Category: Hockey

It’s down to the Final Four in hockey and the Tampa Bay Lighting will get the Eastern Conference finals rolling tonight against the New York Islanders in Edmonton, Alberta. The Lightning are by far the superior team in this matchup. Tampa knocked off the Boston Bruins to advance and that is not an easy task. The Islanders could have fatigue issues after a grueling series with the Philadelphia Flyers that concluded on Saturday. The Lightning will be fresh after having a week off and they have had the Isle’s number, winning 12 of the last 16 meetings.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

The Los Angeles Kings are clicking on every cylinder and will put their 6-game winning streak on the line tonight when they host the Ottawa Senators at Staples Center. Ottawa has the worst road record in the League, at 7-20-6, and will be playing back-to-back games after getting thumped last night by the Anaheim Ducks. The Sens have struggled against the Kings in LA where they are just 3-8 in their last 11 games and fatigue could also be an issue.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES KINGS

The Philadelphia Flyers have the best home record in the NHL, with a mark of 25-5-4, and will be hosting the best in the business tonight when they square off against the Boston Bruins. The Flyers will have their 9-game winning streak on the line and after tonight it will be 10. They are 4-0 in their last 4 meetings with the Bruins and 4-1 in their last 5 against them at Wells Fargo Center. The Broad Street Bullies are hot. Ride them ’til their not.
TONIGHT’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

The Tampa Bay Lightning will go from playing the best in the business to the worst when they visit the Motor City today for a matchup with the Detroit Red Wings. This looks like a slam dunk but hold on a minute. Tampa is coming off a grueling matchup with the Boston Bruins last night, in which they won, then they have to travel across the country and lace up again with only 17 hours of rest. That’s tough to do. Detroit is well rested and will be playing with confidence after knocking off the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, 2-1. This has upset written all over it.
TODAY’S PICK: DETROIT RED WINGS

The New York Islanders are still in the playoff hunt but had better get back on track soon if they want to see the post-season. They will have that opportunity tonight when they travel north of the border to take on the Ottawa Senators. The Islanders have won 6 straight against the Sens, and both meetings this year, but this will not be as easy as it appears. Despite having only 58 points to their credit, Ottawa is a tough opponent at Canadian Tire Centre, with a record of 17-13-6, and they have the veteran, Bobby Ryan, back on the ice, who was out with some personnel issues. However, New York is due after losing 4 straight and if they are going to get back on track it will be tonight against an Ottawa team they have dominated.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Whenever you can get Connor McDavid and his Edmonton Oilers as a dog, you have to consider them, and they will be one tonight when they visit Bridgestone Arena to face the Nashville Predators. The Oilers enter tonight’s game with a road record of 18-13-3 and have faced the Preds twice this year, winning both meetings. Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl, who leads the league in points, has been a Predator killer, notching 4 tallies in the first two contests. Nashville has won 3 of their last 4 games and are fighting for a playoff spot so this will not be a walk in the park for Edmonton but with Mike Smith expected between the pipes for the Oilers , who is 11-1-4 in his last 16 starts, they get it done.
TONIGHT’S PICK: EDMONTON OILERS

The Anaheim Ducks are riding a 2-game winning streak and they have accomplished it by beating two of the elite teams in the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Edmonton Oilers. Tonight the competition will be less formidable when they host the New Jersey Devils at Honda Center. The Devils, who are 13-17-2 on the road, have lost 2 in a row, both in OT, and will be playing back-to-back games tonight after falling to the Los Angeles Kings last night, 2-1. Anaheim has had New Jersey’s number at the Pond, going 5-0 in the last 5 meetings, and they are 9-3 in the last 12 meetings with the Devils overall.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ANAHEIM DUCKS