Around the NHL: Predictions for December 5th

There are four games on the docket 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: The under in Coyotes vs Blue Jackets.
The Columbus Blue Jackets bested the Arizona Coyotes in the desert in the skills competition just this past Friday. Now, the Coyotes pay a visit to Ohio for a shot at redemption. Given their record on the road, and the Jackets’ run of success at home, that looks unlikely.

Betting against the line is unwise tonight. With so many lines dramatically slanted tonight, making plays on the over/under could be fun tonight. With it set at 5.5 for whatever reason in this game, the under looks to be the wise play.

The under is 7-1-3 in the last 11 games overall for the Coyotes. It is 3-0-1 in their last four on the road, and it is 5-0-1 in their last six against teams with a winning record.

Also, the under has hit in each of the Jackets’ last seven games against the Pacific Division.

The Blue Jackets have won six of their last seven home games against the Arizona Coyotes. Their top-line guys have been producing at a solid clip this season, with Nick Foligno and Cam Atkinson leading the charge. Brandon Saad has six points in his last five games.

Prediction: Take the Blue Jackets to win this one at home. Play the under. I would expect a final score similar to that of Friday’s game.

The Game to Watch:Panthers vs Bruins.
I know that I have picked a Florida Panthers game as my game to watch pretty frequently this past week. But I stand by it since this is the only divisional game of the night, and it happens to be between two teams that are on the outside looking in, fighting for a playoff spot.

Offense continues to be an issue for the Florida Panthers. Since letting go of Gerard Gallant, the Cats have only been able to manage two regulation goals in three games. They added a third goal in overtime against the Red Wings. Most recently, they were shutout 2-0 by the Ottawa Senators.

The under is 6-0-2 in the Panthers’ last eight overall.

Their offensive struggles have overshadowed what has been a great season so far for goaltender Roberto Luongo. Lu is just 9-7-1 on the year, but he has a 2.05 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage. He has allowed two or fewer goals in five of his last six starts, but he is 3-2-1 in that stretch.

Boston’s scoring depth has dried up a bit as well. They have just five regulation goals in their last three games.

The Bs can at least take solace in the fact that they have won nine of their last 10 home games against the Panthers. And for as good as Luongo has been, Tuukka Rask has been even better. Rask is 13-4-1 with a 1.60 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage.

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

Other Game Notes Around the NHL

Sabres vs Capitals: Washington is on a three-game skid, with their most recent loss coming on the road in the skills competition against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They have a chance to rebound tonight against the last team that they beat, the Buffalo Sabres. In their last meeting, the Caps took a 3-1 victory on home ice. They limited offensive production to only three Sabres- Evander Kane, Sam Reinhart and Ryan O’Reilly. The three of them combined for 14 shots on goal; the rest of the Buffalo forward group combined for five.

However, the Sabres have Jack Eichel back. Buffalo is 2-1 since Eichel’s return. They lost 2-1 against Boston on Saturday. Evander Kane got his first goal of the season (13 games played), continuing his three-game point streak.

Sabres defenseman Josh Gorges suffered a fracture in his foot, and is out indefinitely for the time being. Gorges would rack up 16-20 minutes a night on the blueline.

Washington has won five of their last six against the Sabres. If they get their scorers going in this game, it could be game over very quickly. The Caps are undefeated in their last 11 games in which they score three or more goals.

Prediction: Take Washington to win. Play the over.

Senators vs Penguins: Tonight, we get a true test of the Ottawa Senators’ mettle. The Sens posted two shutouts over the course of last week against the New York Rangers and the Florida Panthers. They are just four points back of the Montreal Canadiens for the Atlantic Division lead. They have a very tough road trip ahead of them, as tonight they are in Pittsburgh before they head out for a three-game tour of California.

The Sens are 6-3-0 on the road this season, and are on a four-game visiting win streak. The Pens are 10-2-1 at home, though they are 1-4 in their last five games following a win.

The trend in this game, as seems to be the trend with all the games tonight, is that the Penguins have won eight of their last nine home games against the Sens and five of their last six against Ottawa overall.

Prediction: Take Pittsburgh to win. Play the under.