Bet On NHL Hockey: Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers were THE biggest disappointment in the NHL last season and now look to rebound with a few new pieces and yet another different look between the pipes in 2013-2014. Injuries killed this team last year and threaten to derail the team already as we head into the season.
CLICK TO GRAB OUR BEST Expert NHL Picks for 2013 HOCKEY Betting!
Odds to Win Stanley Cup: 22/1
Odds to Win Eastern Conference: 12/1
Odds to Win Metropolitan Division: 7/1
No longer with the team are Brian Boucher, Daniel Briere, Ilya Bryzgalov, Ruslan Fedotenko, LW Simon Gagne, Mike Knuble and Andreas Lilja. In are agent Ray Emery, Hal Gill, Vincent Lecavalier, Kris Newbury and Mark Streit. The Phili faithful simply will not tolerate another down season – the pressure is on this team to perform out of the gate this year.
The Flyers have a decent mix of young and experienced at the forward position that is buoyed by one of the better centers in the NHL Claude Giroux. He was injured in the offseason – there are a few questions whether or not his “golf injury” will affect him early on in the season. Scott Hartnell, Jakub Voracek, Brayden Schenn, Vincent Lecavalier, Wayne Simmonds and youngsters Sean Couturier, Matt Read and Zach Ronaldo make up a good forward group that should be able to finish in the top tier of offenses this year.
*CLICK HERE* GRAB OUR BEST Expert NHL Hockey Picks for 2013 GAMBLING season!
Giroux is the straw that stirs the drink – his availability all season long is crucial for this team. So is Jakub Voracek’s ability to build on his breakout 2013 campaign. Scott Hartnell will be fully healthy after missing a month of the abbreviated season with a broken foot and the addition of Vincent Lecavalier should make this team dangerous night-in and night-out.
All said the Flyers will need more than they got out of their forwards last year – Couturier and Schenn have to be better, Simmonds and Read have to elevate their play and Giroux and Hartnell have to be healthy – period. [ad-4437448]
Defensively the Flyers were OK last year but also experienced more than their share of injuries. Nicklas Grossmann, Andrej Meszaros and Braydon Coburn missed 70 games between them, forcing some extra ice time for youngsters Erik Gustafsson and Oliver Lauridsen. Mark Streit came over from the Islanders to bolster the D – his addition was quietly one of the more impressive acquisitions during the summer. He, along with Kimmo Timonen who had 29 points last year and Luke Schenn provide the Flyers with a terrific top 3. If Andrej Meszaros and Braydon Coburn remain healthy Phili owns a stellar top 5. Hal Gill is an interesting name to throw into the mix as well.
Goaltending – perhaps the biggest re-occurring storyline in Philadelphia every year! The book has officially been closed on the Ilya Bryzgalov era and the Ray Emery/Steve Mason platoon experiment begins! Emery is coming off a season with the Blackhawks in which he went 17-1-0 – impressive while Mason was acquired in April and went 4-2-0, 1.90, .944 save-percentage – not too bad at all.
But as we`ve seen in the past Philadelphia is a graveyard to goaltending talent. If Philadelphia can get a little consistency they could once again contend – that`s an enormous IF.
Betting Prediction
: The Philadelphia Flyers are typically one of the more intriguing storylines heading into an NHL season and this year is no different. Goaltending will be a key as well as health – no surprise for those of you who follow the Flyers.
Philadelphia looks is definitely a playoff caliber team. But to think they are capable of challenging for a Metropolitan Division crown, an Eastern Division Title or a Stanley Cup is unrealistic. Philadelphia improves but is not yet at that elite level their fans hoped they would be at this point!
CappersPicks.com NHL Betting and gambling site provides the BEST Online hockey predictions for you to bet on for the 2013/14 NHL hockey season! Stick with us all season long!
CLICK HERE TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT AT BETONLINE.COM AND BET ON HOCKEY AT THE BEST SPORTSBOOK ONLINE!!!!!
