There are 11 NHL games on the docket tonight. We’ll see how many on the east coast are still playable with the storm. Let’s take a look at the top picks, plays and predictions.
| Sharks vs Bruins ML +105 / -125 O/U 5 |
Ducks vs Sabres ML -120 / +100 O/U 5 |
| Predators vs Rangers ML +115 / -135 O/U 5.5 |
Islanders vs Flyers ML +100 / -120 O/U 5.5 |
| Red Wings vs Capitals ML +210 / -260 O/U 5.5 |
Canucks vs Blue Jackets ML +180 / -220 O/U 5.5 |
| Blues vs Maple Leafs ML +115 / -135 O/U 5.5 |
Stars vs Senators ML +105 / -125 O/U 5 |
| Kings vs Panthers ML -105 / -115 O/U 5 |
Penguins vs Avalanche ML -270 / +205 O/U 5.5 |
| Canadiens vs Coyotes ML -167 / +140 O/U 5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
Considering that nine of the 11 games on the docket tonight are on the east coast, I wonder how many games will still be played. As of right now, the Rangers and Bruins are still on.
I doubt the Florida Panthers are having the same issue as we New Yorkers are.
Play of the Day: Sharks over Bruins.
This will be the first game in the new Julien-less era for the Boston Bruins. Letting go of the longest tenured coach in the NHL, and one of the most successful at that, is a difficult transition to make.
Ordinarily, I pick the team that let its coach go in their first game following the firing. The Blues responded with a win following the dismissal of Ken Hitchcock. Brooklyn has been playing considerably better since ousting Jack Capuano.
But then there is the flip side of the coin like the Florida Panthers, who controversially fired their coach early on in the season. It took them weeks to finally get back on track and only now are they in a decent position to reach for a spot in the postseason.
This will be more of a Gerard Gallant-Florida scenario. Claude Julien is a great coach, there’s no two ways about it. His presence behind the bench became an iconic image for Boston hockey. Whether his removal is a smart move is up for debate (NOTE: no it’s not, it’s totally dumb). But I do not expect the Boston Bruins to transition smoothly. If things do not go well, I could even see them being sellers at the deadline.
San Jose has dropped their last two games after going on an 8-1-0 tear. They have won five of their last seven at TD Garden.
Prediction: Take the Sharks to win tonight. Play the over.
The Game to Watch: Islanders vs Flyers.
New York desperately needed a win on Monday night, and they got one. The Brooklyn Islanders took home a 6-5 overtime victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs thanks to a lazer of a shot from Brock Nelson.
With the win, and the Philadelphia Flyers suffering a 2-0 loss on the same night, the Islanders are now just three points behind the Flyers with three games in hand. Just when it looked like the Isles were dead and buried, they have risen and are now legitimate NHL playoff contenders.
A four-point game is just what the Islanders needed. They need to keep on this roll they are on. A nine-game road trip looms at the end of the month leading into March, so they need to put themselves in as good a position as possible until that point.
The Philadelphia Flyers have been spinning their wheels in mud for most of 2017, and it is finally catching up to them. They suffered a shutout loss as previously mentioned to the St. Louis Blues on Monday, and were shutout on Saturday at home by the Los Angeles Kings. They have scored 30 goals in 16 games this calendar year- 1.88 goals-for per-game.
To add injury to insult, Travis Konecny will be out for 4-to-6 weeks with a lower-body injury.
Now would be a good time for Philly to turn things around. They have won their last five games against the Islanders, including four straight at the Barclays Center.
Prediction: These are two teams trending in very different directions. Take the Islanders to win tonight. Play the over.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Predators vs Rangers: Dan Girardi will sit out tonight’s contest with an undisclosed injury. Adam Clendening will slot in with Marc Staal on the second pair.
This affects my prediction on tonight’s game zero. If anything it helps the Rangers’ case in my eyes.
Don’t look now, but Henrik Lundqvist is back to being awesome. His save percentage on the year is back up to .910 after teetering on the .900-mark as of the All-Star break. He is now 6-1-0 in his last eight appearances, and looks a lot more confident in the blue paint. Panicking with Henrik Lundqvist is irrational. I’m not trying to argue that he has had a good season and people are blind for missing it, but I am trying to argue that he has more than earned your trust and patience.
In Manhattan’s last game, they managed to put four goals on the board despite getting outshot by a bad margin. Anaheim mustered 16 shots to New York’s six in the first period, yet the Rangers led 1-0. The lead was 2-1 after 40 minutes of play despite the Ducks leading the shot battle 32-13.
Two Michael Grabner goals and 12 more shots against in the final frame and the Rangers skate away with a 4-1 victory.
The Rangers have scored four goals in each of their last three home games.
Nashville is hanging on to the third divisional spot in the Central for now. They have 60 points after besting the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 Tuesday night. Their defense has been superb lately, limiting high-danger chances and subsequently, goals against.
The home team has won four of the last five meetings, with the exception being the Rangers’ road win in the shootout earlier this season. The under has hit in five of the last six in New York between these two opponents.
Prediction: Take the Rangers to win. Play the under.
Red Wings vs Capitals: As much as I would like to give a hard look at this slanted a line, there really is no reason to. Detroit has lost seven of their last eight in Washington and five of their last six against the Capitals overall. They are still tied for last in the Eastern Conference, while Washington continues to surge for the President’s Trophy.
Braden Holtby is 7-2-0 with a 1.75 goals-against average in his career against the Red Wings. We may very well see a shutout tonight if he keeps up his play.
Prediction: Take the Capitals to win tonight. Play the under.
Penguins vs Avalanche: Colorado stunned a lot of people, myself included, by shutting out the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. They have actually put together two wins in a row here.
You know what? Who’s feeling crazy? Anyone? Just me?
Think about it. Pittsburgh is without Conor Sheary, Evgeni Malkin and Carl Hagelin tonight. Kris Letang had a maintenance day on Wednesday, but he is expected to play. Pittsburgh played into overtime Tuesday night in Calgary as they continue on this tour of the Western Conference.
Nathan MacKinnon had two assists in his first game against the Penguins this season, and has 11 points in his last 13 games.
Is anyone smelling money in the air? Maybe the snow is getting to me. I say crazy things sometimes.
Prediction: For no better reason other than sheer boredom, I am letting it ride on the Colorado Avalanche tonight. Play the over.
Canadiens vs Coyotes: Speaking of that shutout, for Montreal to drop back-to-back games against the Avalanche and the Coyotes would be a disaster. The Ottawa Senators are eight points back with four games in hand. Theoretically, if they win all four games, they would pull into a tie for the Atlantic Division lead. Montreal cannot get comfortable.
Maybe a little kick in the pants from Denver is just what they needed. This skid that they are on, losing four straight games, cannot last forever. Their play on the road needs a severe upgrade and it needs it tonight.
That said, the Habs are 7-0 in their last seven games following a loss by three or more goals.
Arizona is coming off a 3-2 victory over the Sharks. Don’t sleep on them. But the line is not lucrative enough for me to want to make a play on the Yotes tonight.
Prediction: Take the Canadiens to win. Play the over, which is 9-1-1 in the last 11 meetings in Arizona.
