In the next match, the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins will meet again on the ice. Will the hosts be able to surprise Boston again and repeat their success, or will the guests take revenge for their recent defeat?
Philadelphia, led by John Tortorella, is off to a rocky start to the season. In the first 10 matches, the Flyers were only able to win 3 times, gaining 7 points, which puts them in a difficult position compared to other clubs. The team’s problems begin in defense and at the goalie position: the Flyers conceded 40 goals, which puts them among the worst in this indicator among the conference clubs. Goalkeepers Ivan Fedotov and Samuel Ersson show modest results – Fedotov missed in 3 matches with a safety factor of 5.35, and Ersson played 7 games with a score of 3.00. To strengthen the roster, they called up Belarusian goaltender Alexei Kolosov from the AHL. In this match, he reflected 83.33% of shots, but this did not help Philadelphia avoid defeat – the final score was 3:4.
Despite such difficulties, attack leader Travis Konecny continues to demonstrate a high level of play. This season he scored 10 points in 10 games, scoring 5 goals and giving 5 assists. He has already played 574 games for the Flyers, where he scored 410 points. Konecny became a key figure for the club, bolstering its attacking potential. However, the absence of defenseman Cameron York, who was injured in a recent game against Washington, weakens the Flyers defensive line. Yorke, playing 20 minutes per game, was an important part of the defense, but his absence forces the team to rely on other pairings.
Boston, led by Jim Montgomery, started the season with difficulties, winning 4 wins in 10 matches and gaining 9 points. The team was unable to find stability, and this was reflected in the results: in the games against Nashville and Philadelphia they did not score a single goal, and lost 0:4 and 0:2, respectively. But despite the misfires, Boston has serious reasons to be proud: in a match with Toronto, captain Brad Marchand scored the decisive goal in overtime, which immediately allowed him to take 3rd place among currently playing NHL hockey players in goals in overtime and in winning goals in Bruins history. The goal also gave the club confidence, showing they were ready to fight at key moments.
The leader in scoring and one of Boston’s main hopes remains Czech forward David Pastrnak, who in 11 years with the Bruins scored 735 points – 354 goals and 381 assists in 684 matches. In the current tournament, he has already earned 8 points in 10 games, which confirms his leadership qualities and ability to operate effectively in attack. Pastrnak, along with Marchand and other top players such as Charlie McAvoy and defenseman Hampus Lindholm, form a strong core that can match up against any team in the league. After losing to Philadelphia in their last head-to-head meeting, Boston is set for revenge and will strive to prove that they are capable of winning even in difficult conditions.
Forecast for the match Philadelphia Flyers – Boston Bruins cf. 1.72
Boston is the favorite in the match, and despite the variable start to the season, they have every chance of taking revenge after their recent defeat to Philadelphia. With a strong roster with players like Marchand and Pastrnak, the Bruins are positioned for success. Taking into account all aspects bet on Boston to win, including OT and shootouts for 1.72 looks confident.
Both clubs are prone to scoring, which is confirmed by their recent matches. Philadelphia’s average scoring average is 6.7 goals, while Boston’s is 5.8. In addition, the statistics of head-to-head matches show that teams are not afraid to go forward, because in 6 out of 10 of their head-to-head matches, at least 6 goals were scored. Bet on total over 5.5 for 1.74 looks reasonable.
Boston has a strong offensive arsenal and they are averaging over 3 goals in recent games. Given Philadelphia’s defensive struggles and its 3.6 goals-against average, the Bruins are likely to break the 2.5-goal barrier. Given Boston’s desire to take revenge and the form of their forwards, bet on Boston’s individual total over 2.5 for 1.50 justified.
The Flyers are confident in the first twenty minutes. They haven’t lost in the first periods in 4 matches in a row. Boston also tends to start cautiously, often finishing early periods tied. Given these statistics, there is every reason to believe that Philadelphia will be able to avoid defeat at the start. Bet on 1X in the first period for 1.50 seems logical.
The second periods in the games between Philadelphia and Boston are characterized by activity and effectiveness. Both clubs score over 1.5 goals in the second period in 65% of matches. These teams will be looking to take the lead in this important part of the game, which could lead to a trade of goals. Bet on second period total over 1.5 for 1.58 seems justified.
Forecast:
Winning the P2 match
Coefficient:
1,72
Statistics of personal meetings
Last season, Philadelphia and Boston met 3 times, of which the Bruins won twice, and the Flyers were able to win once. These rivals also played 2 friendly games before the start of the new championship, where they exchanged victories. The biggest surprise came last November, when Philadelphia beat Boston 2-0 on home ice.
Trends in statistics
Philadelphia’s defense has problems with reliability, allowing an average of 3.6 goals.
Both clubs are highly active in the second period, scoring at least 2 goals in this period in 65% of their games.
