There are nine NHL games on the docket. Let’s take a look at the top picks, plays and predictions.
| Stars vs Rangers ML +150 / -185 O/U 6 |
Hurricanes vs Blue Jackets ML +140 / -160 O/U 5.5 |
| Sabres vs Maple Leafs ML +170 / -200 O/U 5.5 |
Senators vs Blues ML +140 / -155 O/U 5.5 |
| Devils vs Wild ML +190 / -230 O/U 5 |
Blackhawks vs Avalanche ML -169 / +150 O/U 5 |
| Panthers vs Flames ML +120 / -140 O/U 5 |
Predators vs Canucks ML -120 / +100 O/U 5 |
| Lightning vs Ducks ML +155 / -175 O/U 5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
Play of the Day: Canucks over Predators.
The Vancouver Canucks have dropped four games in a row. On the bright side, they have picked up loser points in three of those games. They have also won five of their last six home games.
So there’s reason for optimism in tonight’s matchup against the Nashville Predators.
Nashville has won three straight games, so this will be no cakewalk. The Preds are only one point ahead of the Canucks, though they have two games in hand. Both teams are within striking distance of the Wild Card, so this could be a case where the home underdog is the appealing play.
What helps Vancouver is the injury bug that has struck Nashville. Roman Josi, Craig Wilson and P.K. Subban will all be out of the lineup tonight.
Even though the Canucks were positively boring in their last game against the Devils, they should be able to take advantage of a wounded Preds team tonight.
Vancouver picked up one of those aforementioned loser points in Nashville exactly one week ago.
Prediction: Take the Canucks to win tonight. Play the under.
The Game to Watch: Hurricanes vs Blue Jackets.
Here’s a sentence that 2015 finds strange. If the Carolina Hurricanes defeat the Metro Division-powerhouse Columbus Blue Jackets tonight, the Canes will pull ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers for the second Wild Card spot.
Crazy, I know.
Carolina has been nothing short of dominant at home this season. They are currently on a four-game winning streak as a result of a recent homestand at PNC Arena. On the road, they have not exactly had the same fortunes. They are just 6-11-6 as the visiting team.
Tonight, they take on a team that is 16-4-1 at home, though their footing has slipped just a bit since their winning streak that made NHL history. The Jackets are 2-4-0 in their last six, including a 5-3 loss in Raleigh.
Carolina has won five of their last six against the Blue Jackets, as well as their last five in Ohio.
The odds are very much so against the Canes tonight, as they should be. Still, it’s gotta be a pleasant surprise for Carolina fans that their team is still playing meaningful games this late in the season. This week is huge for the Canes- they play the Jackets twice in Columbus, the Penguins at home and the Capitals in Washington.
Cam Ward has won five of his last six starts. He currently is sporting the lowest goals-against average of his career at 2.34, with a .915 save percentage, his best since 2011-2012.
Prediction: I’m gonna be a party-pooper and say to take the Columbus Blue Jackets to win. Expect a fun game, though. Play the over, which has hit in five of the last six for Carolina.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Stars vs Rangers: Mika Zibanejad makes his long-awaited return to the New York Rangers’ lineup tonight. And not a moment too soon.
The Rangers are coming off an embarrassing and frustrating loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Three times New York held the lead, and three times the Canadiens battled back to tie it. The Blueshirts allowed three goals in 48 seconds, eventually losing 5-4.
Antti Raanta started the game and was bowled over twice in the first period, one causing a goal to be disallowed. He finished the period, but did not return and will miss the next week-to-10-days with a lower-body injury. Henrik Lundqvist, who notoriously hates relief appearances, allowed five goals on 22 shots.
Once more, the problem is not with the forward core. Mats Zuccarello, Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider continue to be dominant in the offensive zone. Kevin Hayes, Rick Nash and Pavel Buchnevich have formed a formidable and productive second line. J.T. Miller is on a seven-game point streak.
No, the issue continues to be at the blueline. Kevin Klein has been atrocious. Dan Girardi, though his play has been better these last few games, is still a tremendous detriment. Ryan McDonagh was uncharacteristically bad fielding the puck in the offensive zone in Montreal.
