After watching last night's convincing win by the Penguins, I have come to the conclusion that there are certain Flyers players who are incapable of striking a balance between aggresive and disciplined hockey.

The Penguins don't need any help to beat you. But time after time last night, the Flyers destroyed their own chance at gaining any momentum because of their undisciplined play.

In particular, Scott Hartnell plays with lots of grit and emotion but not always a lot of smarts. He has a penchant for blatant infractions committed in plain sight of the refs. Whether it's tossing his glove in a futile attempt to thwart a breakaway, drilling someone after the whistle or making zero effort to avoid contact with a goaltender when he feels the slightest bump, Hartnell can make you wonder what -- if anything -- he's thinking out there.

Hartnell is hardly the only goat last night for the Flyers. They got outplayed in all three zones of the ice and couldn't finish the chances they did get.

Bottom line: Unless there's a radical improvement from the Flyers, they won't get the split in Pittsburgh that they so desperately need in this series.

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