Penguins at Flyers
THE STORY: The Philadelphia Flyers' rabid fan base saves a considerable amount of venom for Sidney Crosby. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain is loudly booed every time he touches the puck while the residents of the City of Brotherly Love often have less-than-polite things to say about the 2007 Hart Trophy winner. The Wells Fargo Center faithful was prepared for its customary verbal onslaught toward Crosby, who has since been ruled out of Thursday's contest for precautionary reasons. Crosby collided with teammate Chris Kunitz near center ice during the third period of Monday's game against the Boston Bruins. "Sidney took a hard hit during our game against Boston Monday night and wasn't feeling 100 percent," Penguins general manager Ray Shero said. "He saw Dr. Micky Collins of UMPC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) today and took an ImPACT test, which showed no problems. However, we all think it's best that he sits out the next two games as a precaution." The Atlantic Division-leading Penguins hold a slim one-point lead over the second-place Flyers, who have won three in a row and five of their last six.
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ABOUT THE PENGUINS (16-8-4): Pittsburgh boasts an impressive power play, but one wouldn't know it after a pair of fruitless 5-on-3 attempts against Boston. The lack of any sustained offense during the decided advantage was disconcerting to Kunitz. "You have to score there. It just kills you of all your momentum," he said. After losing two of his last three contests overall, G Marc-Andre Fleury will look to get healthy against the Flyers. He has posted a 20-10-4 career mark versus Philadelphia.
ABOUT THE FLYERS (16-7-3): Claude Giroux claimed the NHL lead in points by netting the game-winning goal and notching three assists in Philadelphia's 5-4 overtime triumph over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday. Matt Read collected his 11th goal and trails only top overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Edmonton Oilers among rookies this season. While far from aesthetically pleasing, G Ilya Bryzgalov improved to 8-1-1 in his last 10 decisions by besting the Sabres.
OVERTIME:
1. Shero confirmed that Crosby will also miss Saturday's tilt versus the Atlantic Division rival New York Islanders. He is tentatively scheduled to return for Tuesday's game against the Detroit Red Wings.
2. Former Penguins Max Talbot has cooled off a bit after his red-hot start to the season. Talbot, who signed a five-year deal worth $8.75 million, scored on Wednesday for the first time since Nov. 14.