Philly's missing piece

So, while the series started with Modry in for Timonen, the story -- and the impact -- was far greater than that. Unfortunately for the Flyers, that won't change in Timonen's case and it only gets more complex if Coburn is unavailable as the series shifts to Philadelphia for Games Three and Four on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

Stevens will find it impossible to complete the puzzle if his most important pieces are lost. For his team, they'll have to overcome the very real specter that you can't fully compete when incomplete -- not against a team the caliber of the Penguins. Not at this time of year.

Darren Eliot is TV analyst and Hockey Development Liaison for the Atlanta Thrashers. He also appears on Versus playoff game broadcasts and Westwood One radio..