Category: Hockey

The Pittsburgh Penguins snapped their 3-game skid on Saturday by knocking off the bottom feeding Arizona Coyotes, 4-2. Pittsburgh will try to make it two in a row before heading back home for a Thursday contest with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Payback will be on the Pen’s minds, after suffering a home defeat to the Avalanche just a week ago, 2-1. Pittsburgh is 5-1 in their last 6 visits to Colorado and the road team between these two clubs is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings. The Avalanche is 15-45 in their last 60 games on one day’s rest and 1-4 in their last 5 at Pepsi Center.
TONIGHT’S PICK: PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Two of the original six teams will meet tonight at Little Caesers Arena when the Detroit Red Wings host the Toronto Maple Leafs. It is apparent that the Leafs miss their leading scorer, Auston Matthews, after losing 2 in a row and being shut out last night, 2-0, by the Minnesota Wild. Detroit is on a losing streak also, dropping their last 3 games, and their home record is less than desirable at 5-6-6. Auston Matthews is still questionable for tonight’s contest, but with or without him, the Leafs should prevail. Toronto is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings with the Red Wings, 4-1 in their last 5 visits to Detroit, and the Red Wings are 1-8 in their last 9 home games. The Leafs should get back on track tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

The best team in hockey, the 26-6-1-1 Tampa Bay Lightning, will take their 5-game winning streak into the desert tonight to face the worst team in hockey, the Arizona Coyotes. During their 5 game run, the Lightning have outscored their opponents, 23-9, and that can be attributed to the play of top producers, Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. Arizona is going in the opposite direction. The Coyotes have lost 4 in a row, are just 7-21-4-1 on the season, and 3-8-1-0 at home. Tampa Bay however, better be careful and not take this game for granted. The Desert Dogs won both meetings with the Lightning last year and have beaten two of the NHL’s top teams this year at Gila River Arena, the New Jersey Devils and the Los Angeles Kings. If the Lightning stay focused, they should be headed to Colorado with a 6-game winning streak.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

The Vegas Golden Knights are expected to have their #1 goalie back tonight, Marc-André Fleury, when they play host to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes will be playing back-to-back games after getting knocked off last night 3-2 by the Anaheim Ducks, which now makes it 4 losses in a row. Carolina is 5-7-2-2 on the road and 0-6 in their last 6 against the Pacific Division. Vegas has been outstanding at home, with a record of 11-2-0-0, and have won 4 in a row. The line in this game opened at Vegas -145, and has now climbed to Vegas -160, and we know what that means. The Golden Knights might be an expansion team but they are the real deal.
TONIGHT’S PICK: VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

The Pittsburgh Penguins will be heavily favored tonight at home against the Colorado Avalanche but there is a reason for that. The Penguins are 10-4-1-0 at PPG Paints Arena and 44-15 in their last 59 home games overall, and that’s impressive. The Penguins captain, Sidney Crosby, has been on fire, racking up 16 points in his last 9 games. Pittsburgh’s top goalie, Matt Murray, is still out with a lower body injury but Tristan Jarry is expected between the pipes and he is a respectable backup. About Colorado: The Avalanche are 5-8-0-1 away from home and 12-40 in their last 52 road games overall. Colorado is 3-9 in their last 12 meetings with the Pens and 2-5 in their last 7 trips to Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh should get this one.
TONIGHT’S PICK: PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

The Chicago Blackhawks are in a funk, losers of their last 5 games, but that could end tonight because the Buffalo Sabres come to town. The Sabres have lost 11 of their last 13 games and hold the crown for the fewest points in the league. Add to that, they are 0-11 in their last 11 meetings with the Blackhawks and 0-7 in their last 7 trips to Chicago. The kid from Buffalo, Patrick Kane, has lit up the Sabres with 15 points in 13 career games. Chicago is expected to have Anton Forsberg between the pipes for the injured Corey Crawford, who is due back mid-December. Forsberg has not been spectacular, with a record of 1-4-3, a 3.33 GAA and a .906 SV%. Buffalo is expected to counter with Robin Lehner, who is 6-12-2, with a 2.93 GAA, and a .906 SV%.
UPDATE: Even better, Crawford is now expected to start tonight for the Blackhawks.
TONIGHT’S PICK: CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins are red hot and will seek their fifth straight win tonight when they host the New York Rangers. The Penguins are tough at PPG Paints Arena, with a record of 9-2-1-0, and will be playing on two days’ rest where they are 8-1 in their last 9 games. Take the Rangers out of MSG and they are a dismal 3-5-0-0, and are 1-4 in their last 5 meetings with the Penguins. Pittsburgh keeps rolling.
TONIGHT’S PICK: PITTSBURGH PENGUINS