Penguins, Flyers hope to maintain their cool within heated rivalry

PITTSBURGH --It has been six years since Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby and Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux dropped the gloves in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
For the rabid fan bases of these Pennsylvania-based teams, it seems like just yesterday.

For Crosby and Giroux, it seems like a lifetime ago.
When the Penguins and Flyers step onto the ice at PPG Paints Arena on Sunday (12:30 p.m. ET; NBC, TVAS, NHL.TV), Crosby and Giroux believe this intense rivalry will be as heated as ever.
The danger here: Whichever team loses its composure is more likely to lose the game.
"I think you have to control your emotions here," Giroux said Saturday. "You are going to have games, usually against Pittsburgh, when your emotions get really high.
"There are not as many fights as there used to be, not as many hits. If you don't take care of the puck, if you don't play smart out there, it's going to cost your team."
Neither can afford that. Not with points being so precious with two weeks remaining in the season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs looming ever so close.
The Penguins (42-27-6) are second in the Metropolitan Division with 90 points, five points behind the Washington Capitals and one point ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Flyers (38-25-12) have 88 points and hold the first wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the New Jersey Devils.
Crosby and Giroux are aware the Penguins and Flyers could meet in the first round. It would be the first all-Pennsylvania playoff series since 2012, when the Flyers won in six games (4-2).
The teams combined for 158 penalty minutes -- 89 for the Penguins and 69 for the Flyers -- in Game 3, an 8-4 Flyers victory that gave them a 3-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. When Crosby said in a post-game interview that "I don't like any guy on their team there," the Flyers responded by handing out orange t-shirts sporting the words "GUESS WHAT? WE DON'T LIKE YOU EITHER" to fans attending Game 4 at Wells Fargo Center.

Two years later, Crosby trolled Flyers fans by dressing as Rocky Balboa for Halloween. The movie character Rocky, played by Sylvester Stallone, is one of the most beloved icons in Philadelphia.
If you get the feeling there is some dislike here, you'd be right. At the same time, the culture of the NHL has continued to evolve with the emphasis more on hustle than muscle.
"I think the game has changed a little bit, but at the same time you can't really compare playoffs to regular season," Giroux said. "When we played them in the playoffs, that was pretty intense. It's playoff hockey so it was fun, but yeah, the game has changed a little bit."
One thing that hasn't changed: How Crosby can make opponents look foolish.
"He's pretty fast and [a] quick player," Giroux said. "If you get on him a little too quick he might make you look stupid. We kind of have to contain him a little bit."
A victory by the Penguins would mean a 4-0 record against the Flyers this season. Pittsburgh has not swept a season series from Philadelphia since going 8-0 in 2006-07 (Flyers 0-6-2).
"I have been on the other side, so I know what [the Flyers] are feeling," Crosby said. "You can't control the ones you've lost. You can only control the one in front of you. I'm sure that will be their approach.
"From here on in, every point is important especially with a team we've had a rivalry with for a long time. I think we look at it as a game we need two points from against a tough opponent."
In 12 games since the NHL Trade Deadline on Feb. 26, the Penguins penalty kill is 65.7 percent (23-for-35). The Flyers power play has failed to score in three of the past four games, going 2-for-11.
In a battle of special teams, something has got to give.
"It's going to be a good test for us," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "Discipline is going to be very important."
Easier said than done when traditional foes like the Penguins and Flyers face off in such a key game in the standings.
"It's a divisional rival, a four-point game," Penguins defenseman Jamie Oleksiak said. "You can't help but get up for that. All games are big but against a divisional rival makes it even bigger.
"The Battle of Pennsylvania comes into it. Whenever we go to Philly or they come here, the fans get into it and get excited for it. It should be a playoff-like atmosphere. They're a proud team. They're going to come in hard."