NHL Predictions – Tuesday, October 29:
Monday night on the ice delivered as promised. The Toronto Maple Leafs handed the Winnipeg Jets their first loss of the season, building a 4-0 lead and hanging on for a 6-4 win. The Leafs’ win also made winners of anyone who tailed my two plays in the game as we cashed with the Toronto team total Over 2.5 goals and our Auston Matthews/Mitch Marner parlay prop with each player over a half-point.
While the Jets lost their first game, the San Jose Sharks won their first game of the season in dramatic fashion. San Jose scored three goals in a span of 1:50 with less than five minutes to play and completed the comeback when Alex Wennberg scored 86 seconds into OT.
Steven Stamkos’ return to Tampa came up one goal short as the Lightning handed Stamkos and the Predators a 3-2 overtime loss. Stamkos finished with assists on both Nashville goals and cashed his Over 3.5 shots-on-goal prop.
Those were some of the good stories that took place on the ice on Monday night. The bad on Monday was Connor McDavid suffering a lower body injury on his first shift at Columbus. McDavid was sent back to Edmonton for further evaluation, so stay tuned.
One other betting note to share. Three of the eight games went past 60 minutes, and for those who wagered on any of those games, you got a nice payout, topped by the Sharks/Utah HC game paying +350. Five of Utah’s 10 games have gone past 60 minutes. The Islanders and Canucks are next in line, having played four overtime games each. Last season the Islanders were involved in 26 games that went past 60 minutes. If you played every Islanders game last season to go to overtime, you would be up over 27 units. The Isles are in action tonight and a regulation draw pays +340.
Philadelphia Flyers at Boston Bruins (-205; 6)
7 p.m. ET
It’s been a disastrous start to the season for the Flyers, who have just two wins in nine games. They sit last in the NHL, allowing 4.44 goals per game. Their -13 goal differential ranks 31st in the league. Philly has given up four or more goals in six of their seven losses and in seven of nine games overall. Flyers games are 6-3 to the Over this season.
The Bruins are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Brad Marchand scored the winner, his first of the season, and now faces a Flyers team that he has scored 18 goals and 49 points against in 51 career games. The B’s have dominated the Flyers in recent meetings, winning seven of the last eight and scoring four or more goals in five consecutive meetings between the teams. David Pastrnak leads the Bruins with six goals, has goals in back-to-back games and has scored 26 goals in 31 games against Philly. Six of the nine Boston games have gone Over the total and Boston has scored four goals or more in three of their four wins this season.
NHL Predictions: Brad Marchand over ½ point (-145) – 1 unit
David Pastrnak anytime goal (-105) – 1 unit
Boston Bruins TT over 3.5 (-120) – 1 unit
Minnesota Wild (-130; 6) at Pittsburgh Penguins
7 p.m. ET
Tonight will be Marc-Andre Fleury’s final game in Pittsburgh. Fleury, the No. 1 overall pick by the Penguins in the 2003 NHL Draft, played his first 13 seasons in Pittsburgh. His current team, the Minnesota Wild, is making the final stop on its seven-game road trip. Saturday, the Wild were handed their first regulation loss of the season in a 7-5 shootout at Philadelphia. Kirill Kaprizov leads Minnesota in scoring with 15 points and has recorded five consecutive multi-point games (3 goals and 8 assists). Kaprizov has six points in five career games versus the Penguins. Minnesota’s second-leading scorer, Matt Boldy (11 points), is on a four-game point streak (2 goals, 4 assists) and has six points in five career games versus the Penguins. The Wild are 2-1 as a road favorite and 25-11 in this spot over the past two seasons.
Outside of San Jose, the Penguins are one of the first teams that come to mind when I ask people who the bad NHL teams are. This is not what Sidney Crosby had in mind when he signed a two-year contract extension that starts next year in the summer. The Pens sit 30th overall in the standings and have a -13 goal differential, like their Pennsylvania neighbors, the Philadelphia Flyers. The Pens have lost five consecutive games, giving up 21 goals, and have given up four or more goals in all seven losses. Oh, yeah, this is also a “Malinsky Special.” This will be the Penguins’ first home game after four on the road.
NHL Predictions: Kirill Kaprizov Over 1.5 points (+114) – 1 unit
Matt Boldy Over ½ assist (-110) – 1 unit
Minnesota Wild in regulation (+115) – 2 units
Minnesota Wild TT over 3.5 (+120) – 1 unit
New York Rangers (-155; 6) at Washington Capitals
7:30 p.m. ET
The Rangers’ .813 winning percentage is the best in the Eastern Conference and second only to the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL. The Washington Capitals have been one of the early season surprises with five wins in their first seven games. Their 3-0 loss to Tampa on Saturday snapped a five-game winning streak. Teams coming off a shutout in their previous game are on a 12-2 run to the first-period Over 1.5 goals.
New York has won four of the last six regular-season meetings, but the Capitals have won five of the last six at home versus the Blueshirts. The Rangers’ Artemi Panarin, who turns 33 on Wednesday, leads the team with six goals and 15 points. The “Bread Man” has a point in all eight games this season. Alexis Lafreniere has a point in seven of the Rangers’ eight games this season. Lafreniere had points in three of the four playoff games last season against the Capitals.
NHL Predictions: Alexis Lafreniere Over ½ point (-135) – 1 unit
Rangers/Capitals 1st period Over 1.5 (-125) – 1 unit
Anaheim Ducks at New York Islanders (-245; 6)
7 p.m. ET
I am not going to do a deep dive into this game. The Isles should be an angry bunch after giving up six unanswered goals to Florida and seeing a 3-0 lead turn into a 6-3 loss. The Ducks may be just what the Islanders need to return to their winning ways. New York has won six straight against the Ducks and scored four goals or more in all the wins.
Kyle Palmieri has nine goals and 14 points against his former team. The Ducks’ Troy Terry is riding a seven-game point streak and has five points in nine games versus the Islanders.
NHL Predictions: Islanders TT over 3.5 (-130) – 1 unit
Kyle Palmieri Over ½ point (-155) – 1 unit
Troy Terry Over ½ point (-115) – 1 unit
Ducks/Islanders Regulation Draw (+340) – ¼ unit
