Battle of Pennsylvania on NBCSN
It’s time for another Wednesday Night Rivalry matchup on NBCSN (8:00 PM ET), with the Philadelphia Flyers visiting the Pittsburgh Penguins in the latest Battle of Pennsylvania. The Flyers won both their previous meetings this year, but at 30-29-7-10, they’re officially eliminated from playoff contention. Philadelphia is also 4.89 units in the red against the puck line despite a 41-35 ATS record. The Penguins, meanwhile, are in second place in the Metropolitan Division as we go to press at 42-23-5-6, and they’ve managed to make a small profit this season at 34-42 ATS and plus-1.44 units. Unlike past years, Pittsburgh’s defense is getting them to the pay window; the Penguins are tied for sixth overall at 2.42 goals allowed per game, with Marc-Andre Fleury (.921 save percentage, 11.5 Goalie Point Shares) carrying most of the workload. Realizing that their playoff chances were slim, the Flyers dropped ballast at the March 2 trade deadline, and they’ve won just three of 13 games since. The flu bug is also working its way through the dressing room; it’s uncertain if defensemen Mark Streit and Carlo Colaiacovo will play Wednesday after missing Saturday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks (+102 away).