Online Sports Book Overview
The Buffalo Sabres are locked in a battle with the New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes for the last three spots in the Eastern Conference playoff race. As baseball betting gets started, the Sabres can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Philadelphia Flyers. The NHL hockey news community is buzzing over the nearly 80 alumni that the Sabres will be honoring at their last home game of the regular season. Changes have been fast and noticeable since new owner Terry Pegula has taken over, and the team is responding with more wins on the ice.
The 5dimes review of the last few Philadelphia Flyers games has not been very favorable. Only one week ago, the Flyers were locked in a battle with the Washington Capitals for first place in the Eastern Conference. In the last week, the Flyers have played bad enough to watch first place in the conference fade away and they are now in danger of losing second place to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It could be the inexperience of rookie starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky that is finally coming through, or it could be the notion that the Philadelphia Flyers spent their energy trying to win in the regular season and now have nothing left for the playoffs.
Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres are 7-1-2 in the last 10 games and are riding a two-game winning streak. The team looks almost unbeatable at home lately and have amassed an impressive 5-1 record in overtime and shoot-out games. The top scorers such as Thomas Vanek and Drew Stafford continue to produce for the Sabres, and backup goaltender Jhnoas Enroth has shown that he has what it takes to be a starter in the NHL. The Sabres hold on to seventh place in the Eastern Conference and trail the sixth place Montreal Canadiens by one point. On the flip side, the Sabres hold off the eighth place Rangers by only one point. But Buffalo can lock up their place in the playoffs with a win in this game.
Philadelphia Flyers
In the last 10 games, the Flyers are 3-4-3 and the wheels are starting to come off. Bobrovsky is 2-2-1 in his last five games, but his most recent start was a four goal loss to the lowly Ottawa Senators. Backup Brian Boucher is not faring much better as his record in his last five starts is 1-2-2. Boucher got hot late last season and looked like he would be the man to carry Philadelphia into the playoffs. But an injury early in the playoffs put Boucher out of the post-season for good. Now, Boucher is getting ready to play the role of backup as the playoffs approach, and the starting goaltender is starting to look a little shaky already.
The Bottom Line
The Flyers can regain their defensive composure before the playoffs, but that will be difficult against a Sabres team that is making it look easy to score on any defense. With Enroth standing on his head in goal, the Sabres pose a formidable challenge to the Flyers. It may be a challenge that the Flyers are no longer up to at this point of the season.
Pick: Buffalo Sabres
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