The Philadelphia Flyers travel to New York tonight, following an up-and-down weekend at home. It won’t be an easy divisional contest against the unstoppable New York Rangers, but fortunately, the game marks the end of a treacherous stretch against the NHL’s best teams. Here are the numbers:
Odds
Puck Lines
- New York -1.5 (+130)
- Philadelphia +1.5 (-155)
Over/Under
- Over 6 (+105)
- Under 6 (-125)
Money Line
- New York (-185)
- Philadelphia (+154)
Miscellaneous
- Goal in First 10 Min. Under .5 (+110)
- Race to Two Goals – Philadelphia (+150)
- Ryan Poehling Anytime Goalscorer (+425)
- Race to Four Goals – New York (+130)
Predictions
We have reached the end. Tonight is the final game in the anxiety inducing stretch of tough hockey games that began almost three weeks ago, on March 7. All things considered, it has been a successful venture for the Flyers who have emerged with a record of 4-4-1.
Despite only accumulating a .500 points percentage, there have been very few disappointing moments. The Flyers nabbed wins against the Panthers, the Maple Leafs, and the Bruins, and the losses weren’t for lack of effort. On Sunday, for example, the Flyers fell 4-1 to the Panthers in their third matchup of the season, but the Flyers outshot the high-powered Panthers offense 33-15. The story of the loss was perhaps the lackluster performance of Felix Sandstrom who finished with a .786 save percentage, leaving his head coach speechless.
No offense to Sandstrom, but we have increased confidence in tonight’s goaltending matchup, as Sam Ersson is expected to get the start. Ersson’s play might not measure up to the likes of Igor Shesterkin, but he has unquestionably been a pleasant surprise in the second half of the season.
Look, the Rangers are incredible. We would like to see the Flyers walk away with a win tonight, especially in light of the fact that the Capitals are only two points back in the standings, but a loss won’t hurt quite as much as it would if the Flyers had not played their butts off over the last three weeks. In the grand scheme of things, we need to be proud of what this team has accomplished to date. Here are our picks:
Picks
New York (-185)
- We very rarely bet the opponent Moneyline, and when we do, it always comes with the same rationale–if it hits, we cash the bet, and if it loses, the Flyers win. Either way, we end up happy tonight. This is the stress free play tonight, as it should be.
Goal in First 10 Min. Under .5 (+110)
- As we have opined in the past, if the Flyers have any chance of winning tonight, it will come on the defensive end of the ice. The Flyers are simply incapable of keeping up with high-scoring offenses–be they the Lightning, the Maple Leafs, the Bruins, or the Ranges. However, when the Flyers can lock down defensively and hold the opponent to two or three goals, they give themselves a chance to squeak out a victory. We don’t feel entirely confident to bet the Under on the game, so instead, we are taking the Under for the first ten minutes.
BSH Pick Record
38-32-1
