Friday 11-23-18 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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Winnipeg Jets vs. Minnesota Wild Preview and Predictions 11-23-2018

NHL Predictions 22nd November 2018 by Gracenote
Jets vs. Wild Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 11/22/2018

The Minnesota Wild enter Friday's home contest against the Winnipeg Jets looking for a better third period than they displayed in Wednesday's 6-4 victory over Ottawa, overcoming a sloppy final 20 minutes to hold on after giving up three consecutive goals to blow a 4-1 lead. Center Eric Staal made sure the Wild stopped a two-game losing streak by netting his second goal of the game with 5:58 to play, after Minnesota was forced to yank goaltender Devan Dubnyk.

"I don't want to make that change," Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau admitted to reporters afterward. "But I thought we needed a break, and we needed something without calling a timeout." Much as the Wild were dissatisfied with their finish Wednesday, the Jets said the same about their opening period at Calgary, when they allowed five goals en route to a 6-3 defeat. It was all downhill for Winnipeg after forward Brandon Tanev scored 15 seconds into the contest as goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was pulled after giving up three goals on nine shots. "It was just embarrassing," Winnipeg forward Patrik Laine told the media afterward.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), FS North, FS Wisconsin (Minnesota)

ABOUT THE JETS (12-6-2): Laine continued his hot streak with a pair of goals, giving him a team-leading 13 on the season and five through the first two contests of Winnipeg's four-game road trip. Forward Blake Wheeler moved into a tie for second place in the league in assists with his 22nd, but the Jets surrendered a season high in goals while losing in regulation for the first time in six games. Backup goaltender Laurent Brossoit made 14 saves in relief, but allowed the final two goals of the opening period.

ABOUT THE WILD (13-7-2): Staal's first multi-goal game of the season powered Minnesota to its 12th victory in the past 17 games, while center Mikael Granlund recorded three assists for his second three-point game in the past seven contests. Backup goaltender Alex Stalock, making just his sixth appearance of the season, stopped the only shot he faced after relieving Dubnyk. The Wild finished 2-for-4 on the power play and have converted 14-of-47 power-play opportunities in their past 13 games.

OVERTIME

1. Laine, who led the NHL with 20 power-play goals last season, shares the league lead with eight in 2018-19.

2. Minnesota hosts the Jets and Arizona before playing four of its next five away from home.

3. The Jets bested the Wild in five games in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs last spring.

PREDICTION: Jets 4, Wild 3

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New York Islanders vs. New Jersey Devils Preview and Predictions 11-23-2018

NHL Predictions 22nd November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/22/2018

The New York Islanders had a pair of streaks come to an end Wednesday, losing for the first time to a Metropolitan Division foe this season and suffering their first loss in nine games to the crosstown rival New York Rangers. Losers of five of seven (2-4-1), the Islanders will try to avert a third straight defeat when they visit the New Jersey Devils on Friday afternoon.

New York blanked the visiting Devils 3-0 earlier this month before its current swoon, which has included lopsided losses to Dallas (6-2) and the Rangers (5-0) in the last two games. "Some guys who have played well, have slipped a little bit," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. "We've got to get back on the rails here." The Devils have lost eight of 10 on the road, but they have been a different team at home with a 7-1-2 mark following Wednesday's 5-2 win over Montreal. "Any win is good right now, but it's great to get those home wins, and as long as we get those home wins, we put ourselves in a good spot," New Jersey goaltender Keith Kinkaid said.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, MSG, MSG Plus (New York, New Jersey)

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (10-8-2): Trotz changed up his lines during Thursday's practice, moving Anthony Beauvillier back with the No. 1 unit alongside center Mathew Barzal and Josh Bailey while Brock Nelson was reunited with captain Anders Lee and Jordan Eberle. "It's on us," said Beauvillier, who scored four times in the two games before Wednesday's drubbing. "We've just got to get back to basics, back to the grind mentality, the grit. It's easy to fix. It's not about Xs and Os. It's about execution and commitment." Thomas Greiss made 35 saves in posting a shutout of the Devils on Nov. 3.

