Around the NHL: Predictions for February 21st

There are nine NHL games on the docket tonight. Let’s take a look at the top picks, plays and predictions.

Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.

The Game to Watch: Blackhawks vs Wild.
The Minnesota Wild could pull far away in the race for the Central Division title tonight. They currently lead the Chicago Blackhawks by seven points and currently hold a game in hand. With a four point game at stake tonight, fans in the State of Hockey ought to be licking their chops.

The season series is currently split between Minnesota and Chicago, with the road team winning both games. Before Chicago’s overtime win on the 8th this month, the Wild had won the previous six encounters.

This time around, the Wild will be without defenseman Matt Dumba. Dumba will be shut down until the end of the month with a lower-body injury. He has seven goals and 17 assists in 54 games this season, but has not played since February 10th. His loss will be felt on the blueline these next few weeks.

Losing one of their best offensive defensemen has not slowed the Wild’s attack one bit. Minnesota won three of their four games last week sans Dumba, scoring 14 goals along the way.

Chicago is getting back in the swing of things after their bye-week. They lost their first game back from the vacation, as most teams seem to do this season. Sunday proved to be a bounceback performance, however, as just 24 hours later the Hawks picked up a decisive 5-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.

This will be the seventh road game Chicago has played this month. They are a perfect 6-0 as the visiting team in February.

Prediction: Take the Blackhawks to win tonight. Play the over.

Other Game Notes Around the NHL

Senators vs Devils: The Ottawa Senators paid a visit to the New Jersey Devils just five days ago. Ottawa, true to form, played a stingy defensive game and shut out their opponents 3-0. The Devils only mustered 21 shots on goal.

Mike Cammalleri will likely be back in the Devils’ lineup tonight after sitting out their home-and-home against the Islanders this past weekend. Cammalleri will be one of the more intriguing names on the trade market this week, considering his tremendous upside. This is not a contract year for him and he is a frequent member of the injured reserve list, but when he is on the ice, he is a productive offensive player current drought notwithstanding.

Out of the lineup tonight will be John Moore. Kyle Quincy will be back after dealing with an upper-body injury, and the odd man out is the young Moore. Moore has 13 points in 42 games, having missed six weeks with an injury. Since returning, he is a -5 in five games and the offense simply is not flowing through him as management would like.

The Senators will not have Mike Hoffman or Mark Stone in the lineup tonight. Hoffman injured his groin in Sunday’s contest against the Jets. Stone was blindsided by Jacob Trouba in one of the most gruesome hits this season. It did not have true malice behind it, but when seen in slow-motion…woof.

Hoffman and Stone make up half of the Senators’ top four scorers. Their absence will be crushing for Ottawa.

Given the Sens’ toothless attack and the Devils’ general offensive ineptitudes lately, the under is the wise play tonight.

Prediction: Take the Devils to win. Play the under.

Canadiens vs Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist had perhaps his best game of the season on Sunday in a 2-1 victory over the Washington Capitals. Lundqvist stopped 31 shots, including all 28 at even-strength, en route to his 27th win of the season. He is now 9-2 in his last 11 decisions.

Hank will need to be on his game tonight against a rejuvenated Montreal Canadiens team. This will be the second game that Claude Julien will be behind the bench for the Habs this season, as he takes over for Michel Therrien (again). Julien replaced Therrien as Canadiens’ head coach back in 2003 and served until 2006. In his 2017 opener with Montreal, the Habs fell to the Winnipeg Jets 3-1 at the Bell Centre. The bye-week curse lives on.

Fortunately, the Habs normally own the Rangers. They have won four of the last five encounters, including a dramatic comeback victory in Montreal this season.

Prediction: The bye-week curse states that the team in question usually rebounds in their second game. Being on the road tonight hurts that cause badly, however. Take the Rangers to win tonight. Play the over.

Islanders vs Red Wings: Detroit is coming off a pair of upset victories this weekend against Pittsburgh and Washington. While their season is still very much so on life support, it was nice to get a blip of energy.

The Islanders split a home-and-home against the New Jersey Devils this past weekend. They continue their roll under interim head coach Doug Weight as they try and stay alive in the playoff hunt.

The over has hit in five of the last six meetings between these two teams. Detroit has been helped along by the resurgent play of Petr Mrazek. Mrazzle Dazzle will have the chance to defend his home ice tonight. He has only allowed seven goals in his last four starts.

Prediction: Take the Red Wings to win tonight. Play the over.