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Flyers look to take advantage of Crosby-less Penguins

Jan 24, 2008 - 2:42 PM Pittsburgh (27-17-4) at Philadelphia (26-16-5) 7:00 pm EST

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- With Sidney Crosby on the shelf, the Philadelphia Flyers have the perfect opening to move past the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Flyers will look to overtake the Penguins in the Atlantic Division when they host their in-state rivals Thursday.

Crosby - the team captain, the league's reigning Hart Trophy winner and an All-Star starter - suffered a high-ankle sprain last Friday in a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning and is expected to miss the next six to eight weeks.

The loss of Crosby is a huge blow to Pittsburgh, which has won 10 of its last 13 games to pull into second place in the Atlantic.

Without the 20-year-old Crosby, the Penguins lost a shootout, 6-5, to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday despite two goals from Evgeni Malkin - Crosby's replacement in the All-Star lineup.

Philadelphia also has won 10 of its last 13 games to pull within one point of Pittsburgh in the Atlantic.

The Flyers squandered a chance to pull into the division lead on Tuesday, dropping a 7-3 decision to the New Jersey Devils.

The Flyers lost all eight meetings between the teams in the 2006-07 season but have had their way with the Penguins during the current campaign, winning the first three meetings by a combined margin of 16-5.

Joffrey Lupul and R.J. Umberger both recorded hat tricks in an 8-2 thrashing of Pittsburgh in the last meeting on December 11.