There are four NHL games on the docket tonight. Let’s take a look around the NHL at the top picks, plays and predictions.
| Sharks vs Senators ML -120 / +110 O/U 5 |
Bruins vs Penguins ML +145 / -160 O/U 5.5 |
| Lightning vs Flames ML +100 / -120 O/U 5 |
Flyers vs Avalanche ML -120 / +100 O/U 5.5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
Play of the Day: Flames over Lightning.
I’ll bet at the beginning of the season when you were trying to predict which teams and which players were going to catch fire, Chad Johnson was not at the top of that list.
Nevertheless, here we are.
The Flames are on a six-game win streak and a seven-game point streak entering this matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Chad Johnson is 9-1 in his last 10 starts with two shutouts mixed in. Especially since the Flames went out and acquired Brian Elliott in the offseason, this has to be surprising to a lot of people. Their backup has essentially made them one of the hottest teams in the NHL. That’s something.
Midway through December, the Flames could theoretically propel themselves to the top of the Pacific Division tonight with a win and a Sharks loss. They currently are just a point behind the three-way tie in the division, and have a four-point cushion for the top Wild Card spot.
Since returning from injury, Johnny Gaudreau has notched two points in each of his four games- two goals and six assists. Gaudreau has 19 points in 21 games total this year. Sean Monahan has awoken from his slumber as well, currently riding a seven-game point streak. After a slow start to the season, he is now second on the team in scoring. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton has four goals in four games.
Tampa Bay needs a win. Badly. They are in free-fall, 2-7-1 in their last 10. They are four points behind the Bruins for the third Atlantic Division spot and nine points behind the surging Capitals and Flyers in the Wild Card. They need to pick up the pace, and fast.
Nikita Kucherov apparently left practice early yesterday for an undisclosed reason. Make of that what you will. He is expected to play tonight. Ryan Callahan made the trip with the team, though there is no timetable for his return to the lineup just yet.
Tampa has won four of the last five meetings, though they lost their last trip to Calgary. The downward trend for the Bolts looks foreboding.
Prediction: Take the Flames to stay hot- pun totally intended. Play the over.
The Game to Watch: Bruins vs Penguins.
This sort of wins the “Game to Watch” battle by default, as it is the featured Wednesday Night Rivalry game on NBCSports. It is the only battle between teams of the same conference tonight, and at least both of them are in serious playoff contention.
The Bruins narrowly edged out the Montreal Canadiens Monday night in overtime. Torey Krug managed to draw both defenseman up high to the blueline and Ryan Spooner made a terrific cut to the net to get past Alexander Radulov. Spooner slipped a backhander under the pad of Price for the dramatic win.
The victory was particularly sweet for Tuukka Rask, who has been on the losing end of most contests against the Montreal Canadiens in his career. Rask made 30 saves in the win, improving to 15-5-2. He had allowed three or more goals in his previous three starts, so getting back on track is big for the Finnish goaltender.
Pittsburgh is proving just how ridiculously good they can be when they are at full strength. Sidney Crosby, since returning from a concussion, has 21 goals in 23 games to lead the NHL. Matt Murray, since fracturing his hand, is 11-2 with a 1.84 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage with two shutouts. The Pens are 12-2-1 at home.
Oh, and Pittsburgh has five powerplay goals in their last two games.
So this oughta be good.
If Boston is to pull this out, they will need yet another stellar performance out of Rask. The Penguins score at a much higher clip than the Bruins. While it’s possible that David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand could go shot-for-shot with the high-powered Pittsburgh offense, it will be for naught if the defensemen and Rask cannot hold their own.
They will need their sleeping powerplay to wake up as well, as they are just 1-for-20 lately.
A comforting thought? Boston has won their last five against Pittsburgh, and five of their last six in PA.
For once, this is an NBC game I’m looking forward to.
Prediction: Take the Penguins to win. Play the under.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Sharks vs Senators: Despite besting the Sharks 4-2, the Senators had a wildly unsuccessful road trip last week. Ottawa returns home tonight after going 1-3 in their four-game trek, allowing 19 goals in that stretch. In their final two games, they mustered just two goals against Los Angeles and Anaheim combined.
For what it’s worth, the Sens have taken their last five against the Sharks. However, they will be without their starting goaltender again tonight as Craig Anderson has taken a leave of absence to be with his wife as she undergoes cancer treatment.
Mike Condon, his replacement, posted a shutout earlier this month against Florida and notched a 35-save win over the Sharks last week, but was lit up over the weekend in their dreaded back-to-back.
The over has hit in each of the last six encounters between these two teams.
I always like to take advantage of a home underdog, though I have trepidation heading into this matchup given just how porous Ottawa has been their last few games. The thought process is perhaps a return home to the safe haven of Canada will quell the scoring a bit. And even if it doesn’t, there’s no reason why they can’t win a scoring battle- just look at the Hurricanes last night.
Prediction: Take a chance on the Sens at home tonight. Play the over.
