Lightning Strikes: Four Games in Seven Days

The Tampa Bay Lightning is looking to extend its lead in lead in the Atlantic Division, but it won't be an easy road ahead. The Bolts face the Florida Panthers on the road on Sunday night. The next three games are at home against the Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadiens.

1.) Sunday, Feb. 10 @ Panthers- 6 p.m.

The Lightning will take on the Panthers, who are looking to get back into the playoff positioning. This will be a game that features the first and third ranked power plays in the League. The Bolts have outscored the Panthers 14-8 in three game played this season and are 3-0-0 against them.

The Lightning Win If...

They play a solid even strength game and manage to stay out of the penalty box. The Panthers have allowed 125 even strength goals against this season, but have one of the best power plays in the League. The Lightning do have the second best penalty kill in the League, but they are only killing 80% of penalties taken on the road. The Bolts have played a solid even strength game all season and have outscored the opposition by 25 goals while playing 5-on-5.

Matchup of the Game

It will be interesting to watch the Panthers power play go up against the Lightning penalty kill. The Panthers power play is third in the NHL, which ranked them third in the NHL at 27%. The home power play is actually better at 28%. The Lightning penalty kill has improved immensely and is now second in the League (84.7%), but the penalty kill is not as good on the road (80%) as it is on home ice (89.5%). 

Game Prediction

The Lightning will win this game 2-1, which means the goalies are going to make some saves. It is an  important game for both team with the Lightning wanting to build on their Atlantic Division lead, while the Panthers are fighting to get back into a playoff spot. The Bolts goals will come from J.T Miller and Brayden Point with the Panthers lone goal being scored by Vincent Trocheck.

2.) Tuesday, Feb. 12 vs. Flames- 7:30 p.m.-ESPN+

The Bolts take on the Flames, who bring plenty of speed to this game. In the only game against this season, the Lightning managed to pull out the win in the shootout. These two teams each have the speed, talent and can put the puck in the net so this should be a fast-paced hockey game with some goals scored. 

The Lightning Will Win If...

They can manage to slow down the Flames' top line of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm. The line has combined for 199 points so far this season. The line has a combination of speed, playing and finishing ability. The Lightning need to establish a good forecheck early in this game, get plenty of shots on net and make the Flames defend in their own zone. The Bolts should also try to limit their mistakes especially in the neutral zone with the Flames transition speed.

Matchup of the Game

The teams are very close in style, but the main difference has been the goaltending. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Louis Domingue have done a great job in stopping the puck for the Lightning this season. The goaltending duo of Mike Smith and David Rittich has had its problems this season. The goaltending has improved since Rittich has taken over the starting job, but they are still letting in soft goals. If the Flames want to win this game then the goalie needs to make the routine stops.

Game Prediction

The Flames will tie the game late in regulation to force overtime. The Lightning will lose 4-3 in the extra session. The Flames goals will be scored by Johnny Gaudreau, Elias Lindholm,  Sam Bennett and James Neal. The Bolts goals will go to Yanni Gourde, Mathieu Joseph and Steven Stamkos. 

3.) Thursday, Feb. 14 vs Stars- 7:30 p.m.-ESPN +

The Stars have been one of the more inconsistent teams because they lack a balanced lineup. The Stars are basically a one line team with the other three lines pitching in once every few games or so. The Lightning can't overlook this team or they will not get two points out of a very winnable game. The Bolts beat the Stars 2-0 earlier in the season on the road. 

The Lightning Will Win If...

The team gets off to a fast start and continues it throughout the game. The Stars have been outscored big time by the opposition in the first periods of games. It is almost like the Stars aren't ready for the start of the game, but get better as the game goes on. The Bolts have outscored the opposition in the first period but by less than 10 goals, so they want to improve on their starts.

