Around the NHL: Predictions for March 31st

There are 10 games on the schedule tonight as we wrap up the month of March. 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: Devils vs Panthers.
Cory Schneider was activated today from the injured reserve, sending Scott Wedgewood back to the AHL. However, it will be Keith Kinkaid in net tonight for the Devils against Al Montoya.

The Florida Panthers’ hopes of winning the Atlantic Division took a minor hit on Tuesday, after a disappointing effort against the Toronto Maple Leafs saw them fall on the wrong side of a 5-2 score. The Leafs went 3-for-4 on the powerplay. Take the turnover battle as you will, but the Leafs managed to force 18 giveaways while the Panthers only forced five. In a tight division race, games against inferior teams are must-wins.

Vincent Trocheck will miss the remaining six games on the schedule for Florida with a fractured bone in his foot. Trocheck was tied with Jaromir Jagr for the team lead in scoring with 25 goals. He was the glue of the second line, centering Jussi Jokinen and Reilly Smith.

Even though the Devils are all-but-eliminated, they are more than happy to play the role of spoiler. They threw a wrench into the Wild Card race by topping the Boston Bruins 2-1 on Tuesday. Now, they have the chance to handicap the Panthers’ hopes of winning the Atlantic Division.

Even though the home team has dominated meetings between these two teams over the years, the Devils have a very real chance to do some damage tonight.

Prediction: Take New Jersey to win at +166. Play the under.

The Game to Watch: Predators vs Penguins.
This will be a meeting of two of the hottest teams since late February. Nashville has 12-4-2 in their last 18 games, which has propelled them into a comfortable position in the top Wild Card spot in the West. Pittsburgh meanwhile is 13-4-0 in their last 17, 9-1 in their last 10 overall, which has skyrocketed them into the third divisional spot in the Metro. With a win, they would leapfrog over the Rangers into the second spot.

The Predators’ winning ways have mostly been fueled by their home dominance. They are only 1-3-1 in their last five road games. The Pens are 4-1 in their last five home games.

Kris Letang will be in the lineup tonight, though he was upfront in his request for a break after seeing a career-high 35 minutes of ice-time against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday. Letang also tallied his 44th assist of the year, a personal high.

The Penguins’ top six has been red-hot of late. Sidney Crosby has 15 points in his last 16 games. The second line of Phil Kessel, Carl Hagelin and Nick Bonino have combined for 17 points in their last three games together.

While the over has been a hit in most of the last few games for each respective team, the under is 5-0 in the last five meetings between these two teams.

Prediction: Playing at home will be a major boon to the Penguins tonight. Take Pittsburgh to win. Play the under 5.5.

Other Game Notes Around the NHL

Rangers vs Hurricanes: Eric Staal will make his return to Carolina tonight as the Rangers take on the Hurricanes. Staal was actually allowed to travel to Raleigh a day ahead of the team to be with his family, which is a nice gesture.

The Rangers have dominated Carolina the last few seasons. They have won the last nine meetings, including all three this year. More often than not, the score ends up being a push, but the under is generally a safe play with these two teams. Especially since the Rangers have been up-and-down on the road and wins have been very hard to come by for the Hurricanes.

Prediction: Take the Rangers to win and sweep the season series yet again. Play the under.

Blue Jackets vs Islanders: There was a time not long ago when it seemed like there was life in the Blue Jackets’ locker room. That has since faded. They have dropped three games in a row and seven of their last 10, including their last four against teams with winning records. They have gone belly-up.

The Isles have won eight of their last 10 on home ice. Like the Rangers and Hurricanes, the Islanders are looking to sweep the season series, going for 5-0 against the Jackets. Two of their wins came in extra time, though both of those games were in Ohio. The Isles won 5-2 in Brooklyn back in January.

Prediction: Take the Isles to win. Play the over.

Canadiens vs Lightning: Montreal did some spoiling of their own on Tuesday, coming from behind to beat the Detroit Red Wings in regulation. Montreal is a Jekyll and Hyde team at home and on the road. They are 21-15-3 at the Bell Centre, which is comparable to several playoff teams. As the visiting team, they are 14-21-3 with only five wins in their last 26 road games. Yikes.

With Florida facing an uphill battle without one of their leading scorers and starting their backup tonight, Tampa could take sole possession of first place tonight.

Prediction: Take Tampa to win. Play the over.

Senators vs Wild: The Senators are on the tail-end of a back-to-back in which they narrowly escaped with a 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets last night. The Wild have won six games in a row including two wins over the Blackhawks and one against the Kings. They are on fire. Not much reason to bet against them tonight.

Prediction: Play Minnesota to win. Take the over.