Flyers trying to slow down surging Penguins as Evgeni Malkin returns; Alex Lyon gets the call
The Penguins will try to hold onto first place in the East Division, while the going-nowhere Flyers will attempt to play spoilers when the teams meet tonight.
The Penguins will try to hold first place in the East Division.
The Flyers will try to play the role of spoiler.
The cross-state rivals will meet tonight at the Wells Fargo Center, and they will have a rematch there on Tuesday.
Evgeni Malkin, who has missed the last 23 games with an unspecified injury, will return to the Penguins’ lineup and center the second line. The Pens didn’t skip a beat without him, going 16-5-2 in his absence.
» READ MORE: Blow up the Flyers’ roster? Not necessary, says Dave Scott, the team’s chairman.
In 63 career games against the Flyers, Malkin has 77 points (29 goals, 48 assists) and is averaging 1.22 points per contest.
The Flyers were ahead of the Penguins when March rolled around. Since then, Pittsburgh is 23-7-2 for 48 points, while the Flyers are 11-18-4 for 26 points.
Yikes.
The first period has been the Penguins’ most dominant stanza, and the Flyers’ worst.
Pittsburgh has a plus-13 advantage in the first period (55-42); the Flyers are minus-23 in the first (59-36).
The Penguins (34-15-3) begin the night in first place, two points ahead of Washington, which has a game in hand.
The Flyers (22-22-7) have lost three straight, all to the Devils.
Alex Lyon (0-3, 4.20 GAA, .848 save percentage) will face Pittsburgh’s Casey DeSmith (11-6, 2.42, .913).
Pride night
The Flyers will hold their annual Pride Night on Monday. The celebratory night aims to promote inclusivity in hockey and support to the LGBTQ+ community.
Breakaways
Former Flyers defenseman Mark Friedman is expected to be in the Pens’ lineup, replacing the injured Mike Matheson. ... The Flyers are 4-2 against the Penguins this season, and Travis Konecny has nine points (four goals, five assists) in the six games. ... Sidney Crosby has 111 points (46-65) in 75 games against the Flyers, which computes to (gulp) 1.48 points per game. .... Claude Giroux has 57 points (18-39) vs. Pittsburgh. ... Brian Elliott will face the Pens on Tuesday.