Category: Hockey

The Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings will meet again tonight at United Center in back-to-back games. Detroit got the better of Chicago yesterday but I expect the Blackhawks to even the score tonight. Chicago’s superstar, Patrick Kane, will be extra motivated. He needs just one more goal to reach 400 and that will put him in an elite class with Blackhawk legends Hull, Makita and Larmer. Detroit has been playing better of late but let’s not forget, they have mustered just 3 wins on the road this season and Chicago has owned them, winning 4 of the last 5 and 8 of the last 10.
TONIGHT’S PICK: CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

The Philadelphia Flyers are starting to get healthy and that could spell trouble for the Buffalo Sabres today when they host the Flyers at KeyBank Arena. Buffalo has been awful at home all year, with a record of 2-5-2-0, and the injuries are starting to pile up. Some key players are questionable for today’s matchup, including captain Jack Eichel and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres top goalie, Linus Ullmark, will miss a couple of weeks and is expected to be replaced with Carter Hutton, who is just 1-4-1 on the season with a 3.24 GAA and a 0.889 SV%. The Flyers have won 5 of the last 6 meetings and should hand the Sabres their fifth straight home loss. Consider the Bullies.
TODAY’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

The Toronto Maple Leafs will have no issues dealing with the struggling Calgary Flames tonight at Scotiabank Arena. The Leafs have won 3 straight, have the best offensive squad in the business, and are 6-2 in their last 8 at home against the Flames.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

The Boston Bruins are in a bit of a funk, losing two straight, but they will get back on track tonight when they face a depleted Philadelphia Flyers team at the Lake. The Flyers are without some of their top performers and that bodes well for the Bruins who have won 4 straight against the Broad Street Bullies.
TODAY’S PICK: BOSTON BRUINS

The venue cannot be any better today for outdoor hockey when the Vegas Golden Knights clash with the Colorado Avalanche in beautiful Lake Tahoe. These two teams will be facing each other for the 4th time in a 7-day span, with the Golden Knights taking 2 of the first 3. Vegas is expected to have Marc-André Fleury between the pipes and it doesn’t get any better than that. Colorado is used to playing in high altitude but Vegas sits at 2,000 feet so I don’t see that being an issue. Consider the team from Nevada.
TODAY’S PICK: VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

The North leading Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves in a bit of a funk but I expect them to get back to what they do best, and that is win, when they host the Ottawa Senators, who are just 3-7-0-0 on the road. The Leafs lost a close one to the Habs on Saturday and then lost focus, blowing a 5-1 lead on Monday against the lowly Ottawa Senators. Sheldon Keefe will have his team ready and that won’t happen again tonight. Toronto is #2 in the league in scoring and will be facing a Senators’ D that is #31 in the league. This could be a blowout. Consider the puck line.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS -1.5 PUCK LINE

After being outplayed on Thursday night by the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, losing 5-2, the Tampa Bay Lightning woke up and poured it on Saturday, blowing out Florida, 6-1, and showing why they are the best in the business. Tonight the rivalry continues but moves to Amalie Arena where the Lighting are still unbeaten at 6-0-0-0. Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected between the pipes for Tampa and he has been on his A-game as usual, with a 1.92 GAA and 0.933 SV%. Florida is no slouch on the road at 3-0-0-1 and are in a 4-way battle for the second spot in the central but are up against the #1 offense in the league and the #1 defense. It is unclear if Tampa’s superstar Steven Stamkos will return to the ice tonight but if he does, bonus Bolts.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING