Welcome to NHL Predictions! Each day, Last Word On Hockey will break down every game and give our NHL predictions for each game. In today’s NHL predictions, we’ll cover the games happening on December 29th. This will include a featured game that should be must-watch hockey. The featured late game of our NHL Predictions is between the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames. Be sure to check out the early games in our NHL Predictions.
NHL Predictions
Detroit Red Wings vs Tampa Bay Lightning
Head-to-Head: Red Wings 0 – 0 Lightning
The Detroit Red Wings are truly playing horrible hockey. They are dead last in goals scored and goals allowed. There aren’t too many statistical categories where they aren’t trailing most every NHL team. The only thing promising for the futile Red Wings is that they haven’t lost in the last six days… because they haven’t played. They have dropped five straight games. The Wings have had a 12-game and an eight-game losing streak to display the way their season has gone south. Therefore, unless something strange happens they will lose again.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are sitting fourth in the Atlantic Division and everyone is wondering when fans will see the team we saw last year. The Lightning aren’t exactly striking as they have been known to do. The team is loaded with talent and should burst out of their doldrums soon. They’re still five points out of a wild-card spot after defeating the Canadiens 5-4 on Saturday night. This game should be a cakewalk for them as Detroit is not even close to the level of play of the Lightning.
Prediction: Lightning win 6-1
Montreal Canadiens vs Florida Panthers
Head-to-Head: Canadiens 0 – 0 Panthers
The Montreal Canadiens have been hanging around a wild-card spot, but still are short of it by five points. They join two other teams with 42 points vying to stay above that cutoff spot to qualify for the playoffs. Max Domi is pitching in lately with four goals and three assists in his last five games. He also carries a four-game, four-goal streak after scoring in a losing cause against the Tampa team on Saturday night. If Montreal intends to make up any ground to break from the pack of teams competing for the playoffs they need to start making a move soon.
The Florida Panthers squeaked by the Red Wings 5-4 Saturday night and that helped them maintain a thin one-point lead in front of the wild card teams. The Panthers are led by the great scoring of Jonathan Huberdeau who has tallied three goals, eight assists (including a four assist game vs Ottawa on December 16th) to aid the Florida club to a 6-1 win. If the Panthers can get some better defence in front of Sergei Bobrovsky they stand a good chance of playing in the postseason.
Prediction: Canadiens win 5-3
Dallas Stars vs Arizona Coyotes
Head-to-Head: Stars 0 -0 Coyotes
The Dallas Stars have not faced the Coyotes yet this season. They defeated the Colorado Avalanche Saturday night in an exciting 3-2 shootout win with Ben Bishop making 41 saves to get his team past the tough Avalanche club. The Stars are in a battle to retain the sure playoff spot in the Western Conference with the Winnipeg Jets just one point behind them. The Stars have gone 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and are hoping to increase the Coyotes misfortunes at home.
The Arizona Coyotes had an opportunity to stay ahead of the surging Vegas Golden Knights but failed with a 4-1 loss on Saturday night. The Coyotes have two games in hand on the Knights, so they really need to start winning games on their home ice if they expect to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot. The addition of Taylor Hall has got to help this team. Unfortunately Antti Raanta who is filling in for the injured Darcy Kuemper just didn’t show up in the Vegas game, nor did his usually stellar defence in front of him. After allowing two quick goals early in the middle stanza, head coach Rick Tocchet yanked Raanta in favour of Adin Hill, who held the Golden Knights scoreless.
Prediction: Stars win 3-2 on overtime
Philadelphia Flyers vs Anaheim Ducks
Head-to-Head: Flyers 1 – 0 Ducks
The Philadelphia Flyers have been playing very well this season and are sitting in the second wild-card spot even after getting bombed 6-1 by the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night. It ended their four-game winning streak but we all knew that the Sharks would snap out of it soon. Too bad the Flyers had to be the victim. This will be the second of a six-game road trip for the Flyers, so they need to come out of it smelling good to stay in that playoff race.
The Anaheim Ducks are 4-6 in their last 10 games and still remain near the bottom of the Western Conference standings tied with the Los Angeles Kings. The Ducks lack the scoring capabilities ranking them 27th in the league. Unless they can hold back the Flyers the way the Sharks did, they have an uphill climb to win this game. They have been inconsistent this season and this game may define that theory.
Prediction: Flyers win 4-2
Vancouver Canucks vs Calgary Flames
Head-to-Head: Canucks 0 – 1 Flames
*This is the featured game for this edition of NHL Predictions
The Vancouver Canucks have won four straight games. They are smack in the middle of the race to get a playoff spot. They are tied with the Edmonton Oilers for the last wild-card spot but have two games in hand on them. The Canucks won a close one against their Pacific Division rival Kings Saturday night to keep their winning ways going. They face a tough Calgary Flames team and will need to be performing at the top of their game to get by the Flames.
The Calgary Flames have taken over the third ranking in the Pacific Division. It’s really tight as to which team will prevail. The Flames are a respectable 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. They look to distance themselves from the Canucks and other teams if they can. They have really started to play much better hockey as evidenced by their recent seven-game winning streak. A win here would make the statement they need to make to get back to the level of play they exhibited last season.
Prediction: Flames win 3-2 in overtime
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