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 late-game NHL predictions, we’ll cover four of the eight games happening on March 10th. Each piece will include a featured game that should be must-watch hockey. The featured game for this article is the match-up between the Vancouver Canucks and New York Islanders. That does it for the late game edition of NH Predictions, check out the early game edition.
NHL Predictions
Detroit Red Wings vs Carolina Hurricanes
Head-to-Head: Red Wings 2-0 Hurricanes
The only good news for the Detroit Red Wings is that this nightmare season is coming to an end. That being said, Steve Yzerman seems committed to a rebuild, which is the right move for Detroit. The team had spent too long trying to contend when it was obvious they needed to make a change. The Red Wings are historically bad, but they’re finally making a move in the right direction.
Despite solid underlying numbers, a plus 26 goal differential and a talented core of players, the Carolina Hurricanes have had trouble hanging onto a playoff spot. A recent rash of injuries did not help their cause. They currently sit as the second wildcard team in the Eastern Conference and have won two games in a row. The Hurricanes have played like a playoff team and need all the wins they can get. A motivated Carolina club should easily take care of the Red Wings.
Prediction: Hurricanes win 5-2
Dallas Stars vs New York Rangers
Head-to-Head: Stars 1-0 Rangers
The Dallas Stars are flying under the radar as a possible Stanley Cup contender. They’ve been going through a rough patch as of late, going 3-4-3 in their last 10 games, but they play a bruising style and get strong goal-tending from their duo of Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin. Both of these factors could make them dangerous come playoff time. They sit just five points clear of the next team in the standings, so a turn around is needed to hold onto their current spot. If they do so, watch out.
The New York Rangers present a stark contrast to the Stars. While the Stars are struggling to hold onto their early-season form down the stretch, the Rangers are getting stronger as the final push commences. The Rangers’ rebuild has gone ahead of schedule and they now find themselves within striking distance of a playoff spot. This is particularly impressive given how competitive the Metropolitan division has been this year. Though it has been a step forward for the Rangers, expect the Stars to get back on track.
Prediction: Stars win 3-1
Vancouver Canucks vs New York Islanders
Head-to-Head: Canucks 1-0 Islanders
Why are the NHL Predictions featured matchup between two teams that are in different conferences and seemingly have no history? Playoff implications. Of the four games Tuesday night, this one features the teams that most need a win. The Vancouver Canucks can’t seem to find any consistency this season. They follow up stretches of dominance with looking like they don’t belong anywhere near the playoff picture. This wasn’t helped by an injury to star-player Brock Boeser. The Canucks are quickly falling out of a playoff spot and desperately need a win to right the ship.
In a similar fashion, the New York Islanders have seen their promising season go a bit off the rails with a 2-5-3 record in their last 10 games. This skid has pushed them out of a divisional playoff spot and they now find themselves tied with Carolina for the second wildcard spot in the East. The Islanders started hot, but have fallen off considerably since their torrid first month. The trade-deadline addition of Jean-Gabriel Pageau was supposed to reinvigorate this season, but instead, they’ve just continued their lacklustre play. One of these two teams has to turn it around. It’s a toss-up but we’ll take Vancouver.
Prediction: Canucks win 3-2
Ottawa Senators vs Anaheim Ducks
Head-to-Head: Senators 0-1 Ducks
The last matchup featured a game with huge playoff implications. This contest, on the other hand, has no such chance at being viewed as meaningful. The Ottawa Senators and Anaheim Ducks are both (no offence) bottom feeders in their conference and are playing for the draft lottery at this point. A bad season went to worse for the Ducks when one of their lone bright spots, John Gibson, went down with an injury recently. Without him in net, the Ducks have nothing to be too excited about. The Senators similarly don’t have much going on, so who wins this game is anyone’s guess. We’ll give the Senators the win here.
Prediction: Senators win 4-2
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
