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 Toronto Maple Leafs vs Los Angeles Kings.
NHL Predictions: Toronto Maple Leafs vs Los Angeles Kings
Montreal Canadiens vs St Louis Blues
Head-to-Head: Canadiens 0-0 Blues
Starting this set of NHL predictions, let’s talk about Blues vs Canadiens. The St. Louis Blues started the season off strong, but fell off and are now on a three-game losing streak. The Blues top producers have been forwards Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko and defenceman Justin Faulk. All are sitting at a point-per-game or above. Jordan Binnington has been solid thus far. He has only allowed seven goals in four games and has already recorded one shutout. He has a 1.74 goals-against average and a save percentage of .936%.
Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki are leading the Montreal Canadiens in points. However, it doesn’t seem as though they have found a permanent linemate in the first couple of weeks of the season. Offseason addition, Sean Monahan, is getting comfortable with his new team and has recorded five points in eight games. However, goaltender Jake Allen has gotten off to a shaky start at 2-3. He has a goals-against average of 2.62 and a save percentage of .917%.
Prediction: Blues win 3-2
Carolina Hurricanes vs Philadelphia Flyers
Head-to-Head: Hurricanes 0-0 Flyers
The Carolina Hurricanes are at the top of the power rankings across the league. However, they are third in the Metropolitan Division, behind their first-place opponents, the Philadelphia Flyers. This division game will be a good one, as both teams are playing well. For the Hurricanes, Andrei Svechnikov is off to a phenomenal start. Recording seven goals and nine points in seven games played. This includes a hat trick against the Edmonton Oilers. If Carolina can get some consistent goaltending out of their goalies, they should be a strong playoff team.
The Flyers are off to a surprising start at 5-2. They have a subtle star emerging early in the season in Kevin Hayes. While he has only scored one goal, he has recorded ten points in their first seven games. His career high is 49 points, so if he continues at this pace, he will beat his personal best. But the real story in Philadelphia is the goaltending by Carter Hart. He has secured all five of the Flyers wins. He sits at a 2.00 goals-against average and has a .947% save percentage.
Prediction: Flyers win 4-2
Chicago Blackhawks vs Buffalo Sabres
Head-to-Head: Blackhawks 0-0 Sabres
The Chicago Blackhawks and the Buffalo Sabres seasons mirror each other in these first seven games. Both teams are 4-3 and are in fourth place in their divisions. Both teams have scored 25 goals in total. Although, the Blackhawks allowed 23 goals while the Sabres only allowed 19. It’s no surprise to anyone that Patrick Kane is leading Chicago in points with eight points.
In 50 games last season, Alex Tuch only scored 12 goals. However, this season in seven games, he has already scored six goals. It seems he is stepping up in a way Buffalo needed him to. Although, 22-year-old Rasmus Dahlin is leading the team in points with nine points. Dahlin is one of the more underrated defenceman in the league who is going to continue to build off this hot start.
Prediction: Sabres win 5-2
Minnesota Wild vs Detriot Red Wings
Head-to-Head: Wild 0-0 Red Wings
The Minnesota Wild are off to a surprising start, but not in a good way. They were a playoff team last year and were expected to be a contender this year. However, goaltending has been an issue for the Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury is 3-1-1 with a 3.88 goals-against average and a .879% save percentage. Despite issues on one end of the ice, two of the Wild players picked up where they left off last season. It is no secret that Mats Zuccarello and Kirill Kaprizov have an untouchable chemistry. The two of them have 21 points between them.
The Detriot Red Wings were also off to a bit of a surprising start. Nothing flashy as far as play and game results. However, they were the last team standing without a regulation loss until they were defeated by the New Jersey Devils. Dominik Kubalik is off to a hot start, already scoring a third of what he did in 78 games last season.
Prediction: Wild win 6-5
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Los Angeles Kings
Head-to-Head: Maple Leafs 0-0 Kings
And to wrap up our NHL predictions for today, the Leafs and Kings face each other in a highlight game for the night. The Toronto Maple Leafs have been off to a peculiar start. Goaltender Matt Murray was put on the injured reserve list for the seventh time in five years. This required Ilya Samsonov to step up in a big way and he has. The young goaltender is 4-1 with a 2.01 goals-against average and a save percentage of .932%. However, the strange start is mostly contributed to the low-scoring games. In eight games, the team has only totaled 21 goals.
Ted Lindsay Award winner and the 2021-2022 leading goal scorer, Auston Matthews, has only recorded two goals in eight games. He had a similar start to last season when he scored 60 goals, so it may not be much to read into. William Nylander currently leads the team in goals at four, while John Tavares leads the team in points at nine.
The Los Angeles Kings have played one more game than the Maple Leafs and sit at a 4-5 record. The Kings only have one point-per-game player and that is Gabriel Vilardi. He has recorded six goals and ten points. Right behind him in goals are Adrian Kempe and Phillip Danault. Combined the Kings have scored 32 goals. The Kings were expected to be a solid team, but goaltending is proving to be a problem early on.
Jonathan Quick, who has been with the Kings since 2007, is having a rough start. He currently holds a 2-4 record with a 3.81 goals-against average and a .878% save percentage. Their backup goalie, Cal Petersen, holds half of the wins for the team. However, his numbers are nothing to write home about. Petersen has a 4.97 goals-against average and a save percentage of .842%. It’s still early in the season, but if things continue, the Kings are going to have to make some moves or hope for a miracle in the goaltending department. And for our last NHL prediction of the day, Toronto will take the win tonight.
Prediction: Maple Leafs win 5-3
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