Welcome back to NHL Predictions, March 10th edition! Each day, the Last Word On Hockey team will break down every game and give our NHL predictions for each game. This is the full slate of NHL Predictions for March 10th featuring the Montreal Canadiens vs Vancouver Canucks.
NHL Predictions Including Montreal Canadiens vs Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights vs Minnesota Wild
Head-to-Head: Golden Knights 2 – 1 Wild
The Golden Knights and the Wild will go at it for the fourth time in the last 10 days. Vegas (16-5-1) lead the West Division and had won six games in a row before losing 2-0 to Minnesota on Monday. They were without leading scorer Mark Stone and defenceman Alex Pietrangelo in the contest. Both injuries are still listed as undisclosed and they will be game-time decisions. Marc-Andre Fleury has been lights out for Vegas boasting a 12-4 record and a stunning 1.57 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage.
Not to be outdone, the Wild have a Vezina trophy candidate of their own emerging. Kaapo Kahkonen is 10-4 with a 2.13 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. He has also won his last seven starts allowing just 10 goals over that span. Calder Trophy leading rookie Kirill Kaprizov continues to impress and awe, leading Minnesota with 19 points in 23 games. They just might be catching the gold helmets at the right time with their key injuries.
Prediction: 3-1 Wild win
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Ottawa Senators vs Edmonton Oilers
Head-to-Head: Senators 0 – 5 Oilers
Expect the red light to get some work in this one. Edmonton is second in the NHL in goals scored (83), while Ottawa is dead last in goals allowed (108). The Oilers (16-11) have climbed into second place in the great white North Division going 7-3 in their last 10 games. The out-of-this-world tandem of Connor McDavid (15 goals, 30 assists) and Leon Draisaitl (11 goals, 26 assists) has been dominant again this season. Perhaps just too much firepower for a young, rebuilding team like Ottawa to handle.
The Senators have yet to beat the Oilers in five tries this year. They have kept it close vs Edmonton recently though losing by a score of 3-2 the last two games, including Monday night. Goaltending has been a major issue in the Nation’s Capital. Ottawa will play with a lot of heart in this one. No team wants to lose six in a row to the same foe. But will it be enough?
Prediction: 5-3 Oilers win
Arizona Coyotes vs Colorado Avalanche
Head-to-Head: Coyotes 1 – 2 Avalanche
The wild wild West Division remains just that with just three points separating third and sixth place. Colorado (13-8-2) who had been early Stanley Cup favourites to start 2021 are in fourth, and a loss here would put them out of a playoff spot. A rash of injuries including stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar has the Avs struggling lately in the Mile High City. They have lost three of their last five and dropped a 3-2 decision two nights ago to Arizona.
The Coyotes (12-10-3) have impressed, finding a way to hang in a very tough division, sitting fifth just one point out of fourth. Much of the credit can be given to solid goaltending from Darcy Kuemper who has produced a solid 2.41 goals against and .914 save percentage for the desert dogs this season. The bad news is, Kuemper left Monday’s game with an injury (undisclosed). He was replaced by Antti Raanta who saved all 16 shots he faced in relief. The Avs dominated the game Monday outshooting the Yotes 35-14.
Prediction: 4-2 Avalanche win
Los Angeles Kings vs Anaheim Ducks
Head-to-Head: Kings 0 – 2 Ducks
The Los Angeles Kings (10-8-6) are the other team in that log jam in the West. They sit in sixth but are just two points shy of that magical fourth position. They haven’t been setting the world on fire recently losing five of their last six games. Still, each of these games has been decided by one goal with four going to overtime. Anze Kopitar is enjoying one of the best offensive seasons of his career with 30 points in 24 games. He also has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in the last five. He should be able to keep the ball rolling in this one.
Anaheim has won two games in a row for just the second time this year after beating the Kings 6-5 in overtime on Monday. A fairly remarkable output considering they rank 29th in the NHL in goals per game (2.31) and 28th in powerplay efficiency (13.33%). Don’t expect this one to be a barn burner like the last one.
Prediction: 3-2 Kings win
Montreal Canadiens vs Vancouver Canucks
Head-to-Head: Canadiens 4 – 2 Canucks
Things have fallen off the rails quickly for the bleu, blanc et rouge, winners of just two in the last nine. They have plummeted to fourth in the North Division and are in real danger of missing the playoffs if they can’t stop the bleeding. Statistically, all seems well as they are sixth in goals for per game (3.29) and 11th in goals against per game (2.71). They just can’t find ways to win lately. Carey Price is having a very underwhelming season by his standards with 2.69 goals against and .903 save percentage. Defenceman Jeff Petry surprisingly leads the team in scoring with 23 points. The firing of head coach Claude Julien in late February has done nothing to stop the spiral.
The Canucks are desperately trying to turn their season around. After going 2-9-2 in the month of February, they have bounced back in March. They have won four of their last five games, including back-to-back wins against the division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs. They are playing with a higher level of confidence and stole the game from Montreal with a late goal by Bo Horvat and shootout win on Monday. Thatcher Demko has been on fire between the pipes lately as well. He was won his last four starts allowing just four goals in the wins. Vancouver will likely be without Elias Pettersson again in this contest (upper body).
Prediction: 3-2 Canadiens win
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