There are five games on the schedule tonight. Let’s take a look around the NHL at the top picks, plays and predictions.
| Lightning vs Islanders ML -105 / -105 O/U 5 |
Rangers vs Blue Jackets ML -165 / +149 O/U 5.5 |
| Panthers vs Maple Leafs ML -160 / +144 O/U 5 |
Coyotes vs Blues ML +200 / -224 O/U 5 |
| Kings vs Canucks ML -195 / +175 O/U 5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
Play of the Day: Blue Jackets over Rangers.
The New york Rangers are nose-diving as hard as possible heading into the postseason. They are 6-6-3 since the beginning of March and have now dropped three games in a row. Their most recent failures came against teams they have traditionally dominated, as nine-game series winning streaks came to ends against both the Hurricanes and the Sabres.
The Rangers have won six straight meetings against the Blue Jackets, and the way that this past week has gone for them that does not bode well. Their last encounter came on Leap Day, with a shorthanded goal by Derek Stepan in the waning minutes of the game proving to be the difference maker.
Columbus may be a lottery team this year but do not be fooled. The mutual former teammates on each side, as well as the John Tortorella-New York factor, will have an impact as it always does. These two teams do not like each other, and even though New York has held the upper-hand, the Jackets are scrappy enough to cause them problems tonight.
Being a spoiler does give motivation to teams that know they are being underestimated. The Buffalo Sabres came out firing on all cylinders and looked determined in their game against the Rangers on Saturday. New York came out conservative and flat-footed. The Sabres were rewarded with a 4-3 victory.
The Jackets snapped a four-game losing-streak with a 5-1 win over the Hurricanes on Saturday. Joonas Korpisalo improved to 15-10-4. Korpisalo, who is 6-3-0 in his last nine starts, will get the call tonight.
Not only do the Rangers have a lot of difficulty as the visiting team (18-17-3 this season), they are winless in their last four games against Metro Division rivals.
Prediction: There’s enough working against the Rangers tonight to contemplate a play against them. Take the Jackets to win at +149. Play the over, which is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
The Game to Watch: Lightning vs Islanders.
If the Rangers do happen to lose tonight, that opens a huge door for the Islanders to walk through tonight. Brooklyn had won four of their last five heading into a matchup against the Penguins on Saturday, which turned into an unmitigated disaster. Tonight, they have an opportunity to regroup and potentially pull into a points tie with the Rangers for the third divisional spot in the Metro.
The Isles have won seven of their last eight on home ice against the Bolts. The home team is 5-1 in the last six meetings. Their last game saw the Lightning pull away after the Isles tied it in the third period.
Tonight the Lightning begin a four-game road trip to conclude their season. Their last excursion saw mixed results, with dropped games against the Flyers, Maple Leafs and Stars.
This game is all about pressure. The Lightning could pull even with the Panthers for the top spot in the division, but they will be without Steven Stamkos and Anton Stralman for potentially the remainder of the year. The Islanders have a game in hand with the Rangers to potentially match up with a Marc-Andre Fleury-less Penguins in the first round of the playoffs.
Both teams need this game. I would not be surprised if this one went into overtime.
Prediction: Take the Islanders to win. The Bolts will have a transition period as they adjust to life without Stamkos. Play the over.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Panthers vs Maple Leafs: Of course, the “Game to Watch” tonight is entirely dependent on other games as well. This is the time of year where dual-screen watching and remote control mastery comes in handy. The Florida Panthers need to keep a leg up on the Tampa Bay Lightning. With the Bolts heading out on the road without two of their best players shelved for the rest of the regular season at least, the Cats have a chance to clinch the Atlantic Division crown if they put together a nice string of games.
That string will have to continue tonight. The Panthers have won consecutive games against the Devils and Canadiens, and have all non-playoff teams the remainder of the year. They have won four of their last five road games, including all-important wins against Boston and Tampa.
Toronto actually pulled an upset over the Panthers last week in Sunrise. A little more than a week prior was a 4-1 victory for Florida in Toronto.
Prediction: Take the Panthers to win. Play the over.
Kings vs Canucks: The Canucks are actually winning games now I guess. They’ve managed to steal back-to-back road games against the Sharks and the Ducks. They will be on home ice tonight against the third California team. Can they repeat their magic?
The Kings are 0-4 in their last four road games. But then again, the Canucks are 0-5 in their last five home games. So, it’s a wash.
There’s not a whole lot of reason beyond feeling lucky to bet on the Canucks tonight.
Prediction: Take the Kings to win. Play the under.
