There are eight games on the schedule starting at 4 in the afternoon. Let’s take a look at the top picks, plays and predictions.
| Ducks vs Kings ML Off / Off O/U Off |
Capitals vs Predators ML Off / Off O/U Off |
| Rangers vs Devils ML -135 / +115 O/U 5 |
Islanders vs Blue Jackets ML +125 / -145 O/U 5.5 |
| Canadiens vs Maple Leafs ML -105 / -115 O/U 5.5 |
Flyers vs Penguins ML +180 / -225 O/U 5.5 |
| Sharks vs Canucks ML -180 / +150 O/U 5 |
Sabres vs Avalanche ML -135 / +115 O/U 5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
Play of the Day: Islanders vs Blue Jackets.
Now that the New York Rangers are winning some games, the Columbus Blue Jackets are now in the top Wild Card spot. The Jackets have two games in hand, but if they were wise, they would squander those games. This is the armchair GM in me, but the team in the top Wild Card spot is going to be a heck of a lot better off than the third divisional spot in the Metro Division. Last season was the same story, and the New York Islanders topped the Florida Panthers in the opening round of the NHL playoffs.
If it were me, I would much rather play a carousel of Florida, Toronto, Ottawa or Montreal in the postseason than Pittsburgh or Washington.
The New York Islanders are just trying to get to the postseason. And to get there, they are going to keep performing on this road trip they are on. Well, so far so good. They are 2-0 on the trip, with victories over Detroit and Montreal.
After tonight’s game, the Isles will have four days off before the trip continues.
Brooklyn has won six of their last seven against the Blue Jackets.
And! This is the first game after the bye-week for the Blue Jackets. Nail in the coffin.
Prediction: Take the Islanders to win. Play the over.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Sharks vs Canucks: Ordinarily, taking full advantage of the Vancouver Canucks being the home underdog would be a slam-dunk play for me. They are strangely one of the best home teams in the Western Conference with 18 wins at Rogers Arena. It is the only thing that has kept them so close to the NHL playoff picture this long, though they are finally starting to fade.
The Canucks have not had too many home games this month, so a return to their own rink may spark some inspiration.
Here’s the catch.
It’s those dang bye-weeks.
No one plays well in the first game following their bye-week. It’s a kiss of death. Arizona, both New York teams, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington are among the more recent victims of the bye-week curse. Not only do the games result in a loss, but more often than not the offense goes silent when up against a team that is more in the swing of things.
Granted, the San Jose Sharks are also coming off their bye-week, so the playing field is a bit even. But in this particular case, the Sharks bested the Canucks in Vancouver earlier this month by a 4-1 score.
Oh yeah, and, like, everyone in Vancouver has the mumps. Seriously. So yeah. Go with the Sharks in this one.
Prediction: Take the Sharks to win. Play the under.
Rangers vs Devils: There are a couple of fun rivalry games to watch tonight, with the most notable being the Stadium Series matchup in Pittsburgh tonight. But Rangers-Devils is always a good game to watch.
Both meetings this season have been held at Madison Square Garden, with the Rangers taking both games. The first was a 5-0 blowout, the second was a back-and-forth hair-raiser with the Rangers pulling it out in the skills competition. New York is 7-2-1 in their last 10 against New Jersey.
Antti Raanta will be getting the call in net tonight for the Blueshirts. Raanta stopped all 19 shots he faced against the Devils his first go ’round. His last start was a 30-save victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Devils are probably looking around their locker room wondering who is going to be the next to be shipped out. Mike Cammalleri’s name has been floated out there as a potential trade target, with other role players like Ben Lovejoy and Kyle Quincey also being discussed. It’s a strange time for the Devils. They never really put together a fantastic roster, but they added some pieces to be competitive. Since the Metro is so extreme this season, they would be best off selling assets and building for the next couple of years.
It’s particularly tough task for general manager Ray Shero, who does not exactly have the best track record when it comes to development. In his Pittsburgh days, he was more known for selling off picks for veterans and the few draft picks he did keep typically turned out wrong.
At the very least, New Jersey will definitely be without Pavel Zacha, who is dealing with an injury. Kevin Klein will be out for the New York Rangers.
New Jersey has lost five of their last six games following three days of rest.
Prediction: Take the Rangers to win tonight. Play the under.
Canadiens vs Maple Leafs: The Toronto Maple Leafs came heartbreakingly close to earning their third consecutive victory against the New York Rangers Thursday night. They had two breakaways in the waning minutes of overtime, one of them on the stick of Auston Matthews, but both were stopped by Henrik Lundqvist. At least they can say they are on a three-game point streak.
Their three-game homestand ends tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. The Claude Julien era is off to a rocky start so far, as the Habs were shut out Thursday night by the Brooklyn Islanders. They have lost two of their first three with the new bench boss.
Montreal’s ability to rebound is one of their strongest assets, however. They have their last six games following a home loss by three or more goals. The Habs have also won their last six games in Toronto, which gives them a bit of confidence going in.
The Canadiens need to get some road wins pronto. They are far from a strong road team this season, and are 3-6-0 in their last nine games as the visiting team. Toronto can really pounce on their division rivals in this one and put the pressure on.
Prediction: Take the Maple Leafs to win. Play the under.
