Flyers, Penguins, January: Some Stats You Should Know

The Flyers and Penguins face off for the second time this season Tuesday night in Philadelphia. There is absolutely no love lost between these two bitter rivals. Commonly referred to as the “Keystone State Rivalry,” it’s one of the best rivalries in all of sports. The passion, the hatred, the pure, raw emotion shown by the fan bases and players alike make for some absolutely compelling hockey.

Dating all the way back to 1968, the Flyers are 177-114-30-10 against the Penguins, including the playoffs. More recently, they are 30-25-5 since the 2009/10 season. In the last 10 games, the Flyers are 4-4-2 against their in-state rivals.

Given that their next game against each other is in the month of January, it’s only fair we look at relevant stats. It’s time to take a look at some Flyers and how they fare against the Penguins, and how they’re doing in the first month of the year.

January

First off, it’s worth noting who holds the edge head-to-head in the month of January. Since both teams formed in 1967, the Flyers have the better January record head-to-head, standing at 26-14-6-0.

Current Flyers can only consider a few of those games as notches on their belts. While that may be the case, they can boast about their stats in the month of January.

In the month of January, goaltender Brian Elliott has a stellar record. He’s won 39 contests, while losing 33, 12 of them in a shootout. His goals against average is solid, standing at 2.49. His save percentage is on par, standing at .908.

While one of the longest tenured Flyers, he’s the newest of them to the Flyers/Penguins rivalry, but not by much. Sean Couturier has played in 104 games in the month of January, tallying 33 goals and adding 40 assists. His 73 points in the month of January are the most of any month for Couturier.

Jakub Voracek is also a force in the month of January. While playing in 145 games during the first month of the year, he’s totaled 105 points (28g, 77a). While November and December are his best months, January really isn’t that far off.

Last but not least, Claude Giroux is producing along the same lines as Voracek in the month of January. With 25 goals, 76 assists for 101 points in 139 games, January is only his fifth most productive month. Goes to show how productive Giroux really is.

Vs. the Penguins

Brian Elliott has had a decent career against the Pens. In 15 games against the cross-state rivals, Elliott is 8-4-2. He’s allowed 43 goals in those games, with nine allowed during a penalty kill. His career save percentage against the Pens is .911 and his goals against average is 3.19.

Couturier has played the least amount of games against the Penguins in terms of longest-tenured Flyers. That hasn’t stopped him from putting up 22 points (6g, 16a) in 35 career games against the Pens. That total is good for the third most points against any single NHL team for Couturier.

Giroux has been even better than Couturier in terms of producing against the Penguins. In 49 career games, he boasts 50 points (16g, 34a). You can always count on Captain Claude to show up against Pittsburgh. His point total against the Penguins is the second most points against any single NHL team for Giroux.

Voracek’s stats against single NHL teams are at their best against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Voracek hasn’t posted more points against any other franchise than the Penguins. His 41 points (21g, 20a) in as many games is tops for him. It’s safe to say Voracek will likely be on the scoresheet for at least one, if not both, of the games against Pittsburgh coming up.

The Flyers/Penguins rivalry is some of the best hockey you can watch. There’s goals, fights, raw emotion, anything you could possibly want out of a hockey game and more. With both teams set to face off twice in the next week and a half, fans are in for some great hockey.

Tune in Tuesday night at 7:30PM EST on NBCSN to catch the first of two consecutive contests between the Flyers and Penguins. First game takes place at the Wells Fargo Center this coming Tuesday. The next takes place Friday, January 31st at 7PM EST and is on NBCSP.