At this point, a defenseman is no longer on the wish list in the trade market, it is on the “seriously you need this if you want any shot at making it anywhere in the playoffs in the Metro division like come on…” list. Rolls off the tongue.
The Dallas Stars were shut out in their first meeting against the Rangers this season in Texas. Cody Eakin made headlines for his headshot on Henrik Lundqvist.
Speaking of Cody Eakin, he played the second-most minutes of any Stars forward in yesterday’s 4-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Through two periods, he led the team in 5v5 ice time. Cody Eakin has zero goals and two assists in 23 games this season. I would love to hear Lindy Ruff’s justification of that.
Dallas continues to lose games because of their weak penalty kill, their disappointingly slow forwards and their pitiful bottom six. Much like the Rangers: what will force the general manager’s hand at this point? Or the coach, for that matter, to sit guys like Eakin to give Adam Cracknell a chance, or smooth-passing Julius Honka on the blueline?
Regardless, this will at least be a fun game to watch because the Rangers hold animosity towards Eakin. I’m sure there will be some staged fight BS between Eakin and someone like Kevin Klein. That’ll show that non-conference opponent you haven’t seen in months, guys. Yawn.
New York holds home-ice advantage, which almost seems irrelevant given the slew of awful starts they have had at Madison Square Garden. They are 1-3 in their last four home games, with their win having to come from down two goals twice against the Ottawa Senators.
The Rangers have allowed the first goal in five of their last six home games. If they don’t get on the board first, they are in trouble tonight.
Nonetheless, I’ll take a more-rested team than a team on a back-to-back every time.
Prediction: Take the Rangers to win tonight. Play the over. I’ll call a Mika Zibanejad goal/primary assist tonight.
Devils vs Wild: The New Jersey Devils, much like the Carolina Hurricanes, are coming out of the woodwork to throw their hat in the ring for a playoff spot. Count me as one of the many disappointed by the Devils’ lack of success this season, but they have been staying afloat. They sit just five points behind the Flyers for the second Wild Card spot.
New Jersey managed to collect five of a possible six points from their three-game tour of Western Canada these past few days. They face one final road test tonight in the Minnesota Wild, undoubtedly their toughest of the trip.
Minnesota has surged to the top of the Central Division, currently riding a four-game winning streak. They have won nine of their last 10 home games, with their lone loss in the mix being to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Their last home game was a 7-1 thumping of the Montreal Canadiens.
Though the Devils have had a run of success against the Wild in recent years, it should be noted that the home team has won seven of the last eight meetings.
New Jersey won the first installment of the season series back in October in overtime.
Prediction: Take the Wild to win tonight. Play the under.
Blackhawks vs Avalanche: Colorado managed to steal one away from the Blackhawks at the United Center just before the holiday break. The Avalanche are now catching the Hawks when they have dropped consecutive games and are 1-3 in their last four away from the United Center.
Colorado has lost seven of their last eight. So don’t hold your breath for an upset.
I’m just counting down the days until the NHL Trade Deadline when the Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog rumors start to flow (NOTE: it would be phenomenally stupid to deal these guys but rumors gonna rumor).
Prediction: Take the Hawks to win. Play the over.
Senators vs Blues: The St. Louis Blues have put together consecutive wins for the first time since November 26-28th. They have potential to win their third in a row for the first time since November 15th-19th.
It’s been up and down for the Blues. They have had plenty of nights to forget, but they have looked like an elite NHL contender others. It’s hard to peg just what kind of team they are.
One given- they are definitely a homer team. The Blues are 16-5-4 in St. Louis.
Ottawa can hang their collective hat on the fact that the few times they do play the Blues, they usually come out the victorious team. They have won five of their last six games in Missouri.
The Sens have been pushed out of their divisional playoff spot by the red-hot Maple Leafs. With 48 points, Ottawa needs to start winning some road games. They are just 9-8-0 as the visiting team. This will be the best time to turn that trend around, as they have three road games this week against some of the best home teams in the NHL- St. Louis, Columbus and Toronto.
Five of the last six meetings between these two teams have gone into extra time. So anticipate a tight game tonight.
Prediction: Take the Blues to win and break the road-warrior trend in this series. Play the under.
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