There are nine NHL games on the docket tonight. Let’s take a look at the top picks, plays and predictions.
| Oilers vs Sabres ML -147 / +110 O/U 5 |
Canucks vs Devils ML +150 / -170 O/U 5 |
| Rangers vs Islanders ML -135 / +115 O/U 5.5 |
Panthers vs Flyers ML Off / Off O/U Off |
| Canadiens vs Blues ML +110 / -130 O/U 5 |
Avalanche vs Predators ML +170 / -200 O/U 5.5 |
| Red Wings vs Jets ML +125 / -145 O/U 5 |
Coyotes vs Blackhawks ML Off / Off O/U Off |
| Flames vs Stars ML +125 / -145 O/U 5.5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
Play of the Day: Sabres over Oilers.
Patrick Maroon is having a rough week.
After giving an interview declaring hockey a “man’s game,” a comment which has drawn ire around the Twitterverse given the growing popularity of the National Women’s Hockey League, he decided to clear the air with a bizarre public statement:
https://twitter.com/TravisSBN/status/805956039086632961
Justifying that the NHL is a “man’s game” is fine, because the whole analogy of “men-against-boys” is still commonplace. It’s unfortunate phrasing, but even as an ardent supporter of women’s sports a huge Riveters fan, I can at least kinda see what he was trying to say. I hardly expect Pat Maroon to be the most eloquent person.
As evidenced by “I play hockey, not school.”
I would also bet money on him not knowing who Manon Rheaume is.
Anyway, to the game: the Sabres are on the tail-end of a back-to-back after falling to the Caps last night in overtime. Edmonton is coming off an overtime loss of their own on Sunday against the Wild.
For this matchup of McDavid vs Eichel, I would take a chance on Eichel. I don’t like the line being so slanted in favor of Edmonton in this one, regardless of where Buffalo is in the standings.
Prediction: Take a chance on the Sabres tonight. Play the over.
The Game to Watch: Rangers vs Islanders.
It’s funny what a week can do to turn things around.
Don’t get me wrong, the Islanders have still played objectively terrible hockey this season and they should fire their head coach before the end of this paragraph. But at least they have made the shift to winning hockey. After going 3-0-1 in their last four games, they have risen from last in the league to 28th in the league. Progress!
Jest as I may, I subscribe to the theory that teams are never as good or as bad as they look. The Islanders have looked pretty bad this season, but I believe that they are better than their record indicates.
Which brings me to the Rangers, a team that is definitely not as good as they look.
The Blueshirts top many power rankings around the league, but their play hardly indicates dominance. This past month has been horrendous in terms of shot generation and scoring chance frequency. They are 2-2 in this past week, but they have been shutout at home by Ottawa, blown a 3-2 to Buffalo, and narrowly defeated the Hurricanes twice.
In their most recent game, they managed 11 shots through the first two periods before scoring three times on 12 shots in the third. In their other win over Carolina, they managed 21 shots on goal all game.
So here we are. Both teams need this game for drastically different reasons. The Islanders are looking to trounce their rivals at home to really keep the motor roaring and propel them back into the Wild Card hunt. The Rangers are looking to change their quality of play to stave off the Penguins and Blue Jackets, who are coming in hot in the Metro Division standings.
The Rangers will be without Michael Grabner, who is in Austria for the funeral of his grandmother.
Jaroslav Halak will get the start against Henrik Lundqvist. Halak’s nine-game winning streak over Lundqvist was snapped in the season opener this year, with the Rangers putting five past Halak.
The Rangers are winless in their last four games following a win.
Prediction: Take the Isles to win. Play the under, which is 8-1 in their last nine meetings in Brooklyn/Nassau.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Canucks vs Devils: New Jersey is daring you to take the over. And you know what? I’ll bite. The over has hit in five of their last six games, and is 3-1-1 in the last five meetings between these two teams at the Rock. The over is 5-0-1 in the Canucks’ last six games against the Metro Division. The Devils have scored 12 goals combined in their last three home games.
Travis Zajac has 10 points in his last six games, which has skyrocketed him to the top of the team leaderboard. Mike Cammalleri, who has seven points in his last five games, has been red-hot as well.
Vancouver is starting a five-game road trip this week. They have their hands full going up against one of the hottest home teams in hockey in the Devils.
Prediction: Take Jersey to win. Play the over.
Panthers vs Flyers: The skid continues for the Panthers, as they lost to the Boston Bruins in overtime last night at TD Garden. However, there are some positives to derive from their performance. They battled back from down a goal three different times, including a tying goal with a minute-and-a-half to go in regulation. Jaromir Jagr found the back of the net for his fourth goal in nine games.
But the worst thing for a team that’s struggling and going through a hard transition is to run into a team that’s trending the opposite direction. The Flyers have been rolling, winning five games in a row. They swept a very difficult weekend away from the Chicago Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators in Tennessee. Wayne Simmonds tallied his 12th and 13th goals of the season against the Preds, while Claude Giroux notched his 16th assist.
Florida is finally coming to the end of a long road trip that has been a major bummer, to say the least. Don’t expect it to get better tonight.
Prediction: Take the Flyers to win. Play the over.
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