Flyers to Beat Stars and More Saturday Night’s NHL Game Breakdowns

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Ah, the best night of the week is here. Saturday Night Hockey, where the fights run deep, the beer runs cold and you run up some more wins on the season.카지노사이트

There’s two afternoon games on tap for the diehards, and ten games in total to give you all your hockey needs. Luckily for fans, they get to watch one of the most impressive streaks in recent memory get put on the line early, so let’s dive into out feature game.

Philadelphia Flyers at Dallas Stars
Moneyline

Philadelphia (+111) at Dallas (-123)
Spread

Philadelphia (+1.5) at Dallas (-1.5)
Total Over/Under

5
Earlier in the season, this game wouldn’t have garnered much attention on the old fridge calendar, but oh how this league can change in a heartbeat. The Flyers are on a 10 game winning streak, and therefore (this math was harder than I’d care to admit) are 10-0-0 in their last 10 games!

To put their streak into perspective, ten days ago the Flyers were 9-10-3 and on the bottom half of the East looking up. Now, they’re 19-10-3 on the season, third in their division and just two points out of first place in the Conference.

Dallas would kill for the streak the Flyers are experiencing. The Stars are just 3-6-1 in their last ten games and coming off a 2-0 shutout at the hands of the Rangers. They’ve fallen under .500 on the season at 12-14-6 and now own a brutal -19 goal differential.

The good news for Dallas? They’re playing at home. The Stars are 8-5-2 in their own barn this season, but did lose their only meeting against the Flyers this season, 4-2 back on Decemeber 10th.

A lot of pundits weren’t sure where to put the Flyers at the start of this season, as questions kept swirling about the makeup of the team. It feels like most of those questions have been answered, so let’s take a look at how both teams have gotten to where they are.

Offense
You don’t go on a ten game win streak without scoring a few goals, and the Flyers’ run has been no different. Philly is up to 3.28 goals a game which ranks behind only the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers for the league lead.

It helps that they have two of the top ten scorers in the NHL with Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. Voracek is tied for third in scoring with 33 points, and anytime you’re sharing the same space with Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby you’re having a pretty good season.

Claude Giroux rolls in tied with fifth at 30 points and seems determined to do something special with his team this season. He’s racked up five goals, seven assists and a +10 rating during his team’s ten game winning streak.

Dallas has their two stars as well with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, but after that the buck stops there. Seguin and Benn have combined for 58 points this season which is just five less than the red-hot Giroux and Voracek.

The problem for Dallas is no one else can score. The Stars are averaging just 2.53 goals a game which ranks well below the league average. They’re also connecting on just 15.83 percent of their powerplay opportunities despite leading the NHL in chances per game at 3.75

Defense
The Stars’ woes on offense are only trumped by their failure on defense this season. Dallas is allowing 3.12 goals per game, with only Colorado and Vancouver suffering worse fates. A big problem has been the disappointment of John Klingberg.

Heading into the season Klingberg was viewed as one of the top defensemen in the NHL, and certainly the top defensemen on this Dallas team. After averaging 2.25 shots a game last season he’s all the way down to 1.28. He has 14 points on the season and his a -6. After experiencing two successful years before this campaign, we hope he gets back on track in a hurry.

Despite all the wins, Philly’s defense has been nothing to write home about either. The flyers are allowing 3.03 goals a game which is just slightly better than Dallas and still way below the league average.

Part of the problem is the absence of a true shut-down defender. The “ghost” Shayne Gostisbehere is a young and telented defensemen, but not exactly known for shutting down the opposition. He’s a -5 on the season and even his offensive production is down.

The ghost is on a nice four game assist streak, and everyone on the Flyers seems to be finding the back of the net. As long as Philly keeps scoring, the defense can continue to take the night off.

Goalies
The biggest obstacle for both teams stopping pucks may just be the biggest person responsible for it: The goalie. In Philadelphia, Steve Mason has played 25 solid games but few that impress you. He owns a pedestrian .905 save percentage and is allowing 2.79 goals a game.

