As we shift into this next round series for the Flyers, there seems no better time to check back in with all of the experts and pundits around the league on their expectations for how this series against the Hurricanes will play out.
According to ESPN, heading into Friday’s schedule, Philadelphia had 25-to-1 odds of winning the Cup, and at +800 to be the Eastern Conference representative in the finals. The site gave the Flyers long odd to win this series against the Hurricanes (+260) while putting Carolina as the favorite (-330). Elsewhere, there were also a few Flyers listed to win the Conn Smythe Trophy should the team win two (or three) more rounds. Topping the list was goaltender Dan Vladar (45-to-1) while Porter Martone and Travis Konecny were longshots at best (100-to-1 each). Rounding out the list was Trevor Zegras (120-to-1) and Owen Tippett (140-to-1). The favorite for the Trophy was Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (+500).
Moneypuck
Not a lot of deep, exhaustive context here, the Canes have a two-thirds chance (66.7 per cent) of getting beyond the Flyers, leaving the Flyers essentially with a puncher’s chance of eliminating Carolina.
The Athletic
The experts didn’t give the Flyers a whole lot of love in this series, putting their chances at just 26 per cent, and a sweep of Carolina by Philadelphia at just two per cent. “It should be obvious to anyone that this is going to be an uphill battle for Philadelphia,” the site wrote in a deep overview of both teams. “The Hurricanes are several steps above the Penguins team the Flyers just dispatched in six. More importantly, the Flyers are arguably a few rungs below the Senators team that Carolina had zero trouble with in a sweep.”
The site added the key matchup will be between Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim against Jaccob Slavin, with Sanheim needing to a have a “monster” series in order to help curb the offensive juggernaut Carolina has. As for the series “X” factor, it was whether Matvei Michkov could catch lightning in a bottle and begin producing. “The Flyers have shown high-end defensive ability and, down the stretch, some added offensive pop, but Carolina offers too much in both departments to be treated as anything but a serious favorite,” the outlet concluded. “If this one goes long, it’ll probably be because the Hurricanes go cold and the Flyers maximize whatever chances they grind out.”
Sports Illustrated
Although not giving a lot of context or substance, and relying mainly on the odds, SI believes Carolina will win the series although Philadelphia might push it to five or six games. Carolina was +285 to win it in five and +350 to win it in six. Meanwhile, a Flyers sweep of Carolina is at +4000 while Philadelphia winning a seventh game stands at +850. In short, Carolina looks pretty good.
Daily Faceoff
Kyle Morton portrayed this series as a “David versus Goliath” matchup. The four-game sweep Carolina delivered to Ottawa in the opening round was described as a “clinic in total team hockey,” leading to them to believe they will overmatch and overpower the Flyers who have been “hot for a long time.” Despite the supposed gap in talent and depth, the outlet noted the Flyers took Carolina three times to extra sessions.
On the back end, Carolina was thought to have its deepest and most well-balanced sextet in Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour’s tenure. On the other side, they suggest the Canes offensive prowess will be a tall test for Philadelphia’s defensive system. “Tocchet’s system helps shelter its defenders from back-breaking mistakes, but on paper, it feels like there is going to be a lot on Travis Sanheim’s plate in this series,” the outlet wrote. “The Hurricanes were second in the NHL in goals scored in the regular season, and they will do everything they can to put this defensive unit through a stress test.”
The Flyers “X” factor here is Porter Martone, but whatever Martone and company do, it won’t be enough as the site believes Carolina will wrap things up in five games.
Sportsnet
Sportsnet’s Sonny Sachdeva said the road for Philadelphia is extremely tough against Carolina, but pointed to the fact the Flyers never lost in regulation to Carolina (and vice versa of course with three of the four games going to the extra session). “Though the Penguins were a good team, a throwback to a time when their legends were in their primes, the Carolina Hurricanes are a great team, in the here and now,” the site wrote. “For the Flyers’ next test, they get the No. 1 squad in the East, a group that’s battled-tested, that’s marched to the conference final in two of the past three years.”
Although no final prediction was given, the site noted just how deep and talented Carolina is, while giving Dan Vladar props for his stellar play. Philadelphia’s playoff leading 248 hits in the Pittsburgh series wore down the older group of stars, something the site said the Flyers need to do to wear down the Canes’ backend. Florida was successful in doing that last season in defeating Carolina. And Philadelphia just simply has to play the same style they’ve been playing the last two months to be effective, stating that the momentum they have from round one could carry over into this series. “Against a tougher test in Carolina, they need to double down — play physical, make life difficult in the neutral zone, push the Canes to their limit. If they can do that, the storybook run continues to Round 3.”
