15-8-0 | 30 Points 11-12-1 | 23 Points
Penguins Report: Game Day at Philadelphia
Thursday, 03.07.2013 / 9:46 AM / Penguins Report
Pittsburgh Penguins
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- Game Day Report
- Skate lines/D-pairs
- Lineup notes
- Pens' quotes
- Pens' sound
- Pens practice pics
- Pens-Flyers preview
- Pens' impressive jersey sales
- Twitter Q&A: Martin
- "Boat dance..."
VERIZON GAME DAY REPORT
--Sam Kasan
PENSTV SOUND
Dan Bylsma
Sidney Crosby
Paul Martin
--Sam Kasan
THEY SAID IT...
--Sam Kasan
LINEUP NOTES
Head coach Dan Bylsma said that tonight's lineup will be a game-time decision. Marc-Andre Fleury will be the starting goaltender.
Simon Despres left the morning skate with "a small injury to his fingernail." He didn't come back out because the skate was over once the nail had been treated.
--Sam Kasan
PENS PRACTICE PICS
Players listen to coach Bylsma explaining a drill
Bennett will skate on a line with Malkin and Neal
Kunitz and Neal stretch in the same spot every morning skate and practice
Letang works on his stick...
While Despres works on his skate
Hope to see Crosby line a few up from that very spot tonight
--Michelle Crechiolo and Sam Kasan
MORNING SKATE INFO
Paul Martin skated on a D-pair with Brooks Orpik, and also worked with the second power-play unit. Those are good signs that he will be in the lineup tonight against the Flyers, although nothing is official. We'll have to wait for confirmation from coach Bylsma.
The rest of the lineup:
Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Bennett-Malkin-Neal
Cooke-Sutter-Kennedy
Glass-Vitale-Adams
Orpik-Martin
Niskanen-Letang
Eaton-Engelland
Despres-Bortuzzo
--Sam Kasan
JERSEY SALES
In February, three of the top seven (and four of the top 15) selling jerseys in the NHL were Penguins. Sidney Crosby (No. 3), Evgeni Malkin (No. 6) and James Neal (No. 7) round out the top seven. Kris Letang's jersey ranked 15th (higher than Alex Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos).
--Sam Kasan
TWITTER Q&A: PAUL MARTIN
--Sam Kasan
GAME PREVIEW
Another dominant player for the Flyers has been Wayne Simmonds, playing right wing on the second line with Danny Briere and Brayden Schenn. Simmonds has points in seven of his last eight games and has scored the game-winner in each of Philly’s last three wins. Simmonds and Voracek are tied for the team lead in goals (10) and power-play goals (5). Philly’s power play is operating at a 22.2-percent clip, which ranks sixth in the league.
But right now the Flyers are seeing more shorthanded time as they're the NHL’s most penalized team, totaling 149 for an average of 17.2 a game. They and the Penguins combined for 19 penalties in their last meeting. The Flyers did a marvelous job of agitating the Penguins and getting them off their game, sucking them into scrums and post-whistle skirmishes. Players like Hartnell, Zac Rinaldo and Sean Couturier are expert at extracurriculars, while big winger Simmonds is a consistent net-front presence is always willing to drop the gloves. Getting involved and retaliating back is something the Penguins said they have to figure out how to avoid.
Full preview here.
--Sam Kasan
START THE DAY
The Pens will hit the halfway point in the season after tonight's 7 p.m. matchup with cross-state rival Philadelphia. It's hard to believe the season is almost over. Seems like yesterday the Pens were in Philly for Game 1 of the season.
Pittsburgh will be on the ice at 11:30 a.m. at Wells Fargo Center for their morning skate. One player to keep an eye is defenseman Paul Martin. He's missed the team's last two games with a lower-body injury. He returned to team practice on Tuesday, but his status for tonight is unknown yet. Stay tuned throughout the day for updates on tonight's lineup and developing information.
---
What to Watch For: Pens vs. Flyers
Wednesday, 03.06.2013 / 1:56 PM / Features
By Michelle Crechiolo
PENGUINS (15-8-0) vs. FLYERS (11-12-1)
WHEN: March 7, 2013 - 7:00 p.m. | WHERE: Wells Fargo Center WATCH: ROOT SPORTS | LISTEN: Penguins Radio 24/7, 105.9 FM
The Flyers may have a record that’s just under .500, putting them in fourth place in the Atlantic Division and one point out of a playoff spot. They’re not pleased with their first half of the season. But none of that matters heading into Thursday’s tilt against rival Pittsburgh – both teams always come to play in those games.
The Flyers won the last meeting between the clubs, with Jakub Voracek scoring the winner with 1:31 left in regulation to complete a hat trick and give his team a wild 6-5 triumph. Voracek has been dominating for the Flyers, with seven goals and 17 points in his last nine games. His 27 points (10G-17A) leads the Flyers and ranks among the league’s top 10. He’s playing right wing on the first line with Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell, who has a goal and two assists in five games since returning from a broken foot that sidelined him for 15 games.
