(My Sportsbook) - The struggling Pittsburgh Penguins will meet a bitter rival tonight, as they visit the first-place Philadelphia Flyers for an Atlantic Division battle at the Wachovia Center.

The Flyers are leading the Atlantic with 55 points and the Penguins, who have lost seven of their last eight games, have fallen to fourth place with 44 points.

Pittsburgh has won two of three against the Flyers this year, but Philadelphia has earned at least a point in each of the matchups, going 1-0-2. The first two encounters of the year were in Pittsburgh, but the Flyers earned a 6-3 home decision the last time the clubs met on December 13.

The Penguins have won five of seven overall in the series, but have also lost five straight in Philadelphia.

This is also a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference finals, which Pittsburgh won in five games before losing to Detroit in the battle for the Stanley Cup.

The Penguins are completing a three-game road trip tonight, having lost the first two legs of the trek by identical 5-3 scores.

After losing in Nashville on Thursday, Pittsburgh was handed another setback two days later at Colorado. David Jones scored a pair of goals and assisted on another as Colorado topped the Penguins at the Pepsi Center.

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each had a goal and an assist, but Dany Sabourin took the loss, his sixth straight when starting, as he allowed four goals on 25 shots before being yanked prior to the third period.

Marc-Andre Fleury was beaten once on seven shots in relief.

The Penguins are 11-10-2 as the road team this year and have lost four straight as the guest. After tonight, the team will return to the Steel City for a five-game homestand that begins Wednesday against Washington.

The Flyers, meanwhile, have won eight in a row on home ice and are 4-0-2 in their last six games overall.

Philadelphia picked up a win Saturday against visiting Toronto, as Martin Biron made 41 saves and Jeff Carter scored twice to lead the Flyers to a 4-1 decision at the Wachovia Center.

Mike Richards and Andrew Alberts lit the lamp for the Flyers, who, in addition to winning eight in a row in Philly, have earned at least a point in 14 straight home contests (12-0-2). The Flyers last lost a regulation game as the host in a 2-1 setback to Tampa Bay on November 8.

On the injury front, Daniel Briere could be close to making a return for the Flyers. The veteran forward has played in just nine games this year and has been sidelined since December 2 with a groin injury. He won't play tonight, but could be ready for Thursday's test in Tampa Bay.

Tonight marks the end of a three-game homestand for the Flyers, who will play a pair of games in Florida later this week, visiting the Lightning on Thursday and taking on the Panthers the following night.