Stanley Cup final hangover? The Philadelphia Flyers are going through nothing of the sort. In fact, it looks the Flyers might be the best team – and one of the sharpest betting odds wagers – in the NHL.

Philadelphia is a sturdy 8-1-1 over its last 10 games to sit in first place in the Eastern Conference, and even though it fell 3-0 at Montreal on Tuesday night, I wouldn’t put much stock in the loss.

The Flyers were playing the second game of a back-to-back and their third game in four nights when they faced the Canadiens, and they still managed to pepper Carey Price with 41 shots.

Philly is getting it done on both ends of the ice, as evidenced by its NHL-leading +22 goal differential. Sergei Bobrovsky (11-3-1, 2.07 GAA, .932 SVP) has emerged as the real deal in goal in his rookie season, while Claude Giroux (10 goals, 21 points) leads the Flyers in scoring.

Philadelphia is a team built for the playoffs, but it also has the horses to do well during the regular season. The Flyers are as deep as any team in the league up front, and have shored up the back end behind Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen.

Look for Philly to keep rolling when it hosts Tampa Bay on Thursday night at Wells Fargo Center, while on Saturday night, the Flyers take on the Capitals in Washington.

Philadelphia gets its rematch with Montreal on Monday back at home, but don’t sleep on the Habs.


Under wonders


Montreal is right there with Philly near the top of the East, and its solid defensive play has it cashing for ‘under’ bettors. Second in the league in goals against (2.0 GPG) and first on the penalty kill (89.7%), the Canadiens are 4-13-1 O/U this season, including a perfect 0-8 O/U away from the Bell Centre.

Yes, Andrei Markov is out indefinitely after re-injuring his surgically repaired knee, but Montreal has proven it can cash without its best player. The Habs are 8-2-1 without Markov this season, and are the hottest moneyline bet in the NHL.

With Nashville coming to town on Thursday night, Montreal had won four straight games, outscoring its opponents 15-3 during the stretch.

Overall, the Canadiens have won seven of their last 10, during which they played ‘under’ the number eight times.

Looking ahead to the weekend, Montreal takes on stumbling Toronto on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.


Home cooking


Over in the Western Conference, the Vancouver Canucks are heating up after a slow start. The Canucks began the season 2-5 against the moneyline, but then went on an 8-1 tear before falling in overtime at Buffalo on Monday night.

Vancouver has been particularly profitable at Rogers Arena this season, going 6-0-1 there with defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago coming in on Saturday night. The game is the first of a back-to-back at home for the Canucks, who entertain the Coyotes on Sunday night.

Going forward, Vancouver backers have to be pleased the team added some depth around the Sedin twins. The Canucks have a legitimate third line this season in Manny Malhotra, Raffi Torres, and Jannik Hansen, and that should serve them well as the year progresses.


Mean regression


The St. Louis Blues are coming back to down to earth after being the talk of the league to start the season. St. Louis had a seven-game win streak going from October 22-November 7, but it followed up the run with four losses in a row – including three on the road.

It was only a matter of time before the Blues’ lack of offensive punch caught up to them. St. Louis ranks 26th in scoring (2.4 GPG) and 25th on the power play (12.5%), and is led by Matt D’Agostini’s six markers.

Fade – or bet – the Blues on Friday when they meet Ottawa on Friday night at the Scottrade Center, or on Saturday night when they host New Jersey.


Coming up


In addition to the aforementioned contests, one matchup of note this weekend involves the Boston Bruins and Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night at TD Garden.

Sunday’s schedule is headlined by a game at Joe Louis Arena between the Detroit Red Wings and Calgary Flames.