Even during the win streak it’s been the offense that has predominantly carried the Flyers. He has routinely let in three goals a game but rarely falls apart completely.

It’s as even as a timeshare we’ve seen between the pipes in Dallas. Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen may share the crease, but they don’t seem to share the responsibility of helping their team win. Niemi is letting in 3.12 goals a game and saving just .906 percent of the shots he faces while Lehtonen is similar with a .894 save percentage and 2.92 goals against average.

If you haven’t gotten the hint yet, there should be a ton of goals.

Key Matchup
Jakub Voracek against Tyler Seguin. Two of the best forwards in the game go head to head on Saturday night, what moire could you ask for?

Advice
Early Lines had Philly as the favorite! If that’s possible still wherever you are GRAB IT AND RUN. Is it likely the Flyers win 11 in a row? probably not, but do you care when you’re getting a goal and a half?!

Pick
Philadelphia
3
Dallas
2
Arizona Coyotes at Minnesota Wild
Moneyline

Arizona (+235) at Minnesota (-265)
Spread

Arizona (+1.5) at Minnesota (-1.5)
Total Over/Under

5
The other afternoon game isn’t nearly as exciting, with arguably the worst team in the league taking on one of the best, but there’s still a bit of intrigue.바카라사이트

We don’t want to get anyone too excited, but the Coyotes have won two in a row! The only issue is the Wild have won six in a row, own the best defense in the league and have the hottest goalie in the NHL in Devan Dubynk.

Key Matchup
Devan Dubynk against the kitchen sink. That’s what the Coyotes will trow at him, and chances are, he’ll stop most of it.

Advice
The moneyline isn’t worth it if you’re betting on the Wild, but taking Minnesota to win by two goals isn’t as bad on the spread. Still, our favorite bet is the under with how strong Minnesota’s D has been and how hard it is for Arizona to score.

Pick
Minnesota
2
Arizona
0
Montreal Canadiens at Washington Capitals
Moneyline

Montreal (+162) at Washington (-180)
Spread

Montreal (+1.5) at Washington (-1.5)
Total Over/Under

5
If it weren’t for Philly’s hot streak, this might be the game of the night. Both teams have almost identical records with the Canadiens being slightly more successful (19-6-4) than the Capitals (18-7-3) so far this season.

The major difference is recent play. The Canadiens were blowing teams away with the strong play of Carey Price and some timely goal scoring early in the season, but now the goals have dried up and Price is looking more human.

The Capitals, on the other hand, have been downright scary. Braden Holtby is undefeated in his last six starts posting a 1.56 goals against average and a nice .925 save percentage. Combine that with names like Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie and I wouldn’t want to be the Canadiens.

Key Matchup
Braden Holtby against Carey Price. Both goaltenders may just be the best players on their teams, at least recently, and with all the firepower on the ice it will be awesome to see who comes out on top.

Advice
The Capitals are scorching hot, but if they can lose to anyone its a good goaltender. We like taking Montreal on the spread to get that extra 1.5 goals, but ignoring the moneyline.

Pick
Washington
3
Montreal
2
Anaheim Ducks at Detroit Red Wings
Moneyline

Anaheim (-137) at Detroit (+124)
Spread

Anaheim (-1.5) at Detroit (+1.5)
Total Over/Under

5
A once storied rivalry has devolved over the past few seasons. The Red Wings are a shell of them former selves ever since Mike Babcock left and now own a 13-14-4 record with just three wins in their last ten games.

Anaheim, on the other hand, continues to be one of the most consistent teams in the West. The Ducks are 7-2-1 in their last ten games and just a point out of second place in the Conference.

Anaheim’s record may be better than it suggests however. The Ducks are just +3 in goal differential, and while they’ve been in good form recently, their team is beginning to age.

Key Matchup
Ryan Getzlaf against Henrik Zetterberg. While Zetterbeg still has a few years on the former, the two veterans always battle tough at centre ice. It will be fun to keep an eye on Saturday night.