ABOUT THE DEVILS (9-9-2): Pavel Zacha failed to hit the scoresheet in his first 12 games, sandwiched around a demotion to the minors, but he scored twice against Montreal to give him four goals in his last three contests. "I'm trying to focus on my game, on my skating and being hard to play against and just trying to win my puck battles and going to the net," Zacha said. "I had a lot of chances before, but now they're going in for me. The confidence is a little better now (than) before I went to the AHL." Nico Hischier score Wednesday in his return from a four-game injury absence.

OVERTIME

1. Islanders F Matt Martin, who has missed eight straight games in a row, is close to returning, Trotz said.

2. Devils F Kyle Palmieri is the eighth different player in franchise history with 12 goals in the first 20 games of a season.

3. Islanders F Cal Clutterbuck is expected to play Friday after illness forced him to sit out against the Rangers.

PREDICTION: Devils 3, Islanders 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Detroit Red Wings vs. Washington Capitals Preview and Predictions 11-23-2018

NHL Predictions 22nd November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/22/2018

The Detroit Red Wings dug themselves a deep hole with losses in nine of their first 10 games this season, but have climbed back into the playoff race and hope to continue the surge Friday afternoon against the host Washington Capitals. The Red Wings have won nine of their last 11 contests after rallying to knock off New Jersey and Boston in overtime the last two games.

"It means a lot to all of us," Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard, who has a .947 save percentage the last five games, told reporters. "American Thanksgiving, you want to be hovering right around the playoffs, or in, and we are. It could have been very easy for all of us after seven games to just hang it up, but there's a lot of character in this room. ... So it's no shock to anyone in this room that we were able to turn it around." The Red Wings have surrendered 14 goals in the last seven games and will test that improving defense against the reigning Stanley Cup champions, who have won four of five despite dealing with injuries. With top-line center Evgeny Kuznetsov and nine-goal scorer T.J. Oshie out for the third straight game Wednesday, the Capitals absorbed 39 shots and found a way to defeat Chicago 4-2. "Obviously, it was a shorter summer for us and a shorter time to prepare ourselves for the season," Washington forward Andre Burakovsky told reporters after scoring Wednesday. "Just to get back after a year that we had, I think it's tough to get in and get going right away. So we're building our game slowly."

TV: 4 p.m. ET, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet Pacific, FS Detroit, NBCS Washington

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (10-9-2): Speedy forward Andreas Athanasiou scored the tying and winning goals against Boston and has tallied five times while setting up three others in his last six games. "Early in the season he wasn't getting points but he deserved more," Detroit coach Jeff Blashill told reporters of Athanasiou. "From Day 1, he's been very engaged. ... The nights when he hasn't been at his best, the one thing he can still do is find a way to make a play. His 'B' game has been better and then is 'A' game is always good." Dylan Larkin leads the balanced Red Wings with 19 points and his eight goals are one behind team leader Athanasiou.

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (11-7-3): Kuznetsov (21 points) and Oshie (14) did not skate Thursday, and it is unlikely they will play either Friday or Saturday afternoon against the New York Rangers. Captain Alex Ovechkin has seven of his team-leading 15 goals in his last 11 contests and shares the club lead in points (24) with center Nicklas Backstrom, who tops the Capitals with 18 assists and scored in two of the last three games. Goalie Braden Holtby turned aside 37 shots against Chicago and boasts a .950 save percentage over his past five outings while defenseman Michal Kempny (plus-7 rating) scored his first goal of the season.

OVERTIME

1. Washington F Devante Smith-Pelly has two goals in the last three games and needs one point to reach 100 in his career.

2. Detroit D Mike Green, who spent his first 10 seasons with the Capitals, is slated to play his 800th NHL game Friday.

3. The Capitals have earned at least a point in eight straight games against the Red Wings (6-0-2).

PREDICTION: Capitals 4, Red Wings 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres Preview and Predictions 11-23-2018

NHL Predictions 23rd November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/23/2018

The Buffalo Sabres attempt to extend their longest winning streak in more than 10 years when they host the Montreal Canadiens on Friday. Buffalo is on a seven-game run, its longest since opening the 2006-07 season with 10 straight victories, that began with an overtime triumph in Montreal on Nov. 8.

