{"id":64871,"date":"2019-12-31T09:00:22","date_gmt":"2019-12-31T14:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/?p=64871"},"modified":"2019-12-31T00:36:35","modified_gmt":"2019-12-31T05:36:35","slug":"nhl-predictions-december-31st-early-games-including-maple-leafs-wild","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2019\/12\/31\/nhl-predictions-december-31st-early-games-including-maple-leafs-wild\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL Predictions: December 31st Early Games — Including Toronto Maple Leafs vs Minnesota Wild"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome back to our NHL Predictions<\/a> series here at Last Word on Hockey. Each game day, we publish articles full of analysis and predictions for every game on the night’s schedule. Tonight has a hefty load in anticipation of tomorrow’s 2020 NHL Winter Classic, as 26 teams take the ice. In this article, we’ll cover the earlier games for the night, starting at 4 p.m. ET and earlier. In every piece, we also feature a game that should be must-watch hockey for the night — tonight’s example sees the Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a> visit the Twin Cities to take on the Minnesota Wild<\/a>. To see our predictions for the later games on the schedule tonight, check out our article\u00a0HERE<\/strong><\/em><\/span>.<\/p>\n

NHL Predictions<\/h2>\n

Boston Bruins vs. New Jersey Devils<\/h3>\n

Head-to-Head: Bruins 2-0 Devils<\/h4>\n

Boston Bruins<\/h5>\n

The Boston Bruins<\/a> this year have been, well, the Bruins everyone knows and loves. They’re sitting comfortably in first in the Atlantic Division, hosting a 24-7-9 record and 57 points. Their last game was a slim 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres<\/a>, where\u00a0David Pastrnak<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>recorded his team-leading 29th goal of the season and Jake Debrusk<\/a> <\/strong>netted two consecutive power-play goals. They continue to be strong offensively and defensively, though another significant injury has befallen them<\/a> in the form of defenceman Torey Krug<\/a><\/strong>. Their two previous matchups against the Devils have been near-perfect, outscoring them 8-1.<\/p>\n

You can’t talk about this team without mentioning both Pastrnak and noted pest\u00a0Brad Marchand<\/a><\/strong>, who are both tied for the team lead with 58 points in 40 games, stellar numbers for the two wingers. Both Tuukka Rask<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Jaroslav Halak<\/a> <\/strong>are posting great seasons for the Bruins in the net. Both goalies have posted save percentages north of .920 and goals-against averages below 2.40.<\/p>\n

New Jersey Devils<\/h5>\n

The New Jersey Devils<\/a> continue to be one of the league’s biggest disappointments this season, sitting in the last place in the Metropolitan Division with a 13-19-6 record, good enough for 32 points. After selling off star winger\u00a0Taylor Hall<\/a><\/strong>, they’ve been rumoured to be looking at moving other pieces<\/a>, most namely defenceman\u00a0Sami Vatanen<\/a><\/strong>. They’re coming off a 4-3 overtime victory in Ottawa the other night. That game included two power-play goals from Nico Hischier<\/a><\/strong> and\u00a0Nikita Gusev<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0Jack Hughes<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>also netted his first career overtime-winner. It always seems as though the defence goes cold when the offence gets hot, and vice versa. The Devils can’t seem to put it all together.<\/p>\n

Kyle Palmieri<\/a><\/strong>‘s taken the role of the best offensive player on this team, posting 27 points in 38 games. He and Blake Coleman<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>are the team’s only 10-goal scorers. Middling seasons from both\u00a0MacKenzie Blackwood<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Louis Domingue<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>in net haven’t helped, either. The Devils get a boost from their fans and a Bruins team not playing their best but expect them to not gain two points tonight.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Bruins win 4-3 in overtime.<\/em><\/p>\n

New York Islanders vs. Washington Capitals<\/h3>\n

Head-to-Head: Islanders 0-1 Capitals<\/h4>\n

New York Islanders<\/h5>\n

New York Islanders<\/a> fans have a reason to cheer again this year, as their club sits in third in the Metropolitan Division with 51 points and a 24-10-3 record. They got their first win Sunday night since a scary injury to beloved veteran Cal Clutterbuck<\/a><\/strong>, who’s out indefinitely after wrist surgery<\/a>. Three unanswered goals in the third period from Ryan Pulock<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Matt Martin<\/a><\/strong>, and\u00a0Tom Kuhnhackl<\/a> <\/strong>helped them defeat the Wild 3-1. While not known for their offence, the Islanders have been able to limit opponents’ chances very well this year.<\/p>\n

