There are eight NHL games on the schedule tonight. Let’s take a look at the top picks, plays and predictions.
| Lightning vs Rangers ML +115 / -135 O/U 5.5 |
Blue Jackets vs Flyers ML -125 / +105 O/U 5.5 |
| Hurricanes vs Islanders ML +105 / -125 O/U 5.5 |
Jets vs Predators ML +140 / -160 O/U 6 |
| Penguins vs Flames ML -115 / -105 O/U 6 |
Bruins vs Canucks ML -225 / +180 O/U 5 |
| Avalanche vs Coyotes ML +110 / -130 O/U 5 |
Blues vs Kings ML +135 / -165 O/U 5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
The Game to Watch: Blue Jackets vs Flyers.
There are two possible ways that this game could go, and it wholly depends on the Philadelphia Flyers which path it follows.
This very well could be the game that kills the Flyers. Philly lost a heartbreaker against the Boston Bruins on Saturday. With time winding down and the game seemingly headed to overtime, Bruins forward Drew Stafford fired an errant shot to the net. Rather than letting it go wide, or simply allowing Steve Mason to make an easy save, Flyers defenseman Brendan Manning got a stick blade on it, redirecting the shot to the back of the net. Own goal, Flyers lose. No points for you.
Losing three in a row would be catastrophic. Counting today, Philly plays Columbus three times, the Penguins twice, and the Rangers, Islanders and Senators once. Trailing Toronto by six points, every loss twists the dagger in their back even more.
Which brings us to our fork in the road.
Philly could have already resigned themselves to defeat and play a flat game. Having lost a heartbreaker Saturday, the Leafs on a neat three-game winning streak and the Islanders returning home surviving a nine-game road trip, things look bleak for their playoff hopes. If Columbus applies pressure early and scores first, there could be a lot of thousand-yard stares on the Flyer bench tonight.
Option 2 has the Flyers come roaring out of the gate. Their resilient core throws their weight around and shows a spark of life in front of their home crowd. They pick up a gargantuan two points and stay in the hunt.
In the words of Billy Joel, it’s either sadness or euphoria. Throwin’ it way back, I know.
The Flyers have lost their last four games against Metro Division rivals. Columbus has won seven of the last eight meetings with Philly.
The Jackets currently sit three points behind the Washington Capitals for the division lead with a game in hand. Winning the President’s Trophy would be the crowning jewel of this wild, wild season for the Jackets.
Columbus has lost three of their last four away from Ohio.
Prediction: I don’t think the Flyers are dead just yet. However improbable, take Philly to win. Play the over.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Lightning vs Rangers: Other teams around the league see a homecoming as something to celebrate. The Flyers are relying on a return home to keep their season alive. Brooklyn is coming back to the Barclays Center for the first time in three weeks.
Isn’t it funny that a team could be groaning about coming back to their home building?
The New York Rangers have been so good on the road this season, it’s entirely plausible. They have lost their last four games at Madison Square Garden and own the best road record in the NHL.
Maybe they should wear their white jerseys at home like they used to, might switch up their fortunes a bit.
Tampa and New York met just seven days ago in one of the most high-octane games played all year. Antti Raanta stopped 38 shots, posting what very well could be the best game of his career. With the game scoreless after 60 minutes of regulation, Mika Zibanejad finally broke the tie with a game-winner at 3-on-3.
It was another infuriating loss in a frustrating season for the Bolts. They outplayed the Rangers and had a plethora of breakaways and odd-man rushes, but just could not find twine. Too many passes, shooting high/wide, acrobatics from the Ranger netminder…the bounces simply were not going their way.
Tampa Bay needs this game a lot more than the Rangers do. The Bolts have scratched and clawed their way back into contention, trailing the Islanders by just three points for the second Wild Card spot. They won a pair of crucial home games late last week by topping the Minnesota Wild and the Florida Panthers.
This week is crucial, as the Lightning play the Rangers, Senators, Maple Leafs and Capitals.
The Blueshirts were in action last night, handling the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 in their final game at the Joe.
Though the Rangers have won the last four meetings between these two teams, the back-to-back with travel coupled with the Lightning’s general desperation could prove to be the difference.
Prediction: Take the Lightning to win. Play the under.
Hurricanes vs Islanders: Speaking of home, sweet home. The New York Islanders return from their nine-game road trip with a 5-3-1 record. Considering how disastrous that trip could have been, that’s a perfectly fine record.
Brooklyn has 20 home wins this season and have won their last four games in New York. A game at the Barclays Center will do wonders for their confidence. They trail the Toronto Maple Leafs by just one point in the standings.
The over has hit in each of the last five Islander home games. They have won their last four against teams with a losing record as well.
Here’s something else: the Islanders are 7-1 in their last eight games returning home after a road trip of seven or more days. Since they were away for 21 days, their odds are multiplied by three, right? That’s how that works?
Carolina has little to play for anymore. They’ve picked up a couple of wins in the last week against Arizona and Manhattan, but the chances of their ruining the Isles’ homecoming are very slim.
Prediction: Take the Islanders to win. Play the over.
Blues vs Kings: St. Louis has ripped off four wins in a row, much to the surprise of the NHL. After the team shipped Kevin Shattenkirk east, most pundits (plus myself) thought the team would fade into obscurity and regroup for next season.
Not so.
It started with an innocuous shutout of the Colorado Avalanche. A nice win, but hardly very impressive. Then they blanked the Wild out in Minnesota for 59:49 of regulation, winning 2-1. Three days later, Joel Edmundson scored with 20 seconds remaining to put the Blues on top 4-3 over the Ducks. The next night, Vladimir Tarasenko netted two to top the Islanders.
How a week can change things.
This streak most directly wounds the Los Angeles Kings. There was quite a hullabaloo when the Kings dealt for Ben Bishop. Many saw it as a savvy security measure for Jonathan Quick in the event of a lengthy playoff run.
Trailing the Blues by three points, they need to be more concerned about making it there to start with.
Quick will be in net for the Kings today. He is 4-0-1 since returning from his groin injury. With the Kings on a back-to-back, Bishop will likely get the start tomorrow against Arizona.
The Kings have lost six of their last seven to teams with a winning record. They hold dominion over the Blues in California, however. They have bested the Blues 12 of the last 13 games in L.A.
Prediction: The tale of the tape don’t lie. Take the Kings to win. Play the under, which is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
Jets vs Predators: The oddsmakers are preparing for a high-scoring affair tonight in Tennessee. You should too. The over has hit in 10 of the Jets’ last 11 against the Central Division, and has hit in the last eight Predators’ home games.
Prediction: Take the Preds to win. Play the over.