Advice
With the way the Ducks are playing it feels ridiculous to bet on the Red Wings, but that’s exactly what we’re going to do. Detroit getting goal and a half at home is always nice, so we recommend rocking out on the spread.

Pick
Detroit
4
Anaheim
2
New Jersey Devils at Ottawa Senators
Moneyline

New Jersey (+122) at Ottawa (-135)
Spread

New Jersey (+1.5) at Ottawa (-1.5)
Total Over/Under

5
The Devils and Sens square off in Canada’s Capital on Saturday Night in what should be a relatively easy win for Ottawa at home. If you look closer however, you’ll find this game can belong to anyone.

The Senators have a -9 goal differential on the season and yet are somehow 16-11-3. Basically, when they win it’s close and when they lose, they lose badly. They’re just 4-4-2 in their last ten and with Craig Anderson helping his wife battle cancer, their goalie situation is a mess.

If the Devils want to beat a good team, Saturday night might be the time to do it. New Jersey has lost four straight and cant seem to find anyone to step up and score goals. Kyle Quincey is their only defensemen with a plus rating and Cory Schneider has been awful in net lately. This is anyone’s game.

Key Matchup
Taylor Hall against Erik Karlsson. Karlsson is flat-out a top three if not the best defensemen in the entire NHL, and now he gets to shutdown Hall. Hall has had a nice bounce back season this year, but still needs to show more to be considered one of the top forwards again.

Advice
With two murky situations on both teams, we suggest taking the Over and ignoring the other outcomes. All the goaltenders are struggling, which means all the goals are coming.

Pick
Ottawa
5
New Jersey
2
Pittsburgh Penguins at Toronto Maple Leafs
Moneyline

Pittsburgh (-128) at Toronto (+116)
Spread

Pittsburgh (-1.5) at Toronto (+1.5)
Total Over/Under
5
Poor Toronto. Toronto’s favorite team took another heartbreaking loss against the Coyotes in overtime, thanks to a former leaf about a week ago in Peter Holland. Holland scored the shootout winner after about 18 posts were hit between the two teams.

The Leafs reward? The Pittsburgh Penguins. The three-headed beast of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel (another former Leaf) roll into town to take on the young Buds in what should be one of the most entertaining games of the night.

If there’s a silver lining for the Leafs, its that Pittsburgh is playing their second game of a back to backs after taking on the hardest hitting team in the League, the LA King. Still, we don’t picture this being a walk in the park for Toronto.

Key Matchup
Phil Kessel against Toronto. Kessel was one of the most mercurial players ever during his time in the six, and now gets to come back riding a Stanley Cup win, and being in the top ten in league scoring. It’s going to be exciting to see how Toronto receives him.

Advice
Toronto has played good teams close all season long, even if they end up losing. That could be the case again on Saturday against what will be a tired Pittsburgh team. For that reason, we like taking the Leafs on the spread as our best bet.

Pick
Pittsburgh
4
Toronto
3
New York Rangers at Nashville Predators
Moneyline

New York (+102) at Nashville (-113)
Spread

New York (+1.5) at Nashville (-1.5)
Total Over/Under

5
In one of the most anticipated matchups of the night, the Rangers roll into Nashville to take on the Predators. After some goalie controversy in New York, Henrik Lundqvist took his rightful place atop the depth chart when he shut out the Stars 2-0 in New York’s last game.

Nashville isn’t Dallas. The Predators are 10-3-2 this season at home and continue to dominate teams in their own building. After a brutal 5-2 loss to the Wild, they’re thrilled to be retuning back to Smashville.

The Preds could still use some more scoring, as their goal differential is exactly at 0 on the season, and they’re without a player who’s scored more than 21 points.

Key Matchup
P.K. Subban against Rick Nash. Nash is healthy again after missing four games and after being the only Ranger to score on Thursday will try and find the back of the net again against Subban and the Predators.

Advice
As tempting as it is to take the Rangers on the moneyline given the decent odds, we still prefer Nashville. The Predators have just been too good at home this season and at -113, the odds are good enough to put some money down.

