We’re a few games into the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and what a treat this year has been.
We’ve got the return of the Buffalo Sabres, a titanic first-round clash between the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars, but the biggest of all has been the reignition of The Battle of Pennsylvania between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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The Flyers are up 2-0 as the series shifts back to Philly after outplaying the Penguins in Game 1 and then shutting them out in Game 2.
The Battle of Pennsylvania has been reignited, and it’s time to send the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins to Happy Valley. (© Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)
This was the first time we’ve gotten this rivalry in the postseason since 2018, and honestly, I had somehow forgotten just how intense and how great it is.
Which reminded me: how the hell have we not yet seen this rivalry at the most iconic stadium in the Keystone State, Penn State’s Beaver Stadium?
Despite having started doing regular outdoor games since 2008, the Flyers and Penguins didn’t play against each other without a roof until 2017, when they played at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field (now Acrisure Stadium, which is a much worse name). Two years later, they met in Philly for a game at Lincoln Financial Field.
The last time the Flyers and Penguins met outside was for the 2019 Stadium Series game at Lincoln Financial Field. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)
Each team won their home game, so we need a tie breaker, and Beaver Stadium, smack dab in the middle of the state, would be the perfect spot.
The NHL isn’t clueless, so this is on the radar, too, and given the attention this matchup has gotten, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said that sending the two teams to State College is something the league would like to do at some point.
“There’s been discussions over time,” he said. “At some point, that’s something we’re interested in pursuing, but the renovations there have put things, for a period of time, on hold. But I would envision at some point we’ll make our way out to Happy Valley.”
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But, for the league’s sake, they’ll want this to happen as soon as they can, because who knows how many more years Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has left.
The Penn State Nittany Lions men’s hockey team took on the Michigan State Spartans at Beaver Stadium in January. (© Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
At least they know hockey can be played at Beaver Stadium as the Penn State men’s and women’s teams both hosted outdoor games this season. The men’s game drew 75,000 fans, though the stadium is expected to stay at over 100,000 once the renovations are complete.
