Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov isn't afraid of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Not unless they grow claws and fur and dwell in the trees.
"I'm not afraid of anything," he noted recently, before slightly changing his stance. "I'm afraid of bear, bear in the forest."
Though Bryzgalov did not address the media after Tuesday's practice, his teammates said they share his confidence entering the first round of the 2012 NHL Playoffs.
"Really confident," Max Talbot said as quoted by CSN Philly. "He's been one of the best goalies in the league in the month of March, and even in February. He's been more of a leader for a couple months now, and yes, I think everybody's been pretty confident."
"Ilya's focused," coach Peter Laviolette said. "He's ready to play. The ending to his year was a big part of why we were able to finish the month of March and April the way we did. He was strong in his work habits in practice and in games. I think he got comfortable with an environment. He really settled into a role and did a nice job for us down the stretch."
For complete coverage of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, be sure to check our our blog Broad Street Hockey, our StoryStream and SB Nation Philly.