Game of the Week Preview - Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia
May 16, 2016 12:52:23 GMT -5
Beans (BOS), bjernagris (PHI), and 1 more like this
Post by brob89 (NSH) on May 16, 2016 12:52:23 GMT -5
TSN -
The Battle of PennsylvaniaTM resumes this Saturday evening in Pittsburgh. Whilst the implications
of this game on Standings and playoff seeding are not especially significant, nonetheless whenever
the Flyers and Penguins meet it's going to be a passionate and hard fought game.
The Flyers come into this game continuing to roll along at the top of the Eastern conference without
much issue. They have been leading their division and the conference for most of the season, so
regardless of what happens in this particular game, expect that to continue. Their chances in this
game will be helped significantly by the return of Tukka Rask after his injury spell. He has had an
exceptional season so far, and had he not spent so much time on the shelf with injury, he would surely
be receiving mention for the Vezina.
Pittsburgh has flown somewhat under the radar this season. Considered by many to be the 4th best
team in their division, they have certainly outperformed the expectations of the neutrals. The second
half of the season, in particular, has seen them perform consistently well. Unsurprisingly, their resurgence
has been built around the stellar play of their stars. Crosby leads the team in points, and, amazingly, Fleury has played
74 out of 74 games this year, and looks to break the 50 win mark if he continues at this pace.
Tale of the tape:
Keys to the Game:
Pittsburgh
> Pressure on the D. Philly gets a lot of points from their back end.
> Shut down the Giroux, Voracek, JVR line. It's a steep drop off in point production from there.
> Get shots on Rask. He's been out injured for awhile, and his focus may not be as sharp as usual.
Philadelphia
> Don't forget about Malkin. The Crosby line produces the most points, but Malkin is a world class player with 31 goals so far this year.
> But also, you need to stop the Crosby line. They've combined for almost 200 points this year.
> Pittsburgh has the 9th worst PK in the inhl. Take your opportunities when you get them.
- end -
The Battle of PennsylvaniaTM resumes this Saturday evening in Pittsburgh. Whilst the implications
of this game on Standings and playoff seeding are not especially significant, nonetheless whenever
the Flyers and Penguins meet it's going to be a passionate and hard fought game.
The Flyers come into this game continuing to roll along at the top of the Eastern conference without
much issue. They have been leading their division and the conference for most of the season, so
regardless of what happens in this particular game, expect that to continue. Their chances in this
game will be helped significantly by the return of Tukka Rask after his injury spell. He has had an
exceptional season so far, and had he not spent so much time on the shelf with injury, he would surely
be receiving mention for the Vezina.
Pittsburgh has flown somewhat under the radar this season. Considered by many to be the 4th best
team in their division, they have certainly outperformed the expectations of the neutrals. The second
half of the season, in particular, has seen them perform consistently well. Unsurprisingly, their resurgence
has been built around the stellar play of their stars. Crosby leads the team in points, and, amazingly, Fleury has played
74 out of 74 games this year, and looks to break the 50 win mark if he continues at this pace.
Tale of the tape:
Pittsburgh | Philadelphia | |
Record | 46-23-5 | 52-20-2 |
Head-to-Head | 1-1-1 | 2-1-0 |
PP% | 17.9 | 16.1 |
PK% | 81.9 | 84.0 |
Leading Scorer | Crosby 28-53-81 | Giroux 30-46-76 |
Goalie | Fleury 46-23-5 GAA 2.59 | Rask 26-12-2 GAA 2.29 |
Keys to the Game:
Pittsburgh
> Pressure on the D. Philly gets a lot of points from their back end.
> Shut down the Giroux, Voracek, JVR line. It's a steep drop off in point production from there.
> Get shots on Rask. He's been out injured for awhile, and his focus may not be as sharp as usual.
Philadelphia
> Don't forget about Malkin. The Crosby line produces the most points, but Malkin is a world class player with 31 goals so far this year.
> But also, you need to stop the Crosby line. They've combined for almost 200 points this year.
> Pittsburgh has the 9th worst PK in the inhl. Take your opportunities when you get them.
- end -