The Pittsburgh Penguins travel to the City of Brotherly Love for a showdown against the Philadelphia Flyers.

PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins couldn’t push themselves into a playoff position against the Buffalo Sabres, dropping two of their last three games. Despite dropping a pair, the Penguins are 6-3-1 over their last 10 and are still knocking on the door of the playoff race. To keep pace, they’ll need to steal two points from their cross-state foes, the Philadelphia Flyers. Here’s what to watch for in the latest installment of Penguins vs. Flyers. 

1. Kris Letang Continuing to Dominate

Kris Letang is in the midst of a historic run over his last three road games. He’s put up at least three points in each contest, amassing 12 points over that span. He’s the sixth defenseman in NHL history to accomplish this feat, and could join Bobby Orr as the only other defender to do it in four consecutive contests.

In a pivotal matchup against the Flyers, Letang and the Penguins need his incredible stretch on the road to continue. The opposition’s stifling physicality could disrupt Letang’s game, however, and it should be a deciding factor in the contest. 

2. Joel Farabee’s Next Step

The Flyers are one of the biggest surprises of the season, currently sitting in third place of the Metropolitan Division. At 20-13-6, the Broad Street Bullies are surpassing all expectations for the season. 

A huge reason for their success is the evolution of forward Joel Farabee’s game. He’s the team’s second leading scorer, with 12 goals and 29 points in 39 games. Playing at a 60-point pace, it seems Farabee is finally stepping into the role the Flyers envisioned when they selected him in the first round of the 2018 draft. 

With five points in his last four games, the Penguins will need to focus on subduing Farabee and his attack. 

3. Bounce Back Opportunity In Net 

The Penguins have been ecstatic with the early returns on their goaltending tandem. Both Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic have been stellar when called upon. Over each of their last starts, unfortunately, the pair looks like they’ve taken a step back.

Jarry was pulled against Washington and looked average in a loss against the Sabres. Nedeljkovic was porous in a win over Boston, and has surrendered five goals allowed in two of his last five starts. It’s not time to press the panic button on this pair, and a rivalry matchup could be just what either goaltender needs to get back on track.

The Penguins and Flyers face-off at 7:00 p.m. at Wells Fargo Center. 

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