NHL Predictions – Sunday, October 20:
Let’s look at Sunday’s NHL predictions:
After 13 games on Saturday, the NHL is giving teams some time to recoup. Sunday features just three games, and Monday, we get only the battle of Atlantic Division rivals as the Lightning continue their journey through the province of Ontario, looking to rebound from a 5-4 setback to the Senators when they face the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In Saturday’s column I highlighted the fact that I will be looking to isolate games with the best chance to go to overtime. Yesterday marked the 11th consecutive day that we had at least one NHL game go past regulation time. On Saturday, five of the 13 games went to overtime. My play for the Wild and Blue Jackets to go to overtime was not one of the five to play “free hockey.”
In today’s three games, all six teams have had at least one game that needed overtime or a shootout to decide the outcome. The Anaheim Ducks have played back-to-back overtime games. The Jets, Sharks and Kings all have played two overtime games, and the Avalanche just came off their first overtime game of the season, knocking off the Ducks for their only win of the season.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Winnipeg Jets (-160,6)
3:00 p.m. ET
The Winnipeg Jets enter play on Sunday as the only team remaining without a loss. The Jets have won all four of their games, outscoring the opposition 18-5. Winnipeg’s success can be attributed to a balanced attack, with 11 different players scoring at least one goal and 16 different players with at least one point. The numbers look very good, but the Jets’ wins have come over the Sharks, Minnesota and Chicago in overtime, and the Edmonton Oilers. Yes, they are 4-0, but I am still not buying the Jets. I still look back at their 2-1 overtime win versus the Blackhawks. They trailed that game for almost 59 minutes before eventually tying the game and winning in overtime. They won a second “coin flip” game (any game that goes to OT or shootout) against the Minnesota Wild.
Mark Scheifele leads the Jets in scoring with 7 points and has 19 points in 19 games versus the Penguins. Scheifele has also picked up a point in all four Jets games this season.
The Penguins are coming off a 4-1 home loss to Carolina on Friday. After scoring the opening goal of the game, Pittsburgh was thoroughly dominated by the Canes. I am expecting another season in Pittsburgh without making the playoffs, and their 3-3 record is indicative of what type of season it’s going to be in Steel City. That all being said, I like the Penguins chances to hand Winnipeg their first loss of the season. Pittsburgh has won five of the last seven meetings and four of the last 5 in Winnipeg.
Geno Malkin is off to one of his best starts to a season and is second in league scoring with 11 points. In his career, Malkin has put up 20 goals and 53 points in 40 games against the Jets. To no surprise, Sidney Crosby is averaging over a point a game versus Winnipeg with 18 goals and 60 points in 44 games.
NHL Predictions: Penguins ML (+140) – 1 unit
Parlay – Malkin Over ½ point/Crosby Over ½ point – 1 unit pays 1.14 units
Colorado Avalanche (-285, 6.5) at San Jose Sharks
8:00 p.m. ET
Colorado is coming off their first win of the season Friday night, a 4-3 OT victory over Anaheim on home ice. Sunday, the Avalanche visit the Shark Tank in San Jose where the Sharks are looking for their first win of the season (0-3-2). San Jose is coming off an 8-3 thumping at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets and now face an Avs team that they have lost nine consecutive games going back to November 2021.
The Sharks have been without 2024 number one draft pick, Macklin Celebrini, since opening night when he scored his first NHL goal and added an assist. Celebrini, was placed on injured reserve with a hip injury. His linemate, William Eklund, also missed Friday’s game with an upper-body injury and is day to day. Will Smith, the 4th overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft, was a healthy scratch on Friday, but the Sharks said that Smith will be sitting the second half of back-to-backs, so expect him to play today. Tyler Toffoli, who has goals in three straight games, leads the Sharks in scoring (4G, 2A) and has 13 goals and 23 points in 29 career games versus the Avalanche.
Colorado has not only won nine straight against the Sharks, but they have scored four or more goals in seven of the wins and five or more, five times. Colorado’s team total over 3.5 is available at (-160) or over 4.5 at (+135). With the Avalanche money line approaching (-300), currently at (-278) for the full game, the best option for Colorado to win the game would be to win in regulation at (-175).
NHL Predictions: Avalanche TT over 3.5 (-160) – 1 unit
Avalanche in regulation (-175) – 1 unit
MacKinnon anytime goal (-135) – ½ unit
Rantanen anytime goal (-110) – ½ unit
Los Angeles Kings (-185,6) at Anaheim Ducks
8:00 p.m. ET
It’s installment one of the freeway series between the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks. The Kings return to southern California after starting the season with seven games on the road. That doesn’t consider their final two pre-season games in Quebec City. LA was on the road for 17 days to start the season. While this doesn’t officially qualify as a “Malinsky Special” (first home game after 4 or 5 on the road), it has the same elements for me. The Kings returned to Los Angeles in the early morning hours on Friday and will now play their first game a short drive from their homes. I still have not forgotten when the Kings eliminated the Ducks from the playoffs in a game played in Anaheim, the chant from Kings fans, “This is our house.”
The Kings come into tonight’s game with a 2-1-2 record. After giving up 14 goals in back-to-back games against Ottawa and Toronto, LA put the clamps on Montreal Thursday, defeating the Canadiens, 4-1. Kevin Fiala, Alex Laferriere and Anze Kopitar lead the Kings with three goals each, though Kopitar hasn’t scored since his opening night hat trick. Fiala has feasted on the Ducks in his career, scoring 16 goals and 24 points in 25 games. The Kings have dominated the series of late, winning nine of the last 10 overall and seven of 10 in Anaheim.
The Ducks enter tonight’s game coming off a 4-3 overtime loss at Colorado. It was the second consecutive game that the Ducks rallied and forced overtime. Credit Anaheim goalie Lukas Dostal for earning Anaheim at least a point in Friday’s game. The Ducks’ netminder stopped 45 of the 49 shots that came his way as the Ducks were outshot, 49-20.
Anaheim’s Robbi Fabbri has four career goals against the Kings and three goals in four games against expected starter, David Rittich.
NHL Predictions: Anaheim Ducks ML (+154) – ½ unit
Robbi Fabbri anytime goal (+380) – 1/2 unit
Kevin Fiala over ½ point (-154) – ½ unit