This season has seen young centrepiece\u00a0Mathew Barzal<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>continue to develop, as he’s got 16 goals and 33 points in 37 games to lead the team offensively.\u00a0Pulock\u00a0<\/strong>has been their best from the blueline. He’s logged 19 points, 47 hits, 70 blocked shots, and an average ice time of 21:51. Semyon Varlamov<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>is seeing a renaissance year in net, as he’s posted a well-deserved 13-3-3 record with a .920 save percentage.<\/p>\n

Washington Capitals<\/h5>\n

The Washington Capitals<\/a> come into this game salivating over the opportunity to extend their Metropolitan Division lead. They’re eight points ahead of the Islanders with 59 and have a 27-8-5 record. Their last game sparks concern, though, as they allowed six goals to the Carolina Hurricanes<\/a> Saturday night. However, the Capitals still generated plenty of scoring, as Nic Dowd<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Alex Ovechkin<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Evgeny Kuznetsov<\/a><\/strong>, and\u00a0Richard Panik<\/a><\/strong> all got on the board in a 6-4 loss. Their last game against the Islanders was a much tighter affair, a 2-1 win back on October 4th. To bolster their roster for another Stanley Cup run, the Capitals have recently worked themselves<\/a> into the\u00a0Ilya Kovalchuk<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>sweepstakes. His contract was terminated by the Los Angeles Kings<\/a> earlier this year.<\/p>\n

On a team loaded with offence upfront, John Carlson<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>has arguably been their best player at both ends of the ice. He leads the team with 50 points in 40 games (13-37-50), but he’s also logging 24:59 per game in addition to 32 hits and 68 blocked shots. Goalie\u00a0Braden Holtby<\/a><\/strong>‘s been solid enough, garnering 17 wins along with a .904 save percentage. While the Islanders can play solid hockey, the Capitals are a gifted squad with some anger behind them that should take over tonight’s matchup.<\/p>\n

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

Anaheim Ducks vs. Vegas Golden Knights<\/h3>\n

Head-to-Head: Ducks 1-1 Golden Knights<\/h4>\n

Anaheim Ducks<\/h5>\n

The Anaheim Ducks<\/a> are a team in a rebuild, and their record shows it. They sit in sixth place in the Pacific Division with 37 points and a sub-.500 16-18-5 record. One of those 16 wins came against the Vegas Golden Knights<\/a> last Friday, a 4-3 victory. Their other game against Vegas, back on October 27th, was a 5-2 loss. The team is coming off a one-goal overtime loss performance against the Philadelphia Flyers<\/a>, with\u00a0Erik Gudbranson<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>scoring 35 seconds in. Anaheim has been playing some decent defensive structure, but scoring has been the root cause of their struggles this year. After a successful decade<\/a>, the Ducks enter the 2020s looking to rise from the bottom.<\/p>\n

All-Star-bound forward\u00a0Jakob Silfverberg<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>leads them in scoring with 26 points in 38 games. On the back end,\u00a0Cam Fowler<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>has had a rebound season defensively while pitching in 20 points, too. Goalie\u00a0John Gibson<\/a><\/strong> has been okay but hasn’t performed up to his standards. Ryan Miller<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>has done well in a backup role.<\/p>\n

Vegas Golden Knights<\/h5>\n

Vegas is getting their groove back in a weaker Pacific Division, now sitting in first place with 48 points and a 21-15-6 record. They’re coming off a strong 4-1 win over the rival Arizona Coyotes<\/a>;\u00a0Mark Stone<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>netted two goals while\u00a0Chandler Stephenson<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Paul Stastny<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>chipped in as well. Stephenson has been a pleasant surprise for the team, posting seven points in 13 games since his trade from Washington<\/a>. Vegas has been a rather average hockey team this year, but are finding ways to win games in a weaker division.<\/p>\n

Max Pacioretty<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>has answered critics by starting on one of his best offensive campaigns, posting 40 points in 42 games and is one of the team’s six 10-goal scorers so far.\u00a0Shea Theodore<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>has grown into quite the capable two-way defenceman as well, as the 24-year-old has 23 points to supplement solid defensive numbers.\u00a0Marc-Andre Fleury<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>has been average by his standards, posting 15 wins and a .912 save percentage in 25 starts. The Knights should exploit a young and thin Ducks offence and a tired team on their way to a satisfying victory.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Golden Knights win 4-0.<\/em><\/p>\n

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Minnesota Wild<\/h3>\n

Head-to-Head: Maple Leafs 1-0 Wild<\/h4>\n

This is the Last Word on Hockey Featured Game for tonight’s earlier games.<\/em><\/p>\n

