There are 10 games on the schedule tonight starting at 1PM Eastern Standard Time. Let’s look around the NHL at today’s top picks, plays and predictions.
| Flyers vs Devils ML OFF / OFF O/U OFF |
Bruins vs Wild ML -+104 / -115 O/U 5 |
| Predators vs Panthers ML +108 / -119 O/U 5 |
Islanders vs Hurricanes ML -138 / +125 O/U 5 |
| Senators vs Blue Jackets ML +105 / -116 O/U 5.5 |
Maple Leafs vs Canucks ML +140 / -155 O/U 5 |
| Capitals vs Stars ML -108 / -102 O/U |
Ducks vs Blackhawks ML +120 / -132 O/U 5 |
| Jets vs Oilers ML -102 / -108 O/U 5.5 |
Coyotes vs Sharks ML +184 / -205 O/U 5.5 |
Here are today’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
Play of the Day: Predators over Panthers.
The Florida Panthers had a rough game against the St. Louis Blues last night. After striking first, the Cats allowed four unanswered goals, ultimately suffering defeat 5-3. They are 1-2-1 in their last four.
Florida simply had no way to contain the dynamic duo of Jayden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. Though the Cats wound up with the shot advantage, score had a huge effect. St. Louis held a significant advantage on shots until after the Panthers pulled within two at 4-2. Both Schwartz and Tarasenko wound up with a goal and an assist.
If containing the top lines to limit high-danger scoring chances is not working out for Florida, then stopping the Nashville Predators is going to be quite hard. Filip Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro have been weaving magic together, and the Johansen-Neal-Jarnkrok line is a threat every game. Even though the Preds are on the road, the +108 looks like a good play.
Prediction: Take the Preds to win. Play the over.
The Game to Watch: Ducks vs Blackhawks.
I was debating whether Washington-Dallas or Anaheim-Chicago should get the honor of being “The Game to Watch” for today. While both are going to be highly entertaining, Anaheim-Chicago wins by a nose.
Both the Ducks and the Blackhawks have teams hot on their tails in the standings. Anaheim is trying to bury the Canucks, who for some reason just won’t die. The Hawks have the Dallas Stars breathing down their necks, just a point behind them for the Central Division standings.
Corey Crawford has owned Anaheim in his career. He is 11-4-1 with three shutouts and a 1.77 goals-against average. The Hawks have won both meetings so far this season.
Chicago needs to get back on track in game three of their four-game home stand if they want to keep their division lead. Their most recent game was a lackluster performance against the Dallas Stars, in which Corey Crawford allowed four goals in the first period before being removed at the start of the second.
What’s wrong with the Hawks then? Well, in truth, not much of anything. Crawford had a clunker of a game against one of the top offenses in the league, and Chicago was shut out against San Jose the game before. Considering Chicago’s 12-game win streak is not too far back in the rear view mirror, alarm bells should not be ringing.
Chris Stewart will not be participating for the Ducks. The big winger, who has eight goals and 10 assists this year, broke his jaw in a fight against Dalton Prout of the Blue Jackets.
Prediction: Chicago has won the last four encounters. Make it five tonight. Take the Hawks to win at -132. Take the over.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Coyotes vs Sharks: Here’s your bold prediction of the day. The Arizona Coyotes deserve an upset pick tonight, even though the deck is stacked against them. Listing them at +184 when they are really only two wins removed from a playoff spot is practically daring you to place a bet on them. It’s a dare you should be willing to take.
The Yotes have struggled hardcore these past two weeks, there’s no way around it. They finally got off their slide last night with a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames. Shane Doan grabbed career point number 929, tying him for the franchise lead in points. Arizona’s penalty kill was getting a surprising number of chances, including a breakaway save and a break-in goal that was waved off for offsides.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson tallied yet another powerplay goal on a booming slapshot. It was OEL’s 10th powerplay goal this season.
The Sharks have been plenty successful since coming back from the break, but far from invincible. Logan Couture has been heating up, but Brent Burns is on a 13-game goalless streak. They have beaten the Chicago Blackhawks, but allowed 12 goals combined to the Predators and Flames. They have been hit-and-miss since mid-January.
Arizona will need Anders Lindback to step up big time if they want a win. Lindback has been nothing short of dreadful this season, and if they want any shot at making the playoffs, they will need him to steal some wins to give youngster Louis Domingue some much needed days off down the stretch.
Prediction: The line is too slanted to not take. Play the Coyotes to win. Take the under 5.5.
Senators vs Blue Jackets: Dion Phaneuf grabbed his first two points in a Sens jersey with a pair of assists against the Colorado Avalanche Thursday. Though Ottawa has yet to win since the nine-player deal for Phaneuf went down, they have a prime chance to do so tonight against the third-worst team in the National Hockey League.
The Jackets have actually been reveling in their role as spoiler lately. They have taken down the Canucks, Flames and the Ducks in rapid succession, and grabbed a point against the Islanders. Three of the four games went into a shootout, with Columbus winning two.
Even though Columbus has been surprisingly picking up the pace lately, Ottawa as an underdog is still far too enticing. Two wins in the skills competition against the Pacific Division does not a favorite make.
Prediction: Take the Sens to win at +108. Play the under.
Capitals vs Stars: The runner-up for “The Game to Watch” will feature some of the two most potent offenses in the league. The 5.5 over/under is an interesting conundrum. On the one hand, Braden Holtby has just five regulation losses all season, and just one dating back to November 10th. His 2.10 goals-against average is fourth-best in the league. On the other hand, he has a 2.67 goals-against average in his last nine starts. Granted he is 7-1-1 in that stretch, but it means that the Caps have had to shoot their way out lately.
Kari Lehtonen will likely be the starter for Dallas. He has stopped 81-of-86 shots over his last two starts, but still sports a 2.79 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage, which is pretty pedestrian.
Dallas is 5-1 in their last six. Washington has the exact same record over that span.
The X-factor in this game will be the Dallas blueline. They will have to ramp up the pressure and help pin the Caps in their own zone. John Klingberg is certainly a player to watch, as I mentioned in my fantasy article today.
Most importantly, Dallas will have to limit odd-man rushes. It’s a common problem that burned them badly in their loss to Chicago a week ago. With hot shooters like Ovechkin, Kuznetsov and Burakovsky coming their way, the Stars cannot afford to lose the turnover battle.
Prediction: It’s a very close call, but take the Caps to win. The edge in goaltending is huge. Play the over 5.5. Expect a 4-3 game.
Islanders vs Hurricanes: The Hurricanes should be an intriguing play today. Should is the operative word there. Their play of late does not inspire much confidence, unfortunately. They have now lost back-to-back games in the shootout and are simply having too much trouble finding the back of the net. Their shot numbers are fine by and large, but their methodical style of play has led them to score just one goal in now three of their last four games.
The Isles, meanwhile, are coming off a 5-2 thumping of the Los Angeles Kings. They have now won three in a row, and are averaging five goals a game in those three wins. New York is 5-2 in their last seven games in Carolina. The road team is 6-1 in their series.
Prediction: The Islanders are 4-0 in their last four games against teams with a losing record. Take them to win. Play the under. Carolina won’t be scoring more than two.
