Pronger controlling Chicago's top line

Philadelphia may trail 2-1 but, with the exception of the third period in Game 1, I feel they have been the better team. Chicago completely clamped down defensively in the third period of what was a 5-5 game through two periods in the opener.

Chicago's problems stems from two facts: Brent Seabrook is having a lousy series and Chris Pronger is shutting down the Patrick Kane-Jonathan Toews-Dustin Byfuglien line. It's fortunate for the Blackhawks that Duncan Keith is having a great series thus far, allowing him to cover for the struggling Seabrook.

As for the big line, I'm surprised Joel Quenneville hasn't shuffled them. No one knows how good Pronger is more than Quenneville, who coached the Flyers' defenseman from 1997-2004 in St. Louis. He should know better than anyone how good Pronger is at shutting down an opponent and how good he is at defending his own end. Early in the second period of Game 2, Quenneville was forced into a line shuffle because of a penalty killing situation. Kane was on the ice with Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa. Pronger was not out against this group and it turned into Kane's best shift of the series and resulted in his setting up a goal by Keith. Quenneville, however, returned to his normal lines soon after and the line continued to struggle against Pronger, although Toews did spring Kane for a breakaway goal in the third (worth noting that Pronger was not on the ice).

Toews, in particular, is really struggling to get his game going. The leading scorer in the playoffs through the first three rounds, Toews has been a zero offensively in this series save for springing Kane's breakaway goal. With Peter Laviolette matching Pronger against Byfuglien, it would be a good idea for Quenneville to play Toews elsewhere to try and force Laviolette's hand. If Toews and Kane play together with, say Kris Versteeg, does Laviolette keep Pronger against the behemoth Byfuglien or against the dynamic Toews-Kane combo? If he's out there against Toews-Kane, then maybe Byfuglien can again be a presence driving the net. If he plays against Byfuglien, then maybe Toews and Kane can deliver in this series with a little more consistency.

I'm very interested in seeing how this battle turns out in Game 4. At some point Quenneville has to do something to get Toews and Byfuglien going, right? If he keeps them together, I think Pronger and the Flyers take it back to Chicago even.