Toronto Maple Leafs<\/h5>\n

Maple Leaf fans have to be feeling much more comfortable now. Their team has rocketed to second place in the Atlantic Division under coach Sheldon Keefe<\/a><\/strong>. They boast a 21-14-5 record, giving them 47 points. However, they’ve been mangled with injuries lately, and their last game was a disappointing 5-4 overtime loss to the New York Rangers<\/a> in which\u00a0Auston Matthews<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>netted two and William Nylander<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and Pierre Engvall<\/a><\/strong> also scored. As they look towards the Wild tonight, they look to repeat the success they had back on October 15th with a 4-2 win. The Leafs have their offence figured out and their defence very much not, which works in their favour against an offensively average Minnesota team.<\/p>\n

Matthews has been a star offensively, posting a whopping 46 points in 40 games. He’s the team’s only 20-goal scorer with 26. Defenceman Morgan Rielly<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>has had a disappointing year by Leafs fans’ standards. However, he has put up 25 points in 40 games and is logging 24:23 of ice time a night. Goalie Frederik Andersen<\/a> <\/strong>has been good this year, with 19 wins and a .914 save percentage in 31 starts.<\/p>\n

Minnesota Wild<\/h5>\n

The Wild have rebounded from a poor start to at least put themselves in the playoff conversation, as they sit in fifth place in the Central Division with a 19-16-5 record and 42 points. Their last outing was a low-event 3-1 loss to the Islanders, as\u00a0Ryan Donato<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>scored his eighth of the season. They’ll be in tough as\u00a0Jason Zucker<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>is out three to five more weeks after suffering a broken fibula<\/a>. Their average offence has kept them afloat, compensating for extremely poor goaltending despite solid defensive play.<\/p>\n

Veteran Eric Staal<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>is having another good year in a Wild uniform, posting 15 goals and 32 points in 40 games. On the defensive end of things,\u00a0Jonas Brodin<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>has been the best player in their end while also adding 17 points in 40 games. Neither\u00a0Alex Stalock<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>or\u00a0Devan Dubnyk<\/a><\/strong> have been good in net for the Wild, limiting the team’s potential. While Minnesota will challenge a banged-up Toronto team, expect the Maple Leafs to squeak away with two points tonight.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Maple Leafs win 6-5 in overtime.<\/em><\/p>\n

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Buffalo Sabres<\/h3>\n

Head-to-Head: Lightning 3-0 Sabres<\/h4>\n

Tampa Bay Lightning<\/h5>\n

The Tampa Bay Lightning<\/a> have had a worrisome start, placing fourth in the Atlantic Division with a 20-13-4 record and 44 points. Considering their torrid pace last year, that’s not much. They were almost upset by the Detroit Red Wings<\/a> Sunday night due to a great performance in goal but ended up with the 2-1 victory with goals from Ondrej Palat<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Brayden Point<\/a><\/strong>. Tampa has dominated the Buffalo Sabres<\/a> this season, winning their three games by a combined score of 13-7. They’re starting to put things together after a slow start, and getting two points against a divisional rival is crucial tonight.<\/p>\n

Leading Tampa Bay in points again is\u00a0Nikita Kucherov<\/a><\/strong> with 40. Their best defenceman has been\u00a0Victor Hedman<\/a><\/strong>, putting up 37 points in just 35 games while logging 22:53 a night. Goalie\u00a0Andrei Vasilevskiy<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>has regressed to league average this year, posting a 16-9-2 record with a .908 save percentage.<\/p>\n

Buffalo Sabres<\/h5>\n

The Sabres have followed the same trend as last year, just less of a regression: they’re now sixth in the Atlantic with a 17-16-7 record and 41 points after a great month of October. Their last outing was a close outing with the Bruins, losing 3-2 with goals from\u00a0Rasmus Ristolainen<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Curtis Lazar<\/a><\/strong>. A team that’s already pretty pedestrian offensively must move forward without\u00a0Jeff Skinner<\/a><\/strong>, as he’s out three to four weeks with an upper-body injury<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Jack Eichel<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>has turned into a great ‘consolation prize’ for the Sabres, and he leads the way with 24 goals and 52 points in 39 games.\u00a0Rasmus Dahlin<\/a><\/strong>‘s young career is off to a good start, too. The Sabres’ best defenceman has 21 points in 32 games. Linus Ullmark<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>has played well in a starters’ role, posting 11 wins with a .913 save percentage. Look for tonight to mirror their last outing as the Sabres drop a close one.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Lightning win 4-3 in overtime.<\/em><\/p>\n

Montreal Canadiens vs. Carolina Hurricanes<\/h3>\n

Head-to-Head: Canadiens 0-1 Hurricanes<\/h4>\n

Montreal Canadiens<\/h5>\n

The Montreal Canadiens<\/a> are in the thick of the Atlantic Division playoff race, placing fifth with 42 points and an 18-15-6 record. Their last outing was a tough-to-swallow 6-5 loss to the Florida Panthers<\/a>. Tomas Tatar<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Jeff Petry<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Max Domi<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Jesperi Kotkaniemi<\/a><\/strong>, and\u00a0Shea Weber<\/a><\/strong> all scored in defeat. Their\u00a0injury woes continue, as Joel Armia<\/a> <\/strong>and Paul Byron<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>are out of the lineup again<\/a>. The team’s been solid offensively, but defensively play has become a glaring issue for this hockey club.<\/p>\n

