Smith, who was a dreadful minus-seven against Washington, but played much better in the Montreal series.

Veteran blueliner Jaroslav Modry had an up-and-down series against Washington, but hasn't played since Game 5 of that set since he returned to the Czech Republic to deal with the death of his father. Lasse Kukkonen has played in Modry's stead, but the 26-year-old Finn excels at blocking shots and not much else.

However, the Flyers depth at forward has also helped out on the defensive end since many of Philadelphia's scorers are solid two-way players. Richards leads the way in that department as he is third on the team in ice time during this postseason behind Timonen and Coburn.

MATCHUP

What is being dubbed as the "Battle of Pennsylvania" should be a highly- competitive and physical series, that is, if the regular season meetings between these clubs are any indication of how this matchup will go.

The Flyers won the season series against Pittsburgh, 5-3, but Philadelphia posted four of those victories prior to the All-Star break, before the Penguins really started to click.

The Penguins then won three straight in the series before Philadelphia posted a 2-0 victory on the final day of the regular season.

Crosby, who battled a high ankle sprain for a lengthy stretch in the second half, played in just four of the eight meetings against the Flyers this year, but has more points in his career against Philadelphia than other team. In 20 career tests against the Flyers, Crosby has registered 16 goals and 37 points.

The Flyers are 3-0 all-time in playoff series against the Penguins with the most recent meeting coming in the 2000 conference semifinals. Philadelphia fell behind 0-2 in that series, but won the final four outings, including a memorable five-overtime matchup in Game 3.

However, this series is not about the past, but what the Flyers can do in the present to stop an offensive juggernaut like the Penguins. Philadelphia was able to frustrate Washington's Alexander Ovechkin somewhat in its opening- round series, but the Penguins' three-headed monster poses a more serious threat.

Philadelphia hopes to counteract Pittsburgh's scoring by using their own balanced offensive attack, but ultimately, the Flyers' lack of defensive depth will be their undoing in what should be an intense matchup between fierce rivals.

Sports Network predicted outcome: Penguins in 7