Matchup of the Game

Tyler Seguin has been everything for the Stars this season after signing his contract in the offseason. He doesn't have as many points as the team would like, but he has really picked up his play of late. He leads the team in goals (22), assists (29) and points (51). Nikita Kucherov got off to a slower than usual start, but that hasn't affected his play this season. He leads the team in assists (59) and points (81) with Brayden Point, who just happens to be Kucherov's centerman, leading the team in goals (31). These two players have the potential to do some damage in the game.

Game Prediction

The Lightning manage to win this one because of its depth scoring by a score of 3-1. They'll get a late empty net goal to seal the win. The one Stars goal will be scored by Tyler Seguin with Alexander Radulov adding a primary assist. The three Lightning goals will come from Alex Killorn, Tyler Johnson and Brayden Point.

4.) Saturday, Feb. 16 vs. Canadiens- 7 p.m.- NHLN

The Montreal Canadiens have been on of the surprise teams in the NHL this season. They have three lines that have the potential to score and have gotten decent goaltending. The power play has probably been one of the down falls on this team and it is ranked 30th in the League (13.5%). This should be a good fast paced game that may very need overtime to decide the game.

The Lightning Will Win If...

They get plenty of pucks on net with traffic in front of the opposing goalie. The Lightning should want to take away the goalie's eyes especially if Carey Price is in net for the Canadiens. The Bolts should play with their speed to try to get to loose pucks and then make sure that they establish a forecheck early in the game. 

Matchup of the Game

One of the goaltenders if going to steal this game for his team especially if the starters are Carey Price and Andrei Vasilevskiy. These goalies can make the routine save and make highlight reel saves. Price has been playing well of late and Vasilevskiy has been playing decent since coming back from his broken foot. The teams are going to have to get the goalies moving from post to post and get plenty of traffic in front for deflections.

Game Prediction

The Habs are going to get some revenge for the two earlier loses to the Bolts this season by winning 3-2 in overtime. The two games have seen the two teams combine for 16 goals. The Lightning have 10 goals in the season series while the Canadiens have scored six times. The Canadiens goals will come from Max Domi, Tomas Tatar and Brendan Gallagher. The Lightning goal scorers are Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. 

Lightning Strikes Weekly Prediction

The Lightning will finish a tough week with a 2-0-2 record and grab six points in the standings. 

Preds Prey: Nashville Predators Second Half Resolutions

The Nashville Predators ended the first half of the season in a good position despite key players spending some time on the IR. The Predators, like most NHL teams, should have some resolutions for the second half of the season.

Resolution #1: Health and Cohesion

The Predators need to get healthy and stay healthy to get some kind of run going down the stretch. They saw key players miss a chunk of time due to injury, but some have returned. After the Christmas break, Viktor Arvidsson and P.K. Subban returned to the lineup, but Filip Forsberg is still out and could be for a few more weeks. The team is currently without Colton Sissons and Kyle Turris, who are key players in the lineup. 

The Predators can only hope that they can get all of their players back and into the lineup so they can start building some chemistry and contributing on a nightly basis. 

Resolution #2: Find a Road Game

The Predators started the season winning eight straight road games, but then managed to go winless in their next 10 on away from Bridgestone Arena. They finally ended the road winless streak in Washington on New Years Eve. If the team wants to be in a good position heading into the postseason then they'll need to figure out a way to to get over the problems on the road. 

If they want to straight out the road woes then the Predators will need to limit the amount of times that they give up the first goal on the road. They gave up the first goal in nine of the ten games during the winless streak. The Preds need to get off to better starts, which includes getting the first goal and setting the pace early with a big play. The biggest key to a better road record is going to be getting Pekka Rinne on track since he is a different goalie on the road versus at home. 

Resolution #3: Light It Up on the Power Play

The Preds need to find a way to get the power play going since they are too talented to have one of the worst power plays in the League. They have been without key players at points this season, but the power play should still be better than what it is. 

