Pens v Flyers Rivalry

When the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins take the ice Thursday (7 p.m. ET), it will be the 12th time they've played in the past calendar year, six regular-season games, and six highly memorable games in the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Keystone State Clash has transformed into the most passionate rivalry in the NHL today, drawing attention of not just fans, but people throughout the hockey world.

Here are some highlights from those previous games, starting with the end of last regular season:

March 18, 2012 -- Hartnell down, Flyers up

The Penguins led 2-1 as the game entered the final five minutes of regulation when Scott Hartnell scored to tie it after Evgeni Malkin turned over the puck in the Penguins' zone. Then, as time was running down in overtime, Hartnell took a pass from Danny Briere and beat goalie Marc-Andre Fleury with 0.9 seconds left to give the Flyers a 3-2 win in Philadelphia.

April 1, 2012 -- War moves off the ice

When the teams took the ice in Pittsburgh, it was almost a certainty they would be meeting again soon in the playoffs. With that backdrop, things got nasty. The Flyers were leading 6-3 with 1:02 remaining when the Penguins' Joe Vitale steamrolled Briere, sparking a near-riot on the ice and nearly another one on the benches. Flyers coach Peter Laviolette smashed a stick on the glass partition between the benches, then climbed on the ledge of the boards to scream at the Pittsburgh bench. Penguins assistant Tony Granato climbed the ledge of the boards to yell back. After order was restored on the ice, referees handed each coach a game misconduct.

April 1, 2012 -- Whatcha gonna do, Brother!

Cy Clark is best known as the Penguins fan who attends games dressed like Hulk Hogan. He wears the same stringy blonde hair, sunglasses and feathered boa Hogan wore late in his wrestling career, and taunts the visiting bench. After the Flyers were done beating the Penguins, Hartnell gave Clark a dose of his own medicine, throwing a few famous Hogan poses Clark's way. The Flyers also immortalized Hartnell's pose with a giveaway T-shirt for fans entering the Wells Fargo Center for Game 3 of the first-round playoff series.

April 11, 2012 -- Voracek wins it

The Penguins opened the first-round playoff series by taking a 3-0 first-period lead, but the Flyers slowly chipped away, tying the game on Brayden Schenn's goal in the third period. In overtime, Flyers defenseman Matt Carle threw a shot on net that Fleury stopped, but Jakub Voracek came in from the back door to knock in the rebound to give the Flyers a 4-3 win and a 1-0 series lead.

April 13, 2012 -- Fastest glove in the playoffs

The Flyers were down 2-0 in the first half of the first period of Game 2 and were down a man with Nicklas Grossmann off for hooking. The Penguins loaded up their top power play, with Kris Letang running things from the right point. The puck found its way to Sidney Crosby on the left side, but he spotted Letang creeping in through the back door and hit him with a perfect pass through the zone. Letang was staring at an open net when goalie Ilya Bryzgalov somehow pushed across the crease and gloved the shot, robbing Letang with the best save of the postseason.

April 13, 2012 -- History-making hat trick

Flyers rookie center Sean Couturier was gaining a reputation for his defensive skills blanketing Malkin. But in Game 2 of their playoff series Couturier broke out offensively, and the 18-year-old became the youngest player in League history to score a hat trick since Ted Kennedy in 1945. Not to be outdone, Flyers center Claude Giroux had a hat trick of his own, as well as three assists, as the Flyers won 8-5.

April 15, 2012 -- 'I don't like any guy on their team

Frustrated by being down in the series, Crosby ignited a powder keg in Game 3. After Voracek lost his glove in a scrum, Crosby flicked it away with his stick as Voracek bent down to pick it up. A melee broke out with Crosby fighting Giroux, and the Flyers' Kimmo Timonen, who slashed Crosby after the glove incident, fought Letang. The Flyers won the game 8-4, and three Penguins were subsequently suspended: Arron Asham for a cross-check to the head of Schenn; James Neal for an elbow to the head of Couturier; and Craig Adams for picking up an instigator penalty in the final five minutes of the game. But it was Crosby who commanded the attention after the game. Asked why he knocked away Voracek's glove, Crosby replied, "Because I don't like them. … I don't like any guy on their team."

April 18, 2012 -- No Neal? No problem

Down 3-0 in the best-of-7 series, the Penguins entered Game 4 without Neal, who scored 40 goals in the regular season. However, Pittsburgh didn't need him as its other stars more than made up for his absence. Crosby had a goal and two assists, Malkin scored twice, and the first of three Jordan Staal goals snapped a 3-3 tie in the first period and sparked the Penguins on a 7-0 run to finish the game with a 10-3 victory.

