Philadelphia Flyers vs Pittsburgh Penguins Picks and Predictions February 8th 2025

Philadelphia Flyers vs Pittsburgh Penguins February 8th 2025

The Penguins and Flyers are set to face off at 7:00 ET on NBCS. The Flyers will host the game at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. This Metropolitan division matchup has an over/under of 6 goals, and the Flyers are favored by -1.5 at home vs. the Penguins.

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Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia Key Information

With a 3-1 road win over the Canadiens, the Penguins moved closer to .500, now sitting at 23-24-9. Pittsburgh covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 4 goals fell short of the 6.5 set before the game.

Sidney Crosby led the way with two goals, scoring at 15:57 in the first period and adding another in the second. The Canadiens cut the lead to 2-1 in the third, but Blake Lizotte’s empty-net goal sealed the win for Pittsburgh.

Sidney Crosby led the way for the Penguins with two goals in their 3-1 win over Montreal. He opened the scoring at 4:03 in the first period and added his second on a power play, 1:20 into the second period. Blake Lizotte netted his second goal of the season, sealing the game with an empty-netter at 19:15 in the third period.

Pittsburgh took 24 shots on goal and recorded 14 giveaways. Lars Eller picked up his third assist on Lizotte’s goal, while Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson were credited with assists on Crosby’s second goal, giving Letang his third and Karlsson his seventh assist of the season.

On the defensive side, the Penguins will look to build on their previous performance, where they allowed just one goal to the Canadiens. Alex Nedeljkovic made 25 saves with a 96.2% save percentage, and the defense added 5 takeaways and 19 hits. The only goal they conceded came 5:32 into the 3rd period.

Philadelphia’s latest game was a 3-0 road loss to the Bruins, dropping their record to 23-26-7. The Flyers were underdogs on the puck line and the total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 3 fell well short of that mark.

Defensively, the Flyers struggled, allowing goals in each period. Offensively, they couldn’t find the net and managed just 20 shots on goal. Philadelphia’s defense also allowed 30 shots, with the Bruins’ final goal coming with 3:39 left in the third period.

Philadelphia’s offense struggled in their 3-0 loss to Boston, failing to score on 20 shots on goal. The Flyers were shut out for the first time since their 4-0 loss to Dallas on October 21.

Philadelphia’s attack also suffered from 15 giveaways, and they were unable to capitalize on any power play opportunities.

Defensively, the Flyers allowed the first goal at 13:28 in the first period, followed by another at 11:23 in the second. Boston added an empty-netter at 16:21 in the third, leading to a 3-0 defeat for Philadelphia. Samuel Ersson made 8 saves with a 100% save percentage, while the Flyers’ defense recorded 5 takeaways and 30 hits.

For a moneyline bet, I’m backing the Flyers to secure a victory over the Penguins at home. With the moneyline currently set at -144, I’m locking in my bet on the Flyers straight-up.

When it comes to a puck line pick, our choice is the Flyers to secure the win and cover. Expect the Flyers to dominate this one with a multi-goal win over the Penguins.

If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 6 goals, our prediction is that this game will exceed that mark, and we strongly advise placing a bet on the over.

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Penguins, Unsure of Sidney Crosby’s Status, Visit Flyers

The Pittsburgh Penguins have rarely played without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin over the past two decades, but they managed to earn a crucial win without them on Friday. Now, they’ll try to carry that momentum into Saturday’s road matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Penguins Adjusting Without Stars

Pittsburgh is 3-0-1 in its last four games, most recently securing a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Friday. Crosby missed the game with an upper-body injury, ending his streak of 229 consecutive games played. Meanwhile, Malkin remains week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

“Right now, we’re just taking it one day at a time when it comes to Crosby’s situation, but it’s encouraging he was on the ice (Friday) for the optional game-day skate,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “Obviously, he’s an important player for us. When he’s not in our lineup, he’s a hard guy to replace. He’s the heartbeat of this team.”

While Malkin is having a quieter season by his standards (34 points in 47 games), his absence still leaves a void in Pittsburgh’s lineup. The Penguins have relied on contributions from players like Rickard Rakell, who has scored in two straight games, and goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, who has allowed just eight goals over his last five starts.

“We’ve put ourselves in a spot to climb back to .500 now,” Nedeljkovic said of the 23-24-9 Penguins. “Gives us a chance to (get there Saturday). So, we’re hoping to get the job done.”

Flyers Struggling to Find Offense

Philadelphia sits below Pittsburgh in the Metropolitan Division standings and is mired in a five-game losing streak (0-4-1). The Flyers have managed just five total goals during this slump, including a stretch of three consecutive shutout losses.

They showed some fight in Thursday’s 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals, pushing back against an Alex Ovechkin-led squad.

“I thought we played a (heck) of a game. Just a couple breaks here and there,” Flyers forward Tyson Foerster said. Foerster has been a bright spot, scoring in two straight games.

Coach John Tortorella, known for his fiery demeanor, is trying to maintain his composure despite the skid.

“There’s a lot of encouraging things in this God-awful losing streak we’re in,” Tortorella said. “I still think we have a lot of meaningful games left.”

Season Series and Looking Ahead

Saturday’s game is the last before a two-week break for both teams due to the 4 Nations Face-Off. When play resumes on Feb. 22, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia will face each other twice before the end of the month.

The Penguins dominated their first meeting this season, winning 7-3 on Dec. 23. Crosby had three assists in the first period and added an empty-net goal in the third.

Who Has the Edge in This Rivalry Matchup?

With the Flyers desperate to snap their losing streak and the Penguins looking to maintain their recent momentum, this matchup promises to be a battle. Can Philadelphia find its offense, or will Pittsburgh’s depth step up again?