The New York Rangers will look to extend their 2-1 series lead tonight against their heated rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers. The game will be played in Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Center, with both teams thus far alternating wins in the first three games.

Game 4 begins 7 p.m. EST on Friday.

Home ice advantage is held by the Rangers, who hosted the first two games at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers would send a message by dominating the Flyers 4-1, with three unanswered goals in the third and final period. Despite Game 2 being at home, the Rangers were unable to take advantage as the Flyers evened the series by winning 4-2 in a hard-hitting battle. Game 3 was basically a repeat of Game 1 with the Rangers victorious by a score of 4-1.

The home team in this series is 1-2 after three games.

Who's Got the Edge?

These teams have a long history of hard hits and playoff matchups since the 1970s. This all time head-to-head matchup couldn't be more close, with the Flyers holding 118-114 advantage in the regular season and a 6-4 series lead in the playoffs. In 232 regular season games played between each other, the Flyers and Rangers have both scored exactly 821 goals against one another, an extraordinary statistic.

The Flyers know they must win Game 4, to avoid a 3-1 series deficit. Goalie Ray Emery has played surprising well; however, the Flyers' offense has looked anemic at times. The Flyers have only scored six goals in the three games played. Two goals per game isn't going to get you to a Stanley Cup. The Rangers have been playing good defense and veteran goalie Henrick Lunqvist has kept the puck out of the net when it matters most.

A History of Bad Blood

These two teams know the rivalry extends to off the ice as well. The New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles are one of the oldest and fiercest rivalries in NFL history. The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies are also a great rivalry on the baseball diamond. Philadelphia and New York have a long city rivalry in multiple sports. Even the New York pizza vs. the Philadelphia cheese steak has brought up debates from fans.

With the winning team alternating every game so far and home team 1-2 in the series, there's no clear favorite for tonight's game. If the Rangers win and take a commanding 3-1 lead, they can take that lead back home. 

The Rangers are also paying for many New York Metropolitan fans. Both the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders failed to qualify for the playoffs, leaving only the Rangers left to capture the Cup. The Flyers, on the other hand, haven't won the Stanley Cup since 1975.