Flyers-Penguins will play Saturday despite the threat of rain
The league also listed a series of weather contingency plans that include a shootout after two periods or stopping the game on Saturday and resuming it on Sunday.
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The NHL announced early Saturday afternoon that they still plan to play the Flyers-Penguins Saturday evening at 8 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field.
The league also said in its statement, however, that it was reserving the right to make radical adjustments, including postponing the game and restarting it on Sunday at the Linc. So fans need to hold on to tickets.
A band of rain is headed toward Philadelphia later this afternoon.
“We will continue to monitor weather conditions throughout the day and if a different determination becomes necessary due to the weather conditions being worse than anticipated, we will adjust accordingly,” the league announced.
Local 6ABC meteorologist Chris Sowers on Saturday morning called for light rain to begin around 5 p.m. and continue through the evening with the heaviest rain coming after midnight.
>>READ MORE: Flyers schedule
“While we are expecting a chance of a relatively light amount of precipitation in and around the game window, current forecasts are indicating that we will have playable conditions,” the NHL said in its statement.
The Flyers and Penguins face-off just after 8 o’clock. The teams have played 11 games in the last two seasons that have ended in regulation. Those games averaged 2 hours, 29 minutes. Their one overtime meeting, back on Nov. 27, 2017, lasted 2 hours, 45 minutes.
If the weather gets bad ...
Should heavy rain come in the middle of the game, the league said it may use any of these contingency plans. Some of these are wild.
Once the game has begun, it may be subject to one or more temporary stoppages due to unplayable weather conditions, at the discretion of commissioner Gary Bettman.
If the game is started, then stopped permanently due to unplayable weather conditions, it will be deemed “official” once two periods have been played. The team leading at the time play is stopped will be declared the winner and will be awarded two points in the standings.
If the game is tied at the time play is stopped permanently, any time after two periods of play, each team will be awarded one point in the standings, with an opportunity to earn an additional point in a standard shootout format.
If weather conditions permit, the shootout will be conducted at Lincoln Financial Field immediately after regulation play has been stopped. If weather conditions make it impossible to conduct a shootout safely at Lincoln Financial Field, the shootout will take place in Pittsburgh on Sunday, March 17 prior to the regularly scheduled Flyers-Penguins game, with Philadelphia deemed the home club for shootout purposes only.
If the game is started, and stopped permanently due to unplayable weather conditions, and fewer than two periods of regular time has been played, the game will be officially “postponed” and, if possible, will be played in its entirety at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Feb. 24. If the game cannot be replayed at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Feb. 24, it will be rescheduled at Wells Fargo Center on a date to be determined later in the season.
In the event of a shootout, each club will determine which end it prefers to defend, which could be the same end.
In the event of high winds at the ice surface, the clubs will switch ends at the 10:00 minute mark of the third period as signaled by a “hard whistle.” The faceoff will take place where the play was whistled dead. This identical procedure will take place at the 2:30 minute mark of an overtime period, if needed.
In the event of a shootout, each club will determine which end it prefers to defend, which could be the same end.
Ticket holders must retain their tickets to gain re-entry to Lincoln Financial Field in the event the game is to be played Sunday, Feb. 24. There will be no refunds for ticket holders unable to attend postponement date. If the event is canceled on Sunday, a refund of the ticket’s face value will be honored. Ticket holders should review the back of their ticket or visit the Stadium Series refund policy for complete refund policy language.
And finally
One other note for those attending is that Lincoln Financial Field, like most outdoor venues, prohibits fans from bringing in umbrellas. Gates for tonight’s game open at 6 p.m.
>>READ MORE: Quick quiz on the Flyers’ outdoor game history
The Flyers next host Buffalo on Tuesday before playing at Columbus on Thursday. The NHL trade deadline is Monday, 3 p.m.