There are seven games on tap for tonight. Let’s take a look at the top picks, plays and predictions.
| Bruins vs Stars ML -125 / +105 O/U 5.5 |
Flames vs Hurricanes ML +105 / -125 O/U 5.5 |
| Oilers vs Predators ML +105 O/U 5.5 |
Blue Jackets vs Rangers ML Off / Off O/U Off |
| Blues vs Blackhawks ML +145 / -165 O/U 5 |
Senators vs Panthers ML +125 / -155 O/U 5 |
| Sabres vs Coyotes ML -110 / -110 O/U 5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
Play of the day: Flames over Hurricanes.
Though I knew it could never last, I am kind of disappointed by the downward turn the Carolina Hurricanes’ season has taken. I want hockey to stay in Raleigh, and I want there to be a good product sooner rather than later.
Ultimately, I was snookered by their terrific play at home this season.
Astonishingly enough, PNC Arena has actually been one of the toughest places to play in the NHL this season. In the past week, we’ve seen a microcosm of Carolina’s season: following a 2-1 overtime loss to the bottom-of-the-barrel Avalanche, the Canes shut out the Leafs. They then play a tight game but lose to the Penguins and follow that up by blanking the Senators.
They are capable of very good play but simply don’t have the firepower yet. Now all we have to do is wait and see what kind of return they get for their veterans by NHL Trade Deadline Day.
Switching to a team more on the up-and-up, let’s talk about the Calgary Flames. They are currently on a five-game point streak, wrapping up their tour of Southeast America today. They have already bested the Predators in overtime and topped both Floridian teams on this stretch.
The Flames are 6-1-1 in their last eight road games, which has brought them from one of the worst road records among playoff contenders to above average. For frame of reference, the New York Rangers lead the NHL with 21 road wins. Calgary has 17. Not too shabby.
Eddie Lack will get the call once again in net for the Canes. The 29-year-old had a turbulent return to NHL action in his first game back between the pipes against Washington, but managed to put together a 34-save shutout of Ottawa Friday night. While it’s nice to ride momentum, he’s got pedestrian numbers. His return to form is not quite equivalent to that of Jonathan Quick, for instance.
Prediction: Take the Flames to win tonight. Play the under.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Bruins vs Stars: The Boston Bruins have the chance now to strike what would be one of the most ironic blows to their rival franchise in many years. Theoretically speaking, it is still statistically possible that the Bruins make the playoffs and the Montreal Canadiens do not, even after the Habs added Claude Julien as their coach.
It’s unlikely. A definite long-shot. But how funny would that be?
The Bs have won five of six with the new coach. Tonight wraps up what has been a four-game tour of the Western Conference, with their lone loss currently being to the Anaheim Ducks. Each game on the trip has been tight. Even the 4-1 win over the Kings was a one-goal game with about a minute left in regulation.
Though the Stars have won back-to-back games by trouncing the Arizona Coyotes the other day, it appears that they will indeed be looking to move a couple of pieces to amass some picks. Patrick Eaves was the first domino to fall, as they moved him to Anaheim for a conditional second-round pick. If Anaheim somehow makes the Western Conference Final, that pick would then become a first-rounder.
Dallas currently sits nine points out of the Wild Card in the West.
The road team has won the last six meetings between these two teams. The over is 6-1-1 in the last eight encounters.
Amazingly, the Stars are winless in their last eight following games in which they score five or more. Talk about coming back down to earth.
Something else worth noting: the Bruins are 8-2-1 in day games this season. The Stars are 2-3-1. Boston knows how to get up for matinee games, and that could be a difference maker given the early start.
Prediction: Take the Bruins to win. Play the over.
Oilers vs Predators: Filip Forsberg jumped out of the gate quickly, then went through a bit of a wintertime lull, as did the Nashville Predators on the whole. Things are looking up now though, for Forsberg and the entire team.
Nashville has slipped by the floundering St. Louis Blues into the third divisional spot in the Central Division. P.K. Subban is healthy and is in a scoring groove. Roman Josi is on a four-game point streak as well.
