Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim (6) checks Carolina Hurricanes center Seth Jarvis (24) during the first period at Lenovo Center. James Guillory-Imagn Images Two things are true about the Carolina Hurricanes this postseason.
The Canes have been terrific and are deserving of their status as co-favorites, along with the Colorado Avalanche, to win the Stanley Cup.
But it’s also true that the Canes have ridden their luck a bit to get to 6-0 in this postseason.
To call every game they’ve played a coin flip would be unfair to the Hurricanes, who have been as good as any team in the postseason, but they have landed on the right side of the handful of 50/50 games they’ve played so far.
Carolina is 2-0 in overtime, 3-0 in one-goal games, and opponents are scoring on just 4.25 percent of their shots on goal against the Hurricanes.
It’s no wonder that the Flyers, who are in an 0-2 hole against the Hurricanes, and Senators, who were swept by Carolina in Round 1, feel they deserve a better fate than the one they’ve been dealt.
Carolina is -162 to win Game 3 in Philadelphia on Thursday evening.
There’s no such thing as a moral victory in a best-of-seven series, but the Flyers should be encouraged with how they’ve handled themselves at 5-on-5 in this series.
The Hurricanes are still tilting the ice, but it’s not been as one-sided as expected.
Carolina has registered 18 more shot attempts and just two more shots on goal than the Flyers at 5-on-5 in this series, and the expected goals battle currently stands at 4.2 to 3.5 in the Canes’ favor.
Porter Martone of the Philadelphia Flyers. Kyle Ross-Imagn Images The goaltending edge goes to Carolina thanks to Frederik Andersen’s brilliance, but Dan Vladar has held his own for the Flyers, too.
Outside of a bad start to Game 1, the Flyers have largely acquitted themselves well. They just haven’t been rewarded for it.
Betting against Carolina feels like banging your head against a wall.
The Canes are suffocating, and rarely let you off the mat if you stumble. However, you’re getting a reasonable price to go against the Hurricanes with a desperate team Thursday night.
The Play: Flyers moneyline (+132, FanDuel)
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
