MINI-PREVIEW 5:00 AM EST
Trying to avoid a three-game losing streak heading into the Winter Classic, the Flyers (21-10-4) face a tough test tonight as they head to Pittsburgh to take on the arch-rival Penguins (21-11-4). The game starts at 7 PM and will be broadcast locally on CSN Philly.
The game marks the second of six meeting between the teams this season. On Dec. 8 at the Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers built a 3-0 lead on the Penguins and then held on to win by a 3-2 score. Danny Briere, Wayne Simmonds (PPG) and Scott Hartnell tallied for the Flyers while James Neal (PPG) and Evgeni Malkin scored for the Penguins. Ilya Bryzgalov had a strong outing on that night, rebounding from a shaky performance the previous night in a comeback win against the Buffalo Sabres.
Bryzgalov is once again coming off a tough night, as he failed to come up with a single non-routine save in Tuesday's 5-1 loss in Tampa Bay. It is not known yet whether Peter Laviolette will start Bryzgalov or Sergei Bobrovsky tonight.
Philadelphia, which had won seven straight games to start the month, has gone 1-3-1 over its last five games. A big part of the problem of late has been lack of secondary scoring beyond the line of Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell and Jaromir Jagr (who will be playing his first game in Pittsburgh tonight since spurning the Penguins over the summer to choose the Flyers as the team with which to make his NHL return). In the four losses, the Flyers have scored a combined five goals.
The Penguins, meanwhile, had some ups and downs early this month but bring a four-game winning streak into tonight's game. Evgeni Malkin has been on fire, racking up 19 points this month. Neal, meanwhile, has racked up 21 goals in less than half a season.
Pittsburgh remains without Sidney Crosby (concussion) or Kris Letang (concussion).
PROJECTED LINEUP (subject to change)
FLYERS
Hartnell - Giroux - Jagr
Read - Briere - Simmonds
JVR - Talbot - Voracek
Zolnierczyk - Schenn - Rinaldo
Timonen - Coburn
Carle - Bourdon
Lilja - Meszaros
Bobrovsky/Bryzgalov
PENGUINS
Kunitz - Malkin - Neal
Sullivan -Staal - Kennedy
Cooke- Vitale - Dupuis
Williams - Adams - Asham
Orpik - Michalek
Despres - Niskanen
Lovejoy - Picard
Fleury
[Johnson]
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Today is a travel day for me -- I am heading from Texas back to Philadelphia -- but I will attempt to update the blog with any injury or lineup news before gametime.
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