The Sharks and Kings face-off in the Battle for California. New Jersey tries to stay on top in the Metro. Let’s take a look at our NHL daily predictions.
| Devils vs Blackhawks ML Off / Off O/U Off |
Oilers vs Capitals ML Off / Off O/U Off |
| Lightning vs Ducks ML Off/ Off O/U Off |
Sharks vs Kings ML Off / Off O/U Off |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
The Game to Watch: Sharks vs Kings.
San Jose and Los Angeles. It’s one of the best rivalries in the game. I have said it before and I will say it over and over again, I love the Battle for California. Given how good the Kings, Sharks and Anaheim Ducks have been the last 10 years, every game has significant impact on the standings and the playoff picture.
Tonight is no different.
San Jose is still fighting to keep pace with the rest of the Western Conference. They currently have 18 points, tied with the two Wild Card teams in the Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars with a game in hand. Their favorable schedule has helped right the ship a bit. The Sharks just finished a five-game homestand where they finished 4-1. Tonight they stay in-state to take on the Kings, then after three days of rest they are back home for three more games.
That’s one way to make up some ground in the standings.
San Jose still has a few things to settle before they truly fix their eyes on the prize. For one, veteran defenseman Paul Martin has officially been cleared for action after an offseason surgery and wants to reclaim his spot on the top pair alongside Brent Burns. The problem is that his replacement, Joakim Ryan, is at the point in his development where he needs to start getting NHL time. The 24-year-old led the AHL Barracuda in shots last season and was third on the team in points with 48. He has not been filling the stat columns at the NHL level, but has impressed head coach Peter DeBoer with his speed, spacing and patience on the puck.
“[He’s] able to do a bit of everything,” DeBoer said of Ryan.
Sending Ryan down to the AHL would not do much to further his game. But there is very little mobility elsewhere in the Sharks’ lineup to make room.
Martin will be back in the lineup soon enough, but Ryan is the future.
Elsewhere on the Sharks’ blueline, Brent Burns still has not found the back of the net. The best goal-scoring defenseman in the National Hockey League is fruitless in over 60 shots on goal. It’s unlike Burns to go so long without scoring. The Hairy One has scored at least 20 goals in three of his last four seasons. Once the flood gates open, the scoring will come in droves.
Los Angeles currently sits atop the Pacific Division standings. They have points in three of their last four games, but are licking their wounds from a 5-2 home loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning Thursday night.
Even though the Kings typically struggle on Sundays, being 1-7, the Sharks have lost their last four games on no rest.
The true challenge will be trying to keep control over home ice. The road team has won four of the last five encounters and the Sharks have won seven of their last eight in the Staples Center.
Even still, I’ll take a team on two days of rest over a team on a back-to-back any day.
Prediction: Take the Kings to win. Play the under.
Other NHL Daily Predictions
Devils vs Blackhawks: The New Jersey Devils snapped a four-game losing streak by topping the Florida Panthers yesterday, 2-1.
The losing skid was the worst of the season for New Jersey. But even still, they were able to steal loser points in two of the four games. They also got Brian Boyle back in the lineup, and he scored his first goal since his leukemia diagnosis.
https://twitter.com/NHLDaily365/status/928785032227053568
Brian Boyle is a tough dude. He’s one of the most under-appreciated role players of this era. He’s everything that you could ever ask for from a bottom-six center. He’s big, aggressive in all three zones, skilled enough to rack up a few points, and a beloved locker room presence. He has been made fun of for not being a great fist-fighter, but he’s always eager to drop the gloves to defend a teammate.
All this is to say that he’s very easy to root for. Good for Boyler.
The Devils bested the Panthers despite only getting 21 shots on goal. Damon Severson and Kyle Palmieri scored in the victory.
This will be a tough back-to-back. Consecutive games is hard enough, but the Devs will have to go from the Newark to Chicago.
Good thing the Blackhawks are going through the same thing.
Chicago played last night in North Carolina against the Hurricanes. A pair of third period goals from the Hawks sent the game to overtime where Brandon Saad completed the comeback with a wrister that snuck through the five-hole of Darling.
The Blackhawks have 18 points, and their performance has varied from night. One of the few consistent bright spots on the team has been Corey Crawford. Despite a 7-6 record, he has stellar numbers- 1.87 goals-against average and .942 save percentage. Crow posted back-to-back shutouts against Philly and Minnesota at the top of the month.
Both teams are going to be gassed tonight. But the Blackhawks have won seven of eight against the Metro Division. The Devils are 0-7 in their last seven Sunday games.
Plus, the Hawks are 10-2 in 3-in-4 days scenarios. They thrive in heavy workloads.
Factor in a red-hot goaltender and the Blackhawks are the team to go with today.
Prediction: Take the Blackhawks to win. Play the under.
Oilers vs Capitals: Edmonton has won their last five against teams with a winning record. They lost 4-2 yesterday to the New York Rangers, but this has been a successful eastern road trip for them. They need every point they can get after their rough start.
Washington is typically a tough draw for them. They are 2-10 in their last 12 trips to D.C. and four of their last five against the Caps overall.
The Caps are 9-7-1 and looking to heat up. Alex Ovechkin already has 13 goals on the year as he looks to recapture the Rocket Richard trophy.
Prediction: Take the Caps to win. Play the over.
