There’s only three games to go over tonight, what with it being Wednesday Night Rivalry and all. So let’s go around the NHL for the best plays, picks and predictions of the night:
| Blues vs Red Wings ML +106 / -117 O/U 5 |
Sabres vs Avalanche ML +149 / -165 O/U 5 |
| Wild vs Ducks ML +113 / -125 O/U 5 |
Play of the Day: Wild over Ducks.
The Wild have gone ice-cold. They only have scored three goals in their last four games. They have been shutout now back to back games. Minnesota has just two wins in nine games since the turn of the calendar year.
And yet, +115 is still a reasonable money line for their match against the Anaheim Ducks tonight.
No matter how poorly a team’s offense is playing, they can at least compare favorably to the Anaheim Ducks, who are still the league’s most anemic offense. They have been playing significantly better, but they still trail the second-worst team by 12 goals.
David Perron looked decent in his first game with Anaheim. It was not a flawless performance by any stretch, but he did log his first goal as a Duck (and his first goal in 20 games).
The key for Minnesota will come on their special teams. It never fails to amaze me when a team like Minnesota, with such high-priced talent that specialized in powerplay conversion, goes through a stretch of no goals in 21 attempts on the man advantage. Anaheim has allowed a powerplay goal in their last two games. Perhaps this is the night Minnesota gets their offense going.
Prediction: The under 5 is a stone-cold lock tonight. Take the Wild to win tonight.
The Game to Watch: Blues vs Red Wings.
This is the winner of the “Game to Watch” category by default. This is the big rivalry game of the night. The other two games feature teams that really couldn’t care less about the other. So, by process of elimination, this is the game of the night from the fans’ perspective.
It’s with good reason, too. The Blues and Red Wings are both playoff teams as of right now with rankings that could change dramatically with just a few points here or there. St. Louis has 61 points for a comfortable lead on the third divisional spot in the Central. A win would pull them even with the fading Dallas Stars for the second spot though, and only five points behind the Blackhawks.
The Red Wings have won five of their last seven games. All five wins were by (shocker) one goal. They have the streaking Lightning and even the Boston Bruins nipping at their heels, waiting to overtake them in the standings. Detroit is currently tied with Tampa at 54 points and a point ahead of Boston.
Petr Mrazek is the confirmed starter for the Detroit Red Wings per LeftWingLock. He will be squaring off against Brian Elliott.
Goaltending has not been the issue for Detroit. Mrazzle Dazzle has been fantastic, in fact. The trouble has come from supporting him. The Red Wings’ offense is averaging less than two goals scored per game in their last ten matchups. So many of their games are decided by one goal not so much because they are hyper-competitive as they are just out of design. They simply have not been the team to dominate games and win by big margins.
It could be genius. Playoff goals are at all time lows. They’ve just been getting extra practice in.
The Wings are 1-3-2 in their last six games at home. They will also be without Niklas Kronwall for 2-4 weeks. Brian Elliott comes in 4-1 in his last five. The stars do not appear to be aligning for Detroit.
Prediction: It will be a one goal game. Take St. Louis to win at +106. I suspect the score will be a 3-2 push of the over/under. To be safe, take the under.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Sabres vs Avalanche: Unless you are a fan of one of these two teams, this will be the most skippable game on the schedule tonight. If nothing else, it should be fun to tune into a battle of young offensive talent. The real big plot-line though is Ryan O’Reilly’s return to Denver for the first time since being dealt to Buffalo and signing a massive extension. O’Reilly went through one intense negotiation too many in Colorado which meant the Avs were fine with dealing him. For the record- dealing a 24-year old center with three seasons of 55+ points under his belt is not smart. If O’Reilly plays with a little edge tonight, who could blame him?
“Factor” is on pace for almost 80 points this season (17 G, 22 A). Among his former mates is Matt Duchene, having a terrific year for the Avs (22 G, 16 A). Duchene has been a major reason Colorado has the fifth-most goals in the league. This being despite the fact they are a terrible possession team. Perhaps that explains why they have also allowed the sixth-most goals in the league.
The Sabres have won four of their last five.
Prediction: The Avalanche will win tonight. The under will hit. But hey, if you want to play something other than the lottery, the Sabres might be fun. +149 is a heavy underdog for a team coming in playing much better hockey. This is a game where betting against your own mind might pay off.
