(SportsNetwork.com) - The Pittsburgh Penguins hope to get their defense back on track and avoid a third straight loss when they visit the rival Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday. Pittsburgh is allowing 2.46 goals per game in 2014-15, tying the club with Boston for eighth in the NHL. However, the Penguins had trouble keeping the puck out of their own net over the weekend, surrendering a total of 11 goals over a pair of setbacks against Metropolitan Division rivals. The Pens dropped a 6-3 road decision to the New York Islanders on Friday and were then dealt a 5-2 home loss by the New York Rangers on Sunday. Pittsburgh is currently sandwiched between the two New York clubs at the top of the Metro standings, with the Rangers trailing the Penguins by two points for second place and the Isles holding a five-point lead atop the division. Marc-Andre Fleury took both losses this weekend for the Pens. The franchise goaltender allowed five goals on 34 shots against the Islanders and was pulled early in the second period on Sunday after giving up four goals to the Rangers on 17 shots. Fleury could get a rest from Thomas Greiss over the next two days, as Pittsburgh is scheduled to complete its pre-All-Star break docket tomorrow at home against Chicago. Fleury is 24-16-2 with a 2.88 goals against average in his career against Philly and 5-2-2 with a 2.60 GAA versus the Blackhawks. Greiss, has a lifetime 2-0 record with a 1.00 GAA in two outings against the Flyers. Greiss stopped 13-of-14 shots after Fleury was pulled from Sundays loss to the Rangers, who received two goals from both Rick Nash and Derek Stepan. David Perron had a goal and an assist in the loss and Sidney Crosby also scored for the Penguins, who have lost four of their last six games and are just 4-6-2 over the last 12 games. When you play like that you dont give yourself a good chance of winning, said Crosby. We have to come out with better efforts against teams like this, because they were real motivated to play this game and we werent. The Pens have lost six of their last seven road games to fall to 10-5-4 as the guest. They have four wins over their past six trips to Philly, but the Flyers have won five straight in the series overall. This is the second of four meetings this season between the Flyers and Pens. Philly won 5-3 in Pittsburgh on Oct. 22 behind a three-point night from Sean Couturier, who had a goal and two assists in the road victory. After tonight, Philly and Pittsburgh wont meet again until getting together April 1 in the Steel City. The Flyers enter tonights encounter with their cross-state rivals 11 points out of a playoff spot in the East and coming off a 7-4 road loss in Mondays clash with the New York Islanders. Philadelphia never led on Monday and trailed the Islanders 3-0 at one point. Although the Flyers eventually got their offense going, the loss marked just the third time this season Philly lost when scoring four or more goals (14-2-1). The Islanders had put up four goals just past the midway mark of the second period, resulting in the Flyers pulling netminder Rob Zepp after he stopped just 16-of-20 shots. Ray Emery saved 18-of-20 attempts in relief of Zepp. Weve got to do a better job in front of our goalies, Flyers captain Claude Giroux said. Our best defense is our offense, so we have to go play offensively and keep the puck down there. The Flyers, who have lost three of four, received goals from Giroux, Michael Del Zotto, Mark Streit and Chris VandeVelde. Brayden Schenn and Jakub Voracek added two assists apiece. Voracek has an NHL- best 55 points on 17 goals and 38 assists, Philly blueliners Carlo Colaiacovo and Nick Schultz both left the game with an upper-body injuries and did not return. Schultz will miss tonight, while Colaiacovo is questionable. The Flyers are already without defensemen Braydon Coburn (broken foot) and Nicklas Grossmann (upper body) and recalled D-men Oliver Lauridsen and Brandon Manning from their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Both Lauridsen and Manning are available for tonights game if needed. The Flyers are 11-7-3 at home compared to a miserable 7-15-4 mark on the road. Philadelphia begins a five-game stay at Wells Fargo Center tonight and the second test of the homestand is scheduled for next Tuesday. Cole Sulser Rays Jersey . Pillar is batting .305 with 17 extra-base hits, 19 RBI and five stolen bases in 34 games for Buffalo this season. The right-handed hitter had an International League high, 18-game hitting streak this season and currently owns an IL high 26-game on base streak. Michael Perez Rays Jersey .ca! 