After a hectic night of hockey, it is time for the weekly Wednesday lull in action. There are only three games on the schedule tonight, so let’s take a look around the NHL for the top picks, plays and predictions.
| Sabres vs Canadiens ML +131 / -145 O/U 5 |
Red Wings vs Lightning ML +145 / -161 O/U 5 |
| Hurricanes vs Flames ML +104 / -115 O/U 5 |
Play of the Day: Hurricanes over Flames.
The money line is about as even as it gets between Carolina and Calgary. The Canes are a +104 with the Flames at -115.
Carolina enters this game in much better shape than Calgary. The Canes are 7-2-1 in their last 10. In their last two wins before the break, they put up five goals in each game, including a 5-2 win over the Flames.
Eddie Lack was complimented by goalie guru Steve Valiquette on Twitter a few weeks ago for his work on improving his fundamentals over the course of this season. Lack’s first season in Carolina has been rocky to say the least, but he has been starting a slow but sure turnaround in his last few starts. His footwork in particular has improved and gotten him some clearer looks at the shooter, and he’s stopping more as a result. He has won three of his last four starts. Two of those wins were shutouts. Over that four-game span, Lack has stopped 119 of 125 shots- a .952 save percentage.
Karri Ramo is 1-5-0 in his last six starts. He was pulled after allowing three goals against the Hurricanes on the 24th.
Calgary is still waiting on the verdict of the Dennis Wideman suspension hearing for his collision with an official. He is currently suspended indefinitely pending a specific game amount to be determined by Colin Campbell, NHL director of hockey operations.
Prediction: Take the Hurricanes to win. They are the hotter hand. Play the over.
The Game to Watch: Red Wings vs Lightning.
The “Wednesday Night Rivalry” game on NBC Sports tonight is monumentally important to the Atlantic Division race. There is currently a three-way tie for second in the Atlantic between Tampa Bay, Detroit and Boston. Needless to say, the winner will not only jump ahead in the standings, they will pull to within striking distance of the Florida Panthers for the division lead.
This will be the first meeting between these two teams since November 3rd. In that game, the Red Wings came away with a 2-1 victory. Detroit won an earlier meeting this year by a score of 3-1. Both wins came at “The Joe” in Michigan.
Both Tampa Bay and Detroit are coming off successful months respectively. The Lightning went 9-2-0, spurred on by the return of Ondrej Palat. The Red Wings finished at 7-3-1.
The Red Wings have been riding the success of rookie sensation Dylan Larkin, who has three points in his last three games. Larkin is tied for the team lead in scoring with 33 points. Pavel Datsyuk has nine points in as many games as well. The problems have come when these two players are held quiet. Scoring depth has not been incredibly prominent these past few weeks for Detroit.
The money line is entertainingly slanted for two teams that are even in the standings. It’s especially enticing given that Detroit has won both meetings this year. But momentum is a major factor, and Tampa is riding a torrential wave into this game. Since Palat returned to the lineup, their goal production has skyrocketed. They are a night-and-day different team.
Prediction: Take Tampa Bay to win. Play the under. Even though the Tampa offense has been hot, something tells me this game will end up 3-1.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Sabres vs Canadiens: The Canadiens are 1-7-1 in their last nine games. Carey Price’s absence has caused a meteoric fall in the standings. Their offense is averaging just 2.1 goals per game in their last 10.
Max Pacioretty has been held off the scoresheet in his last five games. He has been reunited with David Desharnais on the top line with Dale Weise.
Tonight’s game will provide an answer to a critical question: just how low can the Canadiens sink? The Sabres are bad, but they are not a pushover team by any means. In the past two weeks, they have beaten the Senators, Coyotes and Capitals, and they came extremely close to overtaking the Rangers in a comeback effort.
With the money line very much so favoring the Canadiens at home, it’s not a bad play to bet on the Habs continuing their downward spiral.
Prediction: Go with the Sabres to win tonight. Play the under.