One of the key problems with the power play has been the overpassing instead of getting a shot on net when it is there. They are also looking for the perfect play, but if a lane is open then the shot needs to get on goal. The Predators should get some bodies in the front of the net for deflections and rebounds. They just really need to try to keep it simple and not overthink while up a man. The biggest key to getting the power play back on track is to get more puck and player movement instead of standing still on the ice. 

Preds Prey: First Half Headlines

The Nashville Predators are just past the midway part of the season, and are sitting in a nice place in the standings despite the rough first half.

There are many headlines to choose from for the first half for this team, but here are the five that stood out the most, in no particular order.

Injuries to Key Players

The Predators were hit hard by the injury plague in the first half of the season, and it hit a lot of important players in the lineup. In the month of November, they were particularly hit hard with three key players heading to the injured reserve, some are back, but others are still waiting to rejoin the team. On Nov. 10, the team took its first hit with, forward Viktor Arvidsson being placed on injured reserve. Then three days later, defenseman P.K. Subban was injured and the team learned that he would be joining Arvidsson on the IR. The team thought they were in good shape, but on Nov. 30, Filip Forsberg was injured and placed on the IR. 

Arvidsson and Subban made their return to the lineup on Dec. 27 at home against the Dallas Stars. Forsberg is still on the IR, but is expected to return to the lineup sometime in January. They were just the three major injuries so far this season, but there have been plenty of other ones. Kyle Turris, Colton Sissons and Yannick Weber are currently out of the lineup with no exact date for a return to the lineup. 

Rough Times on the Road

The Preds started the season by going 8-0-0 away from Bridgestone Arena, but then mid-November came and they couldn't but a win on the road. They went 0-8-2 over their next 10 road games, but are somehow sit just two points behind the Winnipeg Jets for the lead in the Central Division. They ended a six game losing streak overall with a win against the Washington Capitals on Dec. 31. The win also ended a 10-game road losing streak. It seems like the road struggles kind of coincided with the loss of Subban and Arvidsson to injury.

During the 10-game road winless streak, the Predators only score the first goal of the game once and that was on Dec. 18 when they were facing the Chicago Blackhawks. During the eight game win streak on the road to start the season, they scored the first goal in every game except two. Another part of the road problem, has been Pekka Rinne, who is much better playing on home ice. During the eight game win streak, the Preds only gave up three or more goals a total of four times, but they did it six times during the winless streak. The opposition managed to score five goals in a game a total of four times, and that can't happen if they want to get some points and climb the standings.

Power Play Struggles

The Preds' power play has been anything but lights out this year. They have chances on the man advantage, but they can't seem to cash in on them. The team had 139 power play opportunities in the first half and only managed to score on 21 of them. They also gave up five shorthanded goals against, and finished the first half ranked 27th.

The Predators can get into the offensive zone and setup on the power play, but the problem begins after that happens. They tend to look for the perfect play and are really pass happy. If the shot is there with no one in the lane and some traffic in front then just get the puck on net because you never know that can happen. They need to stop looking for the pretty or perfect play and make the right one. The Predators have zero power play goals in 24 games played, one power play goal in 11 games played and have only scored two power play goals five times this season. 

Pekka Rinne

Rinne put up some solid numbers in the first half, but they could have been even better. In 29 games, he was 15-10-1 with two shutouts to go with a 2.25 goals against average and a .920 save percentage. He got off to a great start, but his numbers have slipped since then and a major reason for that was his play on the road. In October, he was 3-1-0 in give games with a 2.11 goals against average and one shutout. During November he was 7-3-1 with a 1.74 GAA and had another shutout. In 12 games during the month of December, Rinne was only 5-6-0 with a 2.87 GAA and zero shutouts.

Rinne has solid numbers at home this season, but has somewhat struggled on the road. The goalie's road numbers aren't terrible by any means, just not up to his numbers on home ice. In 16 games at home, he has a record of 11-5-0 with a 2.01 GAA and two shutouts. In 13 games on the road, he is only 4-5-1 with a 2.60 GAA. The team as a whole has struggled on the road and that played into his rough road record in the first half. Despite his poor road record, the team would not be in the race to win the Central Division again.

