Welcome back to NHL Predictions. Every day Last Word on Hockey brings you a prediction and analysis of every game on the schedule. In the late-games edition of the December 3rd NHL Predictions, we’ll cover four games. There will also be a featured game on that is must-watch hockey. Today’s NHL Predictions featured game is the Vancouver Canucks vs the Montreal Canadiens.
Be sure to also check out the early game NHL predictions to stay informed.
NHL Predictions
Winnipeg Jets vs Carolina Hurricanes
Head-to-Head: Jets 0-0 Hurricanes
The Winnipeg Jets have earned points in five of their last six contests. The hot streak lands the Jets at third-place in a very competitive Central Division. The primary driver of the Jets success has been their goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck is quietly an MVP-candidate that is currently posting a .930 save percentage. The Jets are a team with many under the radar stories, including the evolution of Patrik Laine. After a disappointing season, Laine has reinvented his game and become a much better distributor of the puck. Laine currently leads the Jets with 21 assists, more than he had in the entirety of last season.
Much like the Jets, the Carolina Hurricanes are situated as a playoff team. The team is 6-3-1 in their last 10 and is also one of the best defensive teams in the NHL. They allow the second-fewest goals in the Eastern Conference. Along with their puck-stopping prowess, the team’s best scoring-threats are also running at full power. Sebastian Aho has scored 15 goals in his last 20 games, and Andrei Svechnikov is enjoying a breakout season. This game should be close, but the Hurricanes should win a close game.
Prediction: Hurricanes win 3-2
Calgary Flames vs Pittsburgh Penguins
Head-to-Head: Flames 0-1 Penguins
The Calgary Flames are on a tear since the departure of Bill Peters. Though the Flames lost their last contest, they had won seven straight leading up to that. The biggest benefactors of the change are Calgary’s top-end scoring talent. Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan have improved dramatically. It appears as if the Calgary Flames are now back on track after a disappointing start to the season.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have continued to defy odds this year and remain in a playoff spot despite a slew of injuries to star players. Both Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby have missed significant time this season, but Pittsburgh is 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. The Penguins are doing a much better job at stopping opposing offences over the last several games. Pittsburgh has recorded three shutouts in their last seven games. Despite this, the Flames have a lot of momentum at the moment. That should continue.
Prediction: Flames win 4-2
Vancouver Canucks vs Montreal Canadiens
Head-to-Head: Canucks 0-0 Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are going through a rough patch, but still hold on to their third-place standing in the Atlantic Division. They are the only team in a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with a negative goal differential. Still, they have won three of their last four, a sign that things may be turning around in Montreal.
The Vancouver Canucks serve as the inverse of the Canadiens with losses in three of their last four contests. The Canucks are having trouble scoring, with just seven goals combined in the last four games. The Canucks have all the talent to turn this around, but scoring has proved difficult during stretches this season. It’s important that this not be one of those stretches, as the Canucks will play teams currently in a playoff spot four straight games starting against Montreal. The Canadiens, however, will take this game.
Prediction: Canadiens win 3-1
Vegas Golden Knights vs Minnesota Wild
Head-to-Head: Golden Knights 0-0 Wild
The Vegas Golden Knights have one of the better offences in the league, with 16 goals in their last four games. They also have points in 8 of their last 10 games. Vegas is a team built to contend, and they’ve followed through on that promise during the first half of the 2019-20 campaign. Expect the Golden Knights to be one the true contenders throughout the rest of the season.
The Minnesota Wild have been surprisingly proficient over the last several games. The Wild are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. Despite the miraculous turnaround, Minnesota still finds themselves on the outside looking in as far as playoffs go. The Wild may not be contenders, but they’re also seemingly better than anticipated. Still, the Golden Knights are bonafide contenders.
Prediction: Golden Knights win 4-2
San Jose Sharks vs Arizona Coyotes
Head-to-Head: Sharks 1-0 Coyotes
The San Jose Sharks have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the league this year. They got off to a disastrous start but appeared to turn their season around with a hot streak at one point. Those winning ways are long in the past, however, as the Sharks are once again having trouble. This recent slide lead to the firing of now-former head coach Peter DeBoer. The Sharks goal-tending woes are well-documented, but the team is now having trouble scoring goals as well. The Sharks have scored two goals or fewer in five of their last seven games.
The Arizona Coyotes are leading the Pacific Division and just made a splash by acquiring former MVP, Taylor Hall. With the trade, the Coyotes now have a premier scoring threat, something they badly need. Of all the current teams holding on to a playoff spot in the Western Conference, Arizona scores at the third-lowest rate. The addition of Hall, and this match-up against the Sharks should aid that situation.
Prediction: Coyotes win 4-1
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