Big Threes: Pennsylvania home to 6 of NHL's top 11 scorers

Pennsylvania, stand up.

Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are hot as can be right now. The Penguins have won five in a row and sit atop the Metropolitan Division with 39 points. The Flyers are riding an eight-game winning streak and are two points behind. Both clubs are offensive dynamos.

And each team boasts its own version of a "Big Three."

In Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby is leading the way, of course, scoring at the highest rate of his career - 0.91 goals per game. His 31 points are third-most in the league.

Right behind him, though, are Evgeni Malkin (12 goals, 18 assists) and Phil Kessel (nine goals, 21 assists), who are loving life together on the second line.

Any line Crosby is on is dominating possession. You could be on No. 87's wing and the Penguins would still have the puck.

Malkin, Kessel, and Carl Hagelin, meanwhile, are dominating, too, with a Corsi For rating of 61.70 percent, according to Corsica Hockey. Malkin's taken over at center for playoff hero Nick Bonino, making a potent - and fast - line that much stronger.

Brotherly love

On the east side of the state, meanwhile, a triumvirate is giving the Penguins' threesome a run for its money.

Jakub Voracek has 11 goals - as many as he scored last season - in 30 games. His 32 points trail only Connor McDavid. Claude Giroux's got 29 points, tying him for eighth in the league, while Wayne Simmonds has 27, tied for 11th. Simmonds' 15 goals rank fourth in the NHL.

Between both teams, the production between the six is off the charts and very even.

In the one meeting between Pittsburgh and Philly this season, on Oct. 29, a 5-4 Penguins win, the six combined for eight goals and three assists - at least one was involved in 10 of the 11 goals scored.

The Flyers and Penguins will meet three times in slightly over a month beginning on Feb. 25. Fun.