There are five games on the docket tonight. Let’s take a look at the top picks, plays and predictions.
| Penguins vs Islanders ML -156 / +125 O/U 5.5 |
Red Wings vs Capitals ML +178 / -215 O/U 5 |
| Rangers vs Blue Jackets ML -140 / +120 O/U 5.5 |
Canadiens vs Hurricanes ML +110 / -120 O/U 5 |
| Blackhawks vs Flames ML -159 / +130 O/U 5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
Play of the Day: Canadiens over Hurricanes.
The Montreal Canadiens, for the first time all season, have lost two games in a row. After falling to the Blackhawks in regulation on Sunday, the Habs lost on a flukey shot in overtime against the Florida Panthers. After two days of rest, the Canadiens will be sending out Al Montoya to patrol the crease tonight against Cam Ward.
Montreal has won seven of their last eight games against the Hurricanes.
Carolina is favored at home, which is not as surprising as it seems considering who they have already beaten on this homestand. They bested the Washington Capitals 5-1 last Saturday, and topped the San Jose Sharks 1-0 on Tuesday. Cam Ward earned the shutout, with Joakim Nordstrom netting his first goal of the season.
Even though the Hurricanes have stepped up their game on this homestand after starting this month 1-2-2, the Habs are still the good bet. Go with the better team.
Prediction: Take Montreal to win. Play the under.
The Game to Watch: Rangers vs Blue Jackets.
The New York Rangers are returning home after a wildly successful trip to Western Canada. The Blueshirts outscored their opponents 14-4 on their road trip, and are looking to return back to the Garden a perfect 4-0 as the visitors.
To do so, they will have to get through Sergei Bobrovsky and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus is 5-1-1 in November, beating some highly competitive teams along the way. John Tortorella has reportedly returned to his “safe is death” mantra from his Tampa Bay days, and has even eliminated gameday morning skates from his practice routine. Torts is doing what so many people, myself included, thought he could not do- adapt.
With three games in hand, the Jackets are just two points behind the second Wild Card spot, four behind the third division spot in the Metro.
The Jackets-Rangers rivalry is among the more intense in the NHL, and it has only exploded within the last four years or so. The Rick Nash deal seemed to set everything off. Every game is a hard-fought contest, but one that New York holds the upper-hand in. The Rangers have won the last seven meetings, with over hitting in five of their last six encounters.
The Rangers were shorthanded out in Western Canada with several of their prominent forwards battling injury. It looks like Chris Kreider is set to return tonight, though. Pavel Buchnevich remains out, meaning either Oscar Lindberg or Boo Nieves will take his place in the lineup.
Brandon Dubinksy missed a few games for the Jackets, but has points in both games since returning.
Prediction: Take the Rangers to win this one on the road. Play the over.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Penguins vs Islanders: This has been a disappointing season for the Islanders to say the least. And yet, they show no signs of organizational change coming. General manager Garth Snow has said that Jack Capuano will be staying behind the bench, and that the team is exploring trade routes. They cannot buy a win on the road, and Andrew Ladd is still staple-gunned to the fourth line.
Pittsburgh will be starting Matt Murray tonight, who left the game against Washington after a hit to the head. Murray had stopped 12 of 14 shots. After he exited, the wheels came off and Pittsburgh fell to the Caps 7-1.
Murray and the Pens have a chance to wipe the slate clean tonight. Much like the Canadiens after their 10-0 loss to Columbus, Pittsburgh is too good to not rebound. They are 7-0 in games following a loss of three goals or more.
Meanwhile, the Isles are 1-6 in their last seven. Though they must be happy to be playing someone other than the Lightning.
Prediction: The Isles are in a tailspin. Take the Pens to win. Play the over.
Blackhawks vs Flames: Chicago has outscored the Flames 7-3 in regulation, and yet they are just 1-1 against Calgary this season. The Hawks lost last month to the Flames in the shootout at home, then made sure to put them away on November 1st, 5-1.
Chicago is making a tour of Canada right now. They were shut out by the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, and have a back-to-back this weekend against Calgary and Vancouver.
Calgary is entering life without Johnny Gaudreau, who will miss some time following surgery on a broken finger. They managed to take both legs of a back-to-back this week against Minnesota and Arizona. Their offense has been anemic, mustering just six regulation goals in their last six games.
The under is 5-1 in the last six meetings. It appears that in the quest to hit the over, the Blackhawks will be the only ones fighting.
Prediction: Take Chicago to win. Play the stone-cold under.
