There are six games on the docket for tonight. Let’s take a look around the NHL to check the best picks, plays and predictions of the night.
| Bruins vs Flyers ML -115 / +104 O/U 5 |
Canadiens vs Blue Jackets ML -120 / +109 O/U 5.5 |
| Red Wings vs Islanders ML +122 / -135 O/U 5 |
Sabres vs Rangers ML OFF / OFF O/U OFF |
| Flames vs Stars ML O/U 5.5 |
Coyotes vs Wild ML +153 / -170 O/U 5 |
Play of the Day: Coyotes over Wild. The Wild is favored very heavily for a team that has lost six of their last seven games. Minnesota followed up their first win in two weeks by falling to the Sharks in the final two minutes.
Arizona snapped a four-game losing streak Saturday night by topping the Kings 3-2. Shane Doan netted his 17th goal of the season and could theoretically hit 30 for the first time since 2008-2009. Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored his 14th, putting him just 10 points behind his career high of 44.
The kids have been quiet for the ‘Yotes lately. They are incredibly fun to watch nonetheless. Max Domi lodged an assist last game and sits at third on the team in points with 32. Anthony Duclair has 24. Domi and Duclair are riding astronomically high shooting percentages, 15.5% and 23.5% respectively. This means two things: 1) when the kids get open chances, they bury them. 2) They could stand to shoot more.
All signs point towards this game being a low-scoring one. The under is 6-1-1 in Minnesota’s last eight, and 5-1-2 in the last eight for Arizona.
Prediction: Both teams come in cold, but there’s no real reason for the line to be as slanted towards Minnesota as it is. Take the Coyotes to win. Take the stone-cold under.
The Game to Watch: Red Wings vs Islanders.
This will be the best goalie matchup of the night. That always seems to be true whenever Petr Mrazek is in net. I don’t quite know what it is. Perhaps it’s his infectious enthusiasm, maybe it’s the lightning-speed reflexes he has with his legs. Any way you look at it, Petr Mrazek is very fun to watch.
Mrazek will be going up against Jaroslav Halak. Halak has allowed just four goals on 91 shots his last three games. He has found his groove after stuttering back from injury earlier in the month.
The line favors the Islanders at home at +122/-135. Mrazek could easily steal this game for Detroit making it a very tempting play. There’s something about playing at the Barclays Center for the Isles, though. They have a 15-7-2 record and their special teams skyrocket at home.
Detroit has been averaging less than two goals scored per game their last nine games. The Isles have scored 14 in their last four alone to the Wings’ eight.
Prediction: This is one of the harder predictions of the night, but the slight edge goes to the Islanders on home ice. Take the under in this one.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Bruins vs Flyers: The Bruins have won four of their last five. It should be noted that those four wins have come against cold or terrible teams, sometimes both (Buffalo, Toronto, Montreal and Columbus). Their most recent win came in the shootout.
The Flyers’ let their foot off the gas pedal against the Penguins Thursday. After leaping out to a 2-0 lead, they allowed three in the second period. In the game before, a last-second goal by Matt Hunwick lifted the Leafs over Philly.
Their game against the Islanders on Saturday was postponed.
The Bruins have David Krecji back and they could not be happier. He got his first point since returning from injury with an assist against Columbus. While he does not look completely 100% just yet as far as getting back into the ebb and flow of the game, he is certainly not far off.
Prediction: With a win, the Bruins can actually hop back into second place in the Atlantic Division. Look for them to take this game. Take the under.
Sabres vs Rangers: The Rangers better hope for their sake that a different team enters the Garden than the one that entered Ottawa last night. They were skating asleep and lost 3-0 as a result. Even the normally even-keeled Alain Vigneault was disgusted in the postgame presser, calling everyone except for Henrik Lundqvist and Jesper Fast out for not showing up to play.
The Rangers’ faults have been fundamental. Their first problem is recent addition Daniel Paille- he stinks. The Rangers’ fourth line on the whole stinks. Dominic Moore, who is usually an effective player when in the right company, was saddled with Paille and Tanner Glass last game. The trio was outshot 19-5 at evens. That’s a 20.8% Corsi rating for those playing at home.
Kill that line with fire. One player has to go, either Paille or Glass. Pick one. Because they were a tire fire.
The bigger issue that stems from that is the fact that management thought that idea would work. Putting together a fourth line incapable of escaping their own zone and generate anything resembling offensive pressure is such a colossal lapse in judgment it almost deserves its own article. Paille saw more even-strength ice time in his first game against Carolina than Derek Stepan or Oscar Lindberg, and more in the first period than Rick Nash. Let that sink in.
The Rangers were without Rick Nash last night, and they are hoping he returns tonight. Pray that they put him in place of Glass or Paille. If they do, their chances of winning skyrocket. If they sit Oscar Lindberg, Kevin Hayes or frankly anyone else they deserve to be laughed out of the Garden.
Prediction: Fortunately for the Rangers, they have had the Sabres’ number these past couple of years. If they want to bounce back, this is the perfect opponent. They cannot sit back. Otherwise Ryan O’Reilly will pounce. Take the Rangers to win.
Canadiens vs Blue Jackets: The Habs have won their last four meetings with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Habs are entering a very important part of their schedule to keep pace with an increasingly competitive Atlantic Division. They have a home-and-home with Columbus, then after the All-Star break play Philly, Buffalo and Edmonton. To gain some ground, they will need to start by beating up on the team they have owned lately.
Prediction: Take Montreal to win on the road. Play the under.
Flames vs Stars: Calgary had a chance to get back into the race in the Pacific Division and failed. While the shots battle was even, the Flames could never recover from their early deficit. They have yet another shot tonight.
The Dallas Stars of 2016 look like a hungover version of the 2015 stars. It’s as if they still have not recovered from a big night out on the New Year’s holiday. Their once potent offense has been limited to two goals per game their last eight games. Regression is hitting their collective shooting percentage hard.
Frustration has to be reaching a boiling point for Dallas, as their most recent game was a 43-15 beatdown of Colorado in the shot department, but a 3-1 loss. Hockey is weird sometimes, and momentum can shift at the drop of a hat.
Prediction: A +175 line against the slumping Stars may be too good to pass up. Take the Flames to win and take the over.
