The Vegas Golden Knights pulled off a blockbuster trade yesterday to bolster a Pacific Division playoff contender. Tonight, they take the ice for the first time following the Rasmus Andersson deal and are surely energized for this matchup against a struggling Philadelphia Flyers group looking to snap a six-game losing streak.
Read on for a Flyers vs. Golden Knights prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Monday’s game.
Flyers vs. Golden Knights prediction, preview
Philadelphia enters tonight’s game riding an ice-cold stretch of play with six consecutive losses dropping them midway in the Metropolitan Division standings. After sitting atop the group a couple of weeks ago (albeit briefly), there’s a desperate need to shake off this poor run and keep from dropping further in a crowded bunch.
A 22-17-8 record is good for 52 points for the Flyers with a goal differential of -8. However, that mark was positive prior to this rough patch, during which Philadelphia has conceded five-plus goals in five consecutive games. Cleaning up on defense is a clear focus, especially with the second pairing of Nick Seeler and Jamie Drysdale the only group with a negative +/-. The problems mainly stem from the loss of goaltender Dan Vladar to injury though, especially since his backups are both at an .855 SV% on the campaign or below. The Flyers allow 3.11 GA/GP on average while scoring 2.89 GF/GP. Trevor Zegras (44P) and Travis Konecny (41P) are the team’s clear engines, especially without any other skaters at 30 points or greater. Christian Dvorak and Owen Tippett have 29 points apiece while Sean Couturier and Noah Cates are at 25 each. On special teams, Philadelphia owns the NHL’s worst PP% at 14.9% with a 77.6% PK% as well.
Looking toward the home team, there are many more positives to write for the Golden Knights. They’re already atop the Pacific Division with 60 points thanks to a 24-11-12 record, and a seven-game winning streak brings plenty of momentum into this game.
Vegas’ differential of +15 leads the division as they ride excellent play on both ends with the fifth-ranked attack (3.38 GF/GP) and 13th-ranked defense (2.98 GA/GP). There aren’t any obvious weaknesses, and the franchise just traded defenseman Zach Whitecloud with a first-round pick and future conditional second plus a prospect to Calgary for defenseman Rasmus Andersson. The star may not suit up tonight after not being listed in the Golden Knight’s pregame notes, but he’ll bring 30 points in 48 games with plenty of puck-moving ability and blocks if he does take the ice. Regardless, Jack Eichel’s 56 points are a team-best while Mitch Marner has 51 points to his name during his first season in Vegas. Mark Stone (47 P) and Tomas Hertl (42 P) are next up, followed by Pavel Dorofeyev (36 P) and Ivan Barbashev (33 P). On special teams, the Knights have a 27.1% PP% and 81.1% PK%.
Flyers vs. Golden Knights pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Golden Knights as -218 favorites on the Moneyline while the Flyers come in at +180 odds. Betting splits show 89% of straight bets in Vegas’ favor at home with 56% of wagers leaning over on the total of 6.5 combined goals.
The netminders for tonight haven’t yet been decided, but in any case, there’s not a goalie available to play with a SV% above the .900 mark. The total of 6.5 goals is on the high end, but I’m not dissuaded from targeting it whatsoever. The Golden Knights are already one of the NHL’s top-scoring teams and have scored 32 combined goals over this winning streak. Eichel is red-hot with eight points over his last three contests and this group just can’t seem to stop finding the back of the net. Beyond that, they face a struggling defense with Samuel Ersson’s SV% at .855 and Aleksei Kolosov’s at .830. Whichever takes their place in the crease will have a tall task in front of them against a high-powered offense.
Given the talent involved and recent form of both squads, I’m comfortable taking over 6.5 combined goals in this contest. There should be plenty of scoring on deck in Vegas.
