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Pens hope to make up ground versus rival Flyers

Mar 24, 2011 - 3:08 PM (Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Penguins will try to make up some ground in the Atlantic Division title race this evening, when they visit the rival Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center.

The Penguins are second in the Atlantic and five points behind the Flyers. In addition to the 97-92 edge in points in the standings, Philadelphia also has a game in hand over Pittsburgh.

The Pennsylvania rivals have met four times this season and the Flyers have taken three of those contests, although the teams last met on Dec. 14 in Philadelphia. The Flyers won that encounter, and the previous meeting on Oct. 29 in Pittsburgh, by a 3-2 score.

The clubs have split the last six meetings overall and each team has six wins in the previous 12 tests in Philly.

"It's going to be a big game," Flyers forward Scott Hartnell told the team's website about tonight's matchup. "It's going to be pretty intense; we haven't played them it seems in 3-4 months."

The Flyers are one point ahead of Washington for the Eastern Conference lead and Philly dropped a 5-4 shootout decision Tuesday against the visiting Capitals. The Flyers will get to use one of their two games in hand over the Capitals tonight.

Alexander Semin's goal in the third round of the shootout was the winner for Washington, which jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the game only to watch Philly score four unanswered goals to take the lead with 5:45 left in the third. However, Marcus Johansson tied the game with 3:19 remaining in regulation.

Andreas Nodl and Claude Giroux totaled a goal and assist apiece for the Flyers, who lost for the third time in five games, but have gained a point in seven straight contests (4-0-3).

Brian Boucher ended up with 13 saves over the final 43-plus minutes. He bailed out starter Sergei Bobrovsky, who was yanked after yielding three goals on nine shots in less than 22 minutes.

It's unclear if Boucher or the rookie Bobrovsky will get the start tonight. Bobrovsky is 2-1 with a 2.67 goals-against average against Pittsburgh, while Boucher earned the win and allowed two goals in his one game versus the Pens this year.

The Flyers, who are 21-10-5 as the host this year, are wrapping a two-game homestand tonight.

The Penguins' last game was also a wild one, as Pittsburgh blew a four-goal lead in Detroit, but survived to take the 5-4 shootout decision. James Neal scored in the final round of the shootout to lift the Pens past the Red Wings.

Neal was the final shooter after Dan Cleary broke his stick on a wrister on Detroit's third shot. Neal skated in and buried a wrister into the right corner to give Pittsburgh the two points.

"He's a guy I wanted to see win the game for us," said Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma of Neal. "He certainly came up with a big shot, he's done it in the past and he did it again here tonight."

Pascal Dupuis had two goals and an assist while Chris Kunitz added a goal and an assist for the Penguins, who won for the third time in the past four games. Brent Johnson made 37 stops as Pittsburgh.

Marc-Andre Fleury is expected to get the start tonight in net for the Pens. He is 19-9-0 with a 2.71 GAA in his career against Philly, but is 0-3 with a 3.06 GAA versus the Flyers this season.

Pittsburgh is 20-10-6 as the road club this year and has won its last three games away from the Steel City.