{"id":63409,"date":"2019-12-10T09:00:30","date_gmt":"2019-12-10T14:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/?p=63409"},"modified":"2019-12-09T23:02:43","modified_gmt":"2019-12-10T04:02:43","slug":"nhl-predictions-december-10th-early-games-including-montreal-canadiens-pittsburgh-penguins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2019\/12\/10\/nhl-predictions-december-10th-early-games-including-montreal-canadiens-pittsburgh-penguins\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL Predictions: December 10th Early Games – Including Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome back to the Last Word on Hockey team’s daily NHL Predictions<\/a> series. Every morning, we publish articles breaking down and predicting every game on the NHL schedule. This article will cover the early-start games for the night, but you can find the later games right here. Tonight’s featured matchup sees the Montreal Canadiens<\/a> take on the Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> in their first meeting of the season.<\/p>\n

NHL Predictions<\/h2>\n

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers<\/h3>\n

Head-to-Head: Lightning 1-1 Panthers<\/h4>\n

Tampa Bay Lightning<\/h5>\n

The Tampa Bay Lightning<\/a> have split their season series with the Florida Panthers<\/a> so far. They trounced the Panthers 5-2 at home back on October 3rd but dropped a decision in Sunrise two days later, 4-3. The Lightning offence has been ‘En Fuego,’ maintaining a pace of 3.74 goals per game (GF\/GP), good enough for first in the league. Their defence has been troubling, though, ranking at only 23rd with 3.22 goals allowed per game (GA\/GP). Their special teams have been good — their power play follows in the steps of their even-strength offence, second at a 30 percent success rate. The Lightning penalty kill is average, however, 18th in the league at 79.3 percent.<\/p>\n

Winger Nikita Kucherov<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>leads the team in scoring with 31 points, and he’s tied for the team lead in goals with 10 with\u00a0Brayden Point<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0Andrei Vasilevskiy<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>has played poorly by his standards, posting an 11-8-1 record supplemented by a .907 save percentage and 2.91 goals-against average (GAA).<\/p>\n

Florida Panthers<\/h5>\n

Florida is feeling good after a masterful 5-1 win over the San Jose Sharks<\/a> Sunday, and are only missing\u00a0Jayce Hawryluk<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>from the lineup. He should be returning very soon, however. This should be a high-powered game as the Panthers have a stellar offence as well, fourth in the league with 3.52 GF\/GP. Similar to the Lightning, their defence is much worse, 27th in the league at 3.31 GA\/GP. However, both the Panthers’ special teams have been very good. Their power play ranks sixth with a 24.2 percent success rate, and their penalty kill ranks fourth with an 84.7 percent success rate.<\/p>\n

Jonathan Huberdeau<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Aleksander Barkov<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>are tied for the team lead in points with 36, and free-agent acquisition and former Lightning Brett Connolly<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>leads the team in goals with 14. The two Florida teams will have a high-energy, high-powered matchup, but the Lightning will take advantage in the end and eke out a win.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Lightning win 5-4.<\/p>\n

Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins<\/h3>\n

Head-to-Head: Canadiens 0-0 Penguins<\/h4>\n

This is tonight’s featured matchup for our early games. You can find the late-game slate here.<\/em><\/p>\n

Montreal Canadiens<\/h5>\n

The Habs are coming off a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers<\/a> back on Friday. They got goals from\u00a0Brendan Gallagher<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Nate Thompson<\/a><\/strong>, and\u00a0Carey Price<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>played a near-perfect game. They’re pretty banged up right now, and they’ll be without\u00a0Paul Byron<\/a><\/strong>, Jonathan Drouin<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Victor Mete<\/a><\/strong>, and possibly\u00a0Jesperi Kotkaniemi<\/a><\/strong> for tonight’s game. Their offence has been good but not great, netting 3.17 GF\/GP (11th in the league), while their defence has been among the league’s worst (3.37 GA\/GP, 28th in the league). Their penalty kill has been equally as bad, also 28th at a 75.5 percent success rate, but their power play has been slightly better, 16th in the league at 19 percent.<\/p>\n

They’re led in scoring by\u00a0Tomas Tatar<\/a><\/strong>, who’s got 25 points in 30 games. Gallagher\u00a0<\/strong>leads them in goals with 13. Price has started to see an uptick in his game after a rough stretch, bringing him to a 12-9-3 record with a .902 save percentage and 3.04 GAA.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh Penguins<\/h5>\n

