Around the NHL: Predictions for March 10th

There are six games to be played tonight. Let’s take a look around the NHL at the top picks, plays and predictions.

Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.

Play of the Day: The over in Sabres vs Canadiens.
Both the Sabres and Canadiens are in free-fall at this point. If Montreal really wanted to fool themselves into thinking they could compete, I suppose they could, seeing as seven points behind the second Wild Card spot really is not too insurmountable. It would take a miracle, but crazier things have happened I guess. Word to Andrew Hammond.

That being said, it definitely won’t happen.

Mike Condon will be in net against Robin Lehner tonight. Both goalies have had their respective woes. Condon was lit up in Montreal’s most recent road trip, allowing 11 goals in three games, 10 of them at even strength. He has played considerably better at home with a 2.13 goals-against average at the Bell Centre, but he has been far too rocky to instill any sort of confidence.

Meanwhile, Lehner was yanked from his most recent start after allowing three goals on just 14 shots. He has a 2.90 goals-against average in six career appearances against the Canadiens. He has lost six of his last seven decisions.

At least Lehner has been exceptional on the road this season, boasting a .943 save percentage and a 1.88 goals-against average.

Prediction: The over is 4-0-1 in the last five meetings. At least Alex Galchenyuk has been hot lately, tallying six goals in his last four games. Take the Canadiens to win on home ice, which is the only place they can win. Play the over.

The Game to Watch: Hurricanes vs Bruins.
The Hurricanes were big-time sellers at the trade deadline, sending away Eric Staal and Kris Versteeg for draft picks. After stripping their offense down, they will now be without their second-leading scorer Justin Falk indefinitely after suffering a leg injury Tuesday.

Falk’s injury put a damper on an otherwise exciting game for Carolina Tuesday. Jeff Skinner beat the clock with the equalizer against the Ottawa Senators. I’m still not exactly sure how the puck perfectly landed on his stick in the high slot off a blocked shot rebound, but the hockey gods permitted it. The Canes would go on to win in a shootout.

The Bruins are 4-0-1 in their last five games, with each of their last three going into overtime. After going through a rough stretch against teams with winning records, they have taken down the Blackhawks, Panthers and Lightning in rapid succession.

Brad Marchand has been red-hot for the B’s. He is on a four-game point streak with two goals and four assists. He and Patrice Bergeron have natural chemistry, and adding Lee Stempniak into the fold has been a seamless transition.

Speaking of Stempniak, he leads all trade deadline acquisitions with six points since his trade.

This will be John-Michael Liles’ first game against his old club after being dealt at the deadline.

Prediction: Boston has taken six of the last seven encounters, and Tuukka Rask has been near impenetrable in his career against the Canes. Take the Bruins to win. Play the under.

Other Game Notes Around the NHL

Oilers vs Wild: Devan Dubnyk has been wildly successful (no pun intended) against his former club since departing Edmonton. He is 6-1-0 with a 1.28 goals-against average against the Oilers in his career.

The Wild have struggled with their penalty kill all season, and it really has not gotten any better since their coaching change. Fortunately for them, the Oilers are just 1-for-24 on the man advantage of late. Minnesota’s powerplay has taken major strides forward, which was another complaint in the Mike Yeo era.

The biggest obstacle for Minnesota tonight will be themselves. They are 0-6 in their last six games with three or more days rest. The under is 9-1 in the last 10 games for the Oilers, so the Wild cannot come out flat. They will be hosting an offensively challenged team tonight, and they cannot play down to their level.

Nevertheless, the Wild had both Monday and Tuesday completely off from all activities, which is something that players were vocally grateful for. Perhaps the break will work to their advantage now that they have a coach that is unafraid to crack the whip.

Prediction: It is pricey, but take the Wild to win. Play the under.

Senators vs Panthers: If the Panthers are not very careful, they could be buried in the Atlantic Division. It is admittedly a paranoid thing to say, but it is not without merit. Both the Lightning and the Bruins have leapfrogged over the Panthers thanks to the 1-5 skid that they are on. The Red Wings are six points behind Florida for the third divisional spot, which is a nice cushion. All the same, for a team that was in first by a significant margin not long ago, their play should be unacceptable and cause for at least a little concern.

Aleksander Barkov has been a point-per-game player since returning from a concussion, notching seven goals in seven games. Jiri Hudler scored his first two goals as a Panther on Monday.

Ottawa’s offense has gone cold, and the desperation is overtly setting in on the part of the coaching staff. Leading goal scorer Mike Hoffman was dropped down to the fourth line last game in response to his being held off the scoresheet in his last five games. He will be back on the second line to start tonight, but the gesture speaks volumes.

Erik Karlsson has been pointless in his last four games. He leads the NHL in assists with 57 and is third in the league in scoring. While he has been racking up the points, he actually has not found the net himself in 18 games.

Prediction: Take Florida to win. Play the over.