Flyers vs. Hurricanes Odds
| Flyers Odds | +160 |
| Hurricanes Odds | -185 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Philadelphia Flyers will kick off a short two-game road trip when they travel to Raleigh to face off against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Flyers enter this matchup with a 6-3-2 record, good enough for fifth place in the Metropolitan Division. Meanwhile, Carolina has a stellar record of 10-1-0 overall and sits at the top of the Metropolitan Division.
The Canes are looking to continue their stellar season and remain undefeated on their home ice, but does Philadelphia have what it takes to take down one of the top teams in the NHL?
Philadelphia Flyers
After a disappointing season in 2021, Philadelphia has made some dramatic improvements to improve their chances to compete in arguably the toughest division in hockey.
The Flyers were a mess on defense last season, giving up the second-most total goals in 5-on-5 situations which led to having the sixth-worst goal differential in 5-on-5.
This season has been a much different story. Philly has given up just 16 total goals in 5-on-5, the third-best mark in the NHL, and has the seventh-best goal differential. Those are two major improvements for this squad.
However, despite the dramatic changes on defense, Philly finds themselves in the middle road on the offensive end of the ice. They are not generating many High-Danger Scoring Chances, just 9.41 per 60 minutes, which is partially the reason why they are ranked 16th in total goals in 5-on-5 as well as 15th in xGF/60 with 2.33.
This is a squad that is capable of getting hot, but they have only scored more than two goals in two of their last six games. They will need to find some more offense in order to keep up with Carolina.
This is the first game of a back-to-back for the Flyers, meaning Carter Hart or Martin Jones could be in net. In 5-on-5 situations, Hart has an SV % of .947 and 6.1 Goals Saved Above Expected, and Jones has an SV % of .933 and 4.9 Goals Saved Above Expected. Both players present Philly with good options.
Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina comes into this game having two days of rest, which makes a team that is 10-1 this season even more dangerous.
Outside of their one loss this season to the Panthers, the Canes have wreaked havoc on opposing defenses all season. They come into this matchup scoring 3.13 goals per 60 minutes and generating 13.4 High-Danger Chances per 60 minutes. They get the puck in close and often put it in the back of the net.
Defensively speaking, Carolina has been good as well, giving up just 1.91 goals per game, which is the lowest mark in the NHL.
However, Carolina finds themselves in the bottom 10 of the league in Expected Goals Against per 60 minutes and High-Danger Chances Against per 60 minutes. If Philadelphia scores early, Carolina could be in for some trouble.
This is also the front end of a back-to-back for Carolina, meaning Frederick Anderson or Antti Raanta could start. Anderson has been a stud all year, having a SV % of .923 in 5-on-5 and 10.4 Goals Saved Above Expected. Raanta is dealing with a lower body issue, but he has been decent for the Canes in his limited time on the ice.
Flyers vs. Hurricanes Pick
Carolina will have to go up against St. Louis immediately after facing Philly in this game, which leads me to believe that Anderson might not start this game. If Raanta is in net, I wouldn't be surprised to see him have some rust and surrender some goals.
Carter Hart will likely start in net, which is the best case scenario for Philadelphia. However, he will have his hands full against this Canes offense.
Both teams are in the bottom half of the league in xGA/60, and both offenses are more than capable of putting up a high number of goals. Philly has struggled to score recently, but I think a total of 5.5 is too low for this matchup, and it will likely find its way up to six at some point. I still like it in that spot, especially if Carolina chooses to not start Anderson and save him for Saturday.
Pick: Over 5.5 (-120)
