Flyers seeking ninth consecutive win against the Penguins Thursday

In a few months from now, the Flyers and Penguins could be battling eachother for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot.

For now, a few games out of playoff positioning and behind Pittsburgh in the standings, the Flyers are looking forward to facing their in-state rivals Thursday (at 7 p.m. on CSN) in the first of four meetings this season.

Can they shake off a dreary 12-giveaway performance in their recent regulation loss to the lowly Maple Leafs?

“I hope so,” Matt Read, who notched a goal Tuesday night in a 3-2 loss, said. “Obviously we didn’t play the way we wanted to play tonight and we have to put this one behind us, learn from it, watch video, and find the things we did wrong out there and figure it out quickly. If we play like that it’s going to be a rough next couple of games for us.”

There does not seem to be a sense of urgency for Philly, however, which faces five opponents in a row from the East who are positioned ahead in the win column.

“I haven’t woken up one day thinking about who’s ahead of us or behind us in the standings I’m worried about the two points that are at hand,” Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol said.

The Flyers hold a big lead in the “Keystone State Rivalry,” holding a 150-93-90 all time record. They are currently riding an eight-game winning streak against the Pens.