There are eight NHL games on the docket. Let’s take a look at the top picks, plays and predictions.
| Stars vs Islanders ML -110 / -110 O/U 5.5 |
Senators vs Blue Jackets ML +150 / -170 O/U 5.5 |
| Rangers vs Maple Leafs ML +105 / -125 O/U 6.5 |
Capitals vs Blues ML -135 / +115 O/U 5 |
| Coyotes vs Wild ML Off / Off O/U 5 |
Predators vs Flames ML -105 / -125 O/U 5 |
| Avalanche vs Ducks ML +225 / -265 O/U 5.5 |
Lightning vs Sharks ML Off / Off O/U Off |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
The Game to Watch: Stars vs Islanders.
Why, you may ask, is a battle between non-conference opponents, neither one in the playoffs as of today, the game to watch?
Because this is the response game for the New York Islanders after the dismissal of their head coach, Jack Capuano.
I have banged this drum pretty much since the end of last season. I would go so far as to say I have banged it since the 2013 playoffs back when I was writing for other sites. Capuano had to go. From wonky personnel decisions to the employment of Brian Strait to the lackluster special teams, the Islanders needed a change in system. The Isles have the third-worst powerplay in the league and are bottom-10 in penalty kill.
With the exception of last season and his first as head coach, the Islanders have placed in the bottom 10 in the league in penalty killing every season under Capuano. That’s four and a half seasons, counting this one.
Doug Weight will patrol the bench tonight and the foreseeable future as interim head coach. Weight actually played under Capuano in 2010-2011, when Cappy was just starting his tenure in New York. That season was Weight’s last in the NHL, rounding out a 19-year career. He served as an assistant under Capuano starting in 2011-2012, eventually earning a promotion to assistant general manager.
If he plays his cards right, there may just be more front office jobs available, what with Garth Snow’s neck inching closer to the chopping block…
Coaching changes don’t always have the immediate response desired. When Mike Sullivan replaced Mike Johnston in December last season, the Penguins dropped four games in a row. However, they went on to win the Stanley Cup and Sully earned a lucrative extension this year. When John Torchetti replaced Mike Yeo for the Minnesota Wild, they responded with a flurry of offense and a light under the feet of veterans like Charlie Coyle and Jason Pominville. But the success did not last long, the special teams continued to struggle and Torchetti did not return at season’s end. Minnesota elected instead to bring in Bruce Boudreau.
It’s a crapshoot.
My guess is that someone with a competitive edge like John Tavares will take a move like this personally. The Captain leads the team with 16 goals and 32 points, but his team sits dead last in the East. He has five goals in his last three games. I expect a fire under him tonight as he plays for just his third coach in his career.
Andrew Ladd is questionable tonight with an undisclosed injury. Ladd is one of those players where I am very curious how he responds to a new voice.
Dallas is coming off a 7-6 victory over the New York Rangers that never should have been that close. The Stars ran circles around the Blueshirts all night, then took their foot off the gas in the third period, allowing three goals. Their defensive breakdowns and goaltending woes will be the death of them. Instead of a relaxed third, they were forced to grind it out and cling to a lead.
The home team has won the last four meetings between these two teams.
Prediction: I’m looking for a response on the ice for Brooklyn. Take the Isles to win tonight. Play the over.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Rangers vs Maple Leafs: There are no excuses anymore for the Rangers. Their offense is fine. They put four goals past Carey Price and tallied six on the Dallas Stars. They lost both games in regulation. That is unacceptable. Their defense is crap. Henrik Lundqvist looks uncharacteristically rattled in net. I would venture a guess that being jerked around in net hasn’t helped, but neither has the play in front of him.
Henrik Lundqvist faces the closest avg shot distance in NHL (ES, min 1000 minutes). Also has faced 10th most shots on rush, 7th most HDSA. pic.twitter.com/oa5KKAom1I
— Mike Murphy (@DigDeepBSB) January 19, 2017
Lundqvist will start tonight, since Antti Raanta is out for another week with an injury and starting Magnus Hellberg would just be dumb.
Even though the Rangers are the winningest road team in the NHL, there is exactly zero reason to bet on them tonight. Toronto is riding a three game winning streak and gave the Blueshirts a sound whooping at the Garden just last week. The Leafs have won nine of their last 11 games.
