When the Flyers and Penguins pass one another on the crowded street of an NHL season, someone usually sticks out his skate or jabs a stick into an opponent's abdomen.
The teams came into the league together in 1967 and have had a healthy dislike for each other ever since. And after three playoff series since 2008, that dislike has blossomed into palpable hatred. Thursday, at the Wells Fargo Center, is the third of their four meetings this season.
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How do these teams despise one another? Let us count the ways:
From the Pens' point of view:
5. Scott Hartnell is uglier than Hulk Hogan.
4. Seeing Jaromir Jagr wear orange and black was like seeing Jack Lambert in a tutu.
3. Never thanked Dan Carcillo for fighting Max Talbot in 2009.
2. We still owe Brayden Schenn for that cross-check to our captain.
1. Hey Briere, look out for Joe Vitale.
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From the Flyers' point of view:
5. Sidney Crosby should replace Ndamukong Suh on ABC's new celebrity diving show "Splash."
4. That's right. Our coach called your guy "gutless."
3. Matt Cooke: The Tie Domi of his time.
2. We still owe Vitale for that knee-on-knee hit on Nick Grossmann
1. Hey Sid, forget Schenn. Look out for Claude Giroux. Again.
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Talk to me
Here is a sampling of some of the more fun quotes between the two teams recently:
* "I'm sure there will be a lot of blood . . . They dislike us just as much as we dislike them." - Scott Hartnell before last year's memorable playoff series.
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* "It was a gutless move by their coach. [Pittsburgh's enforcers] hadn't been out on the ice in 12 minutes. It's gutless." - Peter Laviolette after Danny Briere was injured by a late-game hit by fourth-liner Joe Vitale last April.
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* "From what I can gather, their coach didn't like the hit [by Vitale] and took a stick and broke it over the glass. And that stick ended up on our bench." - Penguins coach Dan Bylsma.
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* "You can see the hatred between these two teams. I think it brings out the best in everyone." - Brayden Schenn
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* "I don't know who you're planning on starting tonight, but I want that first shift," Claude Giroux to Peter Laviolette prior to Game 6 in last year's playoffs.
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* "These are fun games to watch, I guess," - Max Talbot, who has been on both sides of the rivalry.
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Season series
Jan. 19: Penguins. . . 3-1
Feb. 20: Flyers. . . 6-5
March 7: at Flyers (CSN). . . 7:00
March 24: at Penguins (CSN). . . 7:00
