The Buffalo Sabres have lost 3 in a row but they should snap that skid today when they host the Ottawa Senators at the Key. The Sabres young phenom, Jack Eichel, has 4 goals and 7 points in 5 games against the Sens, and Buff won the last meeting 5-4 on November 29th in Ottawa. Keep an eye on the Sabres. They are a team on the rise.
Today’s pick:
Buffalo Sabres
Both the Boston Bruins and the Washington Capitals will be playing back-to-back games when they square off tonight at Verizon Center. The Capitals are coming off a 3-game road trip where they went 1-2, and will be glad to be back at home where they are tough to beat, owning a home record of 19-5-1. The Bruins counter with a very respectable road record of 14-9-6 but have struggled against Ovechkin and company. The Bruins are 0-7 in their last 7 meetings with the Caps, and 0-4 in their last 4 games at Verizon Center. I like Washington’s chances in this one.
Tonight’s pick:
Washington Capitals
If the Detroit Red Wings are going to snap their 4-game skid, it should be tonight when they play host to another bottom dweller, the New Jersey Devils. The Devils are 2-6 in their last 8 meetings with Detroit and 2-10 in their last 12 in the Motor City.
Tonight’s pick:
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings will be without two of their top weapons tonight, Dylan Larkin and Thomas Vanek, when they take on the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. Larkin and Vanek were both injured in Sunday’s loss to the New York Rangers with upper and lower body injuries. The Red Wings are 0-6 in their last 6 games in Boston and 3-12 in the last 15 meetings with the Bruins. Boston is on a 4-game slide and if they lose another one, coach Claude Julien will probably not be on the Bruins’ payroll in the morning. The Bruins get this one for the coach.
Tonight’s pick:
Boston Bruins
If you need a win today, this is it, San Jose Sharks at home over the Colorado Avalanche.
Today’s pick:
San Jose Sharks
The New York Rangers will look to end their 2-game skid tonight when they host the Dallas Stars at MSG. Dallas will be playing back-to-back games tonight after getting roughed by Buffalo yesterday in a 4-1 loss. The Stars are 6-12-4 on the road, just 1-8 in their last 9 road games against a team with a winning record, and 2-5 in their last 7 meetings with New York. The Rangers are 13-8-1 at MSG and have the edge in offense, defense, power play, penalty kills, face offs, discipline and goaltending. The Rangers’ offense should get a boost tonight with the expected return of Mika Zibanejad, who in his 19 games before his injury, recorded 5 goals with 10 assists. I like the Rangers’ chances in this one.
Tonight’s pick:
New York Rangers
The Washington Capitals have won 9 straight and tonight they will be playing back-to-back games when they face the Pittsburgh Penguins on their home ice, PPG Paints Arena. The Capitals have not fared well at PPG, going 0-5 in their last 5 visits there and the home team between these clubs is 7-0 in the last 7 meetings.
Tonight’s pick:
Pittsburgh Penguins
