Around the NHL: Predictions for November 20th

There are five games on the docket today. Let’s take a look around the NHL at the top picks, plays and predictions.

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

Play of the Day: The over in Panthers vs Rangers.
At this point, the over should be an automatic play in any New York Ranger game. Especially if that game is played at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers have the highest goal differential in the National Hockey League at a +32. The next highest total is +18 from the Montreal Canadiens. Even though they have struggled to keep some of their more important forwards healthy this season, they are still rolling along.

Pavel Buchnevich remains out indefinitely with what the team fears to be something “more than back spasms.” This would be terrible news for the club but also for fans, who were taking a shine to the Russian teenager. Buchnevich was smack in the middle of a four-game goal-scoring streak, too. Oscar Lindberg will remain in the lineup, it appears.

Michael Grabner is third in the league in goal scoring with 11. He is just one behind Sidney Crosby and Patrik Laine for a tie for the league lead. How insane is that? The speedy vet has been a godsend for the Rangers.

The Broadway Blueshirts will be hosting the Florida Panthers tonight, a team that has had its fair share of woes on the road this season. The Cats are 3-5-1 on the road this season, though they have won two of those road games this week. They topped the Habs in overtime, got trounced by the Maple Leafs 6-1, then bounced back with a win over the Senators 4-1. Florida’s volatility from game to game has made them hard to predict, but also made them fall behind in the standings. Through 18 games, they have 19 points, currently out of a playoff spot almost a quarter of the way through the season.

Florida is 1-6 in their last seven games following a win.

The Rangers have won six of their last seven home games. Of course, their only loss was to the Vancouver Canucks on the night that I just happened to be at MSG. My fault, guys.

New York has won eight of the last nine meetings between these two teams. The over has hit four of the last five times in Manhattan.

Since Florida is on the tail-end of a back-to-back, backup James Reimer will be getting the start in goal. Henrik Lundqvist will be in net for the Rangers. Lundqvist lost his last start against the Blue Jackets Friday night, 4-2.

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

The Game to Watch: Kings vs Ducks.
The Battle for California is the epitome of what hockey should be- fast, physical and tense. Given how tight the Pacific Division standings are, tonight will be no different.

The Kings are paying a visit to the Honda Center for the first time this season. The Ducks took their first meeting of the year 4-0 in Los Angeles.

Now that Anaheim is finally getting a homestand of more than three games, they look to be refreshed and energized. They won their first two games against Edmonton and New Jersey by a combined score of 7-3, and now turn their attention to a team that has lost its last four road games.

More bad news for the Kings: Anze Kopitar looks to be unavailable for tonight. Jeff Zatkoff is listed by LeftWingLock as tonight’s probable starter, which would mark his first start since going down with a lower-body injury back on the 11th. Zatkoff had missed almost a month of action, and in his return, stopped all 18 shots thrown at him. The optimism, unfortunately, was short lived.

The Kings are where they are in the standings (9-9-1) because they have been without Jonathan Quick, though Peter Budaj has been filling in admirably well. Even without their starter, LA is only two points back of Anaheim for the division lead.

Everything is still very much so up for grabs.

Prediction: Whether Zatkoff returns or not is moot, because betting against him is always the way to go. Take the Ducks to win. Play the under.

Other Game Notes Around the NHL

Jets vs Hurricanes: Winnipeg’s five-game road trip has not started as they had hoped. Thanks to their young offensive talent that has taken the league by storm, the Jets find themselves sitting in third place in the Central Division. This road trip, challenging as it may have seemed, was a chance to legitimize themselves to the league as not just an early-season fluke.

They have dropped the first two games, with their offense mustering just three goals.

The Jets need a turnaround, and a game against Carolina may be just what the doctor ordered. The Canes are just 6-6-4 this season, and don’t really ever pose much of a threat. Considering the Jets have to play Minnesota and Nashville later this week, this game is a must-win.

Connor Hellebuyck will try and turn things around in net.

Prediction: Take Winnipeg to bounce back. Play the under.

Flames vs Red Wings: The Red Wings have lost five of their last six home games after starting the year 4-0 on home ice. They are 2-5-1 in the month of November, though four of their losses came by just one goal.

Calgary has the second-worst goal differential in the league at -19. They have the second-worst point total in the standings at just 15. They are without Johnny Gaudreau.

This season is looking bleak for Calgary. They are heading out on a six-game road trip, and there’s a very real chance they return with a record as bad as 1-5.

Prediction: Take the Red Wings to win. Play the over.