5 THINGS: Flyers @ Penguins

Interim head coach Mike Yeo's Philadelphia Flyers (15-25-8) are in western Pennsylvania on Tuesday to take on Mike Sullivan's Pittsburgh Penguins (30-11-8). Game time at PPG Paints Arena is 7:00 p.m. ET (NBCSP+, 97.5 The Fanatic).

This is the third of four meetings this season between the traditional archrivals, and the second and final game in Pittsburgh. The season series will conclude on April 24 at the Wells Fargo Center.
The Flyers are 0-1-1 against the Penguins toate this season.
On Nov. 4, 2021, the Flyers entered the game in Pittsburgh with a 5-2-1 record while the Penguins were 3-3-1 and riddled with injuries and COVID-19 related absences. Nevertheless, the Flyers had to scramble in battling back from a pair of one-goal deficits before the Penguins prevailed in overtime, 3-2.
By the time the teams rematched in Philadelphia on Jan. 6, the Penguins were surging (19-8-5) while the Flyers (13-14-6) had already been through a 10-game winless skid and, after a seven-game point streak, were in the early stages of a 13-game winless freefall. What's more, it was now the Flyers who were beset with COVID cases and injuries; missing nine regular starters from the lineup for this game. The Penguins won easily, 6-2.
Since the NHL All-Star break, the Flyers were swept in a home-and-home set with the Detroit Red Wings. The Penguins are 3-0 with victories over the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators (2-0 shutout) and New Jersey Devils.
Here are five things to watch in this game.
1. Patchwork Lineup.
Rasmus Ristolainen, who missed Saturday's game in Detroit due to an upper-body injury sustained in last Wednesday's home game against the Red Wings, remains day-to-day. He is unlikely to play in this game. Ristolainen skated with the injury rehabbing players at Tuesday's practice at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees.
Loaned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at the start of the NHL All-Star break, rookie defenseman Cam York sustained an upper-body injury in the first period of the Phantoms' Feb. 11 game against the Hershey Bears. He missed the team's games on Saturday (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins) and Sunday (rematch with Hershey). Although his absence is not expected to be long-term, York is presently unavailable to play.
Limited to just four games this season, there is no return timetable for defenseman Ryan Ellis (lower-body injury). With each passing week, the chances of a return this season grow more and more doubtful.
As a result, for the second straight game, the Flyers will have depth defensemen Nick Seeler and Kevin Connauton in the starting lineup.
Veteran forward Derick Brassard, who has been battling a nagging hip issue for much the season, returned to the Flyers' lineup last Wednesday against the Red Wings. He has since been sidelined again (Brassard has played one game apiece in December, January and February).
As with York, the Flyers sent Morgan Frost to the Phantoms over the All-Star break. He had a strong first game against Providence, including a goal and an assist. This was followed by subpar outings against Hartford and Belleville. Frost missed last Friday and Saturday's games due to a non-COVID illness. On Sunday, Frost scored a late third-period go-ahead goal in the Phantoms' win over Hershey. The Flyers recalled Frost to the NHL roster on Monday.
Gerry Mayhew's eye was swollen shut after Saturday's game in Detroit, but it could have been much worse. He is expected to be able to play in Pittsburgh, although he sat out practice on Monday.
Projected Flyers lineup in Pittsburgh (subject to change):
23 Oskar Lindblom - 28 Claude Giroux - 89 Cam Atkinson
25 James van Riemsdyk - 21 Scott Laughton -11 Travis Konecny
20 Gerry Mayhew - 48 Morgan Frost - 71 Max Willman
76 Isaac Ratcliffe - 82 Connor Bunnaman - 17 Zack MacEwen
9 Ivan Provorov - 61 Justin Braun
6 Travis Sanheim - 24 Nick Seeler
3 Keith Yandle - 8 Kevin Connauton
79 Carter Hart
[35 Martin Jones]
PP1: Giroux (left), Atkinson (right), Konecny (slot), JVR (netfront), Provorov (point).
PP2: Frost (left), Laughton (right), Lindblom (slot), Ratcliffe (netfront), Yandle (point).
Flyers captain Giroux will dress in his 988th career NHL regular season game. In 60 career regular season games against the Penguins, Giroux has posted 63 points (20g, 43a).
With 894 career points, Giroux is six points away from catching Tony Amonte (900 points in 1,174 games) for 118th in the history of the National Hockey League. Giroux is 13th in career scoring among all still-active NHL players. Giroux and Boston's Brad Marchard are tied for 12th (0.91 points per game) in points per game among all active players with at least 500 career NHL games played.
Flyers captain Claude Giroux will dress in his 988th career NHL regular season game. In 60 career regular season games against the Penguins, Giroux has posted 63 points (20g, 43a).
With 894 career points, Giroux is six points away from catching Tony Amonte (900 points in 1,174 games) for 118th in the history of the National Hockey League. Giroux is 13th in career scoring among all still-active NHL players. Giroux and Boston's Brad Marchard are tied for 12th (0.91 points per game) in points per game among all active players with at least 500 career NHL games played.
2. Crosby Milestone Watch
Sidney Crosby enters this game with 499 career regular season goals. He also enters the game one goal away from 50 in his regular season career games against the Flyers (49 goals, 68 assists, 117 points in 78 games). For his NHL career, Crosby has scored 73 game-winning goals; one away from tying Mario Lemieux and four away from Jaromir Jagr's franchise record 78.
For the current season, Crosby has posted 44 points (13g, 31a) in 37 games played. He posted two assists against the Flyers in the Jan.6 game after missing the first meeting between the teams back in November.
Among all active NHL players, Crosby leads the way at 1.27 points per game. He is followed by Pittsburgh teammate Evgeni Malkin at 1.17 points per game.
3. Inside the Numbers
The Penguins are +23 at 5-on-5 this season,with 107 goals scored and 84 goals against. The Flyers, meanwhile, enter the game at -21 (81 GF/ 102 GA) when both teams are skating at full stretch.
Pittsburgh is in the black in their goal differentials in every period: +19 in first periods (46 GA/ 27 GA), +7 in second periods (50 GF/ 43 GA) and +13 in third periods (63 GF/ 50 GA). The Flyers are in the red in all three periods: -7 in first periods (39 GF/ 46 GA), -20 in second periods (34 GF/ 54 GA) and -13 in third periods (41 GF/ 54 GA).

