There are 12 games on the docket tonight so let’s waste no time. Here are today’s top picks, plays and predictions around the NHL.
| Bruins vs Sabres ML -152 / +137 O/U 5 |
Wild vs Rangers ML +131 / -145 O/U 5 |
| Islanders vs Capitals ML OFF / OFF O/U OFF |
Devils vs Maple Leafs ML +101 / -111 O/U 5 |
| Oilers vs Senators ML +122 / -135 O/U 5.5 |
Red Wings vs Panthers ML OFF / OFF O/U OFF |
| Sharks vs Blues ML +122 / -135 O/U 5 |
Flyers vs Predators ML +140 / -155 O/U 5 |
| Stars vs Avalanche ML -128 / +116 O/U 5.5 |
Blackhawks vs Coyotes ML -155 / +140 O/U 5 |
| Blue Jackets vs Canucks ML +135 / -149 O/U 5.5 |
Ducks vs Kings ML +131 / -145 O/U 5 |
Play of the Day: Flyers over Predators.
The Flyers’ first line has erupted in their past four games. Jakub Voracek has eight points, Wayne Simmonds has six, and Claude Giroux has five. Rookie defenseman and fantasy godsend Shayne Gostisbehere is on a five-game point streak of his own.
Philadelphia is looking for their third consecutive win. They’ve been playing winning hockey thanks to the dominance of their top six. Jakub Voracek, typically a right winger, has 23 points in 17 games switching over to the left wing on the Flyers’ top line. Their success has carried over to the powerplay as well, which has eight goals in five games.
The Predators found a way to close out the month of January with a nice win streak after slumping hard coming in. Their four-game win streak ended Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues, as a last-minute goal broke a scoreless tie.
Their success has been directly tied to Pekka Rinne resurrecting his season. He has allowed just one goal in each of his last four games. The Nashville defensive scheme seems to be adjusting after the trade that sent Seth Jones away for Ryan Johansen.
For a game that features two teams that are pretty hot, the money line is pretty slanted. The possibility of the Flyers taking the game on the road is not outlandish in the slightest, yet they are still listed at +140. It’s too big a margin for what will be a tight game.
Prediction: Take the Flyers to win and cash in on the line. Take the under.
The Game to Watch: Islanders vs Capitals.
The Metropolitan Division is a neck-and-neck race for second. The Capitals have a comfortable 15-point lead on the second place Rangers. With a win and a Rangers loss, the Islanders can leapfrog into second.
The Capitals suffered a 5-2 loss at the hands of the Florida Panthers, though they were without Braden Holtby and Alex Ovechkin. Hard to win without your two best players, no matter how good your team is.
Andre Burakovsky performed admirably in Ovechkin’s absence. The young Russian was plugged into the top line and scored a goal to extend his point streak to four games. His promotion into the top six has worked beautifully. The lines will be back as they should be with Ovi back in the lineup with #8 with Nick Backstrom and T.J. Oshie and Burakovsky with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Justin Williams.
While it’s been rumored that Johnny Boychuk could return any day now, no official word has come out on when the veteran defenseman will be back in action for the Islanders. Travis Hamonic lodged a terrific game against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday. He saw over 27 minutes of ice-time, boasted a 77% Corsi percentage at even strength, and was a +3. He logged five minutes of ice time as well.
Prediction: This game will play like it’s coming in April or May. Coincidentally, this is the first visit the Islanders are paying to the Verizon Center since Game 7 of last year’s postseason. Close call, but take the Capitals. Barely.
Other Game Notes Around the NHL
Oilers vs Senators: It’s actually kind of interesting to place bets on Edmonton Oilers games now. Their first game with Connor McDavid back in the lineup was a breath of fresh air. McDavid even scored a goal-of-the-year candidate.
With McDavid back in the lineup, the Oilers are night-and-day better. The Senators are capable of getting lit up on any given night because of their terrible possession abilities. Not even Swedish Possession God Erik Karlsson can drag the Sens out of the bottom five in shot ratio. For what it’s worth, Edmonton is not much better, but a 48.9% team Corsi is better than a 46.9% team Corsi any way you slice it.