The Sabres' latest win came Wednesday, when they scored four goals in the first period en route to a 5-2 home victory over Philadelphia. Evan Rodrigues and Sam Reinhart each recorded a tally and an assist for Buffalo, which is off to its best 10-game start at home since posting an identical 7-2-1 mark in 2009-10. Montreal is coming off its second straight loss, a 5-2 setback in New Jersey on Wednesday. Max Domi continued his torrid pace in the defeat, scoring his team-leading 11th goal to give him six tallies and nine assists during his 11-game point streak.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, TSN2, RDS (Montreal), MSG (Buffalo)

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (11-7-4): Andrew Shaw has been hot of late, registering five goals and four assists over his last seven games. The 27-year-old right wing is closing in on several milestones as he needs two tallies and one assist to reach the century mark in both categories and is three points away from 200 for his career. Domi has been kept off the scoresheet once in his last 17 games and only three times in 22 contests this season.

ABOUT THE SABRES (14-6-2): Jeff Skinner scored his team-leading 15th goal Wednesday, 14 of which have come in his last 15 contests. The 26-year-old former Calder Trophy winner is five away from reaching the 20-goal plateau for the fourth consecutive campaign and seventh time during his nine-season career. Reinhart has collected 10 points over his last nine games, registering four two-point performances in that span.

OVERTIME

1. The Canadiens recalled D Brett Kulak from Laval of the American Hockey League on Thursday.

2. Buffalo D Marco Scandella (lower body) is expected to miss his second straight contest despite participating in Thursday's optional practice.

3. Montreal C Jonathan Drouin's next game will be his 100th with the club since being acquired from Tampa Bay.

PREDICTION: Sabres 4, Canadiens 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Calgary Flames vs. Vegas Golden Knights Preview and Predictions 11-23-2018

NHL Predictions 23rd November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/23/2018

The first-place Calgary Flames try for their fourth straight victory when they visit the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday with a hot goaltender and a potent offense that has scored 13 goals in its last two games. Calgary completed a 3-1-0 homestand with a 6-3 win over Winnipeg on Wednesday, with David Rittich stopping 37 shots for his sixth straight victory.

"We've got three (wins) in a row right now, and I think everyone in our locker room feels great," Rittich (8-1-0, 2.04 goals-against average, .930 save percentage) told reporters. "We have to keep it the same, still push them back and play in their zone, doesn't matter who we're playing against." The Flames led 5-1 after one period Wednesday, becoming the fourth team in NHL history to score five or more goals in the first session of consecutive games. Calgary crushed Vegas 7-2 on Monday behind two goals apiece from Sean Monahan and Matthew Tkachuk for its second straight victory over the Golden Knights by a combined score of 14-3 since losing the first three encounters (15-5). Vegas bounced back from Monday's debacle with a 3-2 victory at Arizona on Wednesday behind Max Pacioretty's second goal of the game at 3:36 of overtime.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, Sportsnet One, Sportsnet West - joined in progress (Calgary), AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Vegas)

ABOUT THE FLAMES (13-8-1): Sam Bennett has recorded two goals and two assists in his last two games since being elevated to a line with Mikael Backlund and Tkachuk after totaling the same numbers in his first 20 contests of the season. Johnny Gaudreau has notched two goals and five assists in his last three games, giving him 26 points - one behind team leader Tkachuk - and a club-high 18 assists while Monahan (25 points), who has collected three goals and three assists in his last three games, is tied for the team lead in talies (12) with Tkachuk.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (10-12-1): Jonathan Marchessault (team bests of 19 points and a plus-4 rating) is the only Vegas player with a double-digit goal total (10). Pacioretty has scored in three straight games, netting four of his six tallies during that span, while Tomas Nosek (club-worst minus-13) recorded his second goal of the campaign on Wednesday. Marc-Andre Fleury (10-8-1, 2.58, .901) made 19 saves Wednesday for his third victory in four starts and is 10-4-1, with a 2.31 GAA and .922 save percentage in 16 games versus Calgary.

OVERTIME

1. Flames C Dillon Dube, a second-round pick in the 2016 draft, scored his first NHL goal Wednesday in his 16th game.

2. Vegas C Cody Eakin (eight goals, 12 points in 20 games this season) set up a tally on Wednesday, giving him five goals and three assists in his last nine contests.

