PREVIEW 7:45 AM
In the final game of the 2011-12 regular season, the Philadelphia Flyers (47-25-9) will travel to take on their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal opponent, the Pittsburgh Penguins (50-25-6). The game has no bearing on the final standings, because the Penguins have three more points via shootout wins and the Flyers (who have 43 regulation/overtime wins to Pittsburgh's 41) cannot gain enough points for their tiebreaker advantage to matter.
Today's game starts at 4 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network.
This is the sixth and final regular season meeting between the clubs, and the second of a minimum six clashes over a three-plus week period. Today's game has the least meaning of the bunch, however. The Flyers have won four of the five meetings and also have managed comebacks from one-goal or two-goal deficits in four the games (winning three).
The last time the team's met, one week ago today, the Flyers fell behind 2-0 early and then roared back to score five unanswered goals en route to a 6-4 win.
The game was an emotional affair marked by a knee-to-knee hit by Joe Vitale on Flyers' defenseman Nicklas Grossmann and, in the final minute of play with the game outcome no longer in doubt, a gratuitous (but technically clean) open ice hit by Vitale on Danny Briere in retaliation for a cross-check by Brayden Schenn on Sidney Crosby a few minutes earlier. A wild scrum ensued, which also involved Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette breaking a stick (a piece of which flew into the Pittsburgh bench) and yelling at Pens' assistant Tony Granato.
Most of both teams' regulars are expected to play today, but their playing time may be relatively limited --- much like the final game of the preseason.
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The Flyers have re-signed Nicklas Grossmann to a four-year contract worth $3.5 million per season on the salary cap. This represents a raise of $1.85 million from Grossmann's current contract, which is set to expire at the end of the season.
During his brief time with the Flyers, Grossmann has arguably been the team's top shutdown defenseman, in conjunction with partner Braydon Coburn. The 27-year-old Grosssmann, who has had left knee problems in the past, is currently sidelined with a right knee injury resulting from Vitale's hit last week. The big Swede hopes to be ready for the first game of the playoffs.
Tim Panaccio has all the details on his blog at HockeyBuzz.
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