Ryan Johansen and Roman Josi

Johansen and Josi had to pick up the point pace with Forsberg, Arvidsson and Subban out of the lineup at the same time. Johansen finished the first half with 35 points including seven goals and 28 assists. The totals could have been higher if the Predators had any kind of power play in the first half of the season. Johansen can agitate the opposition and is good at face-offs winning over 53% of them taken.

Josi needed to step up his game with the loss of Subban due to injury. He had seven goals, 22 assists and 29 points in the first half of the season. The defenseman will join the play in the offensive zone and make the first pass to help his team get the puck out of their own zone. He added two game winning goals and averaged 25:24 of ice time per game. 

3 Things: Carolina Hurricanes @ Philadelphia Flyers (1/3/19)

The Philadelphia Flyers will take on the Carolina Hurricanes for the second time in four days.

The Flyers came out flat on New Year's Eve and paid the price. Carter Hart was pulled from the game and Michal Neuvirth was good in relief, but the rest of the team seemed to forget that they  actually had a game to play. They were outplayed and eventually lost the game 3-1.

1.) Complete Game for 60 Minutes- Hurricanes

The Hurricanes will want to copy their game plan from Monday night when they faced the Flyers, who should come out with more energy. They'll want to get plenty of pucks on net since Neuvirth is starting for the Flyers, and he can let in some soft goals. The 'Canes need to clog up the neutral zone and not let the Flyers get in behind them on the forecheck and start a cycle game. A good way to take the home crowd out of the game would be to get off to a fast start and get the first goal or two. If the Hurricanes can get the lead, they need to keep playing for a full 60 minutes since the Flyers can come back from down multiple goals in the final period to force overtime. 

2.) Revenge Game- Flyers

The Flyers got  badly outplayed in Carolina on Monday night from almost the beginning of the game. They should come out with more energy in this game so they don't get booed off their home ice at intermission. The Flyers need to set the pace early in this game and get plenty of pucks on net. The team could use the stretch pass to try to behind the neutral zone checking of the Hurricanes' defenders. Another way to get into the offensive one would be to dump the puck in, get after it and win some battles along the boards. If they want to get the two points then they'll need to get some good goaltending, capitalize on their chances and play with some effort tonight.

3.) Start- Hurricanes & Flyers

The start of the game is going to be important for both teams since it is a chance to set the tone for the rest of the game. The Flyers will want to be smart but also physical while getting in on the forecheck. The Hurricanes just need to play the same exact way that they played Monday night and they should get the two points. Both teams will be looking to get the first goal or two of the game since both have had some problems keeping the puck out of their own net so far this year. 

Lightning Strikes: California Road Trippin'

The Tampa Bay Lightning are heading to the West Coast to finish 2018 and ring in 2019.

The Lightning will face an Anaheim team that has somehow managed to keep its head above water even with all the injuries that they've had all season. The Kings have been awful from the start of the season, and the injuries are starting to pile up. The Bolts finish the week with a trip to San Jose to visit the Sharks, who are heating up at just the right time.

Monday, Dec. 31 @ Ducks- 8 p.m.

The Bolts look to continue their winning ways when they take on the Ducks on New Years Eve. The Ducks have been injury riddled this year, but are still keeping pace for the playoffs. The Bolts have been one of the most consistent teams all season.

The Lightning should get some pucks on net with traffic in front for deflections and to take the goalie's eyes off the puck. The Bolts need to take advantage of the power play opportunities when they have them since the Ducks penalty kill is only at 79.6% for the season. The Ducks need to be aware of the Bolts speed, which needs to be used whenever possible and don't get roped into playing a slower game by the Ducks. The Lightning have a good chance to get off to a fast start in this game, since the Ducks have only scored 26 first period goals. The key to this game for the Lightning will be to take advantage of all the injured players out of the lineup for the Ducks and to get off to a fast start.

