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Flyers-Penguins outdoor game still on for now amid weather threat

The one thing that hockey players can't endure is rain, and a healthy storm is forecast for Saturday night.

The rink layout at Lincoln Financial Field as of Tuesday afternoon. The ice and boards are up by now. All that is needed is a little cooperation from Mother Nature.
The rink layout at Lincoln Financial Field as of Tuesday afternoon. The ice and boards are up by now. All that is needed is a little cooperation from Mother Nature.Read moreebarkowitz@phillynews.com

The weather outlook is ominous, but the NHL is still planning to play Saturday night’s Flyers-Penguins outdoors at Lincoln Financial Field.

“Despite there being some level of precipitation in the forecast, the National Hockey League continues preparations,” the NHL said in a statement around 1:30 Friday afternoon. "The league is monitoring the conditions and, as of now, the game is still on as originally scheduled for 8 p.m.

Here’s the key sentence though:

“The NHL will issue a further update by 12 p.m. ET on Saturday,” according to the statement.

The league has produced 25 outdoor games since 2008 and has never had to cancel because of weather. A band of rain is expected to hit Philadelphia Saturday evening and continue heavy through the night. The NBC10 forecast below specifically mentions the weather for the hockey game around the 2:07 mark.

It’s been a rough week for the Flyers who were trounced on Tuesday by Tampa Bay and Thursday in Montreal. They are seven points back of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They need points, which makes this game even more important. Home teams have lost 12 of the last 14 outdoor games.