Category: Hockey

PPG Paints Arena will be the venue tonight when the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Both teams have been playing well, winners of 4 of their last 5, but Columbus has had issues with the Kid and company. The Blue Jackets have lost both meetings with the Penguins this year and are expected to have Joonas Korpisalo between the pipes. His numbers are not good. Korpisalo is 7-10-0 with a bloated 4.10 GAA and an SV% of just .878. On the flip side, the Penguins are expected to have Tristan Jarry defending the net and he is having another banner year. Jarry is 31-12-6 with a GAA of 2.28 and a .922 SV%. Pittsburgh has won 22 of the last 27 meetings with Columbus at PPG and the home team is 20-8 in the last 28 meetings.
TONIGHT’S PICK: PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

The Edmonton Oilers are hot, winning 5 straight, but all good things must come to an end. Tonight they will be in the mountains to take on the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs are 24-3-3 at Ball Arena and beat McDavid and company back in November, 4-1. Tonight will be no different.
TONIGHT’S PICK: COLORADO AVALANCHE

The Washington Capitals are smoking hot and will look to keep it going when they host the Dallas Stars tonight at Capital One Arena. Washington has won 4 straight, 7 of their last 8, and blanked the Stars in their last meeting in Dallas, 5-0. Dallas has been just the opposite, losing last night to the Islanders, 4-2, and are just 1-4 in their last 5. The Stars have had success in the past at Capital One Arena but that was then and this is now.
TONIGHT’S PICK: WASHINGTON CAPITALS 

The Edmonton Oilers are hot, winning four in a row, and will host the New Jersey Devils in an early one today at Rogers Place. New Jersey can be a pesky team but are just 8-20-2 on the road, have lost two straight, and Edmonton will have payback on the minds today after falling to the Devils on New Years’ Eve, 6-5.
TODAY’S PICK: EDMONTON OILERS 

The Anaheim Ducks 5-game road trip has not been going their way. Anaheim has lost the first four by a combined score of 18-8 and now they have to face the New York Rangers at MSG before heading home to So Cal. Good luck. The Ducks will be without some of their key players, Ryan Getzlaf, Jakob Silfverberg, Sam Steel and possibly Rickard Rakell, and the Rangers have had their number. New York has won 4 of the last 5 meetings and they are 6-0 against Anaheim in their last 6 at The Garden. The Rangers are 19-5-3 in Manhattan and are expected to have one of the best guarding the cage, Igor Shesterkin. He is 29-7-3 with a GAA of 2.07 and a .938 SV%. The Rangers will not come cheap tonight but are still worth considering.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK RANGERS

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s current road trip is not going well, losing again last night to the Edmonton Oilers, 4-1, but I expect they will get back on track tonight when they visit the Vancouver Canucks. Tampa is playing back-to-back games which is always tough but they will have a well-rested Andrei Vasilevskiy between the pipes and that is a good thing. Vasilevskiy is 30-11-4 with a GAA of 2.43 and a 0.917 SV%. Tampa won the first meeting this year with Vancouver, 4-2, are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings overall, and 6-1 in their last 7 at Rogers Arena.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

The Vegas Golden Knights are having trouble finding the back of the net and have now lost two straight after falling to Buffalo last night, 3-1. Vegas has recorded just two tallies against two of the worst teams in hockey, Philadelphia and Buffalo, and it won’t get any easier tonight when they travel to PPG Paints Arena to face the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh has also lost a couple but they were against elite teams, Florida and Carolina, and both were close, losing to the Panthers, 4-3, and Carolina in OT, 3-2. The Penguins won the first meeting this season, 5-3, in Vegas and are 15-9-5 at home. They will also will be facing a Vegas team that is playing back-to-back games so fatigue could be an issue for the Golden Knights while Pittsburgh is well rested and are 7-1 in their last 8 on two days rest.
TONIGHT’S PICK: PITTSBURGH PENGUINS