Category: Hockey

The Florida Panthers have now won five in a row but if they want to make it six, they had better be on top of their game because they have to travel to Xcel Energy Center tonight to face the Minnesota Wild. Florida has not been great on the road, with a record of 7-10-2, and have struggled miserably against Minnesota. The Panthers are 5-15 in their last 20 meetings overall with the Wild and 0-5 in their last 5 trips to Xcel Energy Center. Minnesota rarely loses at home, with a record of 12-4-2, and are 7-1 in their last 8 on their home ice. Minnesota is a dangerous team and getting healthy. Consider the Wild in this one.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MINNESOTA WILD

The Vegas Golden Knights have proven they are the real deal and will be riding a 5-game winning streak when they head to Staples Center tonight to face the Los Angeles Kings. Vegas will be playing back-to-back games, after a decisive win last night over the Anaheim Ducks, so fatigue could be an issue. Los Angeles on the other hand will be well rested, last playing on December 23rd. Vegas has been scary at home, with a record of 15-2-0-1, but take them out of Clarke County and they come back down to earth, with a record of 9-7-0-1. The Kings boast a home record of 11-5-2-0 and are 5-0 in their last 5 at Staples Center. Jonathan Quick is expected between the pipes for Los Angeles and we all know his track record. The Kings should get it done.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES KINGS

There will be a mismatch in the NHL tonight when the best team in hockey, the Tampa Bay Lightning, host one of the worst, the Ottawa Senators. Ottawa’s road record is not good at 5-8-1-1. Tonight they have to face a team that has won 6 of the last 8 meetings and play in an arena where they are 1-4 in their last 5. The Lightning rarely lose at home. Tampa boasts a home record of 13-2-1-0, averaging 4 goals per game, and allowing an average of 2.56 at Amalie Arena. On the flip side, Ottawa is averaging 2.53 goals on the road and surrendering an average of 3.33. The Lightning will also have the edge between the pipes tonight. Tampa is expected to go with Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has a GAA of 2.18 and a Sv% of .933. Ottawa is expected to counter with Craig Anderson. Anderson has a GAA of 3.05 and a Sv% of .898. Consider the Lightning.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

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