April 22, 2012 -- 'Watch the first shift

In baseball there's Babe Ruth's famed called shot in the 1932 World Series. While there's no video evidence of Ruth pointing to the fence before hitting a home run, there's ample proof of what Giroux did just before the puck dropped for Game 5. "About 10 seconds before the puck dropped," Briere said, "he came over and told me, 'Watch the first shift.'" Giroux beat Crosby on the opening faceoff, then after the puck was dumped into the Pittsburgh end, threw a crushing check on Crosby. Then Giroux intercepted a Steve Sullivan pass and scored 32 seconds into the game. The Flyers cruised to a series-closing 5-1 win.

Jan. 19, 2013 -- Fleury atones

Fleury was scorched in the previous spring's playoffs, but he made up for it on opening night in Philadelphia. He made 26 saves, including 11 during five Philadelphia power plays, and Pittsburgh skated out of Wells Fargo Center with a 3-1 victory. The win was No. 227 in Fleury's career, moving him past Tom Barrasso for the most victories in Penguins history.

Feb. 20, 2013 -- Full team defense

Any team knows you can't just rely on the goaltender to make saves. He needs help from his defensemen and backchecking forwards. The Penguins took that to a new level in this game against the Flyers. Philadelphia brought the puck into the Pittsburgh end, with Couturier putting the puck on net as he skated through the slot. Goalie Tomas Vokoun stopped it, but the rebound bounced off Mike Knuble and skidded toward the goal line. Letang jumped into the net to keep the puck out. That didn't work as Knuble nearly shoved it back in. By this point the four other Penguins tripped over themselves to dive into the crease, but none was able to cover or clear the puck. It finally rolled out to the slot, where Grossman somehow found room among all the bodies to score.

Feb. 20, 2013 -- 'A typical Flyers-Penguins game

It looked like a playoff game broke out in the teams' second meeting this season. The Penguins took a 2-0 lead 7:15 into it and were outshooting the Flyers 12-2, but Philadelphia answered with two goals and outshot Pittsburgh 13-1 over the final 12:45 of the period. Voracek's goal with 9.9 seconds left in the second, nearly a carbon copy of the overtime goal he scored in Game 1 of the playoff series, put the Flyers up 3-2 after two periods. Then 18 seconds into the third, he put the Flyers ahead 4-2, scoring as Vokoun flopped out of the net and the Penguins couldn't stack enough bodies in the crease to replace him. The Penguins had a two-man advantage for 2:29, and 4:16 straight of power play, but scored once after the Flyers were whistled for three consecutive penalties midway through the third. Brandon Sutter's goal tied the game 5-5 with 2:03 left, but seconds later, Voracek capped his first NHL hat trick, absorbing a big hit from Brooks Orpik behind the Pittsburgh net, getting the puck back and banking it off Vokoun into the net with 1:31 left for a 6-5 win. After the game, Neal said, "That was just a typical Flyers-Penguins game."

Last 10: Pittsburgh 7-3-0; Philadelphia 5-5-0

Season series: This is the third of four games between the Pennsylvania rivals. The Penguins won 3-1 on opening night in Philadelphia, but the Flyers won 6-5 on Feb. 20 in Pittsburgh.

Big story: When the NHL's best current rivalry is renewed, just about anything is possible. Can the Penguins keep their strong recent play going? Or can the Flyers' desperation help them get back to .500?

Penguins: Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma is giving rookie forward Beau Bennett a promotion, starting Thursday, he'll be skating at right wing on a line with two-time scoring champion center Evgeni Malkin and 40-goal scorer James Neal at left wing. "That's the line he's going to play with," Bylsma told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "All three periods."

Bennett, the 20th pick of the 2010 NHL Draft, has a goal and two assists in eight games, but three points in his last four. He said he's relishing the chance to play on a top-two line. "I've skated with those guys a couple of times before," Bennett told the Tribune-Review. "The more we practice, the more chemistry we'll build. Those guys are so good with the puck, I just try to find open space and get out of their way."

Flyers: Philadelphia became the first team to hit the mid-point of their season, and the results haven't been what they hoped. "Not good," goalie Ilya Bryzgalov said after his team's 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Tuesday. "We're not good."

Two of the Rangers' goals came during poorly-timed line changes, with Luke Schenn leaving the ice early both times. On Ryan Callahan's game-tying goal, he reversed course after heading to the bench and tried to dive to disrupt the Rangers' rush, but Callahan skated around him and scored. On Rick Nash's second goal, Schenn's early departure left Kimmo Timonen alone and unable to stop the big forward from scoring the game's final goal.

"We can't do those kind of mistakes in these kind of games," Timonen said. "It bites you in the [end]. Those are, to me, mental mistakes. It's reading the play and staying on the ice when you can't change. Those things should be easy to fix. But it's more mental. If you're tired, you still can stay out there. Sometimes it's reading a play. Sometimes it's a turnover that causes a bad change. It cost us the game today and we need to learn from it."

Who's hot: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has points in five straight games and nine of his previous 10. He has six goals and 13 assists in his previous 10 games. … Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds has goals in three straight games.

