As much as it pains me to write this, value is value, and I think there is good reason and impetuous to take the LA Kings tomorrow night against my likable but flawed Flyers. There has yet to be a release of a number as of this writing, but I am very comfortable laying anything -145 or less in this contest, and am hoping the number comes in somewhere in that ballpark, if not south of that. I can only imagine the money coming in on the Cup holders once posted, which is the reason for my sharing my intentions of grabbing this the moment it comes out. There are a number of reasons I think the play is a sound one, but put simply, it's just not a good match up for the home team tomorrow night, and the Kings should be able to expose what have been at times glaring deficiencies for long stretches, and I don't think the Flyers will have many answers in this contest.
Start with the fact that the Flyers are down to a single viable NHL defenseman in Streit,(an argument could perhaps be made that Grossmann is a serviceable botttom pairing D man, but not for most teams, though he did play well against the Wings last game out)and the Kings speed and size, and quality of their forechecking should keep Philly pinned in it's own zone for much of the game. And therein lies the problem, the Flyers turn into chimpanzees on skates in their own defensive end, when teams can carry the zone as easily as the Wings did on Saturday for the first 40 minutes, or if a team can combine that with an effective forecheck, as the Kings are likely to do as is their profile.
It looks as though Ray Emery is going to get another start in net based on his stellar play against the Wings last time out, and I think that also favors the Kings, for as much as Razor plays his heart out and gives all that he has, watching him in net looks like a labor, and eventually teams should be able to exploit his lateral lethargy, better than teams facing him have of late. Mason has been only so-so to this point, but if you have watched him thus far, he has been the victim of some horrendous defending in front of him, as well as some bad bounces, and I don't see Emery holding up against such stress tests for much longer.
The Flyers will do what they do well in the oppositions zone, but I'm guessing that those chances will be few and far between, and if the Kings can simply manage to stay out of the penalty box, they should be able to cruise to victory in this one after a day off today.
The Flyers best days lie ahead, not so much this year, which is probably a throw away at this point, which is sad to say in the infancy of the season, but they will go from frisky next year, to potentially dominant thereafter if the myriad of prospects we have in the system continue to develop, as some should break through with the big club, while the expendables can be shopped. But in the immediate future, at least for the next month while MacDonald and Coburn are shelved with injuries, the Flyers will largely be a play against from a side perspective, and likely an Over squad, as I'm guessing their offense will benefit from seeing their share of backup goaltenders, who should allow them to score a number of PP goals if nothing else. This is an extremely tight knit bunch which will help them thru these tough times, and there's going to be no finger pointing, or throwing of anyone under the bus in public, since these defensive short comings lie largely at the feet of Paul Holmgren's decision making with regards to the salary cap, but also as the result of fluke injuries to both Pronger(eye) and Kimmo Timonnen(blood clots) that nobody could have envisioned or guarded against. Navigating these waters will not be pretty at times, but the long term prognosis is still a healthy one in my eyes, and I don't envision the premature call up doing any long term damage to Shane Gostisbehere's career, if nothing else the Ghost should not lack for confidence or puckhandling and creative offensive zone play, just wait until you watch this kid skate.
BOL if you are inclined to follow this humble suggestion. Pleasant day to all.