The Flyers try to snap their losing streak. Winnipeg looks to stay hot at home. Let’s take a look at our NHL daily predictions.
| Panthers vs Devils ML +110 / -130 O/U 5.5 |
Flyers vs Penguins ML Off / Off O/U Off |
| Blue Jackets vs Canadiens ML -115 / -105 O/U 5.5 |
Wild vs Jets ML +110 / -130 O/U 5.5 |
| Ducks vs Blackhawks ML +155 / -175 O/U 5.5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
The Game to Watch: Flyers vs Penguins.
Pennsylvania’s best rivalry hits the ice tonight in the form of Flyers-Penguins.
The Philadelphia Flyers are trying to snap one of their most frustrating losing streaks in recent memory. They have dropped seven straight, but it’s the way they have lost those seven that is demoralizing. The streak started with back to back shutouts against the Minnesota Wild. Then came a pair of losses in extra time to the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames.
Vancouver came into Philly and blew the Flyers out, 5-2. After that: a pair of overtime losses to the New York Islanders.
Even though they have racked up four loser points in their last five games, Philly still can’t seem to buy a win.
Their efforts have at least kept them in the playoff hunt, trailing the second wild card spot by six points.
Sitting one point behind the second wild card are the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh has had a lackluster November, which has forced them down in the standings. Washington, New Jersey, Columbus and both New Yorks have ramped up the intensity of late, which has put the pressure on the Pens.
Pittsburgh is just 5-5-2 in the month of November.
The Pens’ offense knows how to keep a good time rolling, though. They have won their last four games after scoring five or more the previous game, and have won their last four against opponents who have allowed five or more the previous games. In other words, when they are hot, they stay hot, and when the other team is down, they know how to give a good kick.
That said, they have lost their last five of four-in-six scenarios.
But if the Penguins are really able to pile it on opponents who are going through a funk, they should be licking their chops against the Philadelphia Flyers, who have blown three two-goal leads in the last two weeks.
Wayne Simmonds snapped a 14-game goalless streak Friday night against the Islanders.
Will the Flyers ever win again? It’s going to be a tough battle once again tonight. At least they may be catching a break if Evgeni Malkin is still out. Malkin has sat out the last three games with an upper-body injury and is questionable for tonight.
Look, the Flyers have to win at some point. Maybe a rivalry matchup against the Penguins is the kind of turnaround they need.
Prediction: What the heck, take the Flyers to win. Play the over, which has hit in the last four meetings in Pittsburgh.
Other NHL Daily Predictions
Wild vs Jets: The Winnipeg Jets are 6-0-1 in their last seven home games. They have become early contenders for the Central Division crown, trailing the leading St. Louis Blues by four points with a game in hand.
Tonight they take on one of the more “meh” road teams in the Western Conference, the Minnesota Wild.
Minnesota is 5-6-1 as the visiting team this season. They are 3-4-0 this month, though two of those wins were shutouts by Devan Dubnyk. In their most recent road contest on Saturday, they ventured into St. Louis and left on the wrong end of a 6-3 score.
Saturday’s loss was also the end of a six-game goal scoring streak for Nino Niederreiter. Niederreiter has nine goals on the year in 17 games.
Eric Staal still has a four-game point streak going. Staal has 21 points in 23 games and is on pace for one of the best seasons of his career at 33-years-old.
Winnipeg’s stars have gone through a bit of a lull this last week. Blake Wheeler has not hit the stat sheet in four games, and neither has Mark Scheifele in his last three. However, Nikolaj Ehlers notched a three-point night against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday, as did Bryan Little.
Dustin Byfuglien has not registered a point in eight games, and has yet to reach the back of the net in 21 games. Brent Burns finally got off his goal-scoring skid the other day. The Jets’ big man needs to do the same.
The over has hit in the last six meetings in Winnipeg. Given how hot the Jets’ offense can be, expect the over to hit tonight as well.
Prediction: Take the Jets to win. Play the over.
Ducks vs Blackhawks: The Anaheim Ducks just can’t win against the Central Division, dropping their last five to opponents from the Central. Fortunately for them, the Chicago Blackhawks have lost six of their last seven to Pacific Division foes.
Anaheim comes in significant underdogs against the Blackhawks. Is there reason to believe they can cash in on the tilted line?
Absolutely. The road team has won four of the last five meetings between these two teams. Home ice has meant little to nothing to the Blackhawks this season, as they are just 5-4-1 at the United Center. The Ducks may be just 4-2-2 on the road, but at least they have a shot.
Rickard Rakell will not be in the Ducks’ lineup tonight. The 24-year-old did not travel with the team. This is a huge blow to their offense, naturally. Rakell leads in goals with eight and points with 18.
Considering the Ducks will be without pretty much every offensive weapon not named Corey Perry up front, it will be an uphill battle tonight.
Patrick Kane is currently riding a six-game point streak. Artem Anisimov has five goals in his last five games. Duncan Keith has four assists in his last four games.
The Blackhawks are 3-0-1 in their last four games. Their offense is starting to heat up, and the wins are going to start coming in more consistently.
Is this game a lock? No. But the safe money lies with them tonight.
Prediction: Take the Chicago Blackhawks to win. Play the over.
