The guy on the right... much cooler.
I know, right?!
More on the Sixers in a second.
The Flyers are playing what is arguably their biggest game of the season to date against their cross-state rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens lead the NHL in points with 44, but the Flyers are right on their tail with 43. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to surpass a team in points when they have literally won 12 games in a row.
What’s worse is Sidney Crosby, the man who has ruined so many potentially great hockey moments for me and probably you, is red-hot right now. He’s on an 18-game point streak and averages 1.71 points per game against the Flyers. That number is calculated from his 26 goals and 34 assists in 35 games against the Flyers… ugh.
To my surprise, Brian Boucher will get the start in net tonight. He’s 5-3-2 with a 2.23 GAA. Boucher has been getting more support as of late, which is a different story than what we saw in the first month of the season. He’s 4-0-1 in his last five starts. Regardless, I would have liked to have seen Sergei Bobrovsky between the pipes against an explosive Pittsburgh offense whose defense really is their offense. “Bob” is the clear #1 and it would only be fitting that he start in the biggest game in the NHL so far this season.
Sixers look to win one on the road
The Sixers are a dismal 1-10 on the road this season, but it’s hard to ignore that the developing team has won five of their past seven contests. It also helps they’ve played six of those seven games at home, where they have a better-than-.500 record. Tonight, they’re back on the road against the New Jersey Nets.
The team comes off an impressive 88-70 victory against the “David Stern-owned” New Orleans Hornets. It was a game that wasn’t as close as the score reads (and even that score isn’t close). The Sixers held the Hornets to 23 points in the first half on Sunday, the fewest in the NBA since 1954-55.
I would love to see the Sixers run-n’-gun with the surprising Jodie Meeks against a team that has lost seven in a row. They also know how to dish the ball. Led by Jrue Holiday at the point, the Sixers are eighth in the league in assists, with the second-year standout averaging just under seven a game. This game is very winnable, and serves as a great opportunity for the team to get their 2nd win on the road this season.
Speaking of the road, the Sixers will face a huge test with an eight-game road trip beginning Saturday that will last through the new year. In that stretch, they’ll see some monsters in the Orlando Magic, the Boston Celtics, the Chicago Bulls, and the Los Angeles Lakers, who they’ll host Friday night at the Wachovia Center.
Hopefully, the Flyers can stop the Pens’ streak while the Sixers keep the Nets’ streak going strong, or… not so strong.
