Welcome back to another day of NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey takes a look at the games that are happening and gives our predictions for each one, breaking down head-to-head and other factors that may play in. We also have a featured game of the day, which is considered must-watch TV. Today’s featured game is the Winnipeg Jets vs St Louis Blues.
NHL Predictions With Winnipeg Jets vs St Louis Blues
Anaheim Ducks vs Ottawa Senators
Head-to-Head: Ducks 1 – 0 Senators
Last time the Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators met, the Ducks shut out the Senators for a 4-0 win. But though Anaheim is close to leading the Pacific and Ottawa remains near the basement of the Atlantic, their results as of late make this meeting harder to predict. On the Ducks’ end, recent wins have been close. In their last game, they edged out the Montreal Canadiens by just a single goal. Troy Terry logged three points, a goal and two assists. Conversely, the Senators have competed well against better teams. Games against the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes went past regulation. With their goaltending on the upswing, Ottawa might just be able to pull off a win.
Prediction: Senators win, 4-3
Los Angeles Kings vs Philadelphia Flyers
Head-to-Head: Kings 1 – 0 Flyers
Three weeks after the Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers first faced off, Philadelphia holds a 13-game losing streak, while Los Angeles sits in the Pacific Division’s third spot. For the Flyers, goaltender Carter Hart has been relatively solid behind a shaky defence, but the team’s offensive struggles have essentially negated his efforts. For the Kings, while consecutive wins have been hard to come by in recent weeks, this game is a prime chance to find some consistency. Trevor Moore has an assist in each of his last three games, and Adrian Kempe has four points through his last five. Expect the Kings to gain a fairly decisive victory today.
Prediction: Kings win, 3-1
[pickup_prop id=”9783″]
Seattle Kraken vs New York Islanders
Head-to-Head: Kraken 0 – 0 Islanders
Though the Seattle Kraken’s record isn’t good on paper, several of their recent wins have come against intimidating opponents. Their last game was a 2-1 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, with Adam Larsson scoring the game-winning goal. Look back two games further and it was the Florida Panthers who fell to the Kraken. Conversely, the Islanders have yet to rebound to the point of overcoming the league’s top teams, but have done well against opponents with worse records (like Seattle). Mathew Barzal and Josh Bailey have five points each in their last five games. Nevertheless, the Kraken’s impressive upsets make it likely that they’ll find a way to win against the Islanders.
Prediction: Kraken win, 2-1
Winnipeg Jets vs St Louis Blues
*FEATURED GAME
Head-to-Head: Jets 1 – 1 Blues
The Winnipeg Jets enter this contest on a six-game losing streak, second only to that of the Flyers. The St. Louis Blues, on the other hand, have won seven of their last 10. Brandon Saad‘s assist and two goals helped lift the Blues past the Calgary Flames in their most recent game. Vladimir Tarasenko has continued to produce at a point-per-game clip. And second-year goaltender Ville Husso has also been a standout. He has six wins, a shutout, and an average .963 save percentage in his last eight starts.
For the Jets, scoring has been a struggle. They haven’t recorded more than three goals since nearly four weeks ago, in a 5-4 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Nevertheless, having Blake Wheeler back from a knee injury has provided Winnipeg’s offence with a much-needed boost; he has a goal and two assists in the four games since his return. Connor Hellebuyck has had a rough last couple of games, and will need to bounce back to give the Jets a chance in this one.
Overall, the Blues have a significant advantage over the Jets. They should walk away with the win.
Prediction: Blues win, 5-2
[pickup_prop id=”19121″]
San Jose Sharks vs Florida Panthers
Head-to-Head: Sharks 0 – 0 Panthers
The Florida Panthers remain at the top of the Atlantic Division standings, while the San Jose Sharks are battling the Calgary Flames for fourth in the Pacific. Fortunately for Florida, the goaltenders – Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight – both played well in the team’s last two games. Continued success for the tandem, along with players like Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau maintaining their scoring paces, will be key for a win tonight. For San Jose, Timo Meier has eight points through his last five games (with five coming from his five-goal game against the Los Angeles Kings). The Sharks won’t be defeated easily, but the Panthers just seem too good to be stopped.
Prediction: Panthers win, 4-2
Main Photo:
