Flyers, Penguins set for cross-state rivalry clash

The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting some breathing room in their schedule, while the visiting Philadelphia Flyers will be playing their third game in four nights when the teams meet Tuesday night.

The game is the first of the season for the longtime cross-state and division rivals.

Pittsburgh has had a couple days between games after ending a three-game losing streak with a 3-0 win on Saturday at Dallas.

The Penguins weren't fully disappointed in their 1-2 road trip as they head into a stretch of just two games, both at home, in seven days. In fact, they found a lot to be happy about -- and they weren't just pointing to moral victories.

They thought that, despite the losses, they continued the smart, effective style they felt forced to adopt during an earlier five-game winning streak while several key forwards were injured.

"We only get one win on this road trip, but we could have had more," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "When I look back on the whole road trip, we probably had one period that we didn't like, and it was the second period (Saturday). But I really liked the response our team had in the third. We pushed hard."

The Penguins got the only three goals of the game in that third period.

That period started without team captain and leading scorer Sidney Crosby, who got hit in the left cheek with a shot taken by teammate Kris Letang in the final minute of the second period.

Crosby returned a couple minutes into the third, and although Sullivan said Crosby would continue to be evaluated, he practiced Monday.

In that win at Dallas, winger Bryan Rust scored in his season debut after being out because of a broken hand. Center Nick Bjugstad also returned after getting an unspecified injury in the second game of the season.

"The team has obviously been coming together here over the past few weeks," Rust said. "I was just hoping to kind of jump back in seamlessly."

It appears the Penguins will continue to get healthy. Winger Alex Galchenyuk is practicing. Center Evgeni Malkin returned to practice Monday in a non-contact capacity.

The Flyers, who will be playing their fifth game in nine days, come into Tuesday's game on the opposite path as Pittsburgh. They had won three in a row before falling 5-3 Sunday on the road against the red-hot New York Islanders.

"We can play better, and we will," said Philadelphia captain Claude Giroux, who has points in three straight games and in five of his past six.

The Flyers might have to have some patience with 21-year-old goaltender Carter Hart.

Sunday, Hart gave up five goals on 14 shots before he was pulled before the midway point of the second period. It was the second time in three games he got yanked.

He has lost three straight starts after opening 2-0-1.

"For me, I just have to find a way to get back into my own rhythm," said Hart, whose save percentage has fallen to .862. "Right now, I'm just not playing (the way I should). I know I'm better than that. I just have to keep working.

"I've been feeling pretty good in practice, but I think right now, I just have to go out into the game and just play."

--Field Level Media