Flyers-Penguins: Game 61 Preview

By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly contributor 

The day fans have wanted for years now is finally here. After much anticipation, the Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins will take their long-standing rivalry outside, under the lights of the NHL Stadium Series.

While the Pens have been a bit spotty as of late — three wins and three losses in their last six games — they're still a force to be reckoned with, holding down second place in the Metro division. Their 24-4-3 home record is among the best in the league, but then again, that only applies to venues with a roof. It's no secret that the Flyers' playoff hopes are fading at a quick pace, and a win over a hated rival in an outdoor game is a good way to get back on track.

Puck drop is set for 8 p.m.

 

Player to Watch
10 Brayden Schenn	71 Evgeni Malkin
Last 5 Games: 3 G, 1 A, 4 P, -2	Last 5 Games: 3 G, 3 A, 6 P, +2

 

While the Flyers' offense has been stagnant, Brayden Schenn has still found a way to produce, with goals in each of his last three games. In 23 games against the Penguins, he's posted eight goals and 16 points. Also worth noting is that the first goal of his career was scored in an outdoor game — 2012's Winter Classic against the New York Rangers.

 

Evgeni Malkin continues to be a steady presence with the Penguins, recording points in four of his last five games — including his 500th NHL assist. He scored two goals when both teams met on Oct. 29, including the game-winner at 8:44 of the third period.

 

Goalie Matchup
30 Michal Neuvirth	70 Braden Holtby
10-8-1, 2.84 GAA, .888 SV%	29-8-5, 2.01 GAA, .926 SV%

Michal Neuvirth makes his sixth-consecutive start in goal, after stopping 25 of 29 shots on Wednesday. He has never played in an outdoor game, though he was a backup in the 2011 Winter Classic, also at Heinz Field.

Braden Holtby gets the start for the Capitals. Holtby had a four-game winning streak snapped with a shootout loss to the Red Wings on Saturday. Prior to the team's bye week the week before, Holtby had won four games in a row, posting one shutout. Holtby may not be on pace to catch his career-high of 48 wins from a season ago, but he remains one of the NHL's most reliable goalies.

Flyers Projected Lineup

Scratches: Travis Konecny, Matt Read, Michael Del Zotto, Nick Schultz

Left Wing	Center	Right Wing
40 Jordan Weal	28 Claude Giroux	17 Wayne Simmonds
25 Nick Cousins	10 Brayden Schenn	93 Jake Voracek
12 Michael Raffl	14 Sean Couturier	22 Dale Weise
76 Chris VandeVelde	78 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare	13 Roman Lyubimov
Defense
9 Ivan Provorov	47 Andrew MacDonald
53 Shayne Gostisbehere	32 Mark Streit
3 Radko Gudas	23 Brandon Manning
Goalie
30 Michal Neuvirth

Game Notes

• Power Play: Flyers (9th, 6th on road), Penguins (6th, 2nd at home)
• Penalty Kill: Flyers (16th, 21st on road), Penguins (21st, 13th at home) 
• Recent History vs. Penguins
  • Oct. 29, 2016 - The Flyers raced out to a 2-0 lead, but two Sidney Crosby goals and a Matt Cullen tally gave the Penguins a 3-2 lead after the first 20 minutes. Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek evened the score after two to erase a 4-2 Penguins lead, but Evgeni Malkin's second of the game in the third period put the Pens up, 5-4, and they held the Flyers off from there. Marc-Andre Fleury made 38 saves on 42 shots, while Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth combined for 22 saves on 27 shots.
  • April 9, 2016 - Nick Bonino gave the Penguins an early lead, but a pair of goals from Wayne Simmonds and an empty-netter from Pierre-Edouard Bellemare gave the Flyers a 3-1 home win. Jeff Zatkoff made 22 saves on 24 shots before giving way to Matt Murray, who stopped all 11 shots he faced. Steve Mason turned in an 18-save effort.
  • April 3, 2016 – The Penguins jumped out to a 3-0 lead courtesy of Sidney Crosby, Beau Bennett and Patric Hornqvist, and though Wayne Simmonds tried to stop the bleeding in the second, the Pens were too overwhelming. Carl Hagelin opened the third with a goal, while Eric Fehr netted two of his own in the last period en route to a 6-2 win. Matt Murray made 28 saves to earn his first win against the Flyers, while Steve Mason recorded 33 saves.
  • March 19, 2016 – Radko Gudas scored 1:58 into the second period for the Flyers, but four unanswered goals from Trevor Daley, Carl Hagelin, Chris Kunitz and Kris Letang gave the Pens a 4-1 win. Fleury made 16 saves on 17 shots, while Mason stopped 31 of 35 shots.
• Milestone Watch
  • Michal Neuvirth is one win away from 95 for his career.
  • Penguins' Kris Letang is one assist away from 300.

Where to Watch
TV: NBC
Radio: 93.3 WMMR