Flyers look to extend uncanny success at Consol

PITTSBURGH -- Flyers center Claude Giroux wants to thank the Penguins' fans for helping to motivate him before and during games at Consol Energy Center.

"We don't really like the fans here and it's like we have something to prove to the fans that we're better than them," Giroux said Friday prior to Game 5 against the Penguins. "I remember last game there was actually two fans on the glass there and the whole game we were looking at each other. It gets me going a little bit. I would like to thank those two fans for sure. I didn't know what they were saying; it was just yelling and making signs with their hands that I can't really say on TV. It got me going a little bit."

Odds are those fans, or at least more than 18,300 like them, will be yelling and screaming at Giroux and the Flyers again in Game 5 Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TSN, RDS). But, considering the Flyers' history in this new building, maybe a tactical change is in order.

The Flyers are 7-1 at Consol Energy Center since it opened last season. They have won every meaningful game in the Penguins' new home arena, including the first two of this playoff series. Their only loss came on the last day of the regular season, when neither team had anything to play for as their playoff seeds were already set.

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"We've had a tough time in this building, but we know our fans are going to be there for us," Penguins center Jordan Staal said. "We're just going to have to find a way to win the game."

Asked for an explanation as to why the Flyers have been so good at Consol Energy Center, Penguins center Sidney Crosby had no answer.

"There's probably not a lot of explanation for the whole series, the way it's gone," he said. "Hopefully we can find a way here tonight."

Penguins defenseman Kris Letang also didn't have much to say when asked about the Flyers' dominance here and if it changes his mindset going into Game 5.

"I'm going to come to the rink, I'm going to dress up for that game that has never been played, and I'm not going to think about the previous ones," Letang said.

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma didn't want to give much thought at all to the Flyers' dominance here in Pittsburgh over the last two years either. The only thing he said he was sure of is that they can't play Game 5 at Mellon Arena, the Penguins' old home that is no longer standing.

Other than that, it's about one game; the venue doesn't matter.

"We know we have one game and wherever that thing is played, wherever it's at, we don't have any opportunity to think about anything else," Bylsma said. "I know the last game we had that focus, it didn't matter what the score was, it didn't matter what time the game was, we wanted to win the next five minutes and that starts on the Consol Energy Center ice tonight for the first shift, the first five minutes. That's where we're at."

The Flyers, though, are walking into the building with an air of confidence about them because of all their success here. They've actually been a good road team for the last two seasons with a 50-24-5 record.

Philadelphia's 50 road wins is the most among any Eastern Conference team over the last two seasons.

"Our guys respond well to the road. It doesn't seem to affect them," Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. "I think that's a credit to the veteran leadership in the room and the steady nerves of the young players. Coming into a road game all times is a more hostile environment for the opponent. For whatever reason our guys seem to shake it off and we do a pretty good job on the road."

If they do it again Friday, they won't have to come back to Pittsburgh until next season.

"It's going to be bumping in Philly," Giroux said, "and we need to give them a reason to celebrate."

Follow Dan Rosen on Twitter at: @drosennhl