We’re back! There are a whopping 12 games on tap for tonight, so let’s dive right into the top picks, plays and predictions.
| Maple Leafs vs Bruins ML +161 / -179 O/U 5 |
Rangers vs Devils ML -127 / +115 O/U 5 |
| Wild vs Islanders ML +127 / -140 O/U 5 |
Canadiens vs Flyers ML +108 / -119 O/U 5 |
| Senators vs Penguins ML +152 / -169 O/U 5.5 |
Panthers vs Capitals ML +139 / -154 O/U 5 |
| Blues vs Predators ML +114 / -126 O/U 5 |
Stars vs Jets ML -116 / +105 O/U 5.5 |
| Blackhawks vs Avalanche ML -125 / +113 O/U 5 |
Blue Jackets vs Oilers ML +118 / -130 O/U 5.5 |
| Kings vs Coyotes ML -145 / +131 O/U 5 |
Sharks vs Ducks ML +118 / -130 O/U 5 |
Play of the Day: Coyotes over Kings.
The Coyotes got the better of the Kings in their last meeting, topping them 3-2. Shane Doan had a multi-point game. Arizona is actually 3-0-1 against the Kings this season.
Of all the predictions to make, this one seems the most lucrative given the matchup and the line. The Coyotes are pretty significant underdogs at a +131 to the Kings’ -145. Especially when factoring that the Coyotes are at home and have had the Kings’ number all year.
LeftWingLock has the goalie matchup as Quick vs Domingue. My love for Louis Domingue has been well-documented, and with his last game against Winnipeg as an outlier, it has been 100% deserved.
Prediction: Take the Coyotes to win. Play the under.
The Game to Watch: Rangers vs Devils.
Look, the real correct answer here is “all of them.” Every single game on the docket tonight is going to be entertaining for a myriad of reasons. Rivalries, returns from injuries, playoff implications…tonight is going to be pure insanity. Twelve games is the most there’s been in the past month, at least.
But if there’s going to be one game to highlight, it is Rangers-Devils.
The Rangers will be without Rick Nash, who is still not recovered from a “bad bone bruise.” This means that Daniel Paille will remain in the lineup. According to DailyFaceoff, Jesper Fast will be on the top line with J.T. Miller and Derick Brassard. Oh boy.
The Devils won four of their last five heading into the All-Star break, with all of their momentum coming from the return of leading scorer Mike Cammalleri. Cammy had three assists in his four games back. Lee Stempniak had four goals and an assist, and Adam Henrique had a goal an an assist over that stretch. Any way you cut it, Cammalleri is a difference maker.
The goaltending matchup should be the strongest of the day. Henrik Lundqvist (23-13-4) will be going up against Cory Schneider (22-15-5).
The key will be the Rangers’ ability to drive possession without one of their best players in that category in the lineup. Nash’s defensive prowess will be sorely missed. On the other hand, the Rangers have had the biggest turnaround in the league when it comes to shot differentials from the first few months of the year to the last month. It’s because they had nowhere to go but up, but the point still stands.
New York is currently four points ahead of New Jersey in the standings.
Predictions: Take the Devils to win at +115. Play the under.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Maple Leafs vs Bruins: Tuukka Rask has owned the Maple Leafs his entire career. He has won all three of his starts against Toronto and looked dominant in doing so. While the Bruins on the whole have been nothing short of bad at home, they have a chance at a fresh start after a long weekend and against an ice-cold opponent.
The one chance Toronto has is James Reimer. Beyond that, their powerplay is goalless in their last nine games, leading goal scorer Leo Komarov has one goal in 16 games, and the Leafs have only beaten Tuukka Rask four times in 18 career tries.
Prediction: Take the Bruins to win. Play the over.
Blue Jackets vs Oilers: Oilers fans, rejoice! Your prodigal son has returned. Connor McDavid is returning to the Edmonton lineup tonight, at home no less. He will be on the second line with Jordan Eberle and Benoit Pouliot.
The important thing to keep an eye out for is whether or not McDavid has lost a step of his incendiary speed because of his broken clavicle holding him out so long. Before he went down with the injury, he had 11 points in his last eight games.
McDavid gets to ease his way back into the season with a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Prediction: Take the Oilers to win at -130. Play the under 5.5.
Sharks vs Ducks: San Jose has been a hot road team. They have won four consecutive games away from home, and have gone 6-1-2 in their last nine. The Sharks are on a 10-game point streak on the whole.
In their last meeting, Mike Santorelli scored the only goal of the contest for either side, giving the Ducks a 1-0 victory. The two sides combined for only 49 shots. This was before the Sharks snapped awake in 2016.
The key for San Jose to walk out of the Honda Center with a win is restricting Corey Perry. Easier said than done, but Perry has been the Ducks only way to get to the Sharks this season. Perry leads his team in goals, points, and powerplay goals.
Prediction: The line favors Anaheim, but this is a very enticing road play. Take the Sharks to win at +118. Play the under 5.
Wild vs Islanders: It is looking like Johnny Boychuk may be making his return to the Islanders’ lineup tonight against Minnesota. Whether he’s back or not, this news comes on the early side of the 4-6 week forecast of missed games after suffering his injury the first week of January.
Per Today’s Slapshot, the Islanders averaged 2.2 goals allowed per game in the last 16 games Boychuk played. Since his injury? The number jumps to 3.11.
A lot rides on whether or not Boychuk can slide in tonight, or even soon. More still rides on Jean-Francois Berube, the confirmed starting goaltender for the Islanders. Berube has one unimpressive start under his belt this year, the only NHL start of his career. He allowed four goals on 34 shots.
Prediction: Both teams desperately need to start the final stretch of the season on the right foot. The Wild usually come back sloppy from long breaks though, as they are 0-5 in games with a 3+ day break. The under always hits in that stretch. Play the Islanders to win, and take the under.
Senators vs Penguins: The Penguins will win. That much I’m sure of. The entertaining play here is the over/under, which is set at 5.5. Both the Penguins and the Senators are capable of getting lit up on any given night, but they are both still able to get a few goals back. At the 5.5 mark, the over has hit four of the last six games for both teams.
Prediction: Take the Pens to win at -169. Play the over. One team alone could account for five goals tonight.
Panthers vs Capitals: The Capitals will be without Alexander Ovechkin tonight, as he serves his one-game suspension for missing the All-Star Game. Andre Burakovsky will slide into his role on the top line with Nick Backstrom and T.J. Oshie.
Also out for the Capitals will be Braden Holtby, as he will serve as backup for Philipp Grubauer. Al Montoya will be going in goal for the Panthers.
The Panthers are pretty sizable underdogs at +129 for going up against a team without their starting soon-to-be Vezina-winning goaltender and their top shooter. While the Caps are still a tough opponent even without them (and that says a lot), it’s enough to give some pause as to taking them to win at a -143.
Prediction: Take the Panthers to win. Play the over.
Stars vs Jets: The Stars are the favorites at -120 on the road against Connor Hellebuyck and the Jets. Kari Lehtonen is rumored to be the probable starter for Dallas.
Dallas desperately needed the All-Star break as a team. Their offense had run bone-dry after firing on all cylinders for three months. Luckily, they are going up against a Winnipeg team that scored just one goal in four of their last five games.
Prediction: Dallas will come roaring back in the second half, so there’s a reason they are favored on the road. Take them to win. Play the under.
