Category: Hockey

The Columbus Blue Jackets are spiraling out of control. The Jackets have lost 4 straight and 7 of their last 10. They were most recently swept by the lowly Detroit Red Wings and now they have to travel to Amalie Arena to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Good luck. The Lightning are on a rare 2-game skid and fell to the Jackets in their last meeting, 5-2, on January 23rd so they will be extra motivated to put the screws to Columbus tonight. Tampa is, without a doubt, the best team in hockey. They are 24-8-1-1 on the season and have been deadly at home with a record of 13-2-0-0. Consider the Champs.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

The Buffalo Sabres will try to stop the bleeding when they host the Philadelphia Flyers tonight at KeyBank Center. Buffalo has lost a franchise 17 straight games but they will eventually win and tonight could be that night. The Flyers have not been playing well. They did eke out a win on Saturday against the New York Rangers but prior to that they had lost 4 in a row and are just 3-7 in their last 10. Buffalo showed glimmers of hope in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Boston and are expected to have Linus Ullmark between the pipes. Ullmark has a very respectable 2.49 GAA and a 0.918 SV%. The Sabres know they can beat the Bullies. They did so back on Jan 18th, 6-1, and the home team between these two clubs is 13-5 in their last 18 meetings. Buffalo is worth a shot.
TONIGHT’S PICK: BUFFALO SABRES

The Washington Capitals will host the New York Rangers today in a matinée at Capital One Arena. New York will be playing back-to-back games after losing a close one to Philadelphia yesterday so fatigue could be an issue. The Rangers have been a thorn in the side of the East leading Capitals, winning 3 of the 4 meetings this year, but they are catching a Washington team that is hot. The Capitals have won two straight, 9 of their last 10, and have been a force at home. They are 12-4-1-1 at Capital One and 7-2 in their last 9 against the Rangers in DC.
TODAY’S PICK: WASHINGTON CAPITALS

After a disastrous 1-3 road trip, the Calgary Flames return home tonight to face their North Division foes, the Winnipeg Jets. Calgary still has playoff hopes, but barely, so they need to get back on track now and they know it. Winnipeg is coming off a 2-game sweep of the Vancouver Canucks and have played well on the road, going 10-6-1-0 but have struggled against the Flames at the Saddledome, where they are just 2-8 in their last 10. Calgary is a respectable 8-5-0-1 at home and won the last meeting with Winnipeg on February 9th, 3-2. The Flames are 11-4 in their last 15 at the Saddledome as a favorite and the home team is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings between these two clubs. Darryl Sutter will have his team ready and the Flames get back on track tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK: CALGARY FLAMES

Not surprisingly, the Ottawa Senators will be a home dog tonight when they wrap up a quick 2-game set with the Calgary Flames at Canadian Tire Centre. Ottawa may be one of the worst teams in hockey but at home they are no pushover, with a record of 7-6-2-1. The Flames enter tonight’s game with a less than stellar road record, at 7-10-2-0, and have lost 3 of their last 4. Ottawa has had the upper hand with Calgary at home, winning 4 of the last 5 meetings, and are worth a consideration tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK: OTTAWA SENATORS

After an 8-game road trip, the Nashville Predators finally return home tonight to Bridgestone Arena to face the Detroit Red Wings. The Predators have won 3 of their last 4, with two of those wins coming against the League’s elite, the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Detroit has been playing better of late and has had success in Nashville in the past but let’s not forget, they are just 3-10-1-0 on the road this season. Nashville is 8-1 in their last 9 at Bridgestone as a favorite and when a team returns home after a lengthy road trip, you know what happens? They usually win.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NASHVILLE PREDATORS

The Minnesota Wild are in need of a win after being humiliated in Colorado, losing both games to the the Avs by a combined score of 11-1, but they return home tonight and are in luck. The hapless Anaheim Ducks come to town. The Ducks are a far cry from the Perry/Getzlaf days and find themselves dead last in the West. Anaheim is a dismal 4-6-2-1 on the road and have gone 3-11-3 in their last 17 with all 3 wins coming in overtime. Not good. The Wild, who sit in the third spot in the West, have been nothing but stellar at Xcel Energy Center, where they are 10-3-0. Minnesota has won 3 straight against Anaheim this year, all at Honda Center, and should cruise to a victory tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MINNESOTA WILD