There are four games on the docket for tonight. Let’s take a look around the NHL at the day’s top picks, plays and predictions.
| Blue Jackets vs Bruins ML +136 / -150 O/U 5.5 |
Coyotes vs Capitals ML +222 / -250 O/U 5.5 |
| Predators vs Canadiens ML -126 / +114 O/U 5 |
Sharks vs Blues ML -101 / -109 O/U 5 |
Here are today’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
Play of the Day: Canadiens over Predators.
The Montreal Canadiens are in their safe haven tonight, as they will be hosting the Nashville Predators at the Bell Centre. The Habs have won their last four home games despite being positively atrocious on the road. Two of their four wins have come in the shootout, including their most recent one against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Mike Condon had one of the best performances of his young career against the Flyers, stopping 35 shots plus a few extra in the shootout. He snapped a five-game personal losing streak dating back to January 25th. Though Condon’s overall numbers are weak, he has performed surprisingly well at home. Despite a 7-9-2, he has a respectable 2.26 goals against average at the Bell Centre this year. The other half of the Montreal goalie tandem, Ben Scrivens, is 3-1 at home with a 1.96 goals against average.
The heat is on the Nashville Predators. Their uninspiring February, in which they have won just three of nine games, has caused their lead on the Wild Card to dwindle down to just one point. The resurgent Minnesota Wild, under the direction of John Torchetti, are now just a point out of the Wild Card. Colorado, the other Wild Card holder, has a one point advantage over the Preds.
The strength of Nashville’s schedule has certainly had an effect on their success. Eight of their nine games in February have been against fellow playoff teams, including three of the four division leaders. They are finally getting into the easier portion of their schedule, taking on Montreal and Toronto in the next two days. After that, it’s back to playing Chicago, St. Louis and Dallas in rapid succession. Ouch.
Pekka Rinne has suffered the most from the tough schedule. He has lost five of his last seven starts with a 2.72 goals against average in that stretch. His performance has been very volatile. To try and get him on the right track, six of his last seven starts have been at home. His last road trip was a three-game sweep of Western Canada back in late January. It will be intriguing to see him against a team that only seems to win at home.
Prediction: Montreal is listed at +114. Take them to win. Play the under.
The Game to Watch: Sharks vs Blues.
The St. Louis Blues are on a five-game win streak, with four of those five wins coming against teams with winning records. They have been stifling some of the league’s top offenses, coming away with three consecutive 2-1 victories against Tampa Bay, Dallas and Los Angeles, respectively. Brian Elliott has gotten the win in each game, improving to 17-7-6 on the year.
San Jose had their three-game hot streak snapped by the Carolina Hurricanes Friday in the second leg of a back-to-back. Martin Jones will be the starter tonight, who is 4-1 in his last five games with a .944 save percentage on 142 shots faced.
San Jose won 3-1 in their meeting earlier this month.
The Blues will be without Alex Steen, as he was injured in a check against the Arizona Coyotes and will be hitting the injured reserve. He will be reevaluated in four weeks. Steen had 17 goals and 30 assists on the year. At least Jaden Schwartz has picked up the slack, scoring four goals in five games since returning from a fractured ankle.
Prediction: With or without Steen, the Blues are a tough customer. Take St. Louis to win. Play the over, which is 7-1-1 in their last nine encounters.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Coyotes vs Capitals: The line is incredibly slanted in favor of the Washington Capitals for obvious reasons. A +222 on the Coyotes could be a daringly fun play, though.
Arizona has been getting into some high-scoring contests lately, tallying six goals against both the Canadiens and Stars and four against the usually stingy Blues. The Yotes did come away with a win against the Habs and Stars.
The question has become whether or not the Coyotes can keep up their scoring on the road. In their last 15 home games they have only scored 30 goals- only two per game. They have scored 30 goals in their last eight home games.
Louis Domingue will get the start against Braden Holtby tonight.
Prediction: If the Coyotes can transfer even a fraction of their home scoring to the visiting locker room tonight, a +222 may be too enticing to pass up. If you feel like living on the edge, go ahead and take Arizona to win tonight. Play the over. If they are going to win, they will have to score to do so.
