There are 12 NHL games on the docket, two already in progress. Let’s take a look at the top picks, plays and predictions.
| Flyers vs Bruins ML Off / Off O/U Off |
Predators vs Avalanche ML Off / Off O/U Off |
| Rangers vs Canadiens ML +125 / -145 O/U 5.5 |
Penguins vs Red Wings ML -170 / +150 O/U 5.5 |
| Flames vs Oilers ML +150 / -170 O/U 5.5 |
Blues vs Sharks ML +140 / -175 O/U 5 |
| Maple Leafs vs Senators ML +100 / -120 O/U 5.5 |
Blue Jackets vs Panthers ML -143 / +110 O/U 5 |
| Islanders vs Hurricanes ML +146 / -162 O/U 5.5 |
Wild vs Stars ML -110 / -110 O/U 5.5 |
| Ducks vs Coyotes ML -189 / +160 O/U 5 |
Jets vs Kings ML +165 / -200 O/U 5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
Play of the Day: Flames over Oilers.
The Calgary Flames have won eight of their last 10 games in Edmonton. Though the Oilers won the first two meetings early in the season between these two teams, there is reason to bet against the line tonight and cash in on the Flames.
Calgary has a habit of bouncing back after weak offensive performances. They are 14-2 the game after scoring just two goals or fewer. The Flames have outshot the Oilers 35-29 and 41-28 in their two meetings this season, and have amassed 11 powerplay opportunities in those games. In fact, Calgary has held the shot-on-goal advantage in five of their last six contests with Edmonton. Certainly, they will have their opportunities tonight.
A 2-0 deficit proved insurmountable last night for the Flames, as they fell to the Devils 2-1.
Incidentally, the Oilers’ last game was also against the New Jersey Devils. Again, the Devils led 2-1, but the power of Connor McDavid proved to be too much for Jersey to handle. McDavid set up Patrick Maroon for the equalizer in the third and Leon Draisaitl for the game-winner in overtime.
Adam Larsson will miss tonight’s game with a lower-body injury.
I am banking not only on the Flames’ rebounding after a rough night last night, but also on Brian Elliott’s ability to turn the page. Elliott has objectively horrible numbers, especially when considering just last season he finished with one of the most dominant stretches of play seen in recent years. This season, he has a 2.95 goals-against average and .889 save percentage. Yikes.
In his last start, Ells allowed four goals on 13 shots over the course of the game- which seems like it should be a misprint, facing that few shots over the course of a full 60 minute game.
He had won his previous five starts, however, allowing just nine goals in the process. His play since Thanksgiving has been much more of a return to form.
Prediction: Take a chance on the Flames tonight. Play the over.
The Game to Watch: Wild vs Stars.
As my father and I were flipping channels the other night watching hockey, we started playing a game. We went around from team to team, analyzing who would be considered to be elected to the Hall of Fame if they were to retire tomorrow. It’s an interesting debate, and while there are a few gimmes, we wound up with pretty different lists on the whole.
One of the more interesting players that we agreed on was Eric Staal.
Staal has had, by all measures, a very successful career. He has been cursed by peaking perhaps a bit too early, and being stuck on some very bad teams. He has won a Stanley Cup, he has had a 100-point season, he has been durable- yet many considered him to be over the hill this past offseason despite his being just 32 years old.
His last few seasons, especially his brief tenure in New York, were disappointing output-wise, mostly because of his supporting cast being weak. But in Minnesota, with elite talent around him and an offensive-minded coach in Bruce Boudreau, Staal has become one of the more fun players to watch in the league again.
Take his last game, for example. The Wild thrashed the Canadiens 7-1. Staal was all over the ice in all three zones, confidently skating with the puck, deking this way and that, and unleashing some wicked shots on net. He finished the night with a goal and two assists, and his play rightfully caught the eyes of the NBC crew.
Really, he just seems more confident.
He will be taking a four-game point streak into Dallas to take on the Stars. Dallas bested the Red Wings on home ice 5-2 on Thursday.
Minnesota has won eight of their last nine road games. And the Stars rule of alternation means that since they won last game, they are to lose this one.
Prediction: Take the Wild to win. Play the over. Keep a lookout for Eric Staal.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Rangers vs Canadiens: The storyline of the Bell Centre being a house of horrors for Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers has fallen by the wayside in recent years. Last season, the Rangers put on one of their best performances of the year by beating the Canadiens 5-2 in Montreal, and of course, they beat the Habs in the Eastern Conference Final in 2014.
While it may not be a go-to narrative from a media standpoint, it doesn’t mean it is not still a bit valid. The fact is the Canadiens win in their home building, and more often than not, they beat the Rangers in the Bell Centre. No two ways about it.
The bye-week helped the Rangers out none, as they lost to the Maple Leafs in New York 4-2 last night.
A bright spot, though: Pavel Buchnevich finally picked up where he left off, continuing what is now the world’s longest five-game point streak. He tallied an assist in his return to action after missing two months with a back injury. Rick Nash registered two shots on goal in 15:39 of ice time.
Prediction: It doesn’t matter whether it’s Raanta or Lundqvist in net for the Rangers tonight. Take the Habs to win. Play the under.
Blues vs Sharks: The Blues’ first game of their three-game tour of Southern California went poorly. Los Angeles put four unanswered past a combination of Jake Allen and Carter Hutton, giving the Kings an easy 5-1 victory.
Los Angeles now leads St. Louis 2-0.
…both in this game and in professional football teams.
— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 13, 2017
St. Louis has been a tremendous disappointment away from home this season. They are just 5-11-1 away from Missouri, taking on a team that is 14-5-1 at home in the San Jose Sharks. The Blues also own the worst goal differential of any current playoff team at -10.
Carter Hutton will start tonight for the Blues. Jake Allen has been pulled in his last two starts and three of his last five.
Prediction: Take the Sharks to win. Play the under.
Penguins vs Red Wings: Remember Jared Coreau?
If you’ll remember, he started the Centennial Classic over Petr Mrazek. Well, he’s making his home debut tonight, so that’s something. He let up five goals in the outdoor game against Toronto, which is forgivable given how shoddily the Wings played in the middle of that game and, well, outdoor games are a crapshoot quality-wise. He followed that performance up with a 34-save shutout of the Los Angeles Kings.
He then let up three in a period and got yanked in a start against the Sharks. A week later, here we are again with Coreau in the cage.
Forgive my seemingly flippant dismissal of the Wings here, but we have reached the point where they are just no fun to watch anymore. They have officially sunk to last in the Eastern Conference, tied with the Islanders in points but having played two more games than Brooklyn. Detroit’s reign of terror is over, and the time has come for major roster reform.
But, another topic of discussion for another day. Today, they are hosting the Penguins. They will likely lose.
Prediction: Take Pittsburgh to win. Play the under.