But the real star is Forsberg. Forsberg had a down game against the Wild a week ago, but has put all that behind him with one an absurd stretch. He put up back-to-back hat tricks against Calgary and Colorado, then registered his third straight three-point night yesterday against his former organization, the Washington Capitals. Not bad.
Edmonton is in game four of a five-game road trip. Their offense has been frustrating on this trek, as evidenced by Friday’s game against the Washington Capitals. They looked discombobulated, coughing up pucks left and right. It seemed like a game that would be easy to shrug off as one against the best team in the league without a top defenseman in Adam Larsson. To limit the damage to 2-1 is a moral victory.
The under has hit in eight of Edmonton’s last nine road games, and is 5-0-3 in the last eight meetings between these two teams. The Oilers have lost their last four in Nashville.
Prediction: Take the Preds, who have won five of their last six tail-end games of back-to-backs, to win tonight. Play the under.
Blues vs Blackhawks: I would say that this is a potential showcase of a future playoff matchup, but the St. Louis Blues have to hold up their end of the bargain first. With every day bringing us another moment closer to the Kevin Shattenkirk move (which I am calling Shattengeddon, copyright @ me), the Blues are about to be losing a lot of offense. Their return will most likely be a current player that has a bit of a cap hit to soften the blow, a prospect and a pick, neither helps in the here-and-now.
St. Louis is only three points up on the Los Angeles Kings, who just got their starting goaltender back in Jonathan Quick.
Gulp.
Tonight will be a fun one to watch for a myriad of reasons. One way to look at it is as a rivalry game. Blues-Blackhawks is almost always a fun watch. If you’re more masochistic as a Blues fan, every game is potentially Kevin Shattenkirk’s last as a member of the organization, and your last before you realize “Oh god, we might have to go to war with Kevin Klein on our top pair tomorrow instead.”
The Blues have won five of their last six road games but the Hawks have taken eight of their last nine overall. The season series is currently split 2-2, with the most recent meeting being the Winter Classic.
Chicago will be without Nik Hjalmarsson tonight as he nurses an upper-body injury.
Prediction: Take the Blackhawks to win tonight. Play the over.
Blue Jackets vs Rangers: Speaking of Kevin Shattenkirk, the Rangers’ name seems to be the most popular one when discussing possible destinations. This connection has existed for years. Before the season, there were musings that Rick Nash could be on the move in exchange for the American defenseman.
That package has apparently been downgraded to Kevin Klein, picks, and who knows what else. I have a sneaking suspicion that someone like Brandon Pirri might also be included so as to give Pavel Buchnevich a clear lineup spot, but that’s just my guess.
Trade bait Kevin Klein will miss today’s game with a groin injury.
Previously on Blue Jackets-Rangers, Jimmy Vesey netted a third period goal to put the Rangers on top to stay en route to a 3-2 victory. Columbus outshot New York 32-23 but Antti Raanta earned the victory in net.
Henrik Lundqvist will get a crack at the Jackets tonight. Lundvist’s last start against CBJ went poorly (three goals in one period and out), but has been simply spectacular since then. His save percentage is up to .914 now and continues to rise. Hank’s career average is .920.
The Blue Jackets apparently don’t know the meaning of the bye-week curse, because they broke it and broke it hard against the New York Islanders yesterday. Columbus erupted for seven goals and allowed zero. Nick Foligno and Josh Anderson both netted two goals a piece.
Both teams are playing on a back-to-back, but the Blueshirts had a significantly shorter distance to travel after their win over the New Jersey Devils yesterday. Adam Clendening (Klein’s replacement) potted a clutch game-tying goal in the final five minutes of regulation before Mika Zibanejad put the game away with a beautiful overtime goal. After Raanta made the save of the game, Zibanejad received a stretch pass in stride, faked a slapshot then slipped a change-up through the five-hole of Cory Schneider.
The goal snapped a 16-game drought for Zibanejad.
Prediction: Columbus has lost five of their last six following a win. Take the Rangers, who are simply the hotter team right now, to win. Play the over.