Thursday, Jan. 3 @ Kings- 10:30 p.m.- ESPN+

The Kings are one of the biggest disappointments so far this season, and look like they'll finish with a good chance at winning the NHL Lottery, while the Lightning look as though they are the one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.

The Bolts need to be aware of when Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown are on the ice since they are the leading point-getter and goal scorer for the Kings. The Kings don't have a regulation win when trailing after two periods so the Bolts want to make sure that have the lead entering the final period of play. The Lightning should be able to take advantage of a weak penalty kill by Kings this season. The key to this game will be the Lightning getting the first goal of the game and to keep the attack going, not to sit back and get comfortable.

Saturday, Jan. 5 @ Sharks-11 p.m.

The Sharks look to continue their winning ways of late. The Bolts are just looking to build on their lead in the standings.

The Lightning will need their goaltender to come up big since the Sharks average over three goals per game. They should establish the forecheck and cycle game early to keep the Sharks balanced lineup defending their own zone and not having their way in the offensive zone. The Sharks have a top-10 ranked power play so it would be a good idea for the Lightning to play with some discipline, even though their penalty kill is much improved over last year. The Bolts should try to establish the pace early in the game and get plenty of pucks on net because the Sharks score goals, but they also give up just under three goals per game too.

Lightning Strikes Weekly Prediction

The Lightning will come out of this road trip no worse for the ware with a 2-1-0 record. The team will take the first two games of the trip against the Ducks and Kings. The Sharks are playing decent hockey right now and they'll get the saved needed by the goalie to pull off a regulation win. 

Sabres Slashes: Divisional Rivalries and a Metro Division Foe

The Buffalo Sabres have a tough week ahead with facing three teams with above .500 records. It will also be a week where two of their three games played will be against teams in the Atlantic Division.

The Sabres will take on the New York Islanders at home in a New Years Eve tilt beginning at 6 p.m. They won't play again until Thursday night when they face take on divisional rivals, Florida Panthers at home. The Sabres will end the week with a trip to Boston to face the Bruins in what could be a revenge game.

Monday, Dec. 31 vs. Islanders- 6 p.m.

The Sabres have lost two straight games and are looking to bounce-back from a tough overtime loss to the Bruins on Dec. 29. The Islanders are looking to extend their winning streak to four straight games. The Isles have been a surprise team after losing John Tavares in free agency, but Barry Trotz has done a decent job as the boss bench.

The Sabres need to be aware of the speed that the Islanders can play with especially in transition so the turnovers should be limited. If the Sabres can get a lead then they need to keep attacking and not sit back because the Isles have nine wins when the opposition scores first. The Islanders play a strong even strength game and have outscored the opposition by 18 goals while playing at five-on-five so the Sabres need to play smart and make good plays while at even strength. The key to this game is going to be if the Sabres can take advantage of their power play opportunities since the Isles are ranked 23rd in the League on the kill.

Thursday, Jan. 3 vs. Panthers- 7 p.m.

The Florida Panthers have not gotten off to a good start to the season and the goaltending is at the center of that poor start. Lunogo has missed some time and Reimer's numbers have not been good. Despite the Panthers poor start, the Sabres are 0-1-1 against them this season.

The Panthers scoring has mostly come from the top line so far this season, so if the Sabres can manage to shut them down then they should be able to grab two points. The Sabres need to establish a forecheck and cycle game early and often to keep the speed of the Panthers at bay. They will need to play a full 60 minute game and not take any shifts off because Florida will make them pay if they do. The goaltending is going to be key for both teams, but the Sabres need to get pucks on net with screens and deflections in front.

Saturday, Jan. 5 @ Bruins- 7 p.m.- ESPN+

The Sabres will be looking to avenge the overtime loss suffered on Dec. 29 at the hands of the Bruins when the two meet again. It should be a good game since this will be the second time in seven days that the teams will play each other. 