Another dominant player for the Flyers has been Wayne Simmonds, playing right wing on the second line with Danny Briere and Brayden Schenn. Simmonds has points in seven of his last eight games and has scored the game-winner in each of Philly’s last three wins. Simmonds and Voracek are tied for the team lead in goals (10) and power-play goals (5). Philly’s power play is operating at a 22.2-percent clip, which ranks sixth in the league.
But right now the Flyers are seeing more shorthanded time as they're the NHL’s most penalized team, totaling 149 for an average of 17.2 a game. They and the Penguins combined for 19 penalties in their last meeting. The Flyers did a marvelous job of agitating the Penguins and getting them off their game, sucking them into scrums and post-whistle skirmishes. Players like Hartnell, Zac Rinaldo and Sean Couturier are expert at extracurriculars, while big winger Simmonds is a consistent net-front presence is always willing to drop the gloves. Getting involved and retaliating back is something the Penguins said they have to figure out how to avoid.
Finally, there will be a familiar face in the lineup for Philly on Thursday. After winning a Stanley Cup with Los Angeles last season, veteran Simon Gagne – who spent the first 10 seasons of his career in Philadelphia – is back in black and orange. The Flyers sent a fourth-round draft pick to the Kings for Gagne last week. He scored his first goal of the season in his first game back with Philly and is currently skating on a line with Couturier and Max Talbot.
FLYERS: WAYNE SIMMONDS
Wayne Simmonds plays a very effective game. The lanky winger is a lot to deal with in the offensive zone, as he parks himself in front of the net (especially on the power play) and just has solid positioning around the net. He’s been clutch for the Flyers lately, scoring the game-winning goal in their last three victories. But not only can he find the back of the net, he can drop the gloves with the best as well. The Penguins need to contain him in all facets of the game – both on the scoresheet and from getting under their skin.
PENGUINS: JAMES NEAL
THURSDAY'S GAME
The Penguins have fared well recently at Wells Fargo Center – posting a cumulative 9-3-1 record over their last 13 visits. The Penguins haven’t posted a losing record here since going 0-4 in 2007-08. Under Dan Bylsma the Penguins have gone 8-2-1 in 11 games at the Wells Fargo Center.
STRANGE SERIES
If recent series history between the Penguins and Flyers is any indication, it’s Pittsburgh that holds the advantage heading into Thursday's game. That’s because in the last 23 games between these two teams dating back to Jan. 13, 2009, the road team has posted a 17-5-1 record, compared to 6-15-2 for the home team. This season the road team is 2-0, while last season the road team went 3-2-1.
SPECIAL TEAMS FACTOR
Look for special teams to play a huge role in determining the winner of this game. In the last 22 meetings between the two teams, during which the Penguins have gone 11-10-1, there has been at least one power-play goal scored in each game. During that stretch the Penguins have scored at least once on the man-advantage in 16 of the 22 games (22-for-97; 22.7 percent). The Flyers have scored at least one power-play goal in 18 of the 22 games (21-for-109; 19.3 percent). Pittsburgh has scored a power-play goal in four straight games against the Flyers (6-for-19; 31.6 percent).
FLOWER IS BLOOMING
Marc-Andre Fleury plays his best hockey in the month of March. In 83 career March games, Fleury has posted a 52-18-10 record. His 52 victories are by far the most he has notched in any one month, while his 2.35 goals-against average is also his lowest in any one month.
Fleury, who is tied for the NHL lead with 11 wins, enters tonight having gone 6-1 in his last seven starts dating back to Feb. 13. In those games he has posted a 2.44 goals-against average (17GA/418 MIN) and a .914 save percentage (181 saves/198 shots). Fleury has posted a 22-13-1 record and a .903 save percentage in 40 career starts against the Philadelphia Flyers. In 19 career starts at the Wells Fargo Center, Fleury is 12-5-1 with a .905 save percentage. He is 7-2-1 in his last 10 starts here.
TOP BLUELINER
After collecting six assists over his previous two games, Kris Letang finds himself leading all NHL D-men with 21 points (3G-18A) in 20 games played this season. Not only are his 18 assists three more than the next-closest defender, but they place him tied for fourth among all NHL players regardless of position. Only three NHL players – Sidney Crosby, Martin St. Louis and Evgeni Malkin – have a higher assist-per-game average than Letang.
"I felt great today," Martin said following Thursday's morning skate. "Last couple days it has been getting better every day and today was no different. Hopefully, I expect to be in tonight."
Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said Thursday's lineup would be a game-time decision.
Flyers defenseman Nicklas Grossmann, the league leader in blocked shots, suffered a lower-body injury in the first period of Tuesday night's game against the New York Rangers and did not return. PENGUINS:
D Paul Martin, lower body
FLYERS:
F Tye McGinn, broken orbital bone
D Andrej Meszaros, upper body
F Matt Read, upper body
F Jody Shelley, hip
