Penguins Preview - Battle of PA Round III (12-11-07)
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by FrankD
12.11.07
More at http://pensburgh.blogspot.com
Tonight the Penguins look to make it five in a row with a win over the cross-state rival Philadelphia Flyers. In the previous two meetings this season, the Flyers were victorious in both.
I'm not going to confirm it, but I wouldn't be surprised if Laraque or another heavyweight on the team threw down the gloves early with Jason Smith in retaliation to a slash on Sidney Crosby back on November 10. If you don't recall, allow me to recap for you.
In the dying seconds of the third period, in what was more than likely a Penguins loss, Jason smith slashed across the mitts of Sid as he tried to maneuver in front of the Flyers' goal. Although it may have appeared to be a dive (I personally think Crosby just sold it wrong), the slash was still evident. The incident resulted in a Flyers and Pens scuffle against the boards, ending with a Ryan Malone 10-minute game misconduct. Earlier in the match, Malone engaged in a fight that left him cut and bloody right between the eyes.
To make matters worse, Smith went back to the bench after the obvious slashing call and couldn't contain his happiness. Cameras in the arena and on television caught Smith gleaming from ear to ear with a dirty grin that simply read, "Yeah, I did it. But you didn't catch me."
Bringing back memories of Crosby's rookie season in 2005, Flyers fan began chanting "Craaaawwsbeeee" and "Dive, dive..." You may recall the controversy surrounding Sid in 2005, whereby Flyers Head Coach Ken Hitchcock accused Sid of diving to draw penalties. The Philly media jumped on the accusations as well, only adding more fuel to the already potent fire that is the Battle of PA.
So far this month the Flyers are 1-2, their most recent being a 2-1 loss to the Avalanche. The Pens are 4-1 in November, with their most recent a 2-1 shootout win over Vancouver.
Finally a look at the Pens' injuries. Both Marc-Andre Fleury and Max Talbot are expected to miss tonight's game with ankle sprains. Fleury sustained the injury in a bad fall against Calgary last week. Talbot, who missed four games due to a high ankle sprain, was seen limping off the ice after the Canucks match. Both are listed day-to-day.
Round three of the Battle of PA starts tonight at 7p.m.
