Handicapping Ice Conditions For Flyers-Pens Stadium Series Game

Temperatures reached a summer-like 77 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday afternoon in Pittsburgh. That is the good news for the locals.
The bad news is that it reached 77 degrees Fahrenheit — just 1 day before the Stadium Series outdoor NHL game at Heinz Field between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins.
This could lead to ice conditions playing a large factor in the outcome of the game, something which puck bettors must remember. Temperatures were expected to be around 60 degrees as of Saturday morning, which is sure to create the ice soft and chippy after play gets moving if it doesn’t get cold in a hurry.
It is supposed to be approximately 29 degrees Fahrenheit by sport time at 8 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh, though that might not be chilly, quickly enough to fix the soft ice.
Don’t be shocked when we see bouncing pucks along with a slower-paced match. That I believe is a benefit for the Flyers.
“I still think our competitive advantage is the speed match. We must become more determined than our competitors,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said at a press event on Friday at Heinz Field.
A slower-paced game could indicate some worth to the underdog here. That is some huge value considering that the Pens opened as hefty -210 faves with the Flyers in +185.
Additionally, it might mean we see that a more careful game from players. No one would like to find injuries, which are more apt to take place on inconsistent icehockey, particularly considering Pens star Sidney Crosby suffered a concussion at Pittsburgh’s last game at Heinz Field in 2011.
When it comes to a warm-weather hockey game such as this, the frequent logic is that the sport will be slower and goals will likely be fewer. That would mean UNDER the 5.5-goal total. This was the case at Dodger Stadium in 2014 when the Ducks skated into a 3-0 win over the Kings in 63-degree weather.
“It was a bit slower than a rinks, but it was smooth,” Anaheim’s Teemu Selanne said following the game. “We are utilized to not-good ice out (West) anyhow”
Keep a watch ahead of the match to understand what’s being said about Twitter regarding the ice conditions before you place your bet with this one. Bouncing pucks don’t make it easy on goalies either and Pittsburgh is on pace to be the highest-scoring team (3.47 targets per game) in the salary cap era next to the 2009-10 Capitals.
If you are betting in-game, the Pens are 25-0 when leading after two periods this season, based on NHL on NBC stats. That makes them the only undefeated team in that spot this year and they were 39-0 when leading after two periods this past year from the regular season.
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