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Jose Alvarado Rays Jersey . - Florida State has suspended Jameis Winston for the entire game against Clemson on Saturday, extending its initial punishment of one half after the quarterback made offensive and vulgar comments about female anatomy earlier this week. Mike Brosseau Jersey . Bookies were offering odds of 13/1 before kickoff that the home team Houston Dynamo would prevail by three goals to nil.DENVER -- The Colorado Avalanche downplayed their dominance over the defending Stanley Cup champions this season. No sense giving the Chicago Blackhawks any sort of bulletin board material, just in case the two teams meet again in the post-season. Semyon Varlamov stopped 37 shots for his 100th NHL win, helping the Avalanche beat the Blackhawks 3-2 on Wednesday night to take four of five in the season series. "I dont want to talk about sending messages," Varlamov said. "We are focusing on what we are doing and on the playoffs." Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville wasnt reading too much into the Avalanches advantage, either. After all, the Avs only outscored Chicago 17-14. "There are going to be certain teams your record isnt going to be as good as you like," Quenneville said. "It looks like its a landslide against you, but every game has been different. Every game has been close." Thats because these two squads are almost mirror images. Theyre fast, young and have quality goaltending. Chicago has been that way for years. The Avalanche are just coming of age under first-year coach Patrick Roy. He doesnt mind the comparisons to Chicago, but thinks it might be a little premature because of "what theyve been able to accomplish. But we certainly look up to them." Brad Malone scored his first goal of the season, Matt Duchene extended his points to a career-high nine games with a goal and an assist, and Ryan OReilly scored what turned out to be the game-winner on a two-man advantage as the Avalanche jumped over the Blackhawks in the Central Division standings and into second place. "We are happy to be in second place, but thats not our goal," Duchene said. "We want to keep pushing and climb as high as we can." Patrick Kane and Brandon Saad scored for Chicago. Antti Raanta made 26 saves filling in for Corey Crawford. It was the first time Raanta has been in net since Jan. 28. Varlamov became the fourth Russian-born goaltender to record 100 wins, joining Evgeni Nabokov (347), Nikolai Khabibulin (333) and Ilya Bryzgalov (213). This also was Varlamovs 33rd win, second-most in the league behind Pittsburghs Marc-Andre Fleury (34). The Avalanche had a 5-on-3 opportunity for 1:30 midway through the third period following an interference call on Andrew Shaw and a delay of game by Marcus Kruger after he sent the puck into the seats.dddddddddddd OReilly capitalized when he grabbed a rebound near the net and knocked it in for a 3-1 advantage. Chicago pulled Raanta with 2:32 remaining and scored seconds later when Saad knocked the puck past Varlamov. The Blackhawks momentarily put Raanta back on the ice, but summoned him to the bench with 1:37 left, leading to a wild finish. Saad sent a backhander just over the net with 25 seconds left and lined a shot into the chest of Varlamov with 4.9 seconds remaining. After that save, the crowd began chanting "Varly! Varly!" "Varly has been playing outstanding for us," Roy said. "He gives us a chance to win every night." Duchene staked Colorado to a 2-0 lead 19 seconds into the second period when he sent a wrist shot past Raanta. The Blackhawks sliced into the lead at 8:23 when Kane skated down the right side with defenceman Jan Hejda hanging all over him. Kane found just enough separation to lift backhanded shot over the shoulder of Varlamov for his 29th goal of the season. Colorado was without forwards P.A. Parenteau (right knee) and Paul Stastny (back). The team called up Paul Carey and Malone from the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League to add depth. Carey made his NHL debut and Malone instantly contributed as he scored late in the opening period. Cruising along the left boards, Malone sent a low liner at Raanta that went right through his legs. "It was a good shot. It was a surprising shot," Raanta said. "Thats how hockey treats you. You have to let those goals go and just keep going and try to make more saves." NOTES: Blackhawks C Jonathan Toews said of Colorados recent success against his team: "We just need to stop playing into their hands." ... Varlamov had an assist on Malones goal, his third of the season. ... Varlamov was 4-0 in five games (four starts) against Chicago, with a 1.59 goals-against average. ... Varlamov was given the puck to commemorate his 100th win. "It was important that I save the puck," he said. ' ' '