Injury report: Penguins defenseman Paul Martin (lower body) is questionable. … Flyers defenseman Nicklas Grossman (lower body) is questionable after leaving Tuesday's game in the first period. Out for the Flyers are forwards Matt Read (ribs), Tye McGinn (orbital) and Jody Shelley (hip), and defenseman Andrej Meszaros (shoulder).

 

When Lindy Ruff was fired Feb. 20 after 14 years as coach of the Buffalo Sabres, it would be expected that he'd want some time away from the game. Instead, he found himself watching the most compelling television he could find, the game that night between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins. Even in his one of his darkest moments, Ruff allowed himself to be captured by what's become the No. 1 rivalry in the NHL today. It's the third meeting between the teams this season, with the Penguins beating the Flyers 3-1 on opening night in Philadelphia, while the Flyers won 6-5 in that Feb. 20 game in Pittsburgh. And the words of Penguins captain Sidney Crosby from last year's memorable Stanley Cup Playoff first-round series still ring true, "I don't like them. … I don't like any guy on their team." That passion is part of what has made Flyers-Penguins games appointment viewing not just for fans of both teams, but for other NHL players, coaches and broadcasters.

Keaton Ellerby, D, Los Angeles Kings: "Both teams are stacked with talent. You know it's going to be a highlight reel so it's a good game to, if not watch, definitely catch the highlights of. If I was looking to watch a hockey game that would probably be one of them that I would catch, for sure. You look at both teams, you just look at all the skill that they have and the all-star lineups that both teams have. It's definitely a great matchup."

Zach Parise, LW, Minnesota Wild: "Yes, of course [I watch], and even before their playoff series last year. For whatever reason, they always have great games against each other. They bring a little bit of everything. Those are games you look at on the schedule and that's one of those rivalries you like to watch. It has the star power. There are usually fights in the game and a lot of goals. From a fan's perspective it's everything you want, and when you know how much the teams dislike each other, it makes it that much better."

Gabriel Landeskog, LW, Colorado Avalanche: "Absolutely [I watch it]. I watched it last year in the playoffs and it was one of the best playoff series I've seen in a while. Absolutely, it's a great rivalry, two good teams going at it, that's for sure."

Kyle Brodziak, C, Minnesota Wild: "Those games are fun to watch, especially after the playoffs last year. That was probably one of the craziest series people can remember. It's fun to watch them."

Andrew Shaw, RW, Chicago Blackhawks: "Those games are usually high scoring, and in the playoffs last year it was unbelievable. I love it … fights, hits, scrums after every whistle. It's a rivalry that all hockey fans like to see. I love that type of game and watching it."

Erik Gudbranson, D, Florida Panthers: "If I don't get the chance to watch that game ... I'll see the game sheet after to see if the penalty box was full all game. That's fun hockey. It's in your face. It's exciting to watch."

Alex Goligoski, D, Dallas Stars: "It's obviously two teams with a lot of firepower. Both have great goaltending, too, and good [defense]. You don't really know what's going to happen, but the other team just seems to answer every time. It's fun to watch, especially that last one [Feb. 20]."

Jordan Staal, C, Carolina Hurricanes: "Philly-Penguins is a good rivalry. You've got so much firepower out there. It makes for an exciting game, and usually there is a lot of offense and a lot of chances, so it's fun-to-watch hockey."

Jussi Jokinen, LW, Carolina Hurricanes: "It's been one of the most entertaining rivalries the past few years. You think of last year's playoffs with the high-scoring games. It was old-school hockey with lots of fights, lots of things going on. So it's entertaining, for sure."

Eddie Olczyk, broadcaster, NBC Sports: "It's hard not to be drawn to that rivalry regardless of how a team might be playing or isn't playing. I mean, history has a lot to do with it. The [Stanley Cup Playoff] series has a lot to do with it. But if you're a fan, regardless of where you are or if you're working, I mean, you've got to find a way to watch it."

Troy Brouwer, LW, Washington Capitals: "Those games are always interesting. There's a lot more to them than just the regular hockey game that it is, so guys do pay attention to them if they're not preoccupied with their own games or their own schedules. Those ones are fun to watch, especially because of last year's playoff series. The other thing, too, is the players in it, whenever you have a clash of that many skilled players from good teams, it just draws more attention.

Ryane Clowe, LW, San Jose Sharks: "It's usually a little more exciting game whenever those two teams meet. Last year in the playoffs, watching those games, it was a little bit crazy with all the goals and stuff happening, so you probably don't know what you're going to get in those games and that makes them more interesting to watch. It's kind of like Boston-Montreal or Toronto-Montreal; it seems more people watch those games, including us."

Eric Staal, C, Carolina Hurricanes: "I did watch the last round of highlights because I heard it was a pretty interesting game, and then seeing [Tomas] Vokoun out of the net with five Penguins in the net when [Nicklas Grossmann] scored, it was pretty entertaining to watch. It's not something that I'm making sure I DVR to watch the game, but I definitely pay attention to the highlights and know the rivalry and how heated it's become."