Tomas Tatar<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>continually proves to be an adequate replacement for their former captain, as he’s got 35 points in 39 games to lead the team. Defenceman\u00a0Shea Weber<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>continues one of the more unexpected seasons of his career with 12 goals and 31 points while logging north of 24 minutes of ice time a night. Carey Price<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>has put up mediocre numbers. However, he’s performed well in spite of the constant amount of quality chances this team gives up. He’s started a whopping 32 of their 39 games.<\/p>\n

Carolina Hurricanes<\/h4>\n

Carolina sits in fifth in a very tight Metropolitan Division race with a 23-14-2 record and 48 points. Their last game, an aforementioned 6-4 win over Washington, saw goals from\u00a0Lucas Wallmark<\/a><\/strong>, Dougie Hamilton<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Martin Necas<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Andrei Svechnikov<\/a><\/strong>, and two goals from\u00a0Warren Foegele<\/a><\/strong>. While the team excels both offensively and defensively, they’ve been looking into dealing away free-agent acquisition<\/a> Jake Gardiner<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>for some scoring help.<\/p>\n

Andrei Svechnikov<\/strong> couldn’t be having a better sophomore campaign, as he’s netted 17 goals and 38 points in 39 games to be the team’s leading scorer.\u00a0Dougie Hamilton\u00a0<\/strong>is also having a great season on defence, posting up 13 goals and 36 points and arguably being the team’s best all-around player. Starter\u00a0Petr Mrazek<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>has maintained average play this year, garnering 15 wins with a .900 save percentage. Carolina’s stellar play on both sides of the puck should rip apart a defensively weak Canadiens team tonight.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Hurricanes win 5-1.<\/em><\/p>\n

Florida Panthers vs. Columbus Blue Jackets<\/h3>\n

Head-to-Head: Panthers 1-0 Blue Jackets<\/h4>\n

Florida Panthers<\/h5>\n

The Panthers currently sit in playoff position, stacking up as the third-place team in the Atlantic with 45 points and a 20-13-5 record. Their 6-5 win over Montreal saw plenty of goal scorers:\u00a0Noel Acciari<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Aleksander Barkov<\/a><\/strong> twice,\u00a0Jonathan Huberdeau<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>twice, and Mike Matheson<\/a><\/strong>. Florida’s previous victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets<\/a> was a 4-1 win back on December 7th.\u00a0This is goalie\u00a0Sergei Bobrovsky<\/a><\/strong>‘s first game back in Columbus, just as he’s starting to turn around his play<\/a> for the Panthers. Florida’s success has come on the back of a strong offensive attack, but their poor defensive structure and goaltending them have kept them from being elite.<\/p>\n

Huby-dooby-doo, Panthers fans:\u00a0Jonathan Huberdeau<\/strong> still leads the team with 53 points in 38 games, enjoying the best season of his career.\u00a0Keith Yandle<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>is still chugging along at 33 years old on the team’s back end, tallying 4 goals and 30 points in 38 games. Goaltending is where it gets tricky — the Panthers’ poor defence makes Bobrovsky’s numbers look worse than his play, but he still hasn’t been stellar with 14 wins and a .898 save percentage.<\/p>\n

Columbus Blue Jackets<\/h5>\n

The Blue Jackets are starting to look alive again, as they now sit above .500 and 6th in the Metro Division with a 17-14-8 record and 42 points. Their last game, a controversial 3-2 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks<\/a>, saw\u00a0Riley Nash<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Pierre-Luc Dubois<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>score. They’ll continue without their starter for a while, as goalie\u00a0Joonas Korpisalo<\/a> <\/strong>was injured in last night’s shootout<\/a>.\u00a0Columbus’ lack of an offensive force has held them back, but they’ve been among the league’s better defensive teams.<\/p>\n

The young Dubois is Columbus’ best scorer with 27 points.\u00a0Seth Jones<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>has tallied 22 points in 39 games as the team’s number one defenceman. Korpisalo had been playing great hockey before his injury, tallying 17 wins with a .913 save percentage. Expect Columbus’s solid defence and anger over last night’s events to lead to a strong win over Florida.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Blue Jackets win 4-0.<\/em><\/p>\n

Thank you for reading this lengthy edition of NHL Predictions, and Last Word on Hockey wishes you a happy and safe New Years’ Eve.<\/p>\n

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