There are four NHL games tonight. Let’s take a look at the top picks, plays and predictions.
| Stars vs Capitals ML +210 / -250 O/U 5.5 |
Bruins vs Senators ML -140 / +115 O/U 5 |
| Rangers vs Lightning ML +100 / -120 O/U 5.5 |
Sharks vs Jets ML Off / Off O/U Off |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
The Game to Watch: Rangers vs Lightning.
Last week was a rough one for the New York Rangers.
On Sunday, the Blueshirts were trounced by the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2, done in by their utter inability to break out of their zone, convert early chances and prevent breakaways (of which Lundqvist stopped two plus a penalty shot). Two days later, the Washington Capitals beat the ever-loving tar out of New York both on the scoreboard and on the ice. They avenged their 2-1 loss the week prior with a 4-1 triumph.
The Rangers picked up a win by the skin of their teeth against the Boston Bruins thanks to the incredible work of Henrik Lundqvist. However, his luck ran out against the Montreal Canadiens as the Rangers lost 4-1.
Opponents outscored New York 14-6 last week. Clearly, injuries are hampering the team and a tough schedule is exposing the flaws that they have in their system. Their defense has been pretty atrocious, with Nick Holden and Marc Staal’s pairing on display for all the wrong reasons.
Plus, Columbus and Washington are undeniably better teams at this point. They are more skilled at the blueline, quicker and more versatile. Montreal and Boston are beatable, but tough opponents. On top of all that, their powerplay is 0-for-19 and 1-for-33 of late. Oh, and their Corsi-for in their last 10 games is 21st in the league at 49%, meaning they get outshot on the reg.
So the problem is clearly grit. And for that, the Rangers added Tanner Glass back to their roster. Duh! Silly me for emphasizing defensive stability and special teams. My bad, guys.
Alain Vigneault normally has a policy that he likes players to participate in one practice before they play. That need not apply to his pet puncher. Here’s how this is going to go down: Glass is going to throw a big hit or get in a fight tonight against Tampa. People will say “Yes, thank you, this is what we’ve been missing!” He will disappear for the remaining 16 games on the schedule plus the playoffs he will inevitably play in (don’t debate me, I’ve seen too much).
Glass makes the Rangers worse. He makes them slower, less skilled and worse defensively. Toughness may be vital at this time of year but ultimately, the goal is to score more than your opponent. One player on the roster does not change the mentality of an entire roster 65 games into the season. New York is not a “tough” team, and they shouldn’t try to be.
Just to ensure the team gets even slower, Stephen Kampfer will sub in for Adam Clendening tonight on the blueline. I won’t give a scouting report on Kampfer because there’s not much to him other than he’s not terribly good. Antti Raanta will be in net.
Tampa Bay has struggled to etch out wins against some lower-level teams lately. It took them until overtime to top the Carolina Hurricanes despite putting four goals past Eddie Lack on 16 shots. Part of the problem, of course, is only mustering 16 shots on goal. Their win over Buffalo Saturday wasn’t decided until the shootout.
The Bolts’ schedule gets very tough in the month of March. It’s time to step on the accelerator.
Tampa has won five of their last six home games, while the Rangers have won seven of their last eight road games.
While both teams will be playing angry and desperate, the world is cruel and will probably let Glass win his first game up so he can stick around. But also the Rangers have a pretty good shot in general, being the NHL’s winningest road team against a sub-par home team. New York topped Tampa 6-1 earlier this season.
Prediction: Take the Rangers to win. Play the over.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Stars vs Capitals: Absolutely bet on the over hitting tonight. The over has hit in four of the last five meetings between these two teams, and with Dallas’ propensity to get into high-scoring games and Washington’s juggernaut offense, this could be a scorefest.
The Stars actually have a very good track record in D.C. They have won their last five games in Washington. Dallas was able to steal a win on Saturday over the Florida Panthers. With time winding down and the score tied 1-1, John Klingberg received a cross-ice saucer pass in stride and sniped a wrist shot over the blocker of James Reimer to win it in regulation.
The over has hit in each of the Stars’ last six games following a win, and most
Dallas is tied with Carolina for the fewest road wins in the NHL, eight. They are worst in the West in that category.
So things are looking up for the Washington Capitals, who have won three in a row and looked like the best team in the NHL doing it. The Caps are playing like Liam Neeson in Taken, only replace the daughter with the Stanley Cup.
Prediction: Take the Capitals to win. Play the over.
Bruins vs Senators: Ottawa still holds a two-point lead on the Boston Bruins with two games in hand. However, the Bruins are surging. Can the Senators put a stop to that?
Boston is now 8-2-0 under their new head coach. And they are showing no signs of slowing down, playing fast-paced and aggressive hockey.
Ottawa has won five of their last six against the Bruins, and their last four against Boston in Canada. This will be the first of three late meetings between these two teams, as they play in Boston twice in the final 10 games of the season.
The Sens have won their last two games on home ice by just one goal against Colorado and Columbus, respectively. They play tight games, which could help them against a team that is used to being able to score at will lately.
Expect some bad blood to simmer tonight. It won’t reach a boil oil the end of the line when things get tighter, but it will at least heat up tonight. And if that becomes the case, the Bruins may have the advantage. Adam McQuaid had 25 stitches in his neck after getting cut by a teammate’s skate blade. That’s simultaneously horrifying and pretty impressive. That’s hockey.
Ultimately, I give the nod to the home team tonight. I like home underdogs, especially when the teams are of comparable skill.
Prediction: Take the Senators to win. Play the under.
