There are 10 NHL games on the schedule tonight. Let’s take a look at the top picks, plays and predictions.
| Rangers vs Hurricanes ML -135 / +115 O/U 5.5 |
Flyers vs Maple Leafs ML +125 / -145 O/U 5.5 |
| Wild vs Lightning ML -115 / -105 O/U 5.5 |
Ducks vs Blackhawks ML +145 / -170 O/U 5.5 |
| Devils vs Avalanche ML -120 / +100 O/U 5 |
Canadiens vs Flames ML -105 / -115 O/U 5 |
| Senators vs Coyotes ML Off / Off O/U Off |
Islanders vs Canucks ML -150 / +125 O/U 5 |
| Predators vs Kings ML +115 / -135 O/U |
Capitals vs Sharks ML -110 / -110 O/U 5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
The Game to Watch: Canadiens vs Flames.
There have been some very impressive (and lengthy) streaks this season. Washington, Columbus, Montreal… and now Calgary.
The Flames have won seven in a row to bring them in striking distance of a divisional spot in the Pacific. Sometimes in hockey, you just need to get hot at just the right time. With the playoffs looming just a month away, Calgary might actually catch a few teams off guard.
Calgary has won their last four home games. In their most recent contest, the Flames tallied four goals in under five minutes in the opening frame against the New York Islanders. They chased Thomas Greiss after one period and didn’t look back, cruising to a 5-1 victory.
Montreal has overcome their early road woes to pull into a tie as the second-winningest road team in the Eastern Conference. It’s one of the more quietly impressive turnarounds in the NHL. They are far from a great team away from the Bell Centre, but they have been doing enough to win games- five straight road games, to be exact.
The Canadiens have won six straight of their own, four of those wins coming in overtime. Montreal has won nine games in 3-on-3, plus an additional two in the shootout. In fact, the Habs have won their last six games that have been decided beyond regulation. Their most recent such game came on Tuesday, where Paul Byron netted the overtime winner.
Calgary is playing on three days’ rest, which could potentially hinder them. The over has hit in 11 of the last 14 games played on that much rest for the Flames.
The Habs beat the Flames back in January 5-1. Calgary has been on such a roll lately though that they are a completely different team than they were in January. In this one, I like the home advantage. Montreal has relied a bit too much on forcing overtime and scraping together points.
Prediction: Take the Flames to win. Play the over.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Rangers vs Hurricanes: Carolina has absolutely nothing to play for anymore and the Rangers historically dominate the Canes. Couple that with the fact that the Rangers are the best road team in the NHL and have picked up their play of late, and this one becomes pretty easy to call.
This is a good game for the Rangers to warm up their top six a bit. Rick Nash has been great of late, as has Pavel Buchnevich. But Derek Stepan has turned in a slew of forgettable performances and has gone 22 games since his last goal. Since January 17th, he has just eight assists. Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes could pad their stats a bit to finally get rewarded for their solid play lately, too.
Carolina has lost 10 of their last 12.
Prediction: Take the Rangers to win. Play the over.
Flyers vs Maple Leafs: The Toronto Maple Leafs are effectively playing themselves out of a playoff spot. They finally were able to pick up a win against the Detroit Red Wings, snapping a five-game losing streak. They remain a point behind the New York Islanders for the second Wild Card spot, which appears to be the only spot available thanks to the recent surge by the Boston Bruins.
Philly is keeping pace, currently two points behind the Leafs on the outside looking in. Though they have picked up points in their last four games, they too are falling victim to the team above them performing well. The Islanders are performing better than expected on their lengthy road trip, so making up ground is tough for the Flyers.
Six different Flyers scored in a 6-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres Tuesday night. Radko Gudas led the way with a goal and two assists. Michael Del Zotto, Sean Couturier and Jordan Weal registered multi-point nights as well.
The Flyers have won their last four against Atlantic Division opponents. The over has hit in seven of the last eight meetings between these two teams in Canada.
Steve Mason is the projected starter tonight according to LeftWingLock. Mason has a .954 save percentage in his last four starts. Mason is capable of going on very nice stretches during the season, and is statistically usually one of the best 5-on-5 goaltenders in the NHL (this year being the exception to the rule). His future in the City of Brotherly Love is still very much so a mystery.
Prediction: Take the Flyers to win. Play the over.
Ducks vs Blackhawks: For as good as the Anaheim Ducks have been in their own building, they struggle hardcore when away from the warmth of California. Sporting a 13-14-7 on the road, their offense seems to evaporate when outside the Honda Center. They are 2-5-1 in their last eight games as the visiting team, with their offense totaling just 17 goals in that stretch- averaging 2.13 goals-for per game.
Chicago has rattled off seven wins in a row. Only the Edmonton Oilers have beaten the Blackhawks since February 2nd, and that was in Chicago’s first game back from the bye-week. They are an unstoppable force.
And just for good measure, they have won four of their last five against the Anaheim Ducks.
Prediction: Take the Blackhawks to win. Play the over.
Islanders vs Canucks: Vancouver started off the year as one of the most formidable home teams in the NHL. They played above their heads, yes, but they were still very hard to beat at the Rogers Arena. Now, they have lost six of their last seven home games and are now in a race to the bottom with the Dallas Stars.
Their season is essentially over, except to play the spoiler role for teams like the Islanders tonight.
The Isles need to keep piling on points in this road trip. Anything to help stay afloat is helpful, even loser points. If all goes according to plan tonight, there is no reason why the Islanders cannot emerge victorious tonight.
This game would be much more of a slam-dunk if the Isles were not such a Jekkyl-and-Hyde team. One night they are getting lit up by the Flames, the next they are running roughshod over the Oilers. It’s hard to get a feel for which team is showing up on a given night, but it’s usually evident within the first 5-10 minutes.
Joshua Ho-Sang got his first NHL goal on Tuesday against Edmonton. On a random side-note, complaining that he’s wearing #66 is dumb. Apparently that is a thing that people are doing, which is absurd. So if you are doing that, stop that.
Prediction: Take the Islanders to win. Play the under.