Prediction: The McDavid effect is all too real. Take the Oilers to win. Play the over 5.5.
Blackhawks vs Coyotes: Louis Domingue had himself a rough game Tuesday night against the Kings. He fell apart at the seams in the final two minutes of the second period, allowing the go-ahead goal and a put-away goal within 12 seconds. The latter was a shot from the neutral zone that bounced in Vesa Toskala-style. Or for a more recent reference, Jonathan Bernier-style.
The Blackhawks are the superior team. It’s hard to argue. While a +140 for the Coyotes at home may be somewhat tempting, don’t bite. It just isn’t worth the risk.
Prediction: Take the Blackhawks to win. Play the over.
Devils vs Maple Leafs: The Devils are legitimate contenders. Their special teams units completely smacked down the Rangers on Tuesday night, and they didn’t even have leading scorer Mike Cammalleri in the lineup. They can really crank up the heat on the rest of the Metro Division, especially their floundering Blueshirt rivals, with a win tonight.
The Maple Leafs are getting a new logo for their centennial season next year, adopting a look that appears similar to the one they used in the 1960s. It looks nice. But nostalgia is hardly a reason to have the Leafs be the favorite in this game.
Prediction: The Devils will win their sixth in seven games. Take New Jersey to win at +101. Play the under.
Wild vs Rangers: Rick Nash has been ruled out of today’s match. Jayson Megna has been recalled and will play over Tanner Glass. Perhaps now the fourth line might actually do something that resembles hockey. Maybe. Baby steps. Daniel Paille is still collecting a paycheck, so they are not out of the woods just yet.
Kevin Klein will sit out as well for the Rangers after taking a slash and falling awkwardly into the boards. Dylan McIlrath will be on the third pair with Keith Yandle.
Speaking of Yandle, he was skating with the Rangers’ first powerplay unit today at practice for the first time in a very long time. In four powerplay attempts last game, Yandle saw first-unit minutes just once, and it was easily the best powerplay the Rangers had all game. Why has it taken Alain Vigneault this long to wake up? Who knows. But perhaps the Rangers are close now to snapping themselves out of their 2-for-39 slump on the man advantage.
Minnesota is 1-7-1 in their last nine games, but put the hurt on the Rangers big-time in their last meeting. With both teams scrambling to find traction in the mud, tonight they can take solace in the fact that at least someone has to win.
Prediction: The line really should be more even than it is. Nonetheless, take the Rangers to win at home. Their play has represented a more sustainable style of winning hockey even if the results are not there yet. Play the under.
Sharks vs Blues: Speaking of special teams- the Blues are on an 0-for-17 skid themselves on the powerplay. The Sharks operate at a success rate of 22.1% on the man advantage, which is third in the league. The Blues counter with the third-best penalty kill.
San Jose is the best road team in the National Hockey league, with a 16-7-2 record. This will hopefully inspire some confidence as the Sharks will be playing 10 of their 14 February games on the road.
The Sharks’ powerplay will be the x-factor in tonight’s matchup. St. Louis has been very tough to score on, allowing just 1.67 goals per game in their last six.
Prediction: Take the road warrior Sharks to win at +122. Play the under.
Stars vs Avalanche: Semyon Varlamov remains out of the Colorado starting lineup. Until he returns, betting on the Avalanche is a hard thing to do. LeftWingLock lists Calvin Pickard as the starter for the Avs tonight against the lethal Dallas Stars. While Pickard has shown flashes of brilliance, he has allowed some laughably weak goals, and his defense has not done him any favors. Colorado allows far too many odd man rushes for their own good.
In their last matchup, Dallas outshot Colorado 43-15 but lost 3-1. Hockey is stupid sometimes. Don’t count on lightning striking twice.
Prediction: Take the Stars to win at -128. Play the over.
Bruins vs Sabres: The biggest slam dunk play in this matchup is the under. The under is 3-0-1 in the second leg of a back-to-back for Buffalo. It is 6-1-4 in the last 11 road games for Boston.
Prediction: If you want to play a winner, play the Bruins. Ride that stone-cold under though.
