Penguins, Flyers weighing how to play finale

By Will Graves

Associated Press

Published: Friday, April 6 2012 11:45 a.m. MDT

Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin (71) celebrates his 49th goal of the season, with teammate Brooks Orpik during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Rangers in Pittsburgh on Thursday, April 5, 2012. The Penguins won 5-2.

Gene J. Puskar, Associated Press

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Summary

There will be nothing on the line when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers face each other in the regular-season finale on Saturday. The Penguins have already locked in the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and will host the fifth-seeded Flyers when the playoffs begin next week.

PITTSBURGH — There will be nothing on the line when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers face each other in the regular-season finale on Saturday. The Penguins have already locked in the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and will host the fifth-seeded Flyers when the playoffs begin next week.

The game is meaningless in the standings but not in the minds of the players. The Flyers have won all five games they've played at Consol Energy Center since it opened in 2010, including a 6-4 victory last weekend that ended with a brawl in the final minute.

The players may keep the bad blood in check to avoid being disciplined when the playoffs begin, though both teams stressed they will play to win to start the postseason with momentum.

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