Game #31

Same story, new game. The Flyers come into tonight's game at Pittsburgh having lost four straight, while the Penguins have won two in a row. Pittsburgh is 4-0 against the Flyers so far this season, having outscored them 20-7. Penguins star Sidney Crosby has netted six goals and three assists in those four games. For the Flyers, Freddy Meyer is expected back in the lineup tonight after sitting out mast night's contest against the Rangers. Inside the Numbers TEAM STATS   GP W L OT Pts G/G GA/G PP% PK% PHI 30 8 18 4 20 2.37 3.67 14.6% 86.0% PIT 29 13 11 5 31 3.00 3.14 17.1% 80.8% TEAM STAT LEADERS   Philadelphia   Pittsburgh Pts Simon Gagne 25   Sidney Crosby 41 G Simon Gagne 16   Evgeni Malkin 15 A Joni Pitkanen 16   Sidney Crosby 27 +/- Todd Fedoruk +2   Sidney Crosby +11 PIM Ben Eager 72   Jarkko Ruutu 49 GWG Simon Gagne 2   Evgeni Malkin 3 TOI/G Joni Pitkanen 25:17   Sergei Gonchar 26:41 See: Game Notes See: Preview

Penguins waive LeClair; Flyers interested

From the Inquirer's Tim Panaccio: Former Flyer John LeClair was placed on waivers today by the Pitsburgh Penguins. LeClair, who was earning $1.8 million this season, can be secured for the waiver price of $3,375. The left winger was a 50-goal scorer for the Flyers three times during his career, which began with Montreal in 1990. If LeClair, 37, were to pass into re-entry waivers, he could be claimed for a salary as low as $900,000. The Flyers are believed to be interested in LeClair if he passes into re-entry waivers. My head is ready to explode just thinking about this. How could the Flyers possibly have any interest in LeClair? He's 38 years old and hasn't averaged a point a game since the 1998-1999 season. Since then, he's played in 384 games, recording 281 points -- a 0.73 point-per-game average. This season he has seven points (two goals) in 21 games -- a 0.33 point-per-game average. (For the record, his career point-per-game average is 0.85.) Many thanks to my friend Vin (he's the Thunder Bay Bombers in the Hat Trick Hockey League) who gave me the heads up on this. Here's our conversation: Vin: The missing piece to the puzzle -- http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/16132619.htm. Matt: Oh, for god's sake . . . . Vin: He’s exactly what this team needs. Slow, lumbering, past his prime. Perfect. Matt: If anyone had any inkling that Holmgren might be different than Clarke, this would set them straight.

Pens Easily Handle Flyers

Anyone who says they look at the Flyers lineup and thinks talent-wise they can compete with any other team in the league is deluding themselves. It's just not there. And if anyone needed actual proof, it was on display last night at the Wachovia Center. The Penguins aren't one of the best teams in the league, but they're head and shoulders above the Flyers. This is what happens when you accept several losing seasons and build a team around those resulting draft picks. It is the exact opposite of what happens when you think you're a better team than you actually are and spend top dollar on free agents at the end of their careers. Last night's win moved the Penguins to 4-0 on the season against the Flyers, whom they have now outscored 20-7. Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby, despite playing only the first two periods, managed a goal and an assist -- increasing his totals to six goals and three assists on the season against the Flyers. For his career, in 12 games against the Flyers, Crosby has 13 goals and 10 assists for 23 points. Am I the only one who's thinking he can't become a free agent fast enough? Coaching Update TSN is reporting that the Blue Jackets have narrowed the search for their next head coach down to former Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock and former Los Angeles Kings coach Andy Murray, while hoping to have one in place as early as Wednesday. Interestingly, the Blue Jackets will be in town for a game on Friday afternoon. See: Courier-Post See: Daily News See: Inquirer See: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette See: Yahoo/AP

Game #21

At home for the first time in nine days, the Flyers play host to Pittsburgh tonight at the Wachovia center. The Flyers will be looking for their first win against the Penguins this season in the fourth meeting between the two teams. The Flyers were 5-2-1 against Pittsburgh last season, though this season is quite the opposite. In three Pittsburgh wins, the Penguins have outscored the Flyers 15-4. The last time Pittsburgh beat the Flyers in four straight games was December 15, 1992 through January 30, 1993. Here is a look at the two teams' numbers on the season: TEAM STATS   GP W L OT Pts G/G GA/G PP% PK% PIT 18 9 7 2 20 3.17 3.11 17.1% 83.5% PHI 20 5 13 2 12 2.35 4.00 11.8% 87.1% align="left"> TEAM STAT LEADERS   G A Pts +/- PIT Crosby - 9 Crosby - 19 Crosby - 28 Crosby - +7   Malkin - 9     Recchi - +7 PHI Gagne - 10 Pitkanen - 11 Gagne - 14 Robitaille - +2       Sanderson - 14   See: Game Notes See: Preview