Who’s ready for a day full of hockey? Soak it in, because it’s the busiest weekend of the sporting year. Twelve hockey games await. Let’s take a look at our NHL Daily Predictions.
| Sharks vs Sabres ML -135 / +115 O/U 5.5 |
Kings vs Bruins ML -105 / -115 O/U 5.5 |
| Flyers vs Maple Leafs ML +145 / -165 O/U 6.5 |
Rangers vs Canadiens ML +120 / -140 O/U 5.5 |
| Ducks vs Lightning ML +150 / -170 O/U 5.5 |
Red Wings vs Panthers ML +135 / -155 O/U 5.5 |
| Coyotes vs Devils ML Off / Off O/U Off |
Blue Jackets vs Blues ML Off / Off O/U Off |
| Islanders vs Predators ML +119 / -131 O/U Off |
Penguins vs Wild ML -110 / -110 O/U 6 |
| Blackhawks vs Avalanche ML -129 / +115 O/U Off |
Capitals vs Oilers ML -105 / -115 O/U Off |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
The Game to Watch: Flyers vs Maple Leafs.
The line is showing the Philadelphia Flyers absolutely no respect as they venture up to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs. Granted, they should be the underdogs on the road against one of the toughest offensive teams in the NHL, but still.
After all, the Flyers are only four points behind the Maple Leafs in the standings. The Leafs let a valiant comeback effort go to waste on Thursday night against the Carolina Hurricanes. Though the Canes led 3-1, the Leafs rallied to tie it in the second, only to let it slip away and lose 6-3.
Philly tried a little comeback effort of their own Thursday to no avail. Shayne Gostisbehere cut what was once a 5-2 lead to 5-4 with less than two minutes remaining in regulation time, but the Flyers could not find the equalizer in the remaining time.
Both teams will be looking for a bounce-back game after poor first periods doomed their Thursdays. To that end, the Maple Leafs are 7-1 in their last eight following a loss of three or more.
One thing the oddsmakers are banking on? Goals. The over/under is set at 6.5. This is now the second time in the last three days that an over/under has been set that high. The first time was in Thursday’s Jets-Penguins game, which ended 2-1.
While the over is 4-1 in the last five meetings between these two teams, that was when the mark was set at 5.5. Until I’m proven otherwise, over 6.5 is just too daring for me to think will hit.
To ensure that I am right, I will need some semblance of stability coming from Brian Elliott and Frederik Andersen tonight. Both have a winning record, but neither has a goals-against average lower than 3.00 a save percentage above .900.
Elliott mentioned when reflecting on his time with Calgary that it took him a while to adjust to the defensive tendencies of the players in front of him and consequently got off to a horrid start for misreading the play. Looks like deja vu all over again.
Toronto won both home games against Philly last year by a comfortable margin. I like them today, but a +140 on the Flyers still seems unjust.
Prediction: Take the Leafs to win. Play the under.
Other NHL Daily Predictions
Kings vs Bruins: Winning streaks don’t seem to be in the Bruins’ blood anymore. They are winless in their last six games following a victory.
Might there be a reason to pause after they defeated the San Jose Sharks 2-1 Thursday night at home?
When playing the Los Angeles Kings, yes.
The Kings have won four of their last five road games and six of their last seven against Atlantic Division foes. The TD Garden is usually a tricky venue for them, but they are off to too hot a start to write off.
Jonathan Quick is 6-1-1 to start the year with a .944 save percentage and 1.88 goals-against average. Opposite him tonight may be Tuukka Rask, who has had a rough go of it in net to start the year. His numbers are uncharacteristic and he has been through concussion protocol. He has been cleared to play but backed up Anton Khudobin as a safety precaution on Thursday. Khudobin got the win.
Whether it is Khudobin or Rask in net, they are going to have their hands full.
David Krecji will not be in the lineup tonight for the Bruins with a back injury.
Prediction: Take the Kings to win. Play the under.
Rangers vs Canadiens: It’s the “Who Gets Their Coach Fired First” bowl! Alain Vigneault vs Claude Julien! Who’s seat is hotter?
Common logic says Vigneault’s. The Rangers finally snapped their skid with a home victory over the worst hockey team in the league Thursday, Arizona. Derek Stepan’s return was ruined by his team’s inability to generate any kind of offensive pressure.
Ondrej Pavelec will be in net for the Rangers. He did what was asked of him Thursday- give Lundqvist a chance to nurse his leg to health, and stop easy shots. He did both those things. To insinuate Pavelec should play over Lundqvist when Hank is fully healthy is dumb and you should be shot out of a cannon into the sun if that’s your genuine thought process.
Yeah, looking at you, Larry Brooks.
Pavelec didn’t allow an early goal because he didn’t face a shot in the opening period that even came close. The Coyotes stink and the team that should have won, won.
Now they have to head to the Bell Centre. Regardless of how the Canadiens are playing, Montreal is a tough place to play.
Tuesday night looked like it might be the Habs’ time to turn the corner. They skated away with a much needed 5-1 home victory over the Florida Panthers. Then on Thursday, they were shut out in their own building by the Kings.
Oops.
Montreal has lost all five games they have played against Western Conference foes this season.
The Habs were also shut out at Madison Square Garden by Lundqvist and the Rangers in Game 3 this season.
Here’s a basic breakdown. To summarize the chart from Sean Tierney: the x-axis is shooting percentage, the y-axis is save percentage. To be in the top-right quadrant is ideal, as it means a team is scoring and making timely saves.
PDO – Oct 27
Calling MTL unlucky at this point is an undersell.
EDM has the best CF60 and is still in dull. That can't last. pic.twitter.com/XRD8VFYuOF— Sean Tierney (@ChartingHockey) October 27, 2017
That’s Montreal aaaaaall the way down there on the left.
Their opening schedule has been brutal. They’ve been beaten up by Californian teams (as they usually do), lost to Chicago and Washington (understandable), and fell to Toronto and New York in games where they outshot and outplayed their opponents.
All this is to say the Habs are not totally hosed yet.
And they could turn things around with a win tonight. But they will need to prove they are not as fragile as they look.
A -140 is awfully confident for a team with such rotten luck to start the year. The Rangers may be the go-to pick if only to try and cash in. Pavelec-Price is a bad matchup for the Rangers, but they are catching Montreal at the right time.
Prediction: Take the Rangers to win. Play the over.
Sharks vs Sabres: San Jose topped Buffalo earlier this season despite a pair of goals from Jason Pominville and a pair of assists from Jack Eichel and Zemgus Girgensons both.
Outside of the Sabres’ top line of Eichel, Pominville and Evander Kane, their offense really is nothing to marvel over. If that line does not make an impact, the team has virtually no power.
The Sharks are finishing up their five-game tour of the Northeast. They took two of three from the Tri-State Metro teams but were stymied by Khudobin and the Bruins 2-1. Peter DeBoer is another coach with his name being tossed around as one that could be getting the ax if things don’t turn around.
Have faith. Martin Jones looks good in net. Their offense is sl0w out of the gate, but those who are underperforming are star players bound to recover. The Sabres have their big guns producing and a bottom six littered with nobodies. There’s no reason to believe their offense is going to explode soon.
With San Jose, there is.
Prediction: Take the Sharks to win. Play the under. This could be a pretty boring game to watch, really.
