After splitting a pair of games in Philadelphia, the Flyers and Sabres will meet tonight at Buffalo's HSBC Arena for Game 3 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Quarter Finals. The Sabres have won three of their last five meetings over the Flyers. NHL oddsmakers have the Sabres as -120 moneyline home favourites over the Flyers (+105) with the over/under set at 5.5 goals. Be sure to check the Flyers vs Sabres NHL Point Spreads and get your predictions in early.
Philadelphia (1-1) rebounded with a 5-4 victory in Saturday's Game 2 battle at Wells Fargo Center. Former Sabres star Danny Briere netted the winner late in the second period and Brian Boucher stopped 20-of-21 shots in a relief role for Philadelphia on Saturday to even the series at one game apiece. "We were fired up to start the game, there's no doubt about it," Briere said. "We just have to be careful. It's a fine line, crossing over to being too emotional, taking too many penalties." Claude Giroux, Dan Carcillo and Ville Leino also tallied for the Flyers, despite finishing 1-for-10 on the power play. Philadelphia has scored just once on 15 opportunities with the man advantage in this series. The Flyers received offensive contributions from many sources on Saturday, as 11 different players record at least a point in the win. Boucher notched the win after starter Sergei Bobrovsky allowed three goals on seven shots in the first 12 1/2 minutes. There has been no official word on whether Boucher will get the start tonight or if head coach Peter Laviolette will return to the rookie Bobrovsky. Boucher played in 12 playoff games for Philly in its run to the Stanley Cup Finals last spring and posted a 6-6 record in those outings. Top defenseman Chris Pronger is considered to be day-to-day, and is expected to be a game-time decision. Philadelphia set a franchise record with 25 road wins this year and ended the season with a 25-11-5 mark as the guest.
Buffalo (1-1) almost managed to come from behind, but it wasn’t in the cards. Thomas Vanek scored twice for Buffalo on Saturday while Cody McCormick added a goal for the Sabres, who held a 3-2 lead briefly in the first period. "We threw what we had at them and it just wasn't good enough tonight," Vanek said. Meanwhile, two days after recording his second career postseason shutout, Ryan Miller was shelled in the loss for all five goals on 34 shots. The Sabres had defenseman Andrej Sekera back on the ice in Game 2 after he missed the final two tests of the regular season and the series opener with an upper body injury. Fellow blueliner Shaone Morrisonn, who suffered an upper body injury in Game 1, could miss a second straight game tonight. The Sabres are 3-7 in their playoff history when splitting the first two games of a series on the road. The Flyers have taken five of their eight playoff series against Buffalo all- time, but the winner of Game 1 has won every postseason encounter between these clubs. Buffalo, which will also host Game 4 on Wednesday, was 21-16-4 as the home club this season.
Recent Trends to Consider:
Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Buffalo.
Over is 20-6-1 in the last 27 meetings.
Favorite is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings.
Flyers are 6-16-1 in the last 23 meetings in Buffalo.
Sabres are 4-0 in their last 4 games as a home favorite.
Sabres are 5-0 in their last 5 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game.
Sabres are 5-0 in their last 5 home games.
Flyers are 1-4 in their last 5 playoff games as an underdog.
Flyers are 0-4 in their last 4 games after allowing 8 or more power play opportunities in their previous game.
Flyers are 0-6 in their last 6 games following a win.
Flyers are 0-4 in their last 4 after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game.
Flyers vs Sabres
When: Monday, April 18, 7:00 PM ET
Pick: Sabres -120
Point-Spreads.com recommends you check out NHL Point Spreads before Flyers vs Sabres game.
The Bottom Line: Without Chris Pronger, the Flyers lack the smarts and grit on defense. Be sure to check Flyers vs Sabres Hockey Point Spreads and get your predictions in early.
