We’ll see just two games in the National Hockey League on Wednesday night, but there’s a marquee matchup between a couple of championship contenders, as the Boston Bruins face off against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Bruins opened as slight -133 moneyline favorites on BetRivers Sportsbook, as they already beat the Flyers twice this season, 6-1 and 5-4 in a shootout. However, that was at TD Garden in Boston, and the Flyers hope for a payback on the home ice.
Both teams have some issues with selection. The Bruins miss LW Jake DeBrusk (lower body) and D Matt Grzelcyk (lower body), while the Flyers are without C Sean Couturier (ribs).
Boston erased a three-goal deficit, split a two-game set with Washington
After a 4-3 overtime loss at Washington this past Saturday, the Boston Bruins (6-1-2) were down 3-0 midway through the second period on Monday night. The Caps cruised to another win when David Pastrnak scored his first goal of the season and kick-started a huge comeback.
The Bruins netted four goals in the third period to satisfy the odds as -145 road favorites over the short-handed Capitals. It was their fifth win in the last six outings, as the Bruins continues their seven-game road trip.
Centers Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron lead the way for the Bruins, combining for 11 goals and 13 assists, while winger Nick Ritchie has four goals and four dishes through the first nine games of the season. Boston scores 3.27 goals per game (11th in the NHL) and allows 2.55 in a return (7th).
Jaroslav Halak guarded the cage last Monday, improving to 3-0-1 on the season. Tuukka Rask should return between the pipes Wednesday against the Flyers, and he’s 3-1-1 this term, posting a 2.49 GAA and a .890 save percentage.
Philadelphia aims for its fifth win in a row
The Philadelphia Flyers (7-2-1) are topping the East Division after winning their last four games. They easily beat the New Jersey Devils on the road, 5-3 and 3-1, but the Flyers had to work hard to secure a couple of overtime victories against the New York Islanders, 3-2 and 4-3.
Winger Joel Farabee scored a hat-trick in that 4-3 win over the Islanders, while James van Riemsdyk had four assists. James now has five goals and seven dishes on his tally, while Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, and Kevin Hayes recorded ten points each.
Carter Hart should get the starting call Wednesday night, and he’s 3-2-1 with a 3.61 GAA and a .896 save percentage. Hart patrolled the crease in both duels against Boston in January. Brian Elliott has a 3-0-0 record with a 2.22 GAA and a .932 save percentage.
Trends:
Boston:
- 2-4 in the last six road games against Philadelphia
- 2-4 in the last six outings as a road fave
Philadelphia:
- 5-1 in the last six home contests
- 4-1 in the last five showings as home dogs
The Bruins are favorites for a reason. They are one of the best teams in the league with a tremendous attacking trio, but the Flyers have some top-notch players, too. The Bruins dominated Philadelphia in two games at TD Garden, so I’m not surprised they are listed as favorites here. However, the Flyers have played well recently and will be keen to extend their winning streak.
It’s a tough wager, but I’m backing Philadelphia to win straight up at +120. The Flyers have the fifth-highest scoring offense in the NHL, and if they manage to slow down the Bruins, the victory will be close.
Pick: Take Philadelphia Flyers at +120
The Total:
Both Boston and Philadelphia have plenty of dangerous offensive weapons, so I’m backing the over even though each team can count on some top-notch goaltenders. The Bruins took 69 shots through their first two meetings of the season with the Flyers who’ll be fired up to bounce back from a 6-1 loss in their previous H2H duel.
Also, both teams execute well with the man advantage, and while the Bruins are third in the league in penalty-killing percentage (88.2), the Flyers are 23rd (75.7). Three of the last five matchups between the Bruins and Flyers went in the over.
Pick: Go over 5.5 goals at -104