Will NHL fans see a netminder score another goal this season? If that were a Mybookie prop, no would be a heavy favorite. That’s because it hadn’t happened since 2013 until the Predators’ Pekka Rinne scored last Thursday against Chicago. Rinne scored on an empty net, firing the puck the length of the ice. Only 12 goalies in league history have scored. Here’s a look at two intriguing NHL Betting matchups early this week around the league – including one involving Rinne’s team. Check back for Mybookie NHL odds.
Top NHL Betting Picks of the Week – January 13th Edition
Nashville Predators vs Edmonton Oilers
- When: Tuesday, 9 PM ET
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
Disappointing Nashville fired coach Peter Laviolette last week and replaced him with John Hynes, who was fired in early December by New Jersey as the third coach in franchise history. The Devils fired him after a 9-13-4 start. Hynes had a 150-159-45 (.487) record in 354 regular-season games. The Devils made the postseason once under his reign but were eliminated in five games by the Lightning in the first round of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs. Hynes was always considered to be a favorite to fill the Predators’ vacancy thanks to his prior relationship with GM David Poile, established through USA Hockey.
Under Laviolette, the Predators reached the NHL postseason in five consecutive seasons, reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2016–17 and the second round of the postseason twice but was off to an inconsistent start this year. A midseason firing worked wonders last year for another Central Division team, the St. Louis Blues, as they would rally to not just reach the playoffs but win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Some Numbers
It’s the first meeting of the season between the Predators and Oilers. Nashville defenseman Roman Josi is on pace to score 88 points this season. That would break the single-season franchise record for any skater, currently held by Paul Kariya (85 points in 2005-06).Nashville enters on a two-game winning streak following a 1-0 victory in Winnipeg on Sunday. Kyle Turris had the game’s only goal, coming at 11:53 of the first. He didn’t have a goal in 16 games going into Sunday’s game and he had just six assists during that span. Juuse Saros stopped all 28 shots he faced. Should be Pekka Rinne for this one.
Edmonton’s three-game winning streak ended Saturday in a 4-3 defeat in Calgary to end a long road trip. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two goals. The 26-year-old has been hot lately, with four goals and five assists in his last six games. Connor McDavid also scored his 25th goal of the season for Edmonton. Zack Kassian will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Monday. Kassian could be facing supplemental discipline for roughing/aggressor penalty on Calgary’s Matthew Tkachuk.
Philadelphia Flyers vs St. Louis Blues
- When: Wednesday, 8 PM ET
- TV: NBC Sports Network
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
The Flyers have suffered a loss to their blueline as Shayne Gostisbehere will miss 3-4 weeks following arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Gostisbehere has five goals and 12 points in 40 matches this campaign.
“He was doing what you want defensemen of his type to do, which is beat the forecheck and jump up into the play when the opportunity is there. He was playing good hockey for us,” coach Alain Vigneault said of Gostisbehere’s recent play.
There is one bright spot in that the surgery happened at a good time, so to speak. With a bye week and the All-Star break coming at the end of the month for the Flyers, a three-week timetable would have Gostisbehere back by the January 31 game against Pittsburgh. That would be only six games missed. Fellow defenseman Justin Braun was already out with a groin injury and he won’t be back until after the All-Star break.
Recent History
It’s the first of two meetings between the Blues and Flyers. St. Louis won both a season ago, including 7-3 at home. The Blues had five first-period goals and Alex Pietrangelo assisted on three of them. The Blues scored five times in the first 9 minutes, 41 seconds to set a franchise record for the quickest five-goal start to a game, eclipsing the previous mark of five in the opening 13:45 set on Jan. 3, 1970, in a 6-0 win over Pittsburgh.Ivan Barbashev, Ryan O’Reilly, Alexander Steen, Pat Maroon and David Perron all scored during the early outburst as the Blues scored five times on their initial 11 shots. Overall, 13 players recorded at least one point in the game for St. Louis. Brian Elliott gave up four goals on five shots before being replaced by Carter Hart for Philly. The Blues have won six of their last eight at home against the Flyers.
The Blues’ David Perron has been named an All-Star – the game is being held this year in St. Louis. Perron won the Last Men In vote for the Central Division over Chicago’s Jonathan Toews, Colorado’s Cale Makar, Dallas’ Jamie Benn, Minnesota’s Ryan Suter, Nashville’s Matt Duchene and Winnipeg’s Patrik Laine.
