NBCSN’s coverage of the 2018-19 NHL season continues with Monday’s matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers. Coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN. You can watch the game online and on the NBC Sports app by clicking here.
Pittsburgh lost 5-4 to Tampa Bay on Saturday and has now lost four straight (0-3-1). The Pens have been in a funk for about a month, atypical of a Mike Sullivan team this late in the season. Since Jan. 12, the Penguins are just 3-7-1 with seven points, which is tied for the second-fewest in the NHL during that span. The Flyers, meanwhile, are tied for second most points during that same stretch (9-1-1, 19 points).
The Penguins are still the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. The last time they were not in playoff position this late in the season was the morning of Feb. 16, 2016 when they were ninth in conference. Of course, from there, they went 20-7-0, finished second in the Metropolitan Division (and seconnd in the East), and went on to win the Stanley Cup.
Once left for dead in last place in the NHL, the Flyers have had a remarkable turnaround in the past 10 games, going 9-0-1 and climbing back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture. On Saturday they dismantled the Ducks 6-2 behind a four-goal first period and 30 saves from Carter Hart.
The Flyers are one of three teams currently in a playoff position or within six points of one that have occupied last place in the entire League in the 2019 calendar year. Philadelphia was in last place overall on Jan. 9 and from Jan. 12-13, while St. Louis (Jan. 2) and Chicago (Jan. 17-19) also spent time as the No. 31 seed before recent hot streaks.
The teams will also meet outdoors on Feb. 23 in the NHL Stadium Series at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia and finish their season series on March 17 in Pittsburgh.
[WATCH LIVE – COVERAGE BEGINS AT 6 P.M. ET – NBCSN]
What: Pittsburgh Penguins at Philadelphia Flyers
Where: Wells Fargo Center
When: Monday, Feb. 11, 6 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN
Live stream: You can watch the Flyers-Penguins stream on NBC Sports’ live stream page and the NBC Sports app.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
PENGUINS
Jake Guentzel - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust
Phil Kessel - Evgeni Malkin - Nick Bjugstad
Tanner Pearson - Jared McCann - Dominik Simon
Garrett Wilson - Matt Cullen - Patric Hornqvist
Marcus Pettersson - Kris Letang
Brian Dumoulin - Jack Johnson
Olli Maatta - Juuso Riikola
Starting goalie: Matt Murray
FLYERS
James van Riemsdyk - Claude Giroux - Travis Konecny
Oskar Lindblom - Sean Couturier - Jakub Voracek
Scott Laughton - Nolan Patrick - Wayne Simmonds
Phil Varone - Mikhail Vorobyev - Michael Raffl
Ivan Provorov - Travis Sanheim
Andrew MacDonald - Shayne Gostisbehere
Robert Hagg - Radko Gudas
Starting goalie: Carter Hart