Final
Penguins-Flyers Preview
Oct 16, 2010 - 4:20 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS WriterPittsburgh (1-3-0) at Philadelphia (2-1-1), 6:00 p.m. EDT
The Philadelphia Flyers recorded only one win against the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, but have an early advantage in the rivalry less than two weeks into the 2010-11 campaign.
In their second meeting, the Flyers will look to snap a five-game home losing streak to the Penguins on Saturday night.
Philadelphia (2-1-1), which is 1-1-0 on its season-high five-game homestand, is coming off a 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday. Nikolay Zherdev scored his 100th career goal and Danny Briere added his third in four contests.
Philadelphia, which was third in the NHL in power-play percentage last season at 21.5 percent, was 0 for 4 with the man advantage, and 1 for 17 in 2010-11.
"Not enough support on the puck, not enough movement with the puck, not enough urgency in our step and not enough attack at the net," coach Peter Laviolette told the team's official website. "The bottom line is that it has to be better."
While the Flyers are looking to pick up some more wins during the early homestand, they've dropped five straight at Wells Fargo Center against the Penguins, including three last season.
This will be the second of three meetings between the Atlantic Division rivals this month. Philadelphia opened the season with a 3-2 win on Oct. 7 in Pittsburgh at the new Consol Energy Center, where the teams will meet again Oct. 29.
"Those games ... it's a lot easier to get up for," Briere said. "(You) don't need a lot of self motivation when you play the Penguins. The rivalry there, the hatred between the two teams, they're always fun and intense to play."
The atmosphere in Philadelphia figures to be particularly intense with Game 1 of the NL championship series between the Phillies and San Francisco Giants being played later that night at nearby Citizens Bank Ballpark.
The Penguins (2-3-0) are looking to put back-to-back wins together after a 3-2 overtime victory over the New York Islanders on Friday for their first home victory in four tries.
"I was sick of answering questions about the first win here, so that will be a relief," said Alex Goligoski, who scored the game winner on the power play. "It's nice. It's just relief to finally win one."
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin assisted on Goligoski's tally. Both came in with a goal and an assist as they continue to struggle.
Visiting Philadelphia might help. It's there where Malkin has a six-game point streak, which includes three goals, and Crosby has eight assists and 11 points in his last eight games.
"When you have guys like Crosby and Malkin, they can open up a game in a hurry," Briere said. "They're never out of a game, you always have to be careful. They're a tough team."
- -------------------------------------------
Pittsburgh
1 1 3 --5
Philadelphia 1 0 0 --1
-------------------------------------------
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Philadelphia, Daniel Briere 4 (power play)
(Jeff Carter, Mike Richards), 06:43. 2, Pittsburgh, Chris Kunitz 2
(Sidney Crosby), 11:31. Penalties: J Shelley, Phi (major fighting),
2:33; M Rupp, Pit (major fighti
Oct 16 8:33 PM - -------------------------------------------
Pittsburgh
1 1 3 --5
Philadelphia 1 0 0 --1
-------------------------------------------
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Philadelphia, Daniel Briere 4 (power play)
(Jeff Carter, Mike Richards), 06:43. 2, Pittsburgh, Chris Kunitz 2
(Sidney Crosby), 11:31. Penalties: J Shelley, Phi (major fighting),
2:33; M Rupp, Pit (major fighti
Oct 16 8:33 PM - --------------------------------------
Pittsburgh
1 1 --2
Philadelphia 1 0 --1
--------------------------------------
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Philadelphia, Daniel Briere 4 (power play)
(Jeff Carter, Mike Richards), 06:43. 2, Pittsburgh, Chris Kunitz 2
(Sidney Crosby), 11:31. Penalties: J Shelley, Phi (major fighting),
2:33; M Rupp, Pit (major fighting), 2:33; J Carter,
Oct 16 7:40 PM - ---------------------------------
Pittsburgh
1 --1
Philadelphia 1 --1
---------------------------------
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Philadelphia, Daniel Briere 4 (power play)
(Jeff Carter, Mike Richards), 06:43. 2, Pittsburgh, Chris Kunitz 2
(Sidney Crosby), 11:31. Penalties: J Shelley, Phi (major fighting),
2:33; M Rupp, Pit (major fighting), 2:33; J Carter, Phi (delay of
game)
Oct 16 6:45 PM
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