The Pittsburgh Penguins (12-7-5) and Philadelphia Flyers (14-7-3) meet in an NHL duel tonight for the Battle of Pennsylvania. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. EST at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pa. The game will be broadcast live on NHL Network.
The Flyers are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 5.5 (-130o / +110u). The Flyers are a -140 favorite to win outright, while the Penguins are +115 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 -218 | 5.5 -130o / +110u | +115 |
| Flyers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +180 | 5.5 -130o / +110u | -140 |
- Penguins vs. Flyers Spread: Flyers -1.5 (+180 ), Penguins +1.5 (-218)
- Penguins vs. Flyers Over/Under: 5.5 (-130o / +110u)
- Penguins vs. Flyers Moneyline: Penguins +115, Flyers -140
Penguins vs. Flyers Preview
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins are clinging onto that final Wild Card spot like their lives were depending on it. But I can see them dropping it soon enough in a tight-knit Eastern Conference.
The thing is, Pittsburgh has a strong foundation with veterans, but most of its production is coming from players who are 30 and older. And in this age of today’s NHL, that isn’t a recipe for sustainable success.
Over the course of the past two weeks, Pittsburgh has been in the bottom 10 of 5-on-5 expected goals, though it has held on strong on the defensive end with a 2.64 xGA/60.
It doesn’t hurt that the Penguins' power play is among the best in the league, scoring at an outrageous 30% clip, and the penalty kill is at a fifth-best 84.8%.
Having two of the greatest of all time in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin at your disposal is always going to be a significant advantage.
The problem is, and always has been, the goaltending.
Relying on Tristan Jarry and Arturs Silovs to guide you to the playoffs isn’t the best course of action. Silovs actually was strong to start the season, but in the past two games, he let up an ugly eight goals on 20 shots faced, and was replaced mid-game in those two games.
Jarry hasn’t been much better. In his past five games, he’s playing to an ugly .872 SV%.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers are rolling right now, fresh off a four-game road trip and winning their last three games. More so, they’ve been victors in five of their last six games as well.
What’s been the answer for them? Well, it starts with Trevor Zegras, who’s having a career resurgence since coming over to the East Coast.
Zegras’ career was stagnating for a bit after losing steam with the Anaheim Ducks. But now, he’s currently averaging a point per game.
Philly has managed to spread the wealth around. Travis Konecny, who’s typically a high-end goal scorer, has traded in his red lamps for a whole lot more apples, with just five goals and 14 assists.
For the majority of the season, Philadelphia’s 5-on-5 offense hasn’t been very strong, but over the past two weeks, you’re starting to see its expected goals creep up into the 50s, where it previously was in the low 40s.
Defensively, though, it’s hardly an issue. Any time Rick Tocchet is coaching a team, a sound defensive structure is going to be paramount.
Goaltending has been strong with Dan Vladar getting the bulk of the starts and playing to a .912 SV% and an 11.3 GSAx, but I wonder if Vladar can keep it up. He’s been a backup most of his career, so it’s something to keep an eye on.
Penguins vs. Flyers Prediction
Pittsburgh is in full regression mode. Which is why I’m just going to back the Flyers moneyline.
It seems like an easy decision, but sometimes you second-guess about going against Crosby and Malkin, despite them being in their late 30s.
I just think the Flyers have more juice. They have the momentum. I think their goaltending situation should be better resolved, but until then, Vladar has been a fine stopgap.
Not only that, Philly is 8-3-2 at home, while the Penguins have lost three out of their last four on the road.
Pick: Flyers Moneyline (-135)
