Still stinging from the loss of top defenseman Kimmo Timonen, the Flyers are hoping an injury to Braydon Coburn won't leave them without their second most valuable blue-liner when they try to climb back into the Eastern Conference Finals Tuesday night in Game 3.

Coburn left Sunday night's 4-2 loss in Pittsburgh just 1:51 into the game when a shot by Pittsburgh defenseman Hal Gill deflected off Evgeni Malkin's stick and struck him above his left eye.

"My left eye is swollen shut right now," Coburn said after the game. "I will keep the ice on it and get the swelling down and see what happens (Monday)."

Coburn said there is a possibility he will play Tuesday night with a face shield. If not, Flyers coach John Stevens will need to choose between rookies Ryan Parent, who has played in one playoff game, and Nate Guenin, who was just recalled from the AHL Phantoms.

Another possibility is NHL veteran Denis Gauthier, who played the entire season with the Phantoms.

Regardless of who plays on defense Tuesday night, the Flyers will need to find a way to solve Pittsburgh's puck-hungry attack. Five of the Penguins' eight goals in the series have come off Flyers' giveaways.

PENGUINS 4, FLYERS 2: Thanks to another strong individual effort by Mike Richards, who has three of the Flyers' four goals in the series, the Flyers had a chance to steal Game 2 when they entered the final period in a 2-2 tie.

That all changed when rookie Steve Downie, playing for the first time since April 28, failed to clear the puck near the defensive blue line and the Penguins' grunt line of max Talbot, Georges Laraque and Gary Roberts capitalized.

Laraque threw the puck behind the Flyers' net, where Roberts backhanded a pass into the slot for Talbot, who fired a shot past Marty Biron to give the Penguins the lead, the game and a 2-0 series lead.

"That turnover can't happen," Stevens said. "Move your feet... It was a costly turnover there. But he's a good kid. He will rebound from it."

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