The Flyers have started their season off on the right foot. After six games, the Flyers sit tied with the Rangers with nine points and in third place of the Metropolitan Division (4-1-1 record). Starting off the season with four straight home games, Philadelphia then traveled up to Canada for a north-of-the-border road trip. With back-to-back wins against the Oilers and Canucks, they now look to complete the clean Canadian sweep.
We’ll get our third straight Flyers after dark game, as Calgary plays host to Philadelphia at 10 PM EST. You can catch the game on NBC Sports Philadelphia with coverage starting at 9:30.
Fanduel Sportsbook currently has the Flyers as +128 moneyline underdogs with the over/under sitting at 6.5 goals.
Quick Tale of the Tape
Flyers
Given that the team had Friday night off, Martin Jones started on Thursday, and that there’s a few day breaks until their next game, fully expect Carter Hart to be between the pipes tonight. Hart has looked much better this year, as he has a 2-1-1 record and a 2.73 GAA.
Philadelphia is tied for fourth in the NHL in goals per game with 4.17. They are also just outside the top 10 in goals against, as their goaltenders have led them to a 2.67 GAA so far this season. Sean Couturier leads the team with nine points (3g, 6a) as newcomer Cam Atkinson leads the team with six goals so far this season.
Top d-pair member Ryan Ellis has not played since the Flyers’ 6-3 win over the Boston Bruins on October 20th, and remains as questionable to play tonight.
Flames
After a tough start to the season, Johnny Gaudreau and the Flames have hit the road and bounced back tremendously. As NHL.com points out, “Calgary (5-1-1) won all five games on its road trip, during which the Flames outscored their opponents 21-7, capped by a 4-0 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.” However, they did lose their only home game this season to the Anaheim Ducks in overtime.
The trick to beating Calgary will be getting the puck past Jacob Markstrom, who has been on an absolute tear this season. The netminder already has two shutouts en route to his 1.59 GAA and 3-1-1 record. Offensively, South Jersey native Johnny Gaudreau (10p), Elias Lindholm (8p), and Andrew Mangiapane (7p) each average at least a point-per-game.
Stud defenseman Noah Hanifin was out for the Flames’ Thursday night 4-0 win over the Penguins and remains questionable for tonight’s contest.
Prediction
Honestly, it’s tough to say one way or another. This game is a battle of two hot teams looking to go full steam ahead early on in the season. Both teams are streaking. The Flames have won five in a row, while the Flyers have won a pair in a row of their own.
However, in the grand scheme of things, the Flyers have a lot more depth. They have three lines that could score at any point, while the Flames are very top-heavy offensively. If the orange and black have a chance at winning this game, their lower six will need to get things going. Coach Alain Vigneault likes what he sees from the third line, who could be the difference-maker in this one.
Assuming the Lindblom-Laughton-JvR can net a goal or simply just play with a ton of intensity, Philadelphia should take this one. The Flyers win 4-2 and complete the Canadian sweep.
Photo Credit: Alex McIntyre
