Welcome to NHL Predictions! Each day, Last Word On Hockey will break down every game and give our NHL predictions for each game. This will also include a featured game that should be must-watch hockey. Tonight’s featured game is the Edmonton Oilers vs Vegas Golden Knights. This is the late game slate of NHL Predictions for November 23rd. Be sure and check out the early games too.
NHL Predictions
Anaheim Ducks vs Tampa Bay Lightning
Head-to-Head: Ducks 0 – 0 Lightning
The Anaheim Ducks are a team that has been up and down this year. Staying afloat in their division, they are still on the outside looking in. However, with John Gibson in the net, they know anything is possible. He is a star goalie and can steal games at will. Their youth movement will continue to take form as they look to improve on their 23 points. Playing away from home may give them more of a disadvantage though.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have wildly disappointed this year. After last season’s first-round sweep they have come out of the gate flat. Currently, they are not in a playoff spot. Things will need to change soon for that to change. Their division is tougher than ever and points will not come easy. Taking it to the Ducks at home is a must. Having Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, and Brayden Point all on the score sheet would be huge. A win tomorrow has the potential to put them fourth in their division. They need to start using their games in hand to their advantage.
Prediction: Lightning win 6-3.
Minnesota Wild vs Boston Bruins
Head-to-Head: Wild 0 – 0 Bruins
These are two teams trending in different directions. The Minnesota Wild have struggled a bunch this season and currently find themselves near the bottom of the league. Goaltending in Devan Dubnyk hasn’t been good enough and there just hasn’t been much offensively to help. They are a very old team and speed isn’t their forte. This is an issue as the league is trending towards speed and skill. The Wild still have some solid pieces on their team but it may not be enough.
The Boston Bruins lead their division this season. A 14-3-5 record puts them comfortably in a playoff spot so far this year. They don’t seem to want to slow down and that only means bad news for their opponent’s. Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, and Brad Marchand are complimented by Torey Krug and the ageless Zdeno Chara on the blue line, among tons of other names. This team has been top-heavy this year but that should be enough to put them over the Wild. The elite talent is very hard to match. So is the unreal goaltending Boston has seen.
Prediction: Bruins win 7-3.
New York Rangers vs Montreal Canadiens
Head-to-Head: Rangers 0 – 0 Canadiens
The New York Rangers are a team that has struggled this season. Sitting second-last in their division, they are fresh off of a 4-1 loss against the Ottawa Senators. They were dominated in that game and will be tough in for this game. Back-to-back nights against a rested team is usually a recipe for disaster. The Rangers added big and it hasn’t worked out so far. Despite the additions of Artemi Panarin, Jacob Trouba, and Kaapo Kakko, the Rangers have still really struggled this year.
The Montreal Canadiens currently sit in a playoff spot. However, they have dropped three straight games. This is their best chance to fix that tonight. The Habs are rested at home and need to take two points away from the Rangers. Failing to secure points like this could be costly as the season goes on. Expect Carey Price to start in net, as he has very often this season. The Habs offence needs to get going and scoring some goals. With Jonathan Drouin out, guys like Max Domi and Jesperi Kotkaniemi need to start producing more.
Prediction: Canadiens win 5-4 in Overtime.
Chicago Blackhawks vs Dallas Stars
Head-to-Head: Blackhawks 0 – 0 Stars
The Chicago Blackhawks are another struggling team. The expectations weren’t too high for Chicago heading into the year. They are dealing with a long cap crunch. However, that is an easy cost to pay for three Stanley Cups in six years. This season, Robin Lehner has been great for Chicago. However, their defence has been brutal. One of the worst in the league at this time. The usual names like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Alex DeBrincat will need to show up in a big way if Chicago wants to win.
The Dallas Stars, on the other hand, have rebounded from a brutal start. They’ve won five in a row and are 12-1-1 in their last 14 games. An absolutely insane stretch of hockey to counteract the brutal beginning. They are currently third in their division and look to keep on rising. Taking advantage of a poor Chicago team is a great way to do that. The Stars look to remain hot as they try and take it to Chicago here tonight. The return of Roope Hintz should also help that.
Prediction: Stars win 4-1.
Nashville Predators vs St. Louis Blues
Head-to-Head: Predators 0 – 0 Blues
The Nashville Predators currently sit second-last in their division. A spot they did not think they would be in ever this season. They are losers of six in a row and need to start changing things soon. This is a team with Stanley Cup hopes and their performance just won’t cut it. Their big players really need to step up. Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, Matt Duchene, Viktor Arvidsson, and Pekka Rinne. With all that talent and more, there is no reason for this team to be doing this poor. Look for the Predators to give the Blues all they can handle.
The St. Louis Blues seem to have skipped the Stanley Cup hangover. This team is first in their division by a wide margin. 9-1-2 in their past 12 games, this team has been unstoppable. Jordan Binnington is showing he is legit, and while the Vladimir Tarasenko injury hurts, they seem to keep on rolling. Ryan O’Reilly and Brayden Schenn continue to prove they were smart pickups. This team is almost the same as their Stanley Cup-winning team from last year, so it should be no shock they are rolling. This was almost NHL Predictions game of the night, but definitely one to keep your eye on.
Prediction: Predators win 3-2 in a shootout.
Edmonton Oilers vs Vegas Golden Knights
Head-to-Head: Oilers 0 – 0 Golden Knights
This is NHL Predictions game of the night. The Edmonton Oilers sit first in their division off of a super hot start. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl need no explaining. However, Mikko Koskinen has been a massive part of their success too. This Edmonton team runs off of top-end talent. The talent seems to bring it every single night so it is not an issue. Some strong performances by depth pieces may be needed to win tonight, however.
The Vegas Golden Knights are in the second wild-card spot and it is fair to say this is a disappointment for them. This team wants to be among the best in the division. They’re starting to pick up their pace, winning two of their last three games. They will need their depth to come through here tonight. It is almost impossible to beat McDavid head-to-head. However, the Knights have a bunch of skilled lines and can run deep. Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty may be able to feast on lesser competition. Look for this to be a back-and-forth fight.
Prediction: Golden Knights win 4-3.
New York Islanders vs San Jose Sharks
Head-to-Head: Islanders 0 – 0 Sharks
This should be quite the clash too. The New York Islanders are hockey’s best team right now. With points in their last 16 games, winning 15 of them. They have been virtually unstoppable and it has been a site to see. Mathew Barzal is a must-see player, their defence is strong and both Thomas Greiss and Semyon Varlamov have been great. The travel may be an issue for the Islanders here, though. They had just one day off to adjust to the new timezone. Usually, teams get a little more than that. This may make it hard for the Isles to start on time.
The San Jose Sharks have won seven of their last eight games. This is starting to put them back into the playoff hunt after an absolutely brutal October. Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl and crew are all starting to mesh again. This San Jose team will be in very tough against New York. However, with the benefit of travel, they may be able to surprise some people. Martin Jones has been questionable all year but if San Jose can get a few saves this should be an amazing game.
Prediction: Sharks win 2-1 in Overtime.
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