The Philadelphia Flyers and the Boston Bruins resume their heated rivalry as both teams open their respective 2014-2015 season campaigns against each other tonight. Can the Flyers score an upset right out of the gate? Or will the Bruins show why they’re +750 favorites to win the Stanley Cup with a commanding win at home?
[sc:NHLArticles ]Philadelphia Flyers vs. Boston Bruins Betting Preview
Where: TD Garden, Boston
When: Wednesday, October 8, 7:30 PM ET
Line: Philadelphia Flyers (+160) at Boston Bruins (-190); total: 5.5 – view all NHL lines
Philadelphia Flyers
[sc:NHL240 ]A disastrous start by the Flyers last season cost Peter Laviolette his job. His replacement, former assistant coach Craig Berube, looks to avoid a repeat of that early season blues starting tonight when Philadelphia makes its season debut on the road against the Bruins. The Flyers, though, hasn’t had a lot of fond memories of their recent trips to TD Garden as they are just 1-6 in their last seven games there.
Center and captain Claude Giroux, who led the team with 86 points will anchor the team’s attack later together with Jakub Voracek (23 goals). They will be joined in the first line by R.J. Umberger, who was traded from the Columbus Blue Jackets for Scott Hartnell.
On paper, Umberger (18 goals, 16 assists) is a downgrade in the left wing position as Hartnell had 20 goals and 32 assists for 52 points last season. However, Umberger can expect his production to bump up, as he’ll have a full season ahead playing alongside Giroux, a skilled scorer and a talented playmaker who finished last season fourth in the NHL in assists with 58.
Against a tough-defending defense of the Bruins, Philadelphia needs all hands on deck tonight. Wayne Simmonds, the Flyers’ top scorer last season with 29 goals, provides legitimate scoring threat beyond the first line. Count in Matt Read and Brayden Schenn to get busy up front, too, as both have bigger roles to fill this season after coming up with 22 and 20 goals, respectively.
The absence of top defenseman Kimmo Timonen (blood clot) leaves the Flyers’ blue line largely at the hands of Braydon Coburn, Mark Streit, and offseason pickup Michael Del Zotto. At the last line of defense is goalie Steve Mason, who won 33 games last season with a 2.50 GAA and .917 SV%.
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Betting on Boston Bruins
The Bruins won the Presidents’ Trophy last season with a league-best 117 points, only to be eliminated by the Montreal Canadiens in the conference semifinals. The long climb back to the top starts tonight at home against the Flyers, whom the Bruins defeated in all three of their meetings last season.
There have been changes over the offseason for the Bruins, perhaps none bigger than the departure of 30-goal scorer Jarome Iginla. While that’s a big loss, it isn’t detrimental, as the Bruins have one of the deepest lineups in the league going into the new season.
David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, and Brad Marchand form a combustible trio that finished 1-2-3, respectively, last season in plus/minus ratings, and their talents will be spread out in different lines by Claude Julien. Krejci, though, won’t be able to play tonight as he was put on the injured reserve list with an undisclosed ailment.
But as mentioned, the Bruins are so deep that it could easily look for the likes of forwards Loui Eriksson and Reilly Smith to replicate the playmaking of Krejci, who was ninth in the NHL last season with 50 assists. Eriksson had 17 assists last season, while Krejci had 31.
Boston’s blue line, which will have its hands full against the high-scoring Flyers, will be led by perennial Norris Trophy candidate Zdeno Chara, Dougie Hamilton, and Torey Krug, who all finished last season with a combined +65 plus/minus. It’s going to be hard for Philadelphia to find scoring opportunities against that imposing blueline. And that’s not to mention Vezina Trophy winner Tuukka Rask, who’ll work between the pipes after averaging .930 SV% last season to go along with a league-best seven shutouts.
Writer’s Prediction
A superior blue line and an in-form Rask lead Boston to a 3-1 win as -190 home faves.
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