By Chuck Gormley

updated 10:05 p.m. ET May 5, 2008

Are you ready for some trash talk?

You're going to get plenty of it before the end of the Eastern Conference finals between the second-seeded Penguins and sixth-seeded Flyers.

The bitter rivals will kick off what promises to be one of the most heated and exciting playoff series in the two teams' storied histories.

"It's going to be a spirited series, no question about that," Flyers coach John Stevens said late Sunday afternoon after watching the Penguins eliminate the New York Rangers in five games.

"If you want a rivalry, there's one right there," Penguins star center Sidney Crosby told the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette. "I'm sure everyone's well aware of it. As players, we know that the playoffs are always intense, but it throws some spice into it when it's Pittsburgh-Philadelphia."

The Penguins didn't even have their equipment off in the locker room Sunday before talk turned to their most heated rivals.

"We were talking about it right after the game," Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "It should be a competitive, chippy series. They're playing real well, and their goalie (Marty Biron) is playing real well."

If you'll recall, the Flyers and Pens last met on April 6 in the regular-season finale at the Wachovia Center.

A victory by the Penguins would have made them the top seed in the East and assured a first-round playoff date with the eighth-seeded Flyers.

But the Penguins rested star center Sidney Crosby and looked disinterested in a 2-0 Flyers victory that resulted in the Penguins facing struggling Ottawa in the first round and the Flyers facing red-hot Washington.

After the game several Flyers wondered whether the Penguins wanted no part of them in the playoffs and played as if they wanted to face the Senators, whom they swept out of the first round.

"Maybe they're scared of us, I don't know," Flyers center Jeff Carter said after that game. "I'm not really into throwing games for matchups in the playoffs. You play to win and you never want to lose a game."

Flyers enforcer Riley Cote, who may be deployed against the Penguins to help neutralize mammoth winger Georges Laraque, was just as candid in his assessment of the Penguins' intentions in the season finale.

"They scratched Crosby," Cote said. "It was almost like they threw the game.

“It was kind of a boring game. Maybe it was because we played them so many times."

Ironically, the previous seven meetings between the teams were as boring as a bull fight in your living room.

The Flyers won the first four games of the series, highlighted by an 8-2 blowout on Dec. 11. The Penguins won the next three meetings, highlighted by a 7-1 win on March 16 that nearly got Stevens fired.

During the eight-game series Penguins coach Michel Therrien accused Stevens of running up the score. Flyers defenseman Jason Smith accused Sidney Crosby of faking an injury. Stevens accused Laraque of intentionally trying to injure Marty Biron and Steve Downie. And Danny Briere called Jarkko Ruutu one of the NHL's dirtiest players.

So what will the two teams do for an encore?

"To be honest we've moved on," Stevens said. "After that last game against them we were just excited to be in the playoffs. Ottawa was obviously banged up and they got out of that series quickly."

Stevens promised a very emotional and physical series, which means Cote is likely to return to the lineup as a watchdog for Laraque, who last month called Cote pound for pound the toughest guy in the NHL.

Eastern finals: Penguins lead 1-0      Which team has the Edge?  |  Schedule, stats Game 2: Talbot helps Pens top Flyers Video: Get the latest from around the league Impact players  |  Vote: Who will win? Clement: Flyers strike gold with Briere and Biron Opinion: Pens not on rise, they're already here Clement: Alex is great, but Sid still better Opinion: Malkin no longer NHL's best secret Clement: Roberts valuable to Pens’ chances Penguins page  |  Flyers page  |    Discuss Eastern Conference champions

Stevens was reminded Sunday that the Penguins won all eight games against them last season and was asked if they might have a little vengeance on their minds.

"We have bigger fish to fry than revenge."

Seconds later, without provocation, Stevens sent a broad message to the officials who will work the conference finals.

"I think the league has done a good job in terms of calling embellishing," Stevens said, an obvious reference to Crosby's reputation for exaggerating injuries. "Some penalties are going to be taken in a hockey game. If they are physical penalties or ones that come from driving the net, we can live with those."

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Stevens said the Penguins present similar matchup problems as the Canadiens, comparing Penguins forwards Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and offensive defenseman Sergei Gonchar to Montreal's Alex Kovalev, Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn and Andrei Markov.

"It's going to be a battle," Penguins winger Ryan Malone said. "It's going to be fun. We worked hard to get where we are now. It's going to be a fun series. Why not play them and have this big rivalry? I think it's going to be great for the fans."

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