There are four NHL games on the docket tonight. Let’s take a look at the top picks, plays and predictions.
| Panthers vs Rangers ML Off / Off O/U Off |
Devils vs Penguins ML +230 / -260 O/U 5.5 |
| Stars vs Flames ML Off / Off O/U Off |
Sabres vs Ducks ML +190 / -210 O/U 5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
The Game to Watch: Panthers vs Rangers.
None of the four games that are on the NHL schedule tonight are of particular significance. In each matchup, a team comfortably in the playoffs is squaring off against a team decidedly not in the postseason picture. This pairing of the Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers is the closest thing to meaningful competition tonight.
Florida is on the ropes. Toronto thrashing the Tampa Bay Lightning last night helps their chances, but only marginally. They still need to put together a lengthy winning streak to close out the season if they want any hope of tasting the postseason.
What was a productive and effective beginning to 2017 has turned into a nightmare of a March for Panthers goaltender James Reimer. From December 31st to February 20th, Reimer was 8-1-1 in 11 appearances with only 20 goals allowed over that stretch. Since that point, he is 1-6-1 in eight starts with 23 goals allowed.
Things soured very quickly for Florida.
Thomas Vanek finally showed up for the Panthers on Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Vanek had four assists in a 7-2 rout, his first assists as a member of the team. Vanek had just one goal in five games leading up to his grand performance.
New York has 90 points, four behind the Jackets with Columbus holding two games in hand. The top Wild Card spot is all but locked up for the Blueshirts. They are starting to get their banged-up players back from injury. Kevin Klein is skating in practice with a non-contact jersey. Dan Girardi will not play tonight, but vows a return within the next few days.
Jesper Fast is probable for tonight’s game, which creates a conundrum for Alain Vigneault. The clear-cut choice would be to bench fourth-line pet Tanner Glass. Glass has served his purpose, given his shot in the arm, but he simply cannot hang with the more skilled players on his line. His job on the ice is simply charge towards the net in the offensive zone, which is an underrated quality of Fast’s game. Fast has better hands for deflections anyway.
But Alain Vigneault is never that simple. If I were a betting man, I would say Jimmy Vesey, Pavel Buchnevich or Oscar Lindberg will sit. But Buchnevich has been getting top-line time and Lindberg plays center. That leaves Glass or Vesey. Grizzled vet or rookie who Vigneault can easily shrug off and say can “learn from watching.”
It won’t make or break the game, but it’s just shooting yourself in the foot. If Fast plays and Glass sits, I’ll be pleasantly surprised.
The Rangers have won nine of their last 11 against the Panthers and five of the last six in New York. However, the Rangers have had immense difficulty on their home ice, losing five straight at Madison Square Garden. Tonight is a good night to get off that skid.
Florida won the first meeting at MSG back in November in the skills competition.
Prediction: Take the Rangers to win. Play the under.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Stars vs Flames: Calgary’s winning streak has ended at 10. The Flames hosted the Boston Bruins Wednesday night, falling by a final score of 5-2.
Alex Chiasson opened the scoring with a nifty pseudo-wraparound that beat Anton Khudobin. David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand would answer for the Bruins to give them the lead. Seven minutes into the second period, Dougie Hamilton evened up the score with his seventh of the season. What looked like a harmless wrister from center-ice wound up destined for twine, as the puck whizzed by Khudobin.
Unfortunately, the Flames simply could not get enough going offensively to put much more pressure on the Bruins. Calgary wound up with just 23 shots on goal in the game.
Part of their problem is the abysmal play of their bottom six. No one more perfectly exemplifies the Flames’ struggles than Troy Brouwer. Despite getting 60% of his zone starts in the offensive end, Brouwer wound up with a Corsi-for rating of 6.3%. That is not a typo. 6.3%. One shot attempt for, 15 shots against. That is appalling.
Brian Burke made note that Curtis Lazar, who was acquired from the Ottawa Senators at the deadline, would not enter the Flames’ lineup until their winning streak was over. Now that it is, it’s time to put Lazar in and let him spark the bottom six. The man to have replaced is none other than Brouwer. Sam Bennett and Kris Versteeg are serviceable third-liners, but it is clear who the weak link is.
The Dallas Stars have allowed 27 goals in seven games this month. They were in action last night in Vancouver against the Canucks and won 4-2.
Prediction: Take the Flames to win. Play the over.
Devils vs Penguins: New Jersey embarrassed the Philadelphia Flyers last night at the Rock, blowing them out 6-2. Adam Henrique and Taylor Hall both had a pair of goals in the contest. Travis Zajac had two assists.
Taylor Hall’s first goal, which put the Devils up two early in the third, was simply filthy. So filthy, in fact, that it injured Flyers goaltender Steve Mason.
Now that's what we call a Hall-in-one. #PHIvsNJD pic.twitter.com/DHPfwL60mh
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) March 17, 2017
Should have a “Not Safe For Work” warning on it.
While last night’s win was a nice feather in their cap, the Devils have a much tougher task on their hands tonight. They will be venturing into Pittsburgh, currently the toughest place to play in the NHL. Washington has one more win at home, but the Penguins have them beat in home winning-percentage. They are 27-4-3 at the Burgh.
The Penguins have won five of the last six meetings with the Devils and 13 of the last 16 held in Pennsylvania. If they were to lose tonight, I would be shocked.
Prediction: No reason to go against the line tonight. Take the Penguins to win. Play the under.
Sabres vs Ducks: Anaheim has put together a nice run of wins at home. Winning six of their last seven at the Honda Center has brought their home record to 23-8-3. Since late February, they have beaten the likes of the Kings, Bruins, Maple Leafs, Predators, Capitals and Blues- playoff contenders, all.
Buffalo has lost five of their last six, but they received some interesting news. It was announced the other day in various New York media circles that the 2018 Winter Classic will likely be played at Citi Field in Queens, home of the New York Mets. The game would feature the New York Rangers and the Buffalo Sabres. With the Rangers unable to play a home game away from the Garden, it would be the Sabres playing “host” at Citi Field…386 mils away from their actual home arena.
That’s about a 6.5 hour drive, in case you were curious. But you know what they say, home is where the heart is. Buffalo used to be the AAA home of the Mets organization. It isn’t anymore, but still, connecting factors!
Prediction: Take the Ducks to win. Play the under.
