PHILADELPHIA -- The Penguins have made a move during the first three games of their current road trip.

They've made an impression.

And tonight, they can make history.

Or at least match it.

A victory in their game at 7:08 p.m. against Philadelphia at the Wachovia Center would complete just the second 4-0 road trip in franchise history. The previous one was Jan. 16-23, 1988, when the Penguins won in Toronto, Long Island, Chicago and Montreal.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the only other time they won as many as four games on a single trip was Oct. 14-28, 1997, when they went 5-2-1 during an eight-game jaunt across North America.

The Penguins kicked off this trip by winning in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver -- their first sweep of Western Canada -- and have been playing perhaps their finest hockey of the season.

Exhibit A: Sidney Crosby was held scoreless in each of the past two games, but that didn't prevent the Penguins from winning both.

"We have different guys stepping up in different situations and that's what it takes to put together little streaks like the one we have now," left winger Ryan Malone said.

The Penguins' surge -- they have won their past four games and seven of the past eight -- has lifted them into a tie with Philadelphia and Montreal for sixth place in the Eastern Conference, heading into last night's games.

They'd be even higher if not for their wretched showing inside the Atlantic Division. The Penguins are 3-7-1 against Atlantic opponents, which is the league's second-worst intradivision record. It is surpassed -- barely -- only by Edmonton's 4-10-1 mark against other Northwest Division clubs.

"We want to, especially in our division, win as many as we can," Crosby said.

They've lost two previous games against the Flyers, a team against which the Penguins went 8-0 in 2006-07. That's because these Flyers don't have much except the crest on their sweaters in common with the group that finished at the bottom of the overall standings last season.

General manager Paul Holmgren, who acquired goalie Martin Biron from Buffalo late last season, struck a deal with Nashville in June to add defenseman Kimmo Timonen and winger Scott Hartnell and another with Edmonton that brought in winger Joffrey Lupul and defenseman Jason Smith. Holmgren also signed high-scoring center Daniel Briere as a free agent.

"They certainly did a good job over the summer to change the image of this hockey team," Penguins coach Michel Therrien said. "They have depth, they're solid defensively and they have a quality goalie. This is a completely different hockey team than we played last year."

Holmgren's aggressive approach to team-building swelled the Flyers' payroll and made it clear months before training camp opened that Philadelphia was intent on reestablishing itself as a force.

"I don't think anyone expected them to be like they were last year, or even just be mediocre," Penguins defenseman Ryan Whitney said. "They have a good team, some good players."

The talent upgrade helped the Flyers to win their first six games of the season at the Wachovia Center -- Philadelphia's best start at home since going 8-0 in 1986-87 -- but they are 0-3-2 in the five that have followed.

The Penguins could interpret that skid a couple of ways; it might be evidence that Philadelphia is vulnerable at home, or it could indicate the Flyers will be intent on regaining their equilibrium there.

Malone, though, said the Penguins won't overanalyze those numbers. In fact, they'll pretty much ignore them.

"You really don't think about the home or away record," he said. "We always just try to take every game the same."

That could be quite a challenge, given the passions that often flare when the Penguins face Philadelphia. Then again, Therrien suggested that if the Penguins simply replicate the kind of performance they've produced most of the time in recent weeks, he isn't likely to complain.

"I like the way we've been playing for the last month or month and a half," he said. "Maybe the result wasn't always there, but as a team, I've really liked the way we're playing.

"The difference now is, we're making big plays that make a difference in the game."

And that, at least tonight, could help to make a bit of franchise history.