The Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins clash in Game 2 of their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series. Welcome back to NHL Predictions here with Last Word On Hockey. Each day, we provide in-depth analysis, insights, and predictions for games around the NHL. In tonight’s matchup, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia battle in an ever-important second game.
NHL Predictions featuring the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins
Regular Season Head-to-Head: Flyers 2-2 Penguins
Playoff Series: Flyers 1-0 Penguins
How to Watch: Sportsnet+, TVAS+, SN360, VAS2, ESPN, NBCSP, SN-PIT
Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Penguins Story
Pittsburgh’s 3-2 loss in the first game comes off a dismal team effort from all except for goaltender Stuart Skinner. The Penguins spent much of the game on the back foot, playing a casual, almost regular-season-esque hockey game. The team was outshot in all three periods. The squad also struggled with taking advantage of chances, often failing to get pucks onto Flyers goaltender Daniel Vladar. In Game 2, the Penguins will need to put a far bigger emphasis on taking advantage of opportunities and playing a strong team game. The team gave many odd-man rush chances to the Flyers, and if it weren’t for the heroics of mid-season acquisition Skinner, Pittsburgh could’ve easily lost this game by a magnitude of 3 or 4 goals.
Credit Image: © Chris Szagola/Cal Sport Media
Although the Penguins as a whole struggled in this game, there were certainly some bright spots. Stuart Skinner saved 17 out of 20 shots and kept the team in the game for much of it. He’s quelled some concerns over his potential play in the postseason with this first performance.
Veterans Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust were the team’s goal scorers. Malkin looked poised all game, but in his eagerness, he made a handful of errors that led to high-quality scoring chances for the Flyers. He’ll need to be far more defensively sound in this game, as will the rest of the team. In this regard, the second pairing, Samuel Girard and Kris Letang were dreadful. The pair had a horrible game on both ends of the ice and will need to be better for Pittsburgh to stand a chance at tying this series.
Expect Stuart Skinner to start in net once again. However, now is a good time to remind you to always check official lineups before placing any bets.
Flyers Story
In contrast to the Penguins, the Philadelphia Flyers played an excellent playoff game right from the first whistle. The team’s veterans and young stars alike showed up on both ends of the ice, stifling Pittsburgh’s offence while getting countless opportunities against goaltender Skinner. The Flyers played a fantastic trapped style of hockey, clogging up the neutral zone and frustrating the puck-possession-heavy Penguins team. With their performance in this first game, Philadelphia has made it so that Pittsburgh will need to adjust their game plan and maybe switch to dump and chase in order to get pucks in deep. For Philadelphia, the key to winning this game will be to continue playing how they did in Game 1.
Philadelphia got production from youth and veterans alike. Defenceman Jamie Drysdale opened the scoring with a five-hole shot that beat Skinner clean. The defensive group as a whole was crucial to the Flyers’ win in this game. Canadian Olympian Travis Sanheim scored the go-ahead goal to make it 2-1 in the third, assisted by playoff-debuting Rasmus Ristolainen. This was a backbreaker of a goal coming at a time when the Penguins seemed to be mounting pressure. Finally, playoff rookie Porter Martone scored a gorgeous goal late in the third to take a 3-1 lead over the Penguins. Martone has been a revelation for Philadelphia. After scoring four goals and 10 points in his first nine NHL games, Martone has one goal in one playoff game.
Expect Dan Vladar to start in net once again for Philadelphia. Vladar was not heavily tested, saving 15 shots out of 17. However, he made a crucial save right at the end of the game on Anthony Mantha, who was in all alone and got stonewalled by Vladar to stop the game from going to overtime.
Prediction
The first game of the series was a concerning one for the Penguins. A team that had seemingly learned from and gotten over their issues from the last couple of seasons, keeping them out of the playoffs, regressed heavily, and they were thoroughly defeated by one of their biggest rivals. Expect them to come back charging in Game 2 and inch out a victory.
Prediction: Penguins win Game Two 5-3
Prop Bet of the Night
Expecting a high-scoring game, a popular prop bet of goals over seven with odds of +198 is a good one.
Main Photo: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
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