Flyers know Stadium Series game is critical for postseason hopes

PITTSBURGH >> Heading into Saturday night’s Stadium Series matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers, there’s certainly no shortage of storylines regardless of which team you’re rooting for.

However, the prevailing line of questioning during Friday’s practice day for both clubs at Heinz Field seemed to center around just how critical this game was for the Flyers, who entered the day five points out of the second and final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

“It’s exciting, but we’re here for the two points,” said Flyers captain Claude Giroux.

“It’s a little different, but I’ve played in two (outdoor games) before and sometimes you look at the crowd and you’re like, ‘Wow.’ But at the end of the day, we have to focus on what we have to do.”

Surely, that will entail a desperate Flyers team at least attempting to get offtoastrongstartinthefirstfewminutes of the game, something that doesn’t escapePenguinscaptainSidneyCrosby.

“With us being at home and it being an outdoor game and all the energy that comes with that, hopefully we can have a strong start ourselves,” he said. “I think that looking at this game, there’s a lot of emotion and we want to use that our advantage. Understanding their position is important, but also for us, that’s something we’re going to try to need to do as well.”

For veteran players like Giroux and Crosby who’ve been through numerous outdoor games before, they know what to expect. But for others, especially those wearing black and orange, that they not get too caught up in the moment with two critical points in the standings on the line is key.

“There’s going to be a lot of emotions and a lot of distractions for us, but the bottom line for us is we’re here for the two points,” outdoor game firsttimer Radko Gudas said.

“We want to start this playoff push on the right side of things.”

Younger Flyers will rely on those who’ve been there before, like defenseman Michael Del Zotto, who played againsthiscurrentsquadwhilewiththe Rangers during the 2012 Winter Classic.

“It’s tough when there’s so much hype around one game,” he said.

“But we need to realize that we need to play urgent and we need to play with desperation. A divisional game like this is a four-point game, so we can’t overlook the fact of how big of a game this really is. It’s exciting and it brings you back to your roots when you get to play outside… but more so for guys who’ve been in playoffs and big games like that, this just seems to be like one of those (type of games), but more hyped up with more media. For some of the younger guys, there might be some adjustments to start. But it’s like any other game once you get on the ice.”

The timing of the game on the schedule and the crapshoot-like ice conditions it can bring, however — while no two points are more important than any other, this is a critical time of the season — were also a talking point in both locker rooms.

“Especially when you see where we are in the standings and it’s a divisional game, it is an interesting time to have it,” Del Zotto said. “But we don’t make the schedule. It’s a huge game for us, and we need these points.”

The Penguins, meanwhile, are second in the East with 82 points and hold a healthy 14 point cushion over the eighth place team in the standings. However, Pittsburgh didn’t stay put with the trade deadline approaching, acquiring veteran defenseman Ron Hainsey from the hapless Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday in exchange for a second-rounddraftpickandaprospect.

Hainsey was paired with Brian Dumoulin on Friday, and was still absorbing not only his first game with his new team taking place outdoors, but going from worst to near-first in the conference.

“It’s definitely a change of situations,” Hainsey said.

“Having said that, a month ago, we were I think a point out of a playoff spot with Carolina and we went on a four or five week stretch where we went 3-9-1. We were grinding out those games we came up with nothing,andthatreallysetusinabadway. We were playing some games where it was kind of life or death for us to stay in the hunt there, but obviously expectations are a little bit different here. I can’t wait to get started ... whatever they need me to do here is what I’m readyandwilling(todo)forhopefully three months, which hopefully leads to us winning a championship here.”