There are now four games on the schedule for the day, as Washington’s matchup against the Penguins has been postponed. Stay safe, East Coasters. On that note, here’s today’s top picks, plays and predictions around the NHL.
| Rangers vs Senators ML -136 / +124 O/U 5 |
Flames vs Hurricanes ML +116 / -128 O/U 5 |
| Blues vs Blackhawks ML +139 / -154 O/U |
Kings vs Sharks ML OFF / OFF O/U OFF |
Play of the Day: Blues over Blackhawks. The Blackhawks are falling into the same trap that the Rangers and Panthers have fallen into before. After having a long win streak snapped, their adrenaline seems to have run out.
They were outplayed by the Lightning to a 2-1 score, with shots at 33-18 Tampa. The best opportunity of the game for the Hawks came just 43 seconds into the game. Anisimov buried an offensive rush generated by Patrick Kane following a faceoff win in their own zone. Beyond that, the Lightning stifled the Hawks for the final 59 minutes.
Chicago fell the following night to the Panthers in a flat 4-0 loss. They were again outshot, this time by a smaller margin. Their coverages were sloppy and they looked lethargic after being run ragged by Tampa the previous night.
Brian Elliott and the Blues are 5-1-1 in their last seven. Their most recent game was a 2-1 shootout loss to the Avalanche. Elliott added 40 more saves to what has already been a very impressive week in shot volume.
The game will be in Chicago. The Hawks are returning from a three-game road trip, and will be heading back out to play the Hurricanes in Carolina on Tuesday. They have played a lot of hockey in these past few weeks. They have not had more than one day off since the New Year holiday. While St. Louis has played just as much, they at least have had the luxury of no back-to-backs recently.
Prediction: Take the Blues to win at +139. Take the under.
The Game to Watch: Kings vs Sharks. The Sharks have turned a corner and how. They are 6-0-1 in their last seven games with a loss in the shootout. They are 4-0-1 in their last five home games after starting the year with a abysmal record at “The Tank.”
Their offense has sprung to life. They are averaging 4.6 goals per game over their last seven games. They can probably thank the Maple Leafs for the shot in the arm of confidence after a 7-0 victory served as the turning point of their season.
Both teams played last night. The Sharks triumphed over the Wild 4-3. The Kings fell to the Coyotes 3-2. Los Angeles has been hit and miss with each passing night.
Prediction: Even though home ice has not meant much to the Sharks or this rivalry this year, it will be crucial tonight. The Sharks smell blood in the water as they continue to close the gap on the Pacific lead. Take San Jose to win. Play the under.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Flames vs Hurricanes: Let’s play a game of point-counterpoint. Point: Calgary sits second to last in the Pacific, nine points out of the nearest Wild Card spot. Counterpoint: they have three games in hand on Minnesota and five on the Avalanche. Conceivably, they could make up a lot of ground with a nice win streak despite losing four of their last six.
Point: the Hurricanes also sit in the hunt for a Wild Card berth in the Eastern Conference. Counterpoint: leapfrogging the Devils, Penguins and Bruins is proving to be a very difficult task.
The Flames have been better with Karri Ramo in net, as he has allowed two goals or fewer in four of his last five games.
The Canes have gone 1-2-1 in their last four games, their win coming in overtime against Toronto with a 1-0 score. Their offense has disappeared, mustering one goal a game in that stretch.
Prediction: Take the Flames to win, with a stone-cold under play.
Rangers vs Senators: The Rangers have won two games in a row for the first time since November 23rd. And no, it was not because of new addition Daniel Paille even if he did somehow get over 15 minutes of ice time in his first NHL game all season.
New York’s top six has been playing well all things considered. JT Miller notched two goals against Carolina Friday night. Kevin Hayes continues to be a leader in shot differential on a nightly basis. Oscar Lindberg proved once again that scratching him should literally never happen ever by flaunting his excellent vision and puck control.
The problem has always been their defense and their pathetic inability to limit high-danger scoring chances. For the first time since late November, they seem to be doing better at forcing their opponent outside of Royal Road. Even though shots were 32-31 slightly favoring the Rangers, Carolina’s methodical, spacious offense was not able to tie things up once they fell behind in the first period.
The Senators are coming off back-to-back thrashings at the hands of the Devils and Islanders. Any one period can be a disaster; they allowed five goals in the first to the Devils, then three in the third to fall to the Isles. They have allowed 4.7 goals per game in their last six games. That number rises to 5.5 in their last four losses.
Prediction: I normally don’t care for the road team being favored, especially since the Rangers have been so inconsistent. But play New York to win anyway at -136. Take the over as well.
