NHL Predictions – Monday, November 25:
We have 11 games on tonight’s NHL schedule with a couple of marquee matchups, a system play that involves the Minnesota Wild, and it is in a game that they aren’t even playing, and Jim Montgomery returns to the St. Louis Blues, this time as their head coach. The Dallas Stars and Carolina Hurricanes get top billing from me in a game that features two teams that are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. Here are tonight’s NHL predictions.
Dallas Stars at Carolina Hurricanes (-135, 6.5)
7:00 p.m. ET
It should be a spirited affair tonight when the Dallas Stars visit Lenovo arena to take on the Carolina Hurricanes in a game that features two of the top four teams in the league based on points percentage. For the first time this season, Carolina has lost two in a row and already down number one goalie, Freddie Andersen, they are likely to be without goalie Pyotr Kochetkov who suffered an upper body injury in the late stages of overtime on Saturday and was forced to leave the game. His 10 wins to start the season are third best in the NHL. Carolina will turn the net over to Spencer Martin, who has one win in four games this season with a 3.21 GAA and a below-average .870 save percentage. There is no question Dallas has a clear advantage in goal with Jake Oettinger for tonight’s game.
It’s been back and forth when it comes to the history between these two teams. Dallas has won the last two meetings, the Canes the two prior and Dallas the two before Carolina’s two wins. Dallas has won six of their last eight games overall heading into tonight. The Stars have recently reunited their top line from a year ago of Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston.
NHL Predictions: Dallas Stars ML (+115) – 1 unit
Roope Hintz/Wyatt Johnston/Jason Robertson over ½ point parlay (+515) – ½ unit
Washington Capitals at Florida Panthers (-175, 6)
7:00 p.m. ET
The Washington Capitals are trying to adjust to life without Alexander Ovechkin. The Caps are (0-2) without the “Great 8” and scored just three goals combined in their two losses. Washington had been held to two goals or less three times in their 18 games prior to the Ovechkin injury. Now they head to Florida to play the Panthers, who have lost three straight and five of six. Washington could be the cure for what has been ailing Florida. The Panthers have won the last 10 meetings between these two teams (regular season and playoffs combined) and seven straight if you just include the regular season. Ten of the Panthers’ 12 wins this season have come in regulation/
There has been no stopping the Panthers’ Sam Reinhart, who has the league’s longest current point streak at 13 games (11 goals, 8 assists). His 16 goals on the season have him tied with Leon Draisaitl for tops in the NHL.
NHL Predictions: Florida Panthers in regulation (-120) – 1 unit
Sam Reinhart/Sasha Barkov each over ½ point parlay (+100) – 1 unit
Calgary Flames at Ottawa Senators (-160, 6)
7:30 p.m. ET
The Ottawa Senators, losers of five straight overall, will try and end a four-game homestand on a positive note. The Senators have been outscored 21-11 over the course of the losing streak but will look to get back in the win column tonight with the Calgary Flames coming to town. Ottawa has enjoyed success in the past against Calgary on home ice, winning five of the last six and seven of the last 10 meetings.
The Sens opened as a (-145) home favorite and the betting world is confident this is the night that Ottawa gets back to their winning ways. Despite both bets and dollars having a 50/50 split, according to our VSIN Betting Splits page, the Senators have been bet up to (-162).
The Calgary Flames have been going in the opposite direction of the Ottawa Senators. Calgary has won four straight, though two of the four wins have gone past regulation. In fact, five of their last nine games have gone to overtime or a shootout. The Flames are (3-2) in these games. For the season, only seven of the Flames’ 12 victories have been in regulation. Their plus one goal differential is the fewest amongst teams who have a winning percentage of .600 or better. The Toronto Maple Leafs are next up at (+12).
The Flames’ most recent win on Saturday, a 4-3 shootout victory over the Minnesota Wild, triggers one of my system plays. Teams this season coming off a win over Minnesota are 1-5 in their following game. Calgary is 2-6 this season as a road underdog.
NHL Prediction: Ottawa Senators ML (-162) – 1 unit
Nashville Predators at New Jersey Devils (-155, 6)
7:00 p.m. ET
The Nashville Predators are arguably coming off their most complete game of the season on Saturday night, downing the Winnipeg Jets, 4-1. It was the first time that Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos scored in the same game as members of the Preds. Tonight, Nashville gets one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams when they travel to New Jersey to face the Devils. Nashville has not won back-to-back games since winning three straight at the end of October. Nashville has owned the Devils over the years, winning 11 of the last 13 meetings.
New Jersey has been playing some of its best hockey of late, winning seven of their last nine games and beating some of the league’s best that include Florida twice, Washington and Carolina. Interesting to note that both losses the Devils have suffered were of the shutout variety, losing 1-0 to San Jose and 4-0 to Tampa. Five of the last 10 meetings between the two teams have gone past 60 minutes. The Devils opened as a (-155) home favorite but have moved in the direction of Nashville as New Jersey is dropped to a (-135) favorite.
NHL Predictions: Nashville Predators ML (+115) – 1 unit
Regulation Draw (+320) – ¼ unitA
Seattle Kraken (-150, 5.5) at Anaheim Ducks
10:00 p.m. ET
The Seattle Kraken are going to be experts on the State of California by the end of this week. This past Saturday, the Kraken were on the short end of a 2-1 loss to the LA Kings in Los Angeles, and their next four games are a set of back-to-back home and home contests with the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks. Tonight, in Anaheim, the Kraken will try to put the brakes on a five-game road losing streak, and there is no better place for them to do it than the Honda Center in Anaheim against a team that they have won seven straight against and four of five on the road. Seven of the eight wins over the Ducks have been in regulation.
Anaheim saw their three-game win streak come to an end on Friday night as they blew a 2-0 lead to Buffalo on home ice and lost 3-2 in overtime. The Ducks have lost five of their last seven on home ice, scoring two goals or less in each loss. The Kraken have given up two goals or less in six straight games.
NHL Predictions: Seattle Kraken in regulation (+115) – 1 unit
