After a cringe-worthy NHL all-star game, hockey is back.
There are six games on the slate tonight including two teams that played last night. The TB Lightning were blown off the ice in a surprisingly 7-1 upset to the Florida Panthers, a team that the Bolts usually take care of easily. They’ll look to rebound tonight as they return home and host the bottom-feeder San Jose Sharks, who are currently second to last in the Western Conference.
Newly acquired Bo Horvat’s debut for the Islanders wasn’t anything spectacular last night against the Flyers, but he gets another chance to impress tonight as he and his new teammates take on the Seattle Kraken.
Other games include Avs vs. the Penguins, Oilers’ take on the Red Wings. The Ducks vs. the Blackhawks and the Golden Knights at the Predators.
My Picks
Sharks at Lightning
Andrei Vasilevskiy might have had one of his worst games of the season last night. He’s getting a rest tonight, as Brian Elliott gets the job in the crease for this game. This was already scheduled and doesn’t have anything to do with Vasilevskiy’s performance last night.
Given the Bolts’ high-octane offensive and subpar defense, it’s no surprise that they’ve scored six or more goals in 10 of those 12 games. But after last night’s game and the fact that today is Stamkos’s Birthday, I see the Bolts easily taking care of business on home ice.
Avalanche vs. Penguins
Kris Letang has only played 4 games this season due to injury and I feel the books are off on his shot total. The seasoned veteran will be asked to step up and help contribute tonight against a serging Avs team who have won 7 of their last 10 games. Lentage has been streaky since coming back, but the extra rest from the all start break should help.
Kraken vs. Islanders
As I mentioned at the top, Horvat was exactly amazing last night, but he did register 4 shots. The Islanders need Horvat to get going quickly as they rank 26th in goals scored per game. The coaching staff will be in Horvat’s ear to shoot and generate offense tonight.
The Islanders are now only two points out of a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference wild-card race, so Horvat is joining a club that has a legitimate shot at making the playoffs.
