Game #1

The Flyers open their season tonight on the road in Pittsburgh to face the Penguins. (Who knows how much longer the Penguins will be in Pittsburgh?) Tonight would have marked the debut of the newest Penguins' rookie sensation, Evgeni Malkin, but he was injured in the a preason game with the Flyers. As it is, Sidney Crosby will be leading the Penguins against the Flyers, who fill premier a new captain tonight in Peter Forsberg -- the first European captain in Flyers' history. Forsberg will be the story of the Flyers season. Last season, the Flyers went 35-16-9 when he played and only 10-10-2 when he did not. Considering he hasn't played a full 82-game season since 1995-1996, it is imperative for the Flyers to improve their record when he's not in the lineup.