Flyers-Penguins Preview: Moment of Truth

The Flyers returned from the break with a solid victory over the Oilers on Saturday. Despite winning two straight games, going back to their final game before the break, they remain a longshot for any playoff possibility.

Another team in similar position is the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Flyers got the better of the Penguins earlier this month, but as the two teams prepare for a home-and-home, the Penguins have plenty of reinforcements back in the lineup.

Game time is 7 p.m.

Team Leaders

Philadelphia Flyers	GP	G	A	P	Pittsburgh Penguins	GP	G	A	P
Travis Konecny	58	22	40	62	Sidney Crosby	57	18	42	60
Matvei Michkov	56	17	22	39	Rickard Rakell	58	25	24	49
Owen Tippett	53	16	16	32	Bryan Rust	48	20	22	42
Sean Couturier	55	9	21	28	Erik Karlsson	59	6	34	40
Scott Laughton	55	11	16	27	Evgeni Malkin	49	10	27	37

Matvei Michkov returned from the break a man on a mission. He opened the scoring on Saturday and added two assists for a three-point game, bringing his season total to 39 points.

Sidney Crosby missed the last game against the Flyers due to injury. Following the break, Crosby has a point in both games played, bringing his points streak to seven games and nine of the last 10.

Sam Ersson gets the start for the Flyers. Ersson made 15 saves on 18 shots in the win over Edmonton on Saturday. Ersson was solid in a win over the Penguins on Feb. 8, making 31 saves on 33 shots.

Alex Nedeljkovic gets the start for the Penguins. Skinner allowed three goals on 12 shots in his last start on Feb. 7 against Colorado before being pulled after the first period. He has won two of his last six starts.

Projected Lineups

Flyers Scratches: Erik Johnson (healthy), Nic Deslauriers (healthy), Aleksei Kolosov (healthy)

Penguins Scratches: Bokondji Imama (injury), Vladislav Kolyachonok (healthy), Matt Nieto (healthy), Ryan Graves (healthy)

Lineup Notes

Flyers: No changes are expected to the Flyers lines.
Penguins: Bryan Rust returns to the lineup. Matt Grzelcyk will play after leaving Sunday's game in the first period.

Game Notes

Power Play: Flyers (16.2% - 28th), Penguins (24.7% - 8th)
Penalty Kill: Flyers (78.6% - 18th), Penguins (79.0% - 16th)
Recent History vs. Penguins
- Feb. 8, 2025 - Flyers 3, Penguins 2 (at PHI)
- Dec. 23, 2024 - Penguins 7, Flyers 3 (at PIT)
Team Leaders vs. Penguins
- Travis Konecny - 31 GP, 12 G, 15 A, 27 P
- Tyson Foerster - 7 GP, 4 G, 2 A, 6 P
- Noah Cates - 7 GP, 3 G, 2 A, 5 P
- Sam Ersson - 4 GP, 2-2-0, 3.51 GAA, .881 SV%