With nine games on the schedule tonight, let’s look around the NHL at today’s top picks, plays and predictions.
| Kings vs Islanders ML OFF / OFF O/U OFF |
Sabres vs Flyers ML +136 / -150 O/U 5 |
| Ducks vs Blue Jackets ML -135 / +122 O/U 5.5 |
Avalanche vs Senators ML OFF / OFF O/U OFF |
| Capitals vs Wild ML -119 / +108 O/U 5 |
Bruins vs Jets ML -104 / -108 O/U 5 |
| Stars vs Blackhawks ML +119 / -131 O/U 5.5 |
Maple Leafs vs Oilers ML +119 / -131 O/U 5.5 |
| Flames vs Sharks ML OFF / OFF O/U OFF |
Play of the Day: The over in Stars vs Blackhawks.
Less than a week later, the Dallas Stars get a shot at redemption against the Chicago Blackhawks. This past Saturday, the Hawks rolled into Dallas and easily snagged a 5-1 victory.
Dallas sits three points behind the Blackhawks in the standings with three games in hand. Tonight will go a long way towards redemption but also carries an enormous four-point opportunity for the victor.
The Stars have had lots of difficulty beating fellow playoff contenders of late. They are 4-1 in their last five overall, but have played some weak teams in that stretch. They are 0-5 in their last five games against teams with a winning record.
Jason Spezza remains out of the lineup for Dallas.
In their last meeting, the Blackhawks utilized their blazing speed in transition to ramp up the pressure on Dallas. After Brent Seabrook’s goal 38 seconds into the game, Dallas dominated the even-strength scoring chances. Antti Niemi was generally weak in net, too.
Artem Anisimov had a shorthanded breakaway goal and three assists in that game.
The over is the most entertaining play in this one. The winner is going to be a close call, but all signs point to this game being just as high scoring as the last, whether it be one-sided or combined.
Prediction: Take the Stars to win at +119. Play the over.
The Game to Watch: Kings vs Islanders.
High-powered offenses are facing off tonight, as the Kings and Islanders are both just a few days removed from blowout victories. The Islanders skated rings around the Edmonton Oilers Sunday afternoon, following it up with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Blue Jackets. The Kings made sure to celebrate Milan Lucic’s return to TD Garden in style, routing the Bruins 9-2.
The top players on each side are getting hot at the right time. Kyle Okposo has three goals and three assists on a three game point streak. John Tavares, also on a three-game streak, has two goals and three assists.
On the other side of the ice, Anze Kopitar is on a five-game point streak in which he has seven assists. Dustin Brown is on a three-game streak.
Thomas Greiss will get the start for the Islanders against Jhonas Enroth tonight, per LeftWingLock. Jonathan Quick did not practice Wednesday after a collision late in the game against the Bruins.
The Kings have taken four of the last five games against the Islanders. The Kings are 8-2 in their last 10 on the road as well. The difficulty for them has been stringing together multiple wins in a row. They are 1-6 following a win since their five-game win streak to round out 2015. They have a comfortable seven point lead on the rest of the Pacific Division, but that is no excuse for complacency.
Prediction: Take the Kings to win.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Sabres vs Flyers: Shayne Gostisbehere will be looking to extend his point streak to the double-digit mark tonight. The quest for game number 10 will run through the Buffalo Sabres, who are 2-4-2 in their last eight.
Buffalo is one of the worst possession teams in the league, and they allow plenty of opportunities from the blueline. The Gostisbehere-Michael Del Zotto defensive pair should be looking for plenty of chances tonight.
Philly will be looking to regroup after dropping three straight games. They are 2-8-2 this year without Sean Couturier in their lineup.
Prediction: Philadelphia will bounce back tonight on home ice. Play them to win. Take the under.
Maple Leafs vs Oilers: Good news for both teams- there will be a winner. The bad news for you the humble fan- watching this game is going to be pretty boring. Other than Jared Cowen and Colin Greening making their Maple Leafs debut, there is not much to discuss. Even that plot line is weak.
The Oilers have been outscored 15-3 in their last three games. The Maple Leafs have been outscored 10-4 in their last two. Toronto has one regulation win in their last 14 games. Edmonton has three regulation wins in that same stretch.
The over/under is actually at 5.5, which I can only imagine is in reference to the number of minutes it will take you to fall asleep.
Prediction: Toronto is a +119 to the Oilers’ -131. The Leafs are at least 7-1 in their last eight against the Oilers. Take Toronto to win. Play the under.
Bruins vs Jets: The Jets have won consecutive games against the Avalanche and Blues, respectively. Dustin Byfuglien tallied an assist against St. Louis in his first game since inking a new contract to stay in Winnipeg.
The win against the Blues was a major confidence booster to Connor Hellebuyck. The rookie goaltender had been lit up in his previous two starts, allowing four in a loss to Dallas and three in under five minutes against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Speaking of confidence, the Bruins were shot down hard in their final game before a six-game road trip as mentioned above. The 9-2 loss started with promise as Brad Marchand extended his goal-scoring streak to four games, but melted down very soon after.
Boston is 1-7 in their last eight games in Winnipeg, but worse, they are 0-4 in their last four games following losses by three or more goals. Blowouts tend to linger.
Prediction: Take the Jets to win at -106. Play the over 5.
Ducks vs Blue Jackets: The over is the play of the game. The Ducks’ offense is red-hot, and Columbus is prone to allowing plenty of scoring chances. There’s a reason the over/under is 5.5. The over is 6-1-4 in Anaheim’s last 11 and 3-0-2 since returning from the All-Star Break.
Prediction: Take the Ducks to win and play the over 5.5.
Capitals vs Wild: Here’s your bold pick of the day. Minnesota has history on their side against the Washington Capitals.
The home team is 13-3 in their last 16 meetings. Washington has lost seven of their last eight in Minnesota. The two split their season series last year.
The Capitals are on a roll and are marching towards the President’s Trophy. Braden Holtby has one (repeat, one) regulation loss in his last 31 starts. However, the special teams battle could be crucial in this particular matchup. The Caps are 1-for-20 in their last six games on the man advantage despite having the top percentage of success. The Wild have scored in each of their last four games on the powerplay.
The Wild will be scratching Thomas Vanek and Jason Zucker tonight. Mike Yeo is clearly trying to light a fire under the rears of his players, as his job security is getting weaker by the day.
Jared Spurgeon was on the ice for an optional skate yesterday, though it looks like he is doubtful for tonight’s game.
Prediction: It’s a big, big reach, I admit. But I live dangerously. Take the Wild to snap their streak tonight at +108. Play the over.