In terms of puck possession metrics, the Penguins rank 8th in all-situations shot attempt differentials (52.49 percent team Corsi) while the Flyers rank 22nd (47.8 percent). In terms of shot quality and Grade A scoring chance differentials, the Penguins rank fourth across all game situations (54.2 percent) while the Flyers rank 29th (45.55 percent).
The Penguins power play enters the game at 21.4 percent efficiency (31-for-145), ranking 12th leaguewide. Pittsburgh has given up four opposing shorthanded goals, The Flyers power play comes in ranked 30th in the NHL at a meager 14.6 percent (20-for-135), Philadelphia has yielded six opposing shorthanded goals.
Pittsburgh's penalty kill ranks 2nd in the NHL at a stellar 87.3 percent (15 opposing PPGs on 116 attempts). Furthermore, Pittsburgh is statistically the NHL's most disciplined team, taking a league-low 6.5 penalty minutes per game. The Flyers' PK -- a strength prior to the Christmas break -- has tumbled to 23rd in the league (32 PPGA on 139 opportunities, 77.0 PK success rate). The Flyers have scored six shorthanded goals this season, while the Penguins have scored two.
4. Behind Enemy Lines: Pittsburgh Penguins
Jake Guentzel leads the Penguins in scoring this season, with 50 points (24g, 26a) in 43 games played. He is followed by Crosby, veteran defenseman Kris Letang (5g, 38a, 43 points, +19, 25:43 TOI), and Bryan Rust (17g, 37 points).
Evgeni Malkin, who has been limited to just 13 games played this season (5g, 8a), is expected to return to the Penguins' lineup for this game.
Former Flyers forward Jeff Carter, who recently signed a contract extension with the Penguins in the final year of a deal originally signed with the Flyers back in 2011, has posted 13 goals and 27 points.
When scoring first in a game, the Penguins are 22-3-1. When yielding the game's first goal, Pittsburgh is 8-8-7. The Flyers are 12-3-5 when scoring first and 3-21-3 when trailing first.
An NHL All-Star Game selection in goal, Tristan Jarry has appeared in 39 games this season. He has posted a 25-8-6 record, 2.20 GAA, .925 save percentage and three shutouts.
Projected Penguins' lineup (subject to change):
59 Jake Guentzel - 87 Sidney Crosby - 17 Bryan Rust
23 Brock McGinn - 71 Evgeni Malkin - 42 Kasperi Kapanen
43 Danton Heinen - 77 Jeff Carter - 9 Evan Rodrigues
12 Zach Aston-Reese - 11 Brian Boyle - 49 Dominik Simon
8 Brian Dumoulin - 58 Kris Letang
28 Marcus Pettersson - 6 John Marino
5 Mike Matheson - 2 Chad Ruhwedel.
35 Tristan Jarry
[1 Casey DeSmith]
PP1: Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Guentzel, Rust.
PP2: Marino, Carter, Kapanen, Rodrigues and Heinen.
5. Players to Watch: Laughton and Crosby
Over the Flyers' last five games, center Scott Laughton has posted six points (3g, 3a). He has posted a shorthanded goal and an assist over the two games the Flyers have played against the Penguins this season. Laughton's shorthander late in the third period forced overtime in the Nov. 4 game.
Laughton had a would-be goal disallowed in the first period of the Jan. 6 game. The goal was waived off at 14:13 after the near-side referee lost sight of the puck as it slid under Jarry's pad and was then jammed free. Offsetting minors after the whistle were called on Jarry (slashing) and Laughton (roughing).
Undoubtedly, Crosby and his quest for his 500th career goal will be the No. 1 focal point entering this game. Crosby also brings an active six-game point streak (2g, 8a, 10 points) into this game. Since Jan. 15, only Toronto Maple Leafs' forward Mitch Marner (22) has posted more points leaguewide than Crosby, who has 20 points (8G-12A) in 13 games.