Around the NHL: Predictions for March 24th

There are 11 games jam-packed into tonight. Let’s take a look around the NHL at the top picks, plays and predictions.

Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.

Play of the Day: Maple Leafs over Ducks.
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ season is officially over. They have been playing well the past few weeks against some of the better teams in the league. They will be defending home ice, which is an experience as I detailed a few days ago. The Leafs have won four of their last five home games, including games against the Lightning and Islanders.

William Nylander has had a profound impact on the team. Watching him live was special, because he is going to be a force in this league. He has remarkable playmaking ability- not just with his passing, but also with his innate sense of creating space. He has four goals and three assists in 12 NHL games, including a three point night against the Flames on Monday.

Anaheim has been hit and miss since the conclusion of their ridiculous win streak. They are 3-4-1 in their last eight games. They have lost three of their last four road games. On Tuesday, they fell 4-3 to the Montreal Canadiens. Two of the the three goals were scored thanks to gross rebound control on the part of Mike Condon, the third off of a turnover. John Gibson had himself a pretty lackluster game, too.

Garret Sparks will start for Toronto. Tyler Bozak is set to return to the lineup tonight after missing over a month with a concussion.

Prediction: Take a chance on the Leafs at +171. Play the over.

The Game to Watch: Panthers vs Bruins.
The battle for the Atlantic Division crown is coming down to the wire. The Bruins were bested at Madison Square Garden last night to the tune of a 5-2 score, which prevented them from gaining any ground on the stagnant Florida Panthers.

Tuukka Rask was pulled after a first period that saw two Ranger powerplay goals. Jonas Gustavsson allowed two goals in relief on 15 shots.

EDIT: Rask has reportedly been battling the flu, but will start tonight.

The loss marked the first four-game losing streak by Boston this season. They are now 0-4 in their last four games against teams with a winning record, which has not been out of character for them all season.

Boston has taken all three meetings so far this season. Lee Stempniak scored the overtime winner to add on to two assists in their previous meeting. Stempniak had a goal last night and another that was waved off for offsides.

Florida will be looking to improve on their otherwise horrible start to last game. While it was impressive that they managed to battle back to grab a loser point, four goals allowed in the first period is certainly not desirable.

And, as much as the Bruins struggle against winning teams, the Panthers have been even worse. They are winless in their last seven games against teams over .500.

Prediction: The Cats have struggled hardcore against Boston in particular, especially in the TD Garden. Take the Bruins to win. Play the under.

Other Game Notes Around the NHL

Stars vs Coyotes: The Coyotes were able to steal a 6-3 victory over the Stars in the desert last time around. Their defense was stringent and they allowed plenty of breakaways and odd-man rushes. It should be noted that this game came in the middle of a long stretch that saw this happen all too often with the Dallas defense. They have tightened up a bit since getting John Klingberg back from injury.

Dallas has won three in a row beating up on their fellow playoff teams like Tampa Bay, Chicago and the Islanders. They have scored 13 goals in the process, even without Tyler Seguin in the mix. The win streak has put them on top in the Central Division by two points.

Patrick Eaves and Cody Eakin have seen their offensive production spike since being put on Jamie Benn’s line. The Benn effect is real, as the Stars’ top line has combined for six goals and six assists in their last three games together. Cody Eakin is on a five game point streak.

Prediction: The Stars are rolling. Despite their inability to win in Arizona, the Yotes are not playing for anything anymore. Take the Stars to win. Play the over.

Flyers vs Avalanche: The Philadelphia Flyers will desperately need this game. The Detroit Red Wings are playing the Montreal Canadiens tonight at home, which on paper should be two points in hand. The Broad Street Bullies need all the points that they can get in order to stay on top in the Wild Card race.

Michal Neuvirth has been ruled out for the remainder of the regular season, meaning that Steve Mason is the undisputed number one goaltender. Though Mason has had a rough go of it on the year, he is an extremely capable goaltender, and among the league’s best at 5-on-5. Mason stopped a career-high 51 shots against the Blue Jackets Tuesday.

The Avalanche are going to be tough customers tonight. They have won six of their last eight games as they race for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. They currently sit a point behind the Wild, who also have a game tonight against Calgary.

The home team is 10-1 in the series. Philly has not won in seven tries in Colorado. History is not on their side, and neither is Colorado’s recent play.

Prediction: Take the Avs to win at +109. Play the over.

Oilers vs Sharks: The smart play with this game is the under. The Sharks are the given to win. The Oilers are 1-6 in their last seven games in San Jose.

While the over is 5-1 in the last six encounters in Cali, the under is 4-0-1 in the Sharks’ last five games and 13-3-1 in the Oilers’ last 17. Edmonton’s offense has run dry, and the Sharks have not been allowing enough goals to account for a play on the over.

Prediction: Take the Sharks to win. Play the under.