3. Calgary RW Michael Frolik (seven goals in 20 games) missed Wednesday's game with a lower-body injury.

PREDICTION: Golden Knights 3, Flames 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Preview and Predictions 11-23-2018

NHL Predictions 22nd November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/22/2018

The Toronto Maple Leafs posted their seventh win in eight games with a 4-2 triumph over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday before falling short in Carolina two days later for just their second road loss in 11 outings this season. The Maple Leafs bid to dust themselves off and salvage a split of their road trip on Friday when they visit Nationwide Arena to face the Blue Jackets.

John Tavares became the fifth player in Maple Leafs' history and first since 1943-44 to score 11 or more goals in his team's first 11 road games when he tallied in the first period of Wednesday's 5-2 setback against the Hurricanes. The 28-year-old Ontario native, who also scored in the first encounter with Columbus and has a club-best 14 tallies, has made himself at home on the road with 17 of his 26 points coming away from Scotiabank Arena. The Blue Jackets have had a few days to lament seeing a late defensive miscue on a faceoff cost them dearly as they bid adieu to both a three-game winning streak and season-best seven-game point stretch (5-0-2) against the Maple Leafs. "We played well enough to win, and not to get a point out of it off just a simple coverage off a faceoff, it just (ticks) you off," coach John Tortorella said. "It's pee-wee coverage and we didn't handle it. It's frustrating."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN4 (Toronto), FS Ohio (Columbus)

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (15-7-0): Kasperi Kapanen had an assist in the first meeting with the Blue Jackets before tallying midway into the third period versus the Hurricanes to give him six of his nine goals scored on the road. "You see the confidence and seeing how deadly or how effective his tools are - his shot, his skating ability - the confidence that's growing in that and the impact he can make and how hard he can be to defend," Tavares said of Kapanen. Mitch Marner set up a pair of tallies versus Columbus to push his team-leading totals in assists and points to 22 and 28, respectively.

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (12-7-2): NHL First Star of the Week Cam Atkinson extended his career-best goal-scoring streak to five games by opening the scoring against Toronto and added an assist on linemate Pierre-Luc Dubois's tally to boost his point total to 11 (seven goals, four assists) in that stretch. "I'm putting myself in good positions," the 29-year-old Atkinson said, according to The Columbus Dispatch. "I think that's plain and simple. My linemates are making good passes and I'm just burying them." Dubois is riding a five-game point streak (four goals, five assists) and Artemi Panarin has four assists in his last two games to boost his team-leading point total to 22.

OVERTIME

1. Columbus G Sergei Bobrovsky, who is expected to make his 400th career start on Friday, has allowed 12 goals on 219 shots in seven contests this month.

2. Toronto is 3-for-21 on the power play in its last eight games.

3. The Blue Jackets scored six power-play goals in the last seven contests after going 6-for-56 in their first 14 outings.

PREDICTION: Maple Leafs 4, Blue Jackets 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes Preview and Predictions 11-23-2018

NHL Predictions 22nd November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/22/2018

The Carolina Hurricanes have pulled themselves out of a tailspin by gaining at least a point in five of their last six contests and look to complete a six-game homestand with another victory Friday against the Florida Panthers. The Hurricanes have followed up a five-game losing streak with a 4-1-1 run after an impressive 5-2 victory over Toronto on Wednesday.

"It's huge," Carolina power forward Micheal Ferland told reporters after scoring for the fourth time in five games Wednesday. "Coming into (Wednesday), we wanted to make a statement that we could play with any team. I thought we played really good." The Hurricanes are fourth in the Metropolitan Division and three points out of first while the Panthers have dropped three of their last four to reside at the bottom of the Atlantic Division. Florida has games in hand on everyone above it in the Atlantic, but comes in off a 7-3 loss at Sunshine State-rival Tampa Bay on Wednesday despite recording 43 shots on net. "Just too many unforced errors," Panthers left wing Mike Hoffman told reporters after extending his point streak to 17 games. "You can't be giving up that many goals if you expect to win any game."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Florida, FS Carolinas

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (8-8-3): Hoffman has 10 goals and 10 points during his streak and leads the team with 20 points - one better that right wing Evgenii Dadonov (nine goals), along with defenseman Keith Yandle (15 assists). Captain Aleksander Barkov (18 points) has scored in back-to-back contests while fellow forward Jonathan Huberdeau owns four assists in the last four games and is one shy of 100 goals for his career. Florida has scored at least one power-play goal in 10 consecutive games, going 14-for-38 in that stretch, and moved to sixth in the league at 25.6 percent.

