The Rundown:
A Metropolitan Division showdown goes down at the Wells Fargo Center tonight. In the City of Brotherly Love, there will be no love as the New York Islanders come to visit the Philadelphia Flyers in what will be a heated matchup.
The Matchup
The Islanders will play their first game with Bo Horvat in the lineup. Horvat was traded to the Islanders for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and a conditional 2023 first round pick that is top 12 protected. The former Canucks captain inked a eight year, 8.5 million dollar deal on Sunday to stay on Long Island. Horvat is projected to play on the top line centering Josh Bailey and Mathew Barzal. With tonight’s matchup against the Flyers, the Isles are looking to make up much needed ground to try and make a playoff push. The Islanders have scored no more than three goals in 12 of the 13 games and rank 31st in the league.. They’re sixth in the Metropolitan Division, two points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference. Four points behind them are the Flyers, who return from the NHL All-Star break 15-0-1 when leading after two periods and are 6-2-2 in their last 10 games.
Players To Watch
For the Islanders, Bo Horvat is the player to watch. It will be interesting to see how Horvat will perform in his first game with his new club. Horvat is having an excellent season having scored over 30 goals so far this year. His scoring impact is going to be much needed on an Islanders squad that struggles to score.
For the Flyers, Kevin Hayes is the player to watch. The Flyers second leading scorer just returned from representing the team at the All-Star game with his 45 point season. Him and Travis Konency have been leading the Flyers recent push for success. Hayes has five points in his last five games and is looking to keep that momentum as Philadelphia looks to keep theri season and postseason aspirations alive.
Odds Presented by Betfred Sportsbook
Spread- New York Islanders -1.5 (-185) / Philadelphia Flyers +1.5 (-235)
Moneyline- New York Islanders -125 / Philadelphia Flyers +105
Total Points- 5.5 – Over -115 / Under -105
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