The over has hit in each of the last six encounters between these two teams in Toronto. Can it hit over a 6.5? That seems like brutal temptation from the gods, but I can’t advise that one plays the over on that, even with this crazy week the NHL has had scoring-wise.
Wake me when New York does something about their blueline. Until then? Snooze.
Prediction: Take the Maple Leafs to win. Play the under.
Capitals vs Blues: The Washington Capitals have had their way with the Central Division of late. They have won their last eight games against such foes, including a recent 6-0 shutout of the Chicago Blackhawks. Since that game, they have shutout the Flyers and been involved in one of the craziest games of the year.
Yes, the Caps lost to the Penguins in Pittsburgh by a score of 8-7, ending Washington’s nine-game winning streak. The Caps jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Pittsburgh fought their way back, tallying five unanswered goals in the second period alone. That would spell the end of Braden Holtby’s night.
But wait! The second was not over. Washington brought things back to even at five. More, still! Pittsburgh reclaimed the lead once more, with a nine-goal period ending 6-5 in the Pens’ favor.
Still 20 minutes left to go. Sidney Crosby buries a beautiful feed from Conor Sheary, seemingly putting the game out of reach. That is, until just minutes later when T.J. Oshie finds the back of the net on the man advantage. Lo! Five minutes later, Lars Eller ties things up at seven.
Extra time lasted just 34 seconds, with Conor Sheary ending the insanity by crashing the net with Crosby. Thus concluded the madness.
The Blues were in a scorefest that night too, one that was equally as unfortunate. St. Louis battled back from down 3-1 to tie things up before letting up three unanswered in the third. They would fall by a score of 6-4.
Braden Holtby is expected to be back in net for Washington.
These two teams met earlier this season in D.C. Though the Blues tried valiantly to stage a comeback, it was too little too late. Two goals in the waning seconds of the match were not enough, and the Caps escaped with a 4-3 victory.
The Blues have allowed 17 goals in their last five games. Though Washington’s defense broke down last game, it is on St. Louis to stop the Capital juggernaut.
Prediction: Take Washington to win. Play the over.
Coyotes vs Wild: Minnesota took a bad loss the other night to the New Jersey Devils on home ice. In one of the more embarrassing defensive lapses I have seen this season, the Wild allowed Beau Bennett to waltz undetected into the slot, where he buried a wrist shot past Devan Dubnyk with 2:17 left to go in regulation.
I mean, look at this. All five Wild players are in one cluster staring at Blake Coleman. It’s not even like it’s someone like Alex Ovechkin or Patrick Kane where he’s a known threat, it’s a kid with three NHL games under his belt. Yet not a single man is looking behind them for anyone else. Oops.
Given their run of success in the State of Hockey this season, I wouldn’t bet on their dropping two in a row to inferior opponents. The Wild won their first game against the Coyotes 4-1 on home ice back in December.
Prediction: Take the Wild to win. Play the under.
Senators vs Blue Jackets: Ottawa has four games in hand on the likes of fellow Wild Card chasers like Philadelphia, Florida, Tampa and New Jersey. They have two in hand on the Carolina Hurricanes, and five in hand on the Boston Bruins, who are just a point ahead of them in the Atlantic standings.
Seeing as they are tied, both in points and games played, with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Leafs have a very real shot at a victory tonight, this is a crucial stretch coming up for Ottawa. The Sens bested the Blues 6-4 in St. Louis, and now play the Jackets tonight in Ohio then the Leafs in Canada.
Ottawa has won four of their last five against Columbus.
Columbus seems to be getting back on track, though. After stutter-stepping a bit after their winning streak came to an end, the Jackets notched a dominant 4-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes Tuesday night. They outshot the Canes 36-25. Brandon Dubinsky snapped a 17-game goalless drought. Cam Atkinson added two more points to his total, giving him 43 on the season.
This looks like a hard one for the Sens.
Prediction: Take the Jackets to win. Play the over.
To make a play on these predictions, or any other NHL bets, visit our sportsbook at https://www.betdsi.eu/gms-hockey.