ABOUT THE HURRICANES (10-8-3): Sebastian Aho has posted seven points in the last six contests after a three-game drought and leads the team with 24 - seven better than fellow forward Teuvo Teravainen, who is slated to play his 300th game Friday. Rookie Andrei Svechnikov, 18, scored his fifth goal Wednesday and coach Rod Brind'Amour told reporters: "You see the confidence starting to come out of him. He's hanging on to pucks in the offensive zone, taking it to the net really hard." Center Victor Rask returned to the lineup against Toronto after missing 20 games with a hand injury.

OVERTIME

1. Florida G Roberto Luongo has surrendered 16 goals on 88 shots in his last three appearances.

2. Carolina F Justin Williams has scored in back-to-back games to reach 100 with the franchise.

3. The Hurricanes have points in five of the last six meetings (4-1-1), including three straight victories at home.

PREDICTION: Hurricanes 5, Panthers 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Preview and Predictions 11-23-2018

NHL Predictions 22nd November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/22/2018

Captain Steven Stamkos looks to build off a season-best, four-point performance when his Tampa Bay Lightning go after a seventh straight victory in the series against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night. Stamkos recorded a goal and three assists in Wednesday's 7-3 rout of Florida and is averaging nearly a point per game after a slow start to the campaign.

"He was amazing," Tampa Bay forward Yanni Gourde told reporters of Stamkos, who joined him and J.T. Miller on a new line Wednesday. "He was winning puck battles. He was so fast. He was shooting the puck. It was a great game for him and it was really fun to play with him." The Lightning recorded a modern era record 33 shots in the second period of a 6-3 victory over the Blackhawks on Oct. 21 and Chicago last beat Tampa Bay 1-0 in overtime early in the 2015-16 season. The Blackhawks saw a four-game point streak (2-0-2) come to an end Wednesday despite registering 39 shots on net in a 4-2 setback at Washington to open a three-game trip. "We're disappointed," Chicago coach Jeremy Colliton told reporters after the loss. "We could have got some points today and we didn't. But we're good enough. We have a good enough team. We've just got to tighten up a little bit."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, NBCS Chicago

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (8-9-5): Right wing Patrick Kane has not scored in his last six games, but added four assists in that stretch to maintain his lead on the team with 25 points. Captain Jonathan Toews (19 points) is hot on his trail with two goals and four assists during a five-game point streak and fellow forward Brandon Saad has scored in three consecutive contests to push his season total to seven after coming up empty the first eight games. Chicago has struggled on special teams of late, going 3-for-24 on the power play over nine games and killing 6-of-10 attempts in the past five contests.

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (15-6-1): Right wing Nikita Kucherov has wielded a hot stick of late to take over the team lead in points with 27 after recording two goals and seven assists during a four-game run. Kucherov skated on a line with second-leading scorer Brayden Point (team-best 14 goals, 26 points) and Tyler Johnson in Wednesday's victory and notched his fourth power-play tally of the season. Defenseman Ryan McDonagh continued his All Star-worthy campaign with three points against Florida and owns 16 overall to go along with a club-best plus-12 rating while logging a team-most 23:06 per game.

OVERTIME

1. Kane has 21 points in 16 career games against the Lightning, but managed one assist and a minus-3 rating in the first meeting this season.

2. Tampa Bay G Louis Domingue boasts two 40-save victories in the last three contests and turned aside 33 shots to beat the Blackhawks last month.

3. Chicago D Duncan Keith, who has yet to score a goal this season, snapped a nine-game point drought with an assist Wednesday.

PREDICTION: Lightning 5, Blackhawks 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Boston Bruins Preview and Predictions 11-23-2018

NHL Predictions 22nd November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/22/2018

The return of superstar Sidney Crosby to the lineup provided a much-needed jolt for the skidding Pittsburgh Penguins, who ended a four-game slide behind a stellar performance by their team captain. Crosby and the Penguins will look to post back-to-back wins for the first time this month when they visit the Boston Bruins on Friday night.

