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Hossa may get first taste of Keystone battle, as Pens host Flyers

Sun 16th, March 2008

(Sports Network) - Though Sidney Crosby is out this afternoon, the Pittsburgh Penguins may get Marian Hossa back into the lineup when they host the Philadelphia Flyers at Mellon Arena.

Crosby and Hossa have yet to skate together as members of the Penguins. Crosby was sidelined with a high ankle sprain when Pittsburgh acquired Hossa from Atlanta at the trade deadline, and Hossa injured his right knee in a collision with Boston's Glen Murray in his first game with the Penguins on February 28.

Hossa has missed the last six games and today would make his home debut with Pittsburgh should he be able to go.

However, Crosby (22 goals, 45 assists this season) is definitely out after it was announced on Friday that the captain will miss about a week due to a bothersome ankle. Crosby had played three games since missing 21 tests due to a high right ankle sprain suffered in mid-January.

However, he felt pain in the ankle during the Penguins' morning skate on Wednesday and he sat out that night's 7-3 victory over Buffalo. The Penguins, though, improved to a surprising 12-6-4 without Crosby in the lineup.

Evgeni Malkin remains the one consistent in Pittsburgh's lineup. The star Russian was one of seven Penguins to score against Buffalo, giving him a team- high 39 goals on the season. Malkin is second in the league with 93 points, just behind Washington's Alex Ovechkin and his 99 points.

Tyler Kennedy registered a goal and two assists, while Kris Letang, Petr Sykora and Sergei Gonchar each picked up a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh. Jeff Taffe also tallied and Chris Minard scored his first career NHL goal.

Ty Conklin stopped 29-of-32 shots for the Penguins, winners in four of their last five. That has Pittsburgh tied for fourth in the East and three points back of New Jersey for first place in the conference and the Atlantic Division.

Pittsburgh enforcer Georges Laraque will also miss tonight's game as he serves the first test of a three-game suspension handed down after getting a major for elbowing Buffalo's Nathan Paetsch on Wednesday, an incident that also netted Laraque a game misconduct.

Pittsburgh is 20-10-5 at home this season.

Philadelphia suffered another late collapse on Saturday, blowing a third- period lead for the second time in three games. The Flyers led the Maple Leafs 3-0 on Tuesday but lost in overtime, and carried a 2-1 edge into the final minute of the third yesterday against Boston.

However, Andrew Ference tied the game with 27 seconds left and Aaron Ward tallied the game-winning goal in overtime to give the Bruins a 3-2 victory and a two-point lead over Philadelphia for the seventh seed in the East.

Mike Richards, who returned to action after a nine-game absence due to a hamstring injury, scored his 24th goal of the season and Danny Briere also tallied for the Flyers, who fell to 0-1-2 in their last three games. Marty Biron allowed three goals on 36 shots in the loss, while Briere has at least a point in the last seven games he has played in (4 goals, 3 assists).

The Flyers also saw their lead over Buffalo for the eighth spot dip to just one point, though the Sabres have played one more game than Philadelphia, which has 10 games left on the season. Buffalo is off today, while the Bruins play Washington.

Already without defenseman Randy Jones due to a right hip flexor, Derian Hatcher left yesterday's game in the first period due to a right leg injury and did not return.

The Flyers are 19-13-4 as the road team this year, but have lost six of their last eight as the visiting team. Philadelphia begins a three-game homestand on Tuesday versus Atlanta.

Philadelphia won its first four matchups against Pittsburgh this season before the Penguins posted a 4-3 home win on February 10. Pittsburgh, which swept its eight-game series against Philadelphia last season, has won six of its last seven at home versus the Flyers.

Malkin leads the Penguins in scoring against the Flyers this year with three goals and six assists in five games, while Philadelphia's R.J. Umberger has six goals and five assists in five tests versus Pittsburgh this season.

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