Pittsburgh defeated the Detroit Red Wings<\/a> 5-3 on Saturday, getting goals from\u00a0Jake Guentzel<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Chad Ruhwedel<\/a><\/strong>, Evgeni Malkin<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Dominik Kahun<\/a><\/strong>, and\u00a0John Marino<\/a><\/strong>. The injury list is comparatively large at the moment, as Nick Bjugstad<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Sidney Crosby<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Brian Dumoulin<\/a><\/strong>, and\u00a0Patric Hornqvist<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>are out of the lineup. Their offence has found a way to still be great, sixth in the league with 3.40 GF\/GP. Their defence has been remarkably solid as well, eighth with 2.70 GA\/GP. This is all despite an uncharacteristically poor power play, 23rd in the league with a 16.1 percent success rate. Penalty killing has been ‘meh,’ 13th in the league with an 81.9 percent kill rate.<\/p>\n

Guentzel has taken advantage of all the injuries to lead the team in scoring with 31 points. He’s also the team’s only double-digit scorer with 16 goals. Starter\u00a0Matt Murray<\/a><\/strong> has had some pretty rough outings, posting a 10-5-4 record but only a .897 save percentage and 2.85 GAA. However, Pittsburgh’s deep offence will take advantage of a banged-up Habs team and get a win at home.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Penguins win 3-1.<\/p>\n

St. Louis Blues vs. Buffalo Sabres<\/h3>\n

Head-to-Head: Blues 0-0 Sabres<\/h4>\n

St. Louis Blues<\/h5>\n

The St. Louis Blues<\/a> are trying to redeem themselves after a 5-2 beatdown at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a> on Saturday.\u00a0Ivan Barbashev<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0David Perron<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>got their goals. St. Louis is as injured as anyone, as they’re missing\u00a0Sammy Blais<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Alex Steen<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Oskar Sundqvist<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Vladimir Tarasenko<\/a><\/strong>, and possibly\u00a0Zach Sanford<\/a><\/strong>. The Blues have been in the middle of the pack offensively, 16th with 2.97 GF\/GP. They’ve been among the best defensively, however, fifth with 2.58 GA\/GP. Their power play is good, seventh at a 22.7 percent conversion rate. Penalty killing has been solid, too, 11th with an 83.1 percent success rate.<\/p>\n

The veteran Perron\u00a0<\/strong>leads the team in scoring with 29 points, and\u00a0Brayden Schenn<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>leads them in goals with 14. Starter\u00a0Jordan Binnington<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>has been good this season, posting a 13-6-4 record with a .921 save percentage and 2.45 GAA.<\/p>\n

Buffalo Sabres<\/h5>\n

The Buffalo Sabres<\/a> won their last game against the Edmonton Oilers<\/a> in overtime 3-2 on Sunday. They got goals from Kyle Okposo<\/a><\/strong>, Johan Larsson<\/a><\/strong>, and Colin Miller<\/a><\/strong>. They enter tonight\u2019s match with an injury list that includes Rasmus Dahlin<\/a><\/strong>, Vladimir Sobotka<\/a><\/strong>, and Tage Thompson<\/a><\/strong>. The Sabres are 14th in goals per game with 3.06 and 18th in goals against per game with 3.03. Concerningly, their power play is 20th in the league at 17.8 percent. Their penalty kill is even worse, as they\u2019re 30th in the league with a 73.4 percent success rate.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re led in scoring by Jack Eichel<\/a><\/strong>, as he\u2019s got 18 goals and 42 points in just 31 games. He also leads the team in goals. Linus Ullmark<\/a> <\/strong>has seemingly taken over the starters’ crease, tallying an 8-6-2 record with a 2.88 GAA and a .914 save percentage. Buffalo has strung some wins together lately and will get another one as the Blues enter a skid.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Sabres win 4-3.<\/p>\n

San Jose Sharks vs. Nashville Predators<\/h3>\n

Head-to-Head: Sharks 0-0 Predators<\/h4>\n

San Jose Sharks<\/h5>\n

San Jose has had some poor games recently, especially their 5-1 loss to the Panthers. The lone goal was from Kevin Labanc<\/a><\/strong>. They\u2019re 22nd in goals per game with 2.69, and 29th in goals against per game with 3.44. San Jose\u2019s power play is sitting at 22nd in the league at a 16.7 percent rate of success, yet their penalty kill is first in the league at 88.5 percent.<\/p>\n

Captain Logan Couture<\/a> <\/strong>continues his strong play as he leads the Sharks in points with 29, but Evander Kane<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>has the most goals on the team with 13 in 29 games. Martin Jones<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>has continued his poor regular season performance from last year, posting up a 12-11-1 record combined with a 3.28 GAA and .889 save percentage.<\/p>\n