Pick
Nashville
3
New York
1
Buffalo Sabres at Carolina Hurricanes
Moneyline

Buffalo (+128) at Carolina (-141)
Spread

Buffalo (+1.5) at Carolina (-1.5)
Total Over/Under

5
Eight games, Eight points. That’s Jack Eichel’s production this season since returning from injury and anytime the 20-year old steps foot on the ice, you better be tuned in. He’s not getting as much hype as some of the younger players around the league, but he’s quickly injected life into this Sabres team.

Buffalo is now 5-3-2 in their last ten and enjoying a nice two game win streak heading into Saturday’s game with Carolina. The Hurricanes aren’t as fortunate. They’re just 4-3-3 in their last ten, and that third overtime loss came against Washington recently as they continue to struggle to close games.

Key Matchup
Jack Eichel against Cam Ward. Carolina’s goalie has done his best this season behind a weak defense but now faces one of the hottest players in the league on the second night of a back to back. Look out.

Advice
Carolina has been strong at home this season with an 8-3-1 record, but now face a much different Sabres team with Eichel healthy. We’ll take the feel-good Sabres getting 1.5 goals on the Spread as the best bet.

Pick
Buffalo
3
Carolina
1
Chicago Blackhawks at St. Louis Blues
Moneyline

Chicago (+127) at St. Louis (-140)
Spread

Chicago (+1.5) at St. Louis (-1.5)
Total Over/Under
5
The good games just keep on coming on Saturday Night Hockey. The best in the west head into St. Louis to take on the Blues in what’s turning into a bitter rivalry. Chicago has won three straight, but are still just 8-6-1 on the road this season.

Jonathan Toews gets healthier with each game after a back injury scare and Aretmi Panarin continues to somehow improve. He’s an absolute beast on the powerplay this season with five goals and eight assists and will try to keep that going against the Blues.

The key word there, is try. St. Louis has been almost unbeatable at home this season with just one regulation loss and now a 13-1-3 record in their own barn. Vladimir Tarasenko continues to make the case as one of the best players in the NHL.

He now has ten points in his last five games and is only two back of Connor McDavid for the lead league. He’ll be in front of Jake Allen who has split both his meetings with Chicago this season between the pipes.

Key Matchup
Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane. Tw of the best forwards in the game work so well with the puck on their sticks, it’s going to be fun to see who comes out on top.

Advice
We like the moneyline and the spread in this matchup, but for different teams. St.Louis at home on the moneyline, and Chicago on the spread. It’s going to be a one goal win for the Blues.

Pick
St. Louis
3
Chicago
2
Tampa Bay Lightning at Edmonton Oilers
Moneyline

Tampa Bay (+171) at Edmonton (-190)
Spread

Tampa Bay (-1.5) at Edmonton (+1.5)
Total Over/Under

5
The last game of the night pits two struggling teams against each other with both in desperate need of momentum. To be fair to the Oilers, Edmonton is still sitting pretty in the West with a 15-12-5 record and firm hold on a playoff spot, but it hasn’t looked good lately.

The Oil are just 3-4-3 in their last ten games and Cam Talbot has started to look shakey in net. He’s lost three of his last four games but has already played 28 games this season, being a true workhorse for Edmonton.

In Tampa, the wheels have come right off. The Lightning are now just 2-7-1 in their last ten games and coming off a bad loss in Vancouver. They’re still scoring more than they let in, so signs of a turnaround are still possible, but they need Nikita Kucherov back. He’s day to day with an upper body injury.

Key Matchup
Valtteri Filppula against Connor McDavid. With Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov unlikely to play, the burden will fall on Filppula to power the offense. He might be asked to do too much against arguably the best player in the NHL in McDavid.

Advice
Edmonton’s odds aren’t good enough on the moneyline to warrant serious consideration, but Tampa winning by a goal is unlikely as well. With Tampa missing two of its best players, why not throw some money on the under and hope it stays close? 온라인카지노

Pick
Edmonton
3
Tampa Bay
1

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