Welcome back to NHL Predictions, March 25th 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 first slate of NHL Predictions for March 25th, featuring the New York Rangers vs Philadelphia Flyers. Be sure to check out the other two slates of games today.
NHL Predictions: New York Rangers vs Philadelphia Flyers
New York Islanders vs Boston Bruins
Head-to-Head: Islanders 4 – 0 Bruins
The Boston Bruins have had tough luck as of late. Star winger David Pastrnak, along with Jake Debrusk, Sean Kuraly, David Krejci, and Craig Smith, are stuck in COVID protocol. Boston was already depleted on defence before the outbreak, with Jeremy Lauzon, Kevan Miller, John Moore, Brandon Carlo, and Jarred Tinordi all out with injuries. Additionally, starting goaltender Tuukka Rask has been dealing with an undisclosed injury.
Despite the continued absence of captain Anders Lee, who will undergo surgery to repair his ACL, the Islanders have a clear advantage. They’ve swept the head-to-head and enter tonight having won the last two games in their series against the Flyers. The Islanders should be able to take advantage of their momentum and Boston’s patchwork lineup to notch a decisive win.
Prediction: Islanders win, 4-1
New York Rangers vs Philadelphia Flyers
Head-to-Head: Rangers 2 – 2 Flyers
The last time these two teams met, the New York Rangers blew out the Philadelphia Flyers in a decisive 9-0 win. The Rangers scored seven goals in the second period alone, and Mika Zibanejad snapped his slump with a hat trick and three assists. This time around, the Flyers will be out for revenge. Expect more aggression and energy as Philadelphia does everything it can to avoid a repeat performance.
However, the Flyers have had mixed results since their last meeting with the Rangers. They eked out a win in the first game of their against the Islanders, then promptly dropped the next two. Their losing streak is now at three games after a loss to the Devils. On the other side, the Rangers’ most recent game was a 5-3 defeat of the still-floundering Buffalo Sabres. Star winger Artemi Panarin logged three assists, and defenceman Adam Fox also had three points (a goal and two assists). The Rangers have won their last two games.
[pickup_prop id=”3584″]
In tonight’s game, keep an eye on the Flyers’ defence. Philadelphia let in nine goals on 29 shots in the teams’ last meeting, and though neither Carter Hart nor Brian Elliott looked particularly strong, sloppy play on defence only exacerbated the problem. Against the Devils on Tuesday, the Flyers once again had too many defensive lapses for goaltending to negate. If this pattern continues, the Rangers’ offence will make the Flyers pay.
Prediction: Rangers win, 5-2
New Jersey Devils vs Washington Capitals
Head-to-Head: Devils 0 – 4 Capitals
Interestingly, the Washington Capitals have not played a game since Saturday’s 3-1 loss against the Rangers. The New Jersey Devils have played twice in that time, recording two wins against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers. Still, the Devils sit at seventh in the East Division, having won only half of their last 10 games. In contrast, the Capitals are solidly at the top of the division, having won eight of their last 10.
Although several of these two teams’ games have been one-goal affairs, the Capitals have swept the head-to-head. Washington’s long break allowed to practice and improve after Saturday’s defeat, so the Devils will likely find themselves facing a well-rested, better-prepared Capitals team. Although New Jersey was impressive in its wins this week, it would be difficult to bet against the Caps on this one.
Prediction: Capitals win, 4-3
Carolina Hurricanes vs Columbus Blue Jackets
Head-to-Head: Hurricanes 3 – 3 Blue Jackets
On paper, Carolina seems to have the advantage – they’re second in the Central Division and have won seven of their last 10 games. The Blue Jackets are fifth and have a more mediocre 5-3-2 record in their last 10. However, the two teams’ previous meetings have been extremely competitive; four of six were won by a one-goal margin.
On Monday night, Carolina took the game, evening out the head-to-head. Sebastian Aho and Jesper Fast both had two-point outings. Alex Nedeljkovic looked great, stopping 19 shots for the 3-0 shutout. But the Hurricanes have yet to win consecutive games against the Blue Jackets, including a loss after a similarly-dominant 7-3 victory in February. Tonight’s game will be close, as so many of these two teams’ meetings have been, but this time it will be the Blue Jackets coming away with the victory.
Prediction: Blue Jackets win 3-2
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
