There are six games on tap for tonight, from 3 PM to 9:30 PM Eastern Standard Time. Let’s take a look around the NHL at the plays and predictions!
| Sabres vs Jets | Senators vs Capitals | Avalanche vs Blackhawks |
| ML +158 / -175 | ML OFF / OFF | ML +163 / -181 |
| O/U 5 | O/U OFF | O/U 5 |
| Devils vs Wild | Red Wings vs Ducks | Panthers vs Oilers |
| ML +136 / -150 | ML +123 / -136 | ML -128 / +116 |
| O/U 5 | O/U 5 | O/U 5 |
Play of the Day: Avalanche over Blackhawks.
The Avs and Blackhawks went into overtime New Year’s Eve after a late goal by Erik Johnson tied things up. A Jonathan Toews powerplay goal ended the game, but there were a lot of positives to take away on the Colorado side.
Despite a brutal second period in which the Avs got outshot 17-5, the score was still only 3-2 Chicago heading into the third. That’s really always been the case with Patrick Roy’s Avalanche: get badly outshot, stay in games, have a chance to win late. A string of late wins was what made the 2013-2014 Avs a playoff team under Roy despite their abysmal possession numbers. Those same numbers are what saw them plummet to the bottom of the standings last season. Now, they sit dead last in the league with a team 44.2% 5v5 corsi rating.
And yet, Colorado has been playing winning hockey. They’re actually currently tied with Nashville in points for the second Western Conference Wild Card spot. They’re currently on a three-game win streak, with all three wins coming against playoff teams. Even in their matchup on December 15th, the Avs emerged from the United Center in Chicago with a 3-0 victory. A +163 line is pretty harsh against a team that thrives on fighting tooth and nail to hang with their opponent.
There’s no question Chicago is the better team here. They currently are riding a six-game win streak and have scored 3 goals or more in each of those six games. But +163 means this play could pay.
Prediction: Avs with the over.
The Game to Watch: Senators vs Capitals.
While it’s not a rivalry game, this one will be fun to watch for one reason: history. Alex Ovechkin sits at 499 goals on his career, and will surely be itching to grab his 500th on home ice. The Senators allow a lot of scoring chances, so it seems the stage is set.
As far as the rest of the game is concerned, much depends on who the Capitals will be starting in goal. If Braden Holtby gets the nod, it will be a whole lot harder for the Sens to come away with two points. Not to say Philipp Grubauer is a slouch. But when your starting goalie is 19-0-2 in his last 21 starts, a point streak matched only three other times in history, there’s a certain confidence that comes with the territory.
Prediction: The Caps will win and Ovi will score. Write it in stone.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Sabres vs Jets: It’s been rumored that the fans in Winnipeg will be wearing track suits to Evander Kane’s homecoming to mock last year’s debacle with Dustin Byfuglien. Winnipeg fans are pretty inventive but that’s taking an in-joke to a whole new level. Although in Kane’s case, good-natured taunting of a former player can get real awkward real fast if done wrong given recent events.
The Jets have been thriving with rookie netminder Connor Hellebuyck in the cage. Hellebuyck has allowed just 3 even-strength goals in his past six games. His stellar play earned his team a point against the Stars last game. This kid is fun to watch.
Prediction: Jets (-175) with the under.
Devils vs Wild: The Devils are very shorthanded due to injuries, and their play suffered against Boston as a result. Leading scorer Mike Cammalleri has landed on the injured reserve. Tyler Kennedy, David Schlemko and John Moore remain out of the lineup as well. Kyle Palmieri has gone cold too with only one goal in five games.
New Jersey will be catching backup Darcy Kuemper in net most likely. Kuemper is 4-0-4 on the year with a 1.40 goals against average in his last five starts.
Prediction: Take the Wild (-150) with the over. This game will be 4-2 with an empty netter.
Red Wings vs Ducks: This may be another fun play to look at. The Red Wings will be starting Petr Mrazek in net, and he is quietly becoming one of the more dependable netminders in the league. He’s won three starts in a row, including a 35-save 2-1 victory over San Jose on Thursday. Mrazek said he was “never nervous” about the game being so close in his postgame interview. His confidence is growing, and it should.
Anaheim is still the least efficient offense in the league by a pretty significant margin. They’re only a point out of the playoffs (and they have a weak Pacific Division to thank for that) which means they will still get the benefit of the doubt from Vegas. A +123/-136 line is intriguing.
Prediction: Detroit is picking up steam. Take them for the under.
Panthers vs Oilers: Al Montoya will be in net tonight against the Oilers, meaning Roberto Luongo will be between the pipes Monday against Vancouver. Montoya has been remarkable, posting a 6-1-1 record with a .938 save percentage. The Panthers are rolling, and it has been largely in part to their goaltenders.
The Oilers were looking good against Tampa for 40 minutes before they essentially beat themselves. They suffered not one, not two, but three own goals in one period. And it so happened to be the third. Classic Oilers luck.
Edmonton had their chance to take advantage of a slumping team. The Lightning have been frustrated and underwhelming. They now face a team from the same state on an 11-game win streak. They’re becoming a force to be reckoned with.
Prediction: Take the Panthers at -128 for the over.
