Today is the day of the second game of the NHL Stadium Series. Tonight, the Philadelphia Flyers travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins at Heinz Field. Let’s take a look at what to watch for.
| Flyers vs Penguins ML +165 / -185 O/U 5.5 |
This will be just the second time these two teams have met this season, though the rivalry is well-documented at this point. Admittedly, this is one of the few rivalries in the NHL remaining that have legitimate bite to it.
In their first meeting, the Pittsburgh Penguins topped the Flyers 5-4 at the Wells Fargo Center. Jakub Voracek scored twice with Wayne Simmonds and Claude Giroux also finding the back of the net, but it was not enough to stop the Pens. With the game tied eight minutes into the third period, Evgeni Malkin potted what would turn out to be the game-winning goal.
Both Malkin and Sidney Crosby notched two goals in the game.
I do hate the way these games are scheduled now. When outdoor games were first becoming a part of the NHL repertoire, the league would schedule a game between the two teams a week or two before the big game to build some animosity or intensity for the game. Most of the time, it worked. If you need proof, look at the “HBO 24/7: Road to the Winter Classic” series featuring Pittsburgh and Washington or Philadelphia and New York. They at least tried to do that with the Winter Classic game between Chicago and St. Louis this year, but the Centennial Classic between Detroit and Toronto was the first meeting all season.
For a rivalry this intense, we want the blood to be boiling. All this funnels into the larger problem that outdoor games are losing their luster in general, but that’s another topic for another day.
Michal Neuvirth will be the starting goaltender for the Flyers. Neuvy has been very hit-and-miss with his performances, though his numbers would lead you to believe it’s all been miss-and-miss. He has allowed 12 goals in his last three starts, but only eight in the six starts before that.
Steve Mason was the starter in the first encounter with the Penguins, but after allowing three consecutive goals at the end of the opening frame, he was yanked after just 20 minutes. Neuvirth finished the rest of the game. Mason has just one start under his belt this month.
Matt Murray will be in goal for the Pittsburgh Penguins. This will be the first time this season then Flyers will take their shots on the rookie. Murray is 22-7-3 this season and with the exception of one start against Detroit, has been stellar of late. He has allowed two goals or fewer in five of his last six starts, with a shutout against Vancouver mixed in.
What could make or break this matchup for the Philadelphia Flyers is the health of forward Jakub Voracek. According to CBS Sports, Voracek came up lame in practice and left early, leaving his status for today uncertain. The injury is undisclosed. There has been no other mention of Voracek’s status for tonight’s game, but that could be a major hinderance.
Voracek has 49 points in 60 games this season.
Travis Konecny will miss tonight’s game as well as his extended stay on the injured reserve continues.
The Pens will have their fare share of injuries as well. Bryan Rust, Conor Sheary, Trevor Daley and Olli Maatta have all been on the injured reserve. Kris Letang will also be ruled out tonight with an upper-body injury. Additionally, Nick Bonino has come down with an illness and is questionable tonight. Justin Schultz is expected to return from a concussion tonight.
Even still, the odds are very much so in Pittsburgh’s favor. The Flyers have lost 12 of their last 15 road games. They have lost four of five to the Pens. They have dropped three of their last four games overall. Pittsburgh has the better netminder.
However, the Flyers have won each of their last seven games following a home loss by three or more goals. Plus, on an outdoor ice surface, anything is possible.
The home team has won both outdoor games this season, bucking the usual trend of road winners in these games.
It’s not a new thing to see either one of these teams in an outdoor game. It’s not a new thing to have an outdoor game at Heinz Field. But I am actually excited to see two bitter rivals duke it out tonight, which is something I haven’t felt about an outdoor game since the 2012 Winter Classic, really.
Prediction: Take the Penguins to win. Play the over.
