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GAMEDAY! Penguins versus Flyers!

April 1, 2012, 8:48 AM ET [441 Comments]
John Toperzer
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
By Icedog97 (Sean Evanovich)

________________________________________________________________________

Game Day: Sunday April 1, 2012 - 12:30 PM

Penguins (48-24-6 102 pts - 4th Place Eastern Conference)
vs.
Philadelphia Flyers (45-24-9 99 pts - 5th Place Eastern Conference)



PENGUINS VERSUS FLYERS!

If You live in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia do you really need to hear or read anything else to know what to expect?

These two cross state rivals entered the league at the same time (1967) and have faced each other 258 times (Pens record 88-135-30-5) during the regular season and 5 times during the Stanley Cup Playoffs (Flyers lead 3 series to 2 and games 15-14).

Their rivalry was listed as #9 in the Top 10 All-Time Rivalries on the NHL Network. (They have Pens versus Capitals listed 5th...I personally would have them switched).

Each has experienced success over the years, with the Flyers dominating the Penguins for about the first 2 decades and the Penguins evening the score, to some extent, over the last 2 decades.

I was going to do your standard GAMEDAY write-up, complete with season series totals and statistics, using those numbers to somehow glean some insight into what the outcome to today's contest might be.

After a few minutes of research, it dawned on me:
None of that matters...you can toss what happened so far this season out the window.

Based on where these two teams sit in the standings...
and the fact that they play each other (including today) 2 times in the last 4 games of the season...
and the fact that they will almost certainly face each other in round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs...
you can forget everything that happened between these two teams up until this point in the season.


Well...almost.


During their last meeting in Philadelphia, the Penguins were playing a great road game and dominating the Flyers when the guy 29 NHL city's fans love to hate, Scott Hartnell, started doing what he does best...getting under the opposition's skin.

Not only did Hartnell get the Penguins to give in to their DARK SIDE, and take stupid penalties, he managed to use his Sith powers to score 2 goals -- including the game winner in overtime.

If he's not the Dark Lord (with the Sideshow Bob haircut) of Penguins hockey, someone please tell me who is. The Flyers are 6-0 in the last 6 games in which Hartnell has scored a goal against the Pens.

Writer's embellishment aside...Hartnell is a guy that gets the rivalry and despite the 'new look' the Flyers have taken on in the last few years, he's as close to a Broadstreet Bully as anything you'll see in today's NHL.

That last game...and the vision of a future first round match-up...brings up a couple of interesting questions:

1) How will that last game affect the teams today?
2) Will either of these last two regular season meetings affect the potential playoff series outcome?



On the first question...when so much is on the line...and the game is against a hated rival...it's sometimes tough to keep the intensity level below the boiling point. Given the events of the previous contest, I think we can expect some show or sign of hostilities to be present, probably sooner rather than later.

Clearly, the Penguins don't want to go down the Dumb Penalty Road again with the Flyers. There's a big sign that says DO NOT ENTER right at the start of it.

Easier said than done.

The Flyers, regardless of the cast of characters, always seem to possess enough skill and sandpaper to ruffle the Penguins feathers (see what I did there?).

It would be in the Penguins best interest to stay focused on 'their game' by using their speed, skill and tenacity to do what they started to do in the last game...but this time follow through until the end...despite whatever the Flyers might try to do to derail their efforts.

The key for the Penguins will be to retaliate, when necessary, within the rules...and between the whistles.



With the second question, I think the answer is no...not directly.

If the book on the Penguins and Flyers rivalry includes all the games played, then each season is a chapter and each game is a page.

The Flyers copied a page out of an old chapter to earn a win in their last meeting.

The Penguins, if they are to be successful in their effort today, and into the playoffs, need to use a page from a more recent chapter. It's the one where they stand their ground but realize winning is not based on proving how tough they are. Winning is based on showing the other team what you can do with the puck, not what you can do with your sticks or fists.

From that standpoint, IF the Penguins can play the type of game they want to play...and stay the course, this game could have a major impact on how the rest of the games this season and beyond are played.

That COULD affect a playoff series outcome.



I know I said I wasn't going to show the season series stats...but I have to, just a little...

These are some of the numbers concerning the season series and some of the key players in today's game (in addition to stats about the Dark Lord Hartnell that were mentioned earlier):

Flyers lead season series 3-1.
Flyers are 2-0 at Consol this year.
Ilya Brobrovsky is 4.0 with a 2.0 GAA at Consol.
Flyers are 8-2-1 in last 10 games versus Penguins and 5-0 at Consol.

Wow...none of that looks very good does it?

Like I said before...throw it out the window.



Today's Projected Line-ups (per Bill Meltzer)
PENGUINS

Kunitz - Malkin - Neal
Sullivan - Crosby - Dupuis
Cooke - Staal - Kennedy
Tangradi - Adams - Asham

Orpik - Michalek
Martin - Niskanen
Strait - Engelland

Fleury - projected starter
[Johnson]


FLYERS

Hartnell - Giroux - Jagr
Schenn - Briere - Simmonds
Talbot - Couturier - Voracek
Wellwood - Read - Rinaldo

Carle - Timonen
Grossmann - Coburn
Bourdon - Kubina

Bobrovsky - projected starter
[Bacashihua]


INJURY REPORT (per PittsburghPenguins.com)
PENGUINS:
D Kris Letang, lower-body (3) - although rumors of him being ready for today have been heard
D Ben Lovejoy, knee (3)

FLYERS:
G Ilya Bryzgalov, chip fracture in right foot
D Andrej Meszaros, back
F Tom Sestito, groin
F James van Riemsdyk, broken left foot


P.S. I REALLY tried to restrain myself from using the bold feature this time...maybe I need therapy?


Thanks for reading!!!

LGP!!!!
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