Sidney Crosby returns to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and all feels right in the world again.
The Battle of Pennsylvania will commence in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the eighth time in history on Saturday afternoon, when the Penguins host the Flyers for Game 1 at PPG Paints Arena.
The rivals haven’t made the playoffs together since 2018, when the Flyers defeated Crosby’s Penguins in six games to lead 4-3 in the all-time series.
Pittsburgh, which was 2-0-2 against Philadelphia, is priced as -142 favorites at FanDuel, while the Over/Under is set as low as six goals at bet365.
Flyers vs. Penguins Game 1 prediction, best bet
It took a chaotic year in the NHL for this matchup to even surface. After several rebuilding seasons for both teams, no one expected playoff berths in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh: the Flyers opened the season with 150/1 Stanley Cup odds while the Penguins were 300/1.
Coaching changes paid off for both teams. Rick Tocchet sparked a 22-point jump in Philadelphia, while Dan Muse added 18 points in Pittsburgh. A year ago, the Penguins and Flyers were the two worst teams in the Metropolitan Division.
So, how did this happen overnight?
Tocchet implemented an effective defensive structure, young stars like Trevor Zegras blossomed, and alas, the Flyers finally have a No. 1 goaltender in Dan Vladar.
Pittsburgh’s aging core had a remarkable resurgence. At 38, Crosby has now maintained a point per game pace in all 21 of his seasons. Beyond Evgeni Malkin potting 61 points despite injury and Erik Karlsson bursting for 31 points in 24 games, this team saw a massive leap in depth scoring; 12 Penguins had 13-plus goals.
The Penguins’ depth generates offense in waves, resulting in the third-highest goal rate in the NHL. They also allowed 3.14 goals per game, as neither Stuart Skinner nor Arturs Silovs provided consistent goaltending. This is not a team that plays low-event hockey — when they win, they tend to trade chances.
If you bet on any Oilers playoff games throughout the last few years, you know Skinner is a key ingredient for the Over.
Vladar’s steady game surely offers the Flyers a goaltending edge, but he was sloppy against Pittsburgh in two starts, stopping only 84 percent of shots against and allowing 3.84 goals per game.
The Flyers’ youth movement has driven an offensive surge down the stretch: Matvei Michkov led the Flyers with 22 points in 26 games after the Olympics. Top prospect Porter Martone notched 10 points (four goals, six assists) in nine games since his debut — they’ve averaged 3.67 goals per game with him in the lineup.
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Then we have a special teams liability. The Pens buried seven power-play goals on 18 opportunities against the Flyers’ penalty kill, which succeeded at a lousy 22nd-highest rate.
Philadelphia owned the worst power play in hockey, but for what it’s worth, the Penguins surrendered the second-most shorthanded goals overall.
This is a vicious rivalry, and since neither club has made the playoffs in four years, the rust should drive up the scoreboard.
THE PLAY: Over 6 (-115, bet365)
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Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.