Nashville Predators<\/h5>\n

The Nashville Predators<\/a> beat the New Jersey Devils<\/a> 6-4 in their last outing, getting goals from Daniel Carr<\/a><\/strong>, Dante Fabbro<\/a><\/strong>, Yakov Trenin<\/a><\/strong>, Filip Forsberg<\/a><\/strong>, Nick Bonino<\/a><\/strong>, and Rocco Grimaldi<\/a><\/strong>. They have the league\u2019s seventh-ranked offence, putting up 3.36 goals per game, and they\u2019re 22nd in defence, allowing 3.21 goals per game. Nashville\u2019s power play is 25th with a 15.5 percent success rate, and their penalty kill is 27th at 75.8 percent.<\/p>\n

They’re led in scoring by defenceman\u00a0Roman Josi<\/a> <\/strong>with 25 points, and Forsberg\u00a0<\/strong>and Bonino share the team lead in goals with 11. Starter\u00a0Pekka Rinne<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>has been concerningly average, posting a 10-4-3 record with a .897 save percentage and 2.92 GAA. Given San Jose\u2019s lack of offence and poor goaltending, expect Nashville\u2019s strong offence to overpower them as the Sharks drop another game on the road.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Predators win 3-0.<\/p>\n

Anaheim Ducks vs. Minnesota Wild<\/h3>\n

Head-to-Head: Ducks 0-0 Wild<\/h4>\n

Anaheim Ducks<\/h5>\n

The Anaheim Ducks<\/a> lost their last outing against the Winnipeg Jets<\/a>, 3-2. They have been an iffy bet in NHL Predictions. Jakob Silfverberg<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>scored his 11th goal of the season and Devin Shore<\/a> <\/strong>added his first. Anaheim’s offence is ranked 24th with 2.63 goals per game. Their defence is 15th in the league allowing 2.97 goals per game.\u00a0<\/strong>Their power play success is low, 30th in the league with a 10.5 percent rate, and their penalty kill is 24th at 76.8 percent.<\/p>\n

Ryan Getzlaf<\/a> <\/strong>leads the team in points with 24. Silfverberg\u00a0<\/strong>leads them in goals. John Gibson<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>has an 8-12-2 record with a 2.87 GAA and .909 save percentage.<\/p>\n

Minnesota Wild<\/h5>\n

The Minnesota Wild<\/a> got creamed 6-2 by the Carolina Hurricanes<\/a> in their last matchup. They\u2019re 17th in the league in terms of goals per game with 2.97. Their defence is 25th allowing 3.27 goals per game. Minnesota\u2019s power play ranks near the middle at 13th, tallying a 19.2 percent success rate. Their penalty kill is 21st (78.6 percent).<\/p>\n

Their offence is spearheaded by Jason Zucker<\/a> <\/strong>and Eric Staal<\/a><\/strong>, who each have 21 points in 30 games.\u00a0Zach Parise<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>leads them in goals with 12. Alex Stalock<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>has been the better of their goalies, posting an 8-4-2 record, .906 save percentage and 2.91 GAA. Minnesota has been playing better lately and will snap up another win at home against the Ducks.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Wild win 4-1.<\/p>\n

Detroit Red Wings vs. Winnipeg Jets<\/h3>\n

Head-to-Head: Red Wings 0-0 Jets<\/h4>\n

Detroit Red Wings<\/h5>\n

Detroit comes into tonight after a 5-3 loss to the Penguins on Saturday. Including that, the Red Wings have lost their past ten games, a reflection of their poor play this season. Detroit is struggling both offensively and defensively, with just 2.13 goals per game (last in the league) and 3.97 goals against per game (last in the league). Their power play, at a 15.5 percent conversion rate, is 26th, however. They also boast a last-place penalty kill, running at 72.2 percent.<\/p>\n

Tyler Bertuzzi<\/a> <\/strong>sits as the team\u2019s leading scorer with 25 points (10-15-25) in 31 games. Anthony Mantha<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>leads them in goals with 12. Starter\u00a0Jonathan Bernier<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>has a 5-9-2 record, .888 save percentage, and 3.41 GAA.<\/p>\n

Winnipeg Jets<\/h5>\n

Winnipeg is celebrating a 3-2 win against the Ducks Sunday afternoon. Their scoring is pretty average, netting 2.83 GF\/GP, 18th in the league. They\u2019re much better defensively, however, seventh in the league at 2.70 GA\/GP. They have a poor power play, however, 27th in the league at 15.4 percent. Their penalty kill is a significant issue too, as their 76.4 kill rate puts them at 26th in the league.<\/p>\n

Mark Scheifele<\/a><\/strong> is leading the way offensively with 29 points (13-16-29) in 30 games. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>has been Vezina-worthy, with a 15-7-2 record and .934 save percentage. The Jets will get an easy one tonight against a terrible, terrible team from Detroit.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Jets win 3-0.<\/p>\n

Main Photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>