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Senators to beat Canadiens 2.00
The Sens are going to be coming off back-to-back games, traveling home to do it, but the Canadiens have struggled so mightily these last few weeks. I thought they could break their losing streak against a similarly-struggling Flyers team, but that didn’t happen. Montreal lost 6-3 and that was even with Carey Price in net.
Montreal’s feel-good turnaround under Martin St. Louis has been short-lived, though the team lost so much talent around the trade deadline and had so many injuries that perhaps a finish like this was inevitable. They should have a number of advantages in this particular game, but I don’t know if it will matter much.
Ottawa is trying to finish the season strong. They beat Vancouver in a shootout to help put a damper on the Canucks’ playoff hopes. Tim Stutzle continues to play some of his best hockey of the season and Brady Tkachuk has had a career year as he hit 60 points. Ottawa is missing some key pieces including new acquisition Mathieu Joseph, but they still have most of their big guns.
This game likely comes down to which team will get the best goaltending, which hasn’t been a given for either. I’ll give the slight nod to the Sens on home ice.
Panthers to beat Maple Leafs 1.64
The Maple Leafs’ recent four-game winning streak ended with the loudest possible thud in an 8-1 loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday. Now they have to turnaround and play the league-leading Florida Panthers on the road without MVP candidate Auston Matthews. It’s a lot to ask.
The Panthers are in the driver’s seat to claim home ice throughout the playoffs and win the Presidents Trophy as regular season champion. So don’t expect them to coast into the postseason. They’ve played too well of late to have that even enter the conversation. They’re on a 12-game winning streak that includes a 7-6 win over Toronto in that range.
The Cats are 1-1 against the Leafs this season, and while they’re on this incredible ride of momentum, I don’t think there’s much chance of them slowing down. I do, however, think the Maple Leafs will have a much better performance in this game compared to their loss to Tampa.
The Leafs are expected to have Jack Campbell in net after rookie Erik Kallgren was in for all eight goals against the Lightning. That should allow them to feel just a little more confident about their goaltending. But few teams have been able to slow down Florida’s offensive attack led by MVP candidate Jonathan Huberdeau and bolstered by captain Aleksander Barkov, among others.
Florida just seems too powerful at the moment.
Flames to beat Canucks 1.42
Calgary can essentially drive a nail in the Canucks’ postseason coffin here with a win. Vancouver has lost two games they really couldn’t afford to lose in their last two including a 6-3 defeat at the hands of Minnesota on Thursday. Vancouver is clinging to a 1.8 per cent chance of reaching the postseason according to MoneyPuck.com’s projection.
The Flames don’t have as much to play for. They’ve already got home ice through the first two rounds of the postseason and are unlikely to catch Colorado to secure home ice through the Western Conference Final, but that doesn’t mean we should expect a drop off in their play.
Calgary will be the home team in this one and they’ve been mostly comfortable on home ice this year with a 24-9-7 record. Vancouver has their lives on the line and they need a lot of help to do it, but I don’t think Calgary is going to let them come into their building and just pick up an easy two points.
Keep an eye on the lineups for the game as there’s always the chance Calgary rests some of their top players before the playoffs begin, but that happens less frequently in the NHL. It’s just something to be aware of at this time of year when placing wagers. Assuming both lineups are intact as they normally would be, I think the Flames extinguish Vancouver’s postseason dream Saturday night.
Ducks to beat Kings 3.10
The Kings are a near lock to make the postseason, but can tighten that lock with a win over their Southern California rivals. These two teams have played each other tough all year, including a 2-1 game last week that the Kings ended up winning.
This game will have extra significance for Anaheim, though. Captain Ryan Getzlaf will be playing in his final game of this rivalry after so many years as one of its central figures. You know they’ll be pushing to get a big road win for the captain. The Ducks haven’t played since that 2-1 loss to Los Angeles on Tuesday, so they’ll be a little better rested, too.
It would be a gargantuan task for the Ducks to pick up the win though. The Kings have won three straight, they’ve looked really good down the stretch and they’re getting the goaltending. Most decisions I make are based on picks are on the flow of the season, the head-to-head matchups and the stats. This one is all about emotion.
Expect Getzlaf to bring it in this game and expect his young teammates do everything in their power to send him out with a big win over their biggest rivals.