About the Author

Neal Goulet

Neal is the editor and publisher of Pennsylvania Puck.

The hockey weekend gets off to a roaring start tonight when Pennsylvania’s National Hockey League teams face each other for the first time this season.

The Philadelphia Flyers will play host to the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7 p.m. at Wells Fargo Center.

The meeting lost some of its luster with word Wednesday that Penguins star Sidney Crosby won’t be playing. Crosby, whose season was delayed as he dealt with post-concussion symptoms, took a big hit in the Penguins’ Monday game against Boston and will sit out as a precautionary measure.

The Penguins are in first place in the Atlantic Division, three points ahead of both the Flyers and the New York Rangers. The Pens have played 28 games, compared with 26 for the Flyers and 24 for the Rangers.

Here are some other intriguing opportunities for your next Keystone State hockey road trip:

Back-to-back Bears (7 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday)

Hershey enters the second of three straight weekends of three games in a row. The Bears, who were 3-0 last weekend, travel to Hartford on Friday to take on the Connecticut Whale before returning to Giant Center on Saturday against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and on Sunday against Norfolk.

For both home games, Santa will be on site and fans are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to benefit Toys for Tots. It might be better to give than to receive, but the first 5,000 fans Saturday will receive a flashlight courtesy of Capital BlueCross. On Sunday, the first 4,000 fans ages 18 and older will receive a Pennsylvania Lottery voucher.

After Sunday’s game, Christian rock band New Method, which hails from the Columbus, Ohio, area, will perform as part of Faith and Family Night.

RMU women host Syracuse (3:05 p.m. Friday and 2:05 p.m. Saturday)

Robert Morris (9-2-1) saw its eight-game unbeaten streak come to an end Nov. 26 in the championship of the Nutmeg Classic in Connecticut. The Colonials will attempt to start a new streak when they host Syracuse (8-10-0) as College Hockey America begins its conference schedule.

Mercyhurst men return home against Niagara (7:05 p.m. Saturday)

Mercyhurst (6-1-2 in Atlantic Hockey, 7-7-2 overall) ends a five-game road trip Friday at Canisius and returns home to take on Niagara. The Lakers are 5-1-1 at home. Mercyhurst won’t play again until Dec. 30-31, hitting the road for Alabama-Huntsville, and won’t return to Erie until Jan. 6-7 against Sacred Heart.

Neumann! Lady Icers play host to Knights (7 p.m. Saturday)

In their last games before January, the Penn State Lady Icers (4-7-2) play a home-and-home series starting Friday at the Division III Neumann Knights (1-6-2). The teams move to the Ice Pavilion on Saturday.

Rare Sunday game for RMU men (5:05 p.m.)

The Colonials (5-2-1 in Atlantic Hockey, 7-6-1 overall) bring a five-game unbeaten streak into Friday’s 7:05 p.m. home game against Niagara. In a scheduling rarity, Bobby Mo will play host to Canisius on Sunday.

Reading caps weekend vs. Wheeling (4:05 p.m. Sunday)

Reading plays host to the Trenton Titans at 7:05 tonight then hammers out a home-and-home series against the Wheeling Nailers that culminates Sunday at Sovereign Center. The first 1,000 children ages 12 and younger will receive a winter cap. There’s also a post-game skate with Royals players.

Rubber Meets the Road is a weekly guide to the promotions and matchups for your next hockey road trip.