NHL Playoffs Picks: Philadelphia Flyers at New York Rangers
I suppose you could say this is one of my favorite rivalries because I hate both teams as a Devils fan. I think I hate the Flyers more. Cheapshots guised as physicality and 40 years of futility make the Flyers a bunch of scumbags. The Rangers, clinging to 1994, at least have some dignity in their storied history of mediocrity on the ice, right?
Truth be told, I don’t really trust Henrik Lundqvist. How arguably the best goaltender in hockey has won so little in the playoffs is beyond me. Even with good teams around him, he still hasn’t delivered in the postseason. He’s as much a liability as he is an asset here.
That said, he’s no Ray Emery. With the Flyers turning to a backup goalie in addition to their total lack of defense, I think the Rangers have the edge across the board. Give me Nash over Giroux, give me St. Louis over Hartnell, give me the Rangers’ style of play and depth over this nonsense system Philly runs, and lastly, give me that vaunted defensive depth of the New York Rangers. I love this matchup and this series, though I do historically undervalue the Philadelphia Flyers. No bother, I’m sure we’ll get them here.
The computer agrees. With a reasonable signal and no conflict in the output, this seems like an average-confidence play. Throw in the injuries and the home ice edge for the Rangers, I’m pretty happy to bite here. In one of my favorite series of the playoffs that will surely be fun to watch, I’m on New York in game one at -140.
Rangers 3 – Flyers 1
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