Panthers/Flyers

The High-flying Panthers are on the road vs the Flyers. Panthers are 4-0 and have knocked off some big-ticket teams so far. The Flyers have wins against the Bruins and the Kraken. The Flyers are leading the league in goals scored with balanced offense across the lines. Their PP has been clipping along at a great but unsustainable 42% rate. Their defense has not been as good. They are 17th in the league and will likely be missing Ellis for Saturday’s game. And which Hart will show up? He looked dismal in his first start but turned things around in his second game.

The Panthers are a well-coached team, strong on offense and defense, and destined for a playoff run this year. They are scoring at a 4.5 goals per game rate, and while their power play has not quite woken up, their PK has been terrific. They have only allowed 1.8 goals per game so far. Their young goalie of the future starts on Saturday. Knight was very sharp, stopping 30 of 31 shots in his first start.

The Panther will break their unbeaten winning streak, but I don’t think it will be tonight against the Flyers. Take the Panthers to win.