It’s another packed night of hockey, with 11 more games coming up. Let’s take a look at our NHL Daily Predictions.
| Sharks vs Bruins ML +109 / -120 O/U 5.5 |
Hurricanes vs Maple Leafs ML +135 / -155 O/U 6 |
| Coyotes vs Rangers ML +130 / -150 O/U 6 |
Jets vs Penguins ML +155 / -175 O/U 6.5 |
| Kings vs Canadiens ML +100 / -120 O/U 5.5 |
Flyers vs Senators ML +100 / -120 O/U 5.5 |
| Red Wings vs Lightning ML +185 / -225 O/U 5.5 |
Ducks vs Panthers ML -105 / -115 O/U 5.5 |
| Islanders vs Wild ML +120 / -140 O/U 5.5 |
Stars vs Oilers ML +100 / -120 O/U 6 |
| Capitals vs Canucks ML -155 / +135 O/U 5.5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
The Game to Watch: Jets vs Penguins.
Take a good look at the over/under set for this game. It’s not a misprint. That’s a 6.5.
You know what? Why not? There are plenty of reasons to think this will hit.
The over has hit in six of the last eight encounters between these two teams. It has hit in five of the last six for the Penguins and five of the last six for the Jets in games against Eastern Conference opponents.
An extra day of rest did the Penguins good after getting blown out in Tampa Bay. They rebounded by topping Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in overtime. Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel once again teamed up for the game-winner less than a minute into extra time, much like last week’s victory over the New York Rangers.
Winnipeg has had five days of rest to prepare for tonight’s tilt with the Penguins. They have gotten off to a good enough start record-wise, 4-3 to start the year. Their losses have been due to their inability to defend against some of the league’s better offensive teams, namely Toronto, Calgary and Columbus.
Those three teams put up 18 goals combined in three games.
Their wins have been much more impressive. They have outscored opponents 15-8 in their four triumphs.
Penguins-Oilers was a surprisingly low-scoring affair, which is the only reason I am hesitant in picking the over, especially when it is set that high. Pittsburgh did manage 44 shots on goal, but didn’t find the back of the net until the third period.
This is the first time I have seen a 6.5 over/under in a very long time- maybe ever. I’m treating this with kid gloves. Go with the under. If I’m wrong, I tip my cap to the hockey gods.
Prediction: Take the Penguins to win. Play the under.
Other NHL Daily Predictions
Coyotes vs Rangers: Well, this is it. If the Arizona Coyotes are going to get a win at any point this season, this is the night to do it.
Arizona is on pace for nine points this season. That’s a funny way of saying they have started off the year 0-8-1 and are the only team in the National Hockey League without a single win.
Things just can’t stop going wrong. New goaltender- and former Ranger- Antti Raanta was quick to be sidelined with an injury and has missed the last five games for the Coyotes. It is unlikely that he will be back for tonight’s matchup.
Louis Domingue, the Yotes’ other netminder with two prior seasons of NHL experience, has been a sieve. He is 0-5-0 with an .858 save percentage and 4.36 goals-against average.
Former first-round pick Lawson Crouse still has not blossomed into the player Arizona had hoped, as he has been sent down to the American Hockey League. Crouse skated in seven games without a point.
Though they are progressively getting better at owning possession of the puck, they are still finding it very hard to generate scoring chances. They were outchanced 13-6 by the Islanders Tuesday night in a 5-3 loss.
Tonight is the second of a five-game road trip for the Coyotes.
If the Yotes are a dumpster fire, then the New York Rangers are a slightly less-pungent dumpster fire.
The Rangers are second-to-last in the Eastern Conference. By virtue of the East being a bloodbath filled entirely with competitive and high-scoring teams, they are only four points out of a playoff spot. Too soon to be concerned about the playoff picture? No such thing. The Three Point Rule (being out by three points in November) is all too real, and the Rangers are about to test the validity of it.
Many have tried. Most have failed.
They demoted seventh defenseman Tony DeAngelo, recalling Boo Nieves to skate in the bottom six. DeAngelo had fine possession numbers and ran a decent powerplay, but is not as far along as the Rangers hoped when they traded Raanta and Derek Stepan for him last summer.
Should he be playing over the likes of Nick Holden or Stephen Kampfer? Probably. But that’s another in a long line of Alain Vigneault deployment issues.
Also see: Fourth Line Pavel Buchnevich, Third Pair Kevin Shattenkirk, Top Pair Marc Staal…
Vigneault is coaching for his life. If the Rangers lose tonight, that life is over. It has to be.
Fortunately for him, the Rangers have not lost to the Coyotes since Vigneault’s first game as Rangers head coach in 2013. They were still the Phoenix Coyotes.
Unfortunately for him, Henrik Lundqvist will not be starting as he nurses a leg injury.
Prediction: If the Rangers lose in Derek Stepan’s return to the Garden, Alain Vigneault will not last the night as Rangers head coach. That’s my bold prediction. For the game, take the Rangers to win. Play the under.
Hurricanes vs Maple Leafs: This is a rough week for the Carolina Hurricanes. In rapid succession, they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks to close out the month of October.
The Canes split their four-game Western Conference road trip. They are trying to avoid dropping three in a row tonight. Three late-game goals- including two empty-netters- muddled what was otherwise a fine effort.
Carolina is getting shots to the net, and even generating good scoring chances. Their problem is conversion. Jaccob Slavin scored in the third period to cut the score to 2-1, but they could not come any closer than that.
Worse yet, the Hurricanes have a tendency to stay down after a bad loss. They are 1-11 in their last 12 following a loss by three goals or more. They are winless in their last six after allowing five goals.
Toronto has won four of their last five home games and are rocking and rolling in the Atlantic Division. They are 7-2-0 to start the year and their offense looks fearsome.
The over has hit in seven of the last eight Maple Leaf games following a win.
Prediction: Take the Leafs to win. Play the over.
Flyers vs Senators: The Ottawa Senators have managed to lose their way to the third seed in the Atlantic Division.
Amazingly, the Sens are 4-1-4 on the year. The shootout is not their friend. Ottawa is 0-3 when it reaches the skills competition this year.
That does serve as a testament to their resilience, when you think about it. They play teams close. The Sens lost 3-2 in a shootout to Los Angeles Tuesday Night. They are now 1-1-2 on their current homestand.
And wouldn’t you know it, six of the last 10 meetings between the Flyers and Senators have gone to extra time. Five have been settled in the shootout.
Philly has won four of the last five encounters overall.
Philadelphia dodged a major bullet, as Nolan Patrick is cleared to play after a head injury that looked like it could have kept him out long term. The 19-year-old has a goal and two assists through nine games so far centering the third line.
Tonight’s featured matchup is between defensive cores. Shayne Gostisbehere will be paired with Ivan Provorov against Erik Karlsson. GhostBear is already one of the best scoring defensemen in the NHL and he’s only going to get better. To see him head-to-head with Karlsson is an awesome matchup.
Prediction: Take the Flyers to win. Play the under.
To make a bet on these predictions, or any other NHL plays, visit BetDSI SportsBook.
