Philadelphia Flyers vs. Vancouver Canucks: Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 2/18/2023

Time: 10 p.m. ET

Venue: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC

Where to watch: CBC, SNP, NBCSP

DraftKings: Canucks -120, Flyers +100

FanDuel: Canucks -120, Flyers +100

BetMGM: Canucks -120, Flyers +100

Caesars: Canucks -120, Flyers +100

Flyers: 22-24-10

Canucks: 21-30-4

The All-Star break is over, the second half of the NHL season can officially begin, and we're bound for what should be a very exciting second half of the hockey season. Basketball and hockey are about to rule the roost in the sports betting world once the Super Bowl is done with, and we should all be very excited for what's to come. When the trade deadline hits and players switch teams, you know things are about to get hectic over these final 30 games or so. One way you can stay tuned with the action is following what our champion handicappers are doing in the world of the NHL. Look at ASA, Inc., reeling in a $6,750 profit off a 17-9-0 run. Al McMordie is also doing well on the ice with a 13-5-0 run and a net profit of $6,050. Scott Rickenbach has also been hanging strong with a lot of betting action, in what's been an unusual year, with a 24-18-0 run and reeling in $5,950. You know this action is going to be great now that games are back and a busy second half if on the horizon. All you need to do is head to our BEST BETS page at bigal.com to find out all of what we're trying to tell you. Make sure you're locked in at bigal.com and go to our Best Bets page to find out what our champion handicappers have to say in the world of the NHL!

The Philadelphia Flyers will be playing the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, February 18 in Vancouver.

The Philadelphia Flyers lost against the Seattle Kraken last Thursday, February 16 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington with a score of 6-2. The Philadelphia Flyers currently rank 7th in the Metropolitan Division.

Travis Konecny scored twice, and Noah Cates had two assists for the Flyers (22-24-10), who began a four-game road trip. Carter Hart allowed four goals on 19 shots before being relieved in the second period by Samuel Ersson, who made nine saves.

"It was probably our worst game of the year, I'd say," Philadelphia forward James van Riemsdyk said. "[We] didn't do a lot of good things at all and really left our goalies out to dry a few times. [It's] definitely disappointing, so let's have a good response our next game (at the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday)."

"We just weren't very sharp," van Riemsdyk said. "I don't know what we want to blame it on, if it's the travel or we just weren't ready or whatever. … Again, that's twice in a row obviously against a good team, and we didn't respond nearly well enough."

Seattle made five goals before Konecny scored his 25th goal of the season 14 seconds into the third period to make it 5-1, but Matty Beniers gave Seattle a 6-1 lead at 10:37 with a wrist shot from the left circle. Konecny scored again at 14:11 for the 6-2 final.

"It's pretty self-explanatory what you saw out there, so you really don't need my comments," Philadelphia coach John Tortorella said. " … I am not going to talk about my hockey team after a performance like this. It doesn't do me any good, it doesn't do the team any good. Those are the people I'm most concerned about."

The Philadelphia Flyers have won three of their last 10 games.

The Vancouver Canucks lost against the New York Rangers last Wednesday, February 15 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver with a score of 6-4. The Vancouver Canucks currently rank 6th in the Pacific Division.

Arturs Silovs made 22 saves in his NHL debut, Andrei Kuzmenko had a goal and an assist, and Elias Pettersson had two assists for the Canucks (21-30-4), who are 1-4-1 in their past six games.

"It's different skills, different speed. It was fun to play and get that experience," Silovs said. "It's going to help me a lot long term, because at least I know what it is. I know what I can be better at so I can push myself even more."

Curtis Lazar put Vancouver ahead 1-0 when a rebound shot deflected in off him at 4:52, but Zibanejad tied it 1-1 at 5:51 when he faked a shot coming down the right wing, then shot it between Silovs.

J.T. Miller tied it 2-2 at 12:45 on the power play with a one-timer from outside the right face-off dot that went past the blocker of Shesterkin, who had lost his stick when it got caught in the skate of defenseman Jacob Trouba earlier in the sequence.

Conor Garland cut New York’s lead 4-3 with a rebound goal at 9:26 after Kuzmenko hit the crossbar after a pretty move in tight just after a power play expired. Kuzmenko took a drop pass from Pettersson and scored on a glove-side wrist shot from between the top of the circles at 8:51 of the third period to make it 5-4.

Vancouver has allowed five goals or more in four straight games and in 26 of 55 games this season.

"They've got some good weapons, both on their [defensemen] and forwards," Pettersson said. "But we know that. I think we've just got to just got to be better."

The Vancouver Canucks have won three of their last 10 games.

Prediction

Vancouver is favored after everything that's happened this year. That's all you need to know. Canucks 5, Flyers 2

Flyers are 8-15 after a non-conference game this season.

Flyers are 24-36 off a road loss the last 3 seasons.

Canucks are 2-10 after 3 straight overs this season.

Flyers:

Joel Farabee -- Noah Cates -- Travis Konecny

James van Riemsdyk -- Morgan Frost -- Owen Tippett

Kevin Hayes -- Scott Laughton -- Wade Allison

Nicolas Deslauriers -- Patrick Brown -- Olle Lycksell

Ivan Provorov -- Cam York

Travis Sanheim -- Rasmus Ristolainen

Nick Seeler -- Tony DeAngelo

Carter Hart

Canucks:

Anthony Beauvillier -- Elias Pettersson -- Vasily Podkolzin

Phillip Di Giuseppe -- J.T. Miller -- Conor Garland

Andrei Kuzmenko -- Sheldon Dries -- Brock Boeser

Dakota Joshua -- Nils Aman -- Curtis Lazar

Quinn Hughes -- Ethan Bear

Oliver Ekman-Larsson -- Luke Schenn

Riley Stillman -- Tyler Myers

Arturs Silovs