Crosby scored one goal and set up two others as Pittsburgh rolled to a 5-1 rout of Dallas on Wednesday for only its second victory in 11 games (2-7-2). "I think our team gets a foot taller when he is in our lineup because of the inspiration that he is for our group," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said of Crosby. "Not only is he a great player ... but he's a terrific teammate and he cares so much about the Penguins and trying to help this team win." The Bruins capped a four-game road trip (1-1-2) with a 3-2 overtime loss in Detroit on Wednesday, but they suffered a pair of key injuries on the trek to top-line center Patrice Bergeron and defensemen Zdeno Chara. "It will be nice to be home. I think we'll all be excited," Boston forward Brad Marchand said. "I think the biggest thing is we have to make sure we stay in the moment, can't get caught up with what's happened in the past, and can't look at the next game."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet360, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, TVAS, AT&T-Sportsnet-Pittsurgh, NESN (Boston)

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (8-8-4): The afterglow of Wednesday's impressive victory was dimmed by the news on Thursday that Pittsburgh placed starting goaltender Matt Murray on injured reserve due to a lower-body injury. "He was evaluated this morning by our team doctors," Sullivan said. "This is something that he's been dealing with for a couple of weeks. The decision was made this morning to rest and see if that gives him an opportunity to heal. That's where we're at." Casey DeSmith gave up three goals in 5:27 in his lone appearance versus the Bruins last season.

ABOUT THE BRUINS (11-6-4): While the injury to Bergeron removes a key cog on one of the NHL's most potent lines, Boston received an unexpected boost from its fourth unit in Wednesday's setback to the Red Wings. Chris Wagner netted his second goal of the season off an assist from Sean Kuraly and, along with linemate David Backes, the trio produced 10 shots on goal against Detroit. "I think we're starting to build a little more chemistry," Wagner said. "We're starting to make plays coming over the blue instead of just dumping it in every time and chasing it."

OVERTIME

1. Boston is 8-1-2 in its last 11 versus Pittsburgh and has won five in a row at home.

2. Crosby has 13 goals and 50 points in 36 games against the Bruins.

3. Boston F David Pastrnak, the NHL leader with 17 goals, has six in nine games against the Penguins.

PREDICTION: Bruins 3, Penguins 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Colorado Avalanche vs. Arizona Coyotes Preview and Predictions 11-23-2018

NHL Predictions 23rd November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/23/2018

The Colorado Avalanche are scary enough 5-on-5, but when they get the NHL's No. 1 power play going with the likes of Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog displaying their immense talents, watch out. Colorado, which is 9-for-13 with the man advantage over its last five games, completes a stretch of three straight road contests Friday against the Arizona Coyotes.

"Execution has been there," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar told reporters. "Our guys are hungry to score on the power play. We got a lot of talent, especially now that both units are contributing." Rantanen, MacKinnon and Landeskog have combined for 13 points (four goals) in the last two games - a 7-3 victory over Los Angeles on Wednesday and a 4-3 overtime win against Anaheim on Sunday - including three goals and seven assists on a power play that's clicking at 32.9 percent. Arizona lost to Vegas 3-2 in overtime on Wednesday, falling to 2-4-2 after a promising 7-5-0 start to the season. The Coyotes, however, will provide Colorado's power play with a stern challenge as they lead the league in penalty-killing at 91.9 percent.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Altitude2 (Colorado), FS Arizona Plus

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (11-6-4): MacKinnon (team-high 14 goals, 31 points) was runner-up to New Jersey's Taylor Hall for the 2018 Hart Trophy and Rantanen is well on his way to becoming a finalist this season. The 22-year-old Finn, who was the 10th overall pick in the 2015 draft, leads the NHL with 34 points and 26 assists while Landeskog (13 goals, 23 points) is on pace for a career season. Colorado also is getting support from its secondary lines as Carl Soderberg (seven goals, 15 assists) notched two assists on Wednesday, giving him two goals and five assists in his last six games.

