NHL Predictions – Expert Picks on Tuesday, April 8:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions:
Carolina Hurricanes (-220, 6.5) at Buffalo Sabres
7 p.m. ET
The Hurricanes are essentially locked into second place in the Metropolitan Division, so they’re gearing up the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Canes would like to get back to their winning ways, having lost consecutive games and giving up five goals in each of the losses.
It will be 14 consecutive seasons that the Sabres and their great fan base will hear “maybe next year.” Buffalo has played some of its best hockey when the games have had very little significance. The Sabres have won four straight overall and six straight on home ice with victories that include Vegas, Tampa Bay and Edmonton. Staying with the home dominance, the Sabres have won three straight over the Canes in Buffalo and have scored three goals or more in each victory. They have also scored three or more goals in each of their last six home games overall.
The goaltending matchup is expected to be Pyotr Kochetkov for Carolina and former Cane James Reimer for Buffalo. Kochetkov has struggled of late, giving up three, four, three and seven goals in his last four starts. Though Reimer has just six wins in 20 games against Carolina, his goals-against average is only 2.51.
Buffalo’s Tage Thompson cracked the 40-goal mark (43) for the second time in his career with his hat trick on Sunday against the Bruins. The Sabres sniper has scored seven goals in his last four games. Ryan McLeod has three goals in two games against the Canes this season and five goals and two assists for his career. Carolina’s Sebastian Aho has 16 goals in 21 career games against Buffalo.
The first-period Over 1.5 goals has been a strong play for both teams of late. Carolina has cashed in its last five games and the Sabres are on a 6-1 run.
NHL Predictions: Ryan McLeod Over ½ assist +240 – .10 units
McLeod anytime goal +450 – .10 units
Tage Thompson anytime goal +165 – .20 units
Sebastian Aho anytime goal +155 – .20 units
1st-period Over 1.5 (-144) – 1 unit
Sabres TT over 2.5 (-112) – 1 unit
Detroit Red Wings at Montreal Canadiens (-135, 5.5)
7 p.m. ET
The Red Wings’ season is on the line tonight, and not only do they need to win, but it must be in regulation to keep Montreal from picking up a “loser point.” Detroit trails Montreal by six points in the standings with six games to play, while the Canadiens have five games left. If Montreal goes 2-3 the rest of the way or earns four points in any fashion, the Wings would need to win five of their last six games to overtake Montreal for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens are riding a five-game winning streak, and Detroit has won back-to-back games and three of its last four. The Red Wings have won four of their last five meetings in Montreal, including their one trip to the Bell Centre this season. The last six meetings between the teams have had a combined six goals or more.
Detroit goalie Cam Talbot is doing everything he can to get the Wings into the playoffs, giving up just seven goals in his last four games, and Detroit has won three of the four games. Talbot is 9-3-1 against the Habs (1-0 this season) with four career shutouts.
Some player props to consider for tonight. Dylan Larkin has three goals in five games against Samuel Montembeault, and Patrick Kane has three goals in six games against the Habs goalie. Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki has five goals and 10 points over his past five games. Patrik Laine has a pair of goals against Detroit this season (both on the power play), and Brendan Gallagher has 18 career goals versus Detroit, including one this season.
NHL Predictions: Brendan Gallagher anytime goal +320 – .10 units
Lane Hutson/Nick Suzuki Over ½ point parlay +113 – .25 units
Dylan Larkin anytime goal +195 – .10 units
Patrick Kane anytime goal +250 – .10 units
Boston Bruins at New Jersey Devils (-260, 5.5)
7 p.m. ET
The Bruins’ David Pastrnak has either scored or assisted on 11 consecutive Bruins goals. Pasta has also had multi-point games in three of the last four during his current run. Morgan Geekie has five goals and 13 points in the last seven Boston games and Elias Lindholm has goals in three straight. The Devils’ Paul Cotter has three goals in four games versus the Bruins’ projected starting goalie, Jeremy Swayman, and Dawson Mercer has four goals in four games against Swayman. Nico Hischier has scored a goal in three consecutive games (five total).
For now, I am passing on both the side and the total.
NHL Predictions: Paul Cotter anytime goal +650 – .20 units
Dawson Mercer anytime goal +300 – .20 units
Morgan Geekie anytime goal +310 – .20 units
David Pastrnak anytime goal +155 – .20 units
Pastrnak Over ½ assist +115 – .20 units
Ottawa Senators (-125, 6) at Columbus Blue Jackets
7 p.m. ET
With the announcement of Anton Forsberg getting the start in goal, we have seen a “10 cent” move to the Blue Jackets. For his part, Forsberg has given up two goals or less in each of his last four starts.
The Jackets have lost three straight and have been blanked in consecutive games, including Sunday’s 4-0 loss to these same Senators. In fact, the Jackets have been shut out five times in their last 12 games and scored two goals or fewer seven times over that same stretch. Conversely, Ottawa has won three straight, outscoring their opponents 9-1.
With the Jackets struggling to score, I will pass on all Columbus player props. On the Ottawa side, Dylan Cozens has 12 points in 13 games versus the Jackets, Claude Giroux has 41 points in 42 games and David Perron has 49 points in 43 games, including three goals in four games against Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins.
NHL Predictions: Columbus TT Under 2.5 +132 – 1 unit
Ottawa TT over 3.5 +130 – 1 unit
Dylan Cozens Over ½ point (-104) – .20 units
Claude Giroux Over ½ point +112 – .20 units
David Perron Over ½ assist +130 – .20 units
Perron anytime goal +300 – .20 units
