The Pittsburgh Penguins (0-2-0) and Philadelphia Flyers (2-0-0) meet in Game 3 of the NHL Playoffs on Wednesday night. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. EDT at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pa. The game will be broadcast live on TNT.
The Flyers are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 5.5 (-120o / -102u). The Flyers are a -120 favorite to win outright, while the Penguins are +100 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Penguins vs. Flyers predictions and NHL picks.
Penguins vs. Flyers Odds, Pick
| Penguins Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -235 | 5.5 -120o / -102u | +100 |
| Flyers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +186 | 5.5 -120o / -102u | -120 |
- Penguins vs. Flyers Spread: Flyers -1.5 (+186), Penguins +1.5 (-235)
- Penguins vs. Flyers Over/Under: 5.5 (-120o / -102u)
- Penguins vs. Flyers Moneyline: Penguins +100, Flyers -120
Penguins vs Flyers Kalshi Odds
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Penguins vs. Flyers Preview
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh is in real trouble after dropping the first two games of the series at home. They've looked completely outmatched by a younger, faster Flyers team and are searching for any sign of offense, managing just two shots on goal in the first period of Game 2.
It's stunning considering no team scored more goals than Pittsburgh over the final 20 games of the regular season, averaging 4.08 GF/60. That production has vanished.
Adding to it, Sidney Crosby has long been a Flyers killer, but he's been held off the scoresheet entirely. The power play has been equally out of sorts, going 0-for-7 so far.
Searching for any spark, Dan Muse went back to the Crosby-Rakell-Rust and Malkin-Novak-Chinakhov lines to form his top six at the start of the third period, which did generate a bit of life.
I've mentioned it a couple of times over the last few months, but the Malkin-Novak-Chinakhov line has really stood out when utilized this season. It's been their most reliable combination in my opinion, and the numbers back it up, ranking seventh of 79 combinations with at least 200 minutes of ice time in xGF/60 at 3.66.
With the season on the line, I'd expect Pittsburgh to roll with that top six tonight, and it's something worth monitoring if looking into prop markets.
In net, Stuart Skinner has arguably been Pittsburgh's best player this series, even with a so-so .881 SV%. He largely kept them in Game 2, stopping 21 of 23 shots, and I'd expect him back in net tonight over Arturs Silovs.
Philadelphia Flyers
The biggest win of the Flyers' season might have been Wisconsin knocking off Michigan State in the NCAA regional finals, freeing up Porter Martone to join Philadelphia.
Philly has been solid defensively all season, finishing with the third-best xGA/60 mark at 2.77, and finally got some reliable goaltending in a somewhat surprising way by acquiring Dan Vladar in the offseason.
The thought was that Vladar had been flying under the radar in Calgary, where his numbers were average at best but didn't truly reflect his quality of play.
That evaluation from the front office proved to be spot on and has provided a huge lift to a position that has been a problem in Philadelphia in recent years.
The missing piece was offense, but that changed once Martone arrived. Over their last nine games of the regular season with him in the lineup, the Flyers posted a 60.97 xGF% and 4.69 GF/60 with him on the ice.
In the postseason, all he's done is score the game-winning goal in each of the first two games. Not bad for someone who was playing college hockey less than a month ago.
As mentioned, Vladar continues to be a revelation in net and has carried his play into the postseason, posting a .955 SV% and 2.4 GSAx through the first two games, including a shutout in Game 2.
The Flyers have to feel good about their chances of going up 3-0 with Vladar in net and everything clicking right now.
Penguins vs. Flyers Prediction
The Flyers' youth and speed look like a real problem for an aging Pittsburgh team through two games.
Sidney Crosby has been held off the scoresheet entirely, the power play is 0-for-7, and the offense that led the league in goals over the final 20 games of the season has disappeared.
Meanwhile, Philly has everything working in all three zones. Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, Porter Martone, and Trevor Zegras are causing problems up front, Vladar is locked in, and the crowd in Philly should be rowdy tonight.
I'm going to hop on the bandwagon and ride with the red-hot Flyers, who have won five straight. Pittsburgh looks out on its feet and headed for some tough decisions this offseason.
Pick: Flyers Moneyline (-120)