ABOUT THE COYOTES (9-9-2): Derek Stepan scored twice on Wednesday, including once with a man advantage to provide a boost to the NHL's sixth-worst power play (15.6 percent). Stepan and Brad Richardson share the team lead in goals with six, while Clayton Keller and Michael Grabner have five apiece. Keller leads the team with 13 points after recording an assist on Wednesday for his first point in four contests.

OVERTIME

1. Arizona RW Josh Archibald is eligible to return after serving a two-game suspension for an illegal head shot on Nashville's Ryan Hartman on Nov. 15.

2. Rantanen was fined $2,000 by the league Wednesday for embellishment - his second offense - during a Nov. 14 game versus Boston.

3. The teams have split the last 10 meetings, with the Avalanche prevailing in the last encounter in Arizona 6-2 on Dec. 23, 2017 for their sixth victory in their last eight games at Gila River Arena.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 3, Coyotes 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Vancouver Canucks vs. San Jose Sharks Preview and Predictions 11-23-2018

NHL Predictions 22nd November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/22/2018

The San Jose Sharks will look to rebound from Tuesday's overtime loss to Edmonton when they finish off a six-game homestand against the slumping Vancouver Canucks on Friday. The Canucks have lost six straight games in regulation (seven overall) and own just two wins through their first 10 November games.

Logan Couture scored his first goal in 11 games Tuesday to give the Sharks a 3-2 lead late in the second period but Edmonton tied it up in the third and Leon Draisaitl scored the overtime winner to hand San Jose a 4-3 defeat. "You never want to give up leads," Couture told reporters. "There are too many odd-man rushes. It wasn't horrible tonight. It was better than it has been, but still too many." Canucks center Bo Horvat scored his 11th goal of the season and hit the century mark for career assists but it wasn't enough on Wednesday as Vancouver's third period comeback attempt fell short in a 4-3 loss to Anaheim. Production for 20-year-old phenom Elias Pettersson seems to equal success for the Canucks as the rookie tallied 17 points in his first 11 games, but has just two during Vancouver's seven-game slide.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), NBCS California (San Jose)

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (10-12-2): Sniper Brock Boeser, who sat out his ninth-straight game Wednesday, has been sorely missed by the Canucks as they've been outscored 29-16 during their seven-game winless streak. Despite having a save percentage of .893 during the six-game skid, goalie Jacob Markstrom is doing everything he can as the Canucks are giving up 35 shots a game over their last seven. "We can't blame (Markstrom)," Horvat told the media regarding his team's failure to secure wins. "He's been outstanding for us, making key saves at big times. We're in every single one of these games, and it's frustrating not to get two points. We need to work through it."

ABOUT THE SHARKS (11-7-4): Defenseman Erik Karlsson seems to be getting accustomed to life in California as he finally scored his first goal as a Shark Saturday against the Blues and is up to 12 points on the season. Brent Burns is on pace for the highest assist and point totals of his career as the blueliner is tied for fourth in the league with 20 helpers - the most by any defenseman this season. Sharks captain Joe Pavelski saw his goal streak end at four games against Edmonton, but assisted on Joonas Donskoi's first-period goal to extend his point streak to five games (six goals, four assists).

OVERTIME

1. Sharks F Joe Thornton recorded his 1,033rd career assist Tuesday, tying him with Mario Lemieux for 11th place in NHL history. The 21-year veteran needs seven more to match Marcel Dionne for 10th.

2. Canucks F Sam Gagner recorded an assist against Anaheim, his first point since returning to the lineup after being waived by Vancouver on October 1st and eventually sent to the American Hockey League.

3. The Canucks have lost five straight games in San Jose, with their last victory coming in a 4-2 win on March 31, 2016.

PREDICTION: Sharks 5, Canucks 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Ottawa Senators vs. Dallas Stars Preview and Predictions 11-23-2018

NHL Predictions 23rd November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/23/2018

The Dallas Stars ended their three-game road trip with a pair of one-goal efforts that resulted in losses. Dallas hopes to rediscover its offense when it makes a brief stop at home to take on the Ottawa Senators on Friday before embarking on a four-game trek.

