Previews for NHL games from January 21-26.
Buffalo Sabres @ Nashville Predators
Aside from the Avalanche, there is no hotter team in the NHL right now than the Buffalo Sabres.
They’ve lost just 4 games since early December, although that includes a two-game skid heading into this Tuesday nighter in Nashville.
The Sabres’ Tage Thompson is coming off a 3-goal, 5-point night late last week against Montreal, and with 25 on the season so far he’s as solid a bet as anyone to be an anytime goalscorer for the Sabres-Predators game.
Both teams are coming in healthy, but it’s the Predators who will need to show up on home ice. They’re sitting 5th in the Central Division and badly need points heading into the playoff push that’s coming right after the break for the Olympics.
If it’s close midway through the third period, have a look at Nashville on the moneyline if you’re into live NHL betting. The Preds are an impressive 11-3-4 in one-goal games, while Buffalo is a less impressive 10-11-2 away from home.
Check the latest odds at Lucky Rebel.
San Jose Sharks @ Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa’s catching San Jose in a spicy mood for this week’s Sharks-Lightning game.
Not only did San Jose just beat Florida 4-1, they also saw their goalie Andrei Nedeljkovic throw down with the Panther’s Bobrovsky. The Sharks also just added the league leader in hits this season, Kiefer Sherwood, in a Monday trade with Vancouver, though it’s not known if he’ll make it onto the ice in time for the opening faceoff on Tuesday night.
Tampa heads into the game in first place in the Atlantic, just two points out of first in the entire Eastern Conference. They’ve picked up a point in their last 13 games in a row, putting them into Avalanche category for point streaks this season.
The Lightning hasn’t missed a beat since Brayden Point went down with an injury early last week. Their 11-game winning streak did come to end last Friday, but that was in a shootout – and they bounced right back with a dominant 4-1 win over Dallas on Sunday.
Have a look at Will Smith’s chances for an anytime goal. The Sharks’ forward has fresh legs after a month off for injury, and he’s scored in two straight games since his return.
On the Tampa Bay side, they took the first meeting between the two clubs 7-3 three weeks ago. Nikita Kucherov bit into the Sharks for a 5-point night in that game.
Revenge time for the Sharks? Or more points and punches for Kucherov and his teammates?
Anaheim Ducks @ Colorado Avalanche
It keeps getting tougher to write something interesting about the Colorado Avalanche this season. They’re making winning boring. And they’re the leading favorite in NHL Futures betting when it comes to raising the Stanley Cup in June.
But wait. The Avs are actually 3-4 in their last seven games, bringing their total losses of the season to 5 games. So there is the slimmest of cracks possibly starting to show as all NHL teams hit the January mid-season grind.
The latest W for the Avs did come in an easy 5-2 victory over Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals on Monday night. Nathan MacKinnon racked up another 3-point night, letting Ovie know who the alpha scorer is in today’s NHL.
If the Ducks are going to take advantage of a slightly stumbling Avalanche unit, now is the time. They’re on a 4-game winning streak (we won’t talk about the 9-game losing streak that happened right before that).
Streak or no streak, when it comes to the O/U, we like the Over. The Ducks are 31st in the NHL in goals allowed, while Colorado is #1 in goals.
Pittsburgh Penguins @ Edmonton Oilers
The rare Sidney Crosby vs. Connor McDavid battle goes this Thursday night in Edmonton as the Oilers face the Penguins.
The league’s two generational superstars have played each other 16 times over their careers, and it’s McDavid who has the decided edge. The Edmonton point machine has an incredible 34 points in those games, compared to just 11 for Sid the Kid. Of course, Crosby has 10 years’ worth of added mileage on his legs compared to McDavid.
This season, both players’ teams are neck-and-neck. Coming into the week they were just a single point apart. It’s the Oilers that are a bit hotter at the moment, coming off two shutouts while filling the net last weekend, in 5-0 and 6-0 wins.
For live betting hockey fans, watch the early game closely, followed by special teams. Heading into this week, Edmonton was a lethal 21-1-4 when they score first. But it’s the PP that could put the Penguins on top for this one, even though it’s their second game in two nights.