Welcome to the latest edition of NHL Predictions. Every day, the Last Word on Hockey team digs into upcoming games to provide analysis on the matchups and take a look at what elements can change the game. Today, we will be looking at a Metropolitan Division showdown. The Philadelphia Flyers travel to North Carolina to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. Be sure to check in with more NHL Predictions as the season moves on.
NHL Predictions
Philadelphia Flyers at Carolina Hurricanes
Time: 7:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
TV: SportsNet; FanDuel Sports Network South; NBC Sorts Philadelphia; ESPN+
The Philadelphia Flyers travel to Raleigh to take on the Carolina Hurricanes for the first time this season. So far, these two teams sit on opposite sides of the division. Even after some questions in the offseason, the Hurricanes have been playing well and are in a solid spot in the Metropolitan Division. They are coming off of a big win over the Washington Capitals on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Flyers have struggled out of the gate. Following a 3-0 loss to the Boston Bruins, the Flyers sit at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. The Hurricanes will look to keep their place in the standings while the Flyers will look to get back on track with a bounce back win.
The Flyers Story
With a slow start to the year, the Flyers are looking for some positives to build on. Travis Konecny leads the team in points (10) and goals (5). But rookie Matvei Michkov has started the season largely meeting the high expectations placed on the young Russian. He is second on the team in points (9) and goals (4) and has been pretty electric when on the ice. While many statistics such as goals against per game (3.67) and goals for per game (2.50) rank them at the bottom of the league, their penalty kill at 88.4% has actually been pretty good. Goaltending has been somewhat of a weak point for the Flyers this season. Three goaltenders have taken starts with Samuel Ersson being the only one to register a win. He is also the only one to have a save percentage above .900 and a goals against average less than three. Ersson will likely take the start but check game day rosters for fantasy purposes. Philadelphia will need to bring their best and protect the net in this matchup to get a win.
The Hurricanes Story
The Hurricanes are riding pretty high right now. Following their latest win, they have won six games in a row. This includes the last four on their Western Conference road trip and their last two at home. Everyone is contributing right now and the Rod Brind’Amour driven system seems to be working. Martin Necas is leading the team in points (18) and is tied with Jack Roslovic for the lead in goals (6). After such an uncertain offseason, Necas has been red hot for Carolina so far. They continue to rank high in most advanced analytics and possession based stats. With Frederik Andersen still out and listed as week-to-week, Pyotr Kochetkov will likely get the start here. Spencer Martin is ready if needed as well. Even though the Flyers are struggling, Carolina cannot take their foot off the gas if they want to keep their win streak alive.
Prediction
While this has the feel of a David versus Goliath matchup early in the season, it is in fact early in the season. And there’s also the simple fact that in hockey anyone can beat anyone on a given night. If Philadelphia comes out with fire and Carolina expects to coast to a win, the Flyers will likely walk away as victors. However, it’s hard to bet against the hot hand right now as Brind’Amour has the Hurricanes rolling. Them being at home and having last change gives an advantage as well.
Prediction: Hurricanes win 3-1
Prop Bets of the Night
Taking a look at the prop bets for the night at FanDuel, Travis Konecny is a safe bet for an anytime goal scorer for the Flyers with +220 odds. For Carolina, Martin Necas is a safe bet with +175 odds. But one other name to look at for Carolina with +350 odds is Jack Roslovic. He is leading the team in goals and seems to be working well on the first line for Carolina with Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov.
Main Photo Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
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