The Stars have been limited to one goal in four of their last five overall contests, including a loss at Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Roope Hintz, a 22-year-old Finnish left wing, has recorded his first two NHL goals in his last three games after scoring in the 5-1 setback. Ottawa kicked off its four-game road trip with its second straight loss, a 6-4 defeat in Minnesota. Defenseman Christian Jaros recorded a goal and an assist against the Wild, giving him three of his four career points in his last two contests.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TSN5, RDS (Ottawa), FS Southwest (Dallas)

ABOUT THE SENATORS (9-10-3): Ottawa has been on an offensive tear of late, registering 15 goals in its last three games, but has struggled defensively as it has surrendered 17 tallies while going 1-2-0 in that span. In fact, the Senators have given up at least four goals in six of their last seven contests but have won two of those matches. Matt Duchene, who leads the team with 27 points, was kept off the scoresheet Wednesday - ending a three-game multi-point streak during which he notched four goals and four assists.

ABOUT THE STARS (11-9-2): Landon Bow made his NHL debut Wednesday, turning aside all 14 shots he faced in relief of Anton Khudobin. The 6-5, 23-year-old undrafted native of Alberta, who was signed to a two-year contract in March 2017, was recalled from Texas of the American Hockey League a day earlier because of Ben Bishop's lower-body injury. Tyler Seguin, who leads the team with 21 points, is 10 assists shy of 300 for his career.

OVERTIME

1. Stars D Julius Honka missed Wednesday's game because of an illness and is day-to-day.

2. Ottawa LW Mikkel Boedker reached the 300-point mark in his career with an assist Wednesday.

3. Dallas recalled Taylor Fedun from Texas and assigned fellow D Ben Gleason to the AHL club.

PREDICTION: Stars 5, Senators 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Nashville Predators vs. St. Louis Blues Preview and Predictions 11-23-2018

NHL Predictions 22nd November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/22/2018

The Blues will be looking for some payback on their home ice against Nashville on Friday night after the Predators spoiled Craig Berube's head coaching debut by defeating St. Louis 4-1 on Wednesday. Nashville enters the game with the league's best record (16-5-1) behind stellar play from reigning Vezina Trophy winner Pekka Rinne, who made 28 saves for the Predators Wednesday.

St. Louis is looking to be revitalized after replacing Mike Yeo with Berube, as only the Los Angeles Kings have fewer points this season (15) than the Blues (17). "There was emotion in the game, brought some fire in our belly," St. Louis forward Brayden Schenn told reporters. "If we do that for the next 60 (games), we'll like the results most nights." Rinne recorded the 320th victory of his career Wednesday, passing Miikka Kiprusoff to become the winningest Finnish-born goaltender in NHL history. The 36-year-old netminder is leading the NHL in goals against average (1.64) and save percentage (.944), and sits tied for fourth with nine wins in just 13 starts.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Tennessee (Nashville), FS Midwest (St. Louis)

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (16-5-1): Nashville got shorthanded goals from defenseman Ryan Ellis and forward Filip Forsberg on Wednesday, moving Nashville into a tie for second in the league with four on the season. The Predators are piling up wins despite having the league's second-worst power play (13.1 percent), scoring only 11 with the man advantage in their 22 games. Forsberg's goal was his 14th of the season, putting him in a tie for fourth in the league - three behind Boston's David Pastrnak for the top spot.

ABOUT THE BLUES (7-10-3): Robert Thomas, a 19-year-old rookie forward, scored his first NHL goal in Berube's debut - snapping a two-game scoreless streak for the Blues that lasted over 135 minutes. "It's obviously frustrating," defenseman Alex Pietrangelo told NHL.com regarding his team's lack of scoring. "We had some really good looks offensively. I think if we start scoring those, you start feeling the puck, you start creating a bit more pressure." The Blues top three scorers from a season ago - Schenn, Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz - have combined for just 12 goals this season after potting 85 combined in 2017-18.

OVERTIME

1. Nashville C Frederick Gaudreau scored three goals in eight contests during the 2016-17 playoffs, but recorded his first regular-season goal on Wednesday in his 42nd game.

2. The Predators are 12-0-0 this season when scoring first.

3. St. Louis has not recorded a power-play goal in its last seven games and is 0-for-18 over that span.

PREDICTION: Predators 3, Blues 0

[Can'tPickAWinner]

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