Flyers at Penguins
While the Pittsburgh Penguins are locked in as the Metropolitan Division champions, the Philadelphia Flyers can finish in a variety of different spots as the postseason nears. With a potential Eastern Conference first-round playoff meeting in the cards, the Keystone State rivals wrap up their regular-season series in Pittsburgh on Saturday. The Flyers dropped the first meeting with the Penguins before rolling off three straight victories.
Philadelphia's quest for home-ice advantage in the first-round went by the boards after the second-place New York Rangers emerged victorious on Thursday. The Flyers are even in points with Columbus for third place but own the tiebreaker and have a game in hand after the Blue Jackets suffered a 3-2 setback to Tampa Bay on Friday. In a potential first-round matchup, the Penguins skated to a 4-3 shootout win over Detroit on Wednesday.
TV: 3 p.m. ET, NBC
ABOUT THE FLYERS (41-30-9): Wayne Simmonds recorded his 15th power-play goal of the season in Philadelphia's 4-2 loss to the Lightning on Thursday. Simmonds netted a pair with the man advantage and added an assist in the Flyers' 4-3 victory over Pittsburgh on March 16. The 26-year-old has collected three goals and three assists in four contests versus the Penguins this season.
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (51-24-5): Defenseman Kris Letang notched an assist in his return from a 2 1/2-month absence following a stroke. "There are some things I felt good about, some things I have to get my timing back," Letang said after logging 22 1/2 minutes of ice time. "Hockey is about timing and, I don't know, maybe it's going to take a week, maybe it's going to take two weeks."
OVERTIME
1. Penguins C Sidney Crosby has dominated the Flyers in his career, recording 74 points (30 goals, 44 assists) in 47 games. The captain has been held off the scoresheet in the last two meetings, however.
2. Philadelphia has made itself at home in Pittsburgh, posting a 10-2-1 mark in its last 13 visits - including the postseason.
3. Both teams wrap up their regular-season slates on Sunday as the Flyers host Carolina and the Penguins face visiting Ottawa.