Matt Duchene comes home to Ottawa and Devan Dubnyk looks to extend his shutout streak. Let’s take a look at our NHL daily predictions.
| Devils vs Maple Leafs ML Off / Off O/U Off |
Hurricanes vs Islanders ML +108 / -128 O/U 5.5 |
| Coyotes vs Canadiens ML +160/ -185 O/U 5.5 |
Penguins vs Senators ML -115 / +104 O/U 5.5 |
| Stars vs Lightning ML +146 / -167 O/U 6 |
Predators vs Wild ML +111 / -123 O/U 5 |
| Flyers vs Jets ML +118 / -138 O/U 5.5 |
Capitals vs Avalanche ML -128 / +116 O/U 5.5 |
| Blues vs Oilers ML +105 / -125 O/U 5.5 |
Golden Knights vs Canucks ML +143 / -163 O/U 6 |
| Bruins vs Kings ML Off / Off O/U Off |
Panthers vs Sharks ML +160 / -157 O/U 5.5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
The Game to Watch: Penguins vs Senators.
This is the first time the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators will be playing since Game 7 of last year’s Eastern Conference Final. The scorer of the overtime game-winner, Chris Kunitz, has moved on to the next phase of his career in Tampa Bay.
Kyle Turris, the man who assisted Ottawa’s lone goal in the game and played over 30 minutes of a double-overtime contest, has just been traded to Nashville. The Senators have welcomed in Canadian star Matt Duchene to his home province.
There have been some changes to both sides. But this is still a marquee matchup.
Duchene will be playing his first game in a home Ottawa sweater. On his line will be playoff hero Bobby Ryan, activated off the injured reserve after missing three weeks. In his first eight games this season, Ryan notched six assists. Having a bona fide star like Duchene on his line ought to be good for his production.
What will be interesting to monitor is the play of both teams in this particular setting. The Penguins are near-perfect on home ice, 6-0-1 on the young season. However, they are just 4-7-2 on the road.
Ottawa is 4-0-1 as the visiting team. Unfortunately, they are 4-3-4 in their own building.
What we have here is a hockey paradox.
The Sens and Pens are in similar spots in the standings. Pittsburgh has 23 points and sits third in the Metro. Ottawa has 21 points and ranks third in the Atlantic.
They are similar teams with similar struggles.
There is one thing the Penguins have that the Senators don’t: Phil Kessel, one of the hottest forward around. Kessel is currently riding a four-game scoring streak and a five-game point streak. He has 24 points in 20 games this season, which is good enough for a tie for third in the league.
The Pens are coming off a 5-4 overtime win over the Sabres. I expect them to build on that.
Prediction: Take the Penguins to win. Play the over.
Read also: NHL Waiver Wire for Week 7
Other NHL Daily Predictions
Devils vs Maple Leafs: New Jersey just won’t surrender the top spot in the Metro without a fight. Their 7-5 comeback victory over the Chicago Blackhawks proves that.
The Devils were down 4-1 late in the first period. Keith Kinkaid was one more mistake away from being yanked from the game. But before the period was over, Miles Wood scored his second of the game. That’s when things took a turn.
Andy Greene and Nico Hischier scored in the first seven minutes of the second period to tie up the game. Before period’s end, the Devils will have taken a 6-4 lead. Patrick Kane scores with three seconds left in the second period to give the Hawks some hope, but the final 20 minutes goes by and the Devils win 7-5.
Unreal.
How is this team this good?
The red-and-black have already ventured to Toronto this season back on October 11th, and they scored six. They went into the Six and scored a touchdown. They survived a 50-shot onslaught for a 6-3 win.
This time, the Maple Leafs are coming in on a four-game winning streak. Three of those wins came on home ice, two in extra time.
Both teams are coming in on multiple days rest. This is going to be much harder for New Jersey.
Prediction: Take the Maple Leafs to win. Play the over.
Flyers vs Jets: Steve Mason is currently listed as the probable starter for the Winnipeg Jets. Why they would start Mason over Connor Hellebuyck is a mystery. Maybe they just want to give the veteran a look against his former team.
Mason finally picked up his first win of the season Friday against the Arizona Coyotes. He stopped 29 of 30 shots in the game.
Yes, that’s how bad the Arizona Coyotes are.
Connor Hellebuyck followed that game up with a 4-1 win of his own against Arizona on Tuesday, stopping 33 of 34.
Regardless of who they go with, the Jets have the upper hand in this matchup. The Flyers are coming off consecutive games against the Minnesota Wild both in Philly and Minny, and both times failed to score a goal against Devan Dubnyk.
They may also be without Nolan Patrick as he deals with a concussion.
I would imagine the last thing the Jets want to do against a team looking to break open the flood gates is trot out Steve Mason, but either way, this should be a W for Winnipeg.
Prediction: Take the Jets to win. Play the under.
Golden Knights vs Canucks: Cue the Queen bassline…bum bum bum…
Another one bites the dust.
Maxime Lagace was yanked from his last game after allowing seven goals to the Edmonton Oilers. Replacing him in net: 19-year-old Dylan Ferguson.
That marks the fifth goaltender used by the Vegas Golden Knights this season.
At this point, it’s a total farce. Pretty soon we’ll be seeing ticket giveaways in T-Mobile Arena. “If you’re in Section 209, Row 4, Seat 15, congratulations! You’re our lucky Starting Goaltender of the Game! Please make your way to ice level. Start stretching.”
So yeah. Dylan Ferguson could very well be the Golden Knights’ starting goaltender. In nine minutes of work against Edmonton he faced two shots. One found the back of the net. After the game, he said that while the game could have gone better, he was still thrilled that he realized his NHL dream.
Good for the kid. Bad for the bettor.
Ferguson made 13 starts in the WHL prior to his call-up this year. He went 4-9-0 with a 4.05 goals-against average and a .878 save percentage.
Dream come true. pic.twitter.com/S4y1zfT2Wl
— Dylan Ferguson (@dferg_98) November 15, 2017
If that’s what he was like at the junior level, what will he be like with actual NHLers shooting on him? Yes, Vancouver is one of the worst offenses in the league, but…at least they’re professional players, which this kid ain’t.
Prediction: Take the Vancouver Canucks to win tonight. Play the over.
Predators vs Wild: Devan Dubnyk is a fascinating goaltender. I don’t know if there’s anyone else in the National Hockey League as streaky as he.
Streaky is a lame word to describe a goaltender. I merely mean it as a means of describing just how inexplicably good he can become. For example: Dubnyk got off to an inauspicious start, allowing 20 goals in his first six games. He started to get things figured out at the turn of the month, but still allowed three or more in three of his first four starts of November.
He is now currently riding a three-game shutout streak.
Where did that come from?
How did he go from a pedestrian start to stopping 103 shots without fail in three games against perfectly capable offenses like Montreal and Philadelphia?
I don’t quite know. But it’s worth looking at tonight when placing bets.
Tonight Dubnyk faces his ultimate test. Nashville has won five in a row and have scored 20 goals in the process. They are maybe the hottest offense in the league right now. The addition of Kyle Turris has only made them better.
Oh, and Nick Bonino is back from injury and he scored in his return against Washington.
Dubnyk will need to be on his game tonight. Can he pull it off?
It will be an uphill battle. Too much of an uphill battle for my liking.
Prediction: Take the Predators to win. Their offense is just too hot. Play the over.
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