The Sabres will want to make sure that they have the lead entering the final period of play since the Bruins only have one regulation win when trailing after two periods. The Sabres should be able to get off to a fast start since the Bruins have only scored 28 goals in the first period of games this season. Buffalo needs to keep an eye on David Pastrnak since he has found the back of the net 23 times so far this year. The key to the game is going to be the goaltending since both teams can use their speed to create chances. 

Sabres Slashes Weekly Prediction

The Sabres will finish the week with a 1-0-2 record and grab four of a possible six points. They'll win tonight in regulation over the Islanders since they are playing on home ice. The Panthers will take the extra point in a shootout. The Bruins and Sabres will have another entertaining game, but the Sabres will lose again in overtime. 

Preds Prey: Road Bumps & a Home Game

The Nashville Predators look to break their six game losing streak and get some points while playing three of four games on the road.

The Predators get off to an early start this week with a matinee game against the Washington Capitals on New Years Eve. They will then round out the week with a home game against the Philadelphia Flyers, followed by two road games, one against the Detroit Red Wings and another in Montreal to take on the Canadiens.

Monday, Dec. 31 @ Capitals- 12:30 p.m.- NHLN

The Capitals and Preds seem to be heading in two different directions at this point in the season. The Caps have one four straight while the Predators have managed to lose six straight. Nashville is finally starting to get some players back from injury so that should help the team turn things around going into the new calendar year.

If the Predators want to steal two points on the road they'll need to get good goaltending since the Capitals have no problem creating chances and burying them. Discipline is also going to be a key factor in this game since the Capitals have a dangerous power play. The road has not been a kind place to play for the Preds lately so the team is going to want to get off to a good start by establishing the pace early with a good cycling game to spend some time in the offensive zone. The biggest keys to this game is going to be keeping Alex Ovechkin and company off the board and avoiding costly turnovers.

Tuesday, Jan. 1 vs. Flyers- 8:30 p.m.- NHLN

The Predators will look to avenge their loss to the Flyers on Dec. 20 in Philadelphia where they lost 2-1 in regulation. This will be a game of two teams who just can't seem to get it going right now, but a revenge game at home is something that could get the Preds going in the right direction. The Flyers aren't getting blown out as much lately, but they are having a problem closing out games.

If you can stop Claude Giroux and his line, then you'll likely shut down the Flyers offense since it goes as he goes. This would be the perfect game for the Predators to get their awful power play going because the Flyers are one of the worst teams at killing penalties in the League. The Flyers will need to keep an eye on the Predators blue line since they like to create offense and play solid defense. The pace needs to be set early in this game with either some extended offensive zone time or a goal. The key to this game is going to be getting pucks on net and plenty of them since the Flyers goaltending has been anything but stellar so far.

Friday, Jan. 4 @ Red Wings- 7:30 p.m.

The Predators will have off for two days before playing a game against the Red Wings. The Predators should easily be able to get the regulation win and pick up two points, but this team just can't seem to win on the road right now. The Red Wings just can't seem to win games right now as they have struggled to put the puck in the back of the opposition net and keep it out of their own.

The two bright spots for the Red Wings have been Dylan Larkin and Gustav Nyquist, and they rank first and second on the team in points. The Red Wings are only killing 69.3% of their penalties on home ice so the Preds need to find a way to simplify their power play and cash in on some opportunities. They shouldn't have a problem getting some pucks on net, as the Red Wings give up over 34 shots per game, but finishing will be the key to this game.

Saturday, Jan. 5 @ Canadiens- 7 p.m.

The Canadiens have been one of the surprise teams of the first half of the season, and are currently fifth in the Atlantic Division. For the Predators, this will be the second game of a back-to-back situation having played Friday night and travelled.

The Predators need to jump on the Canadiens early and often because they may not have a late game comeback in them. They'll need to be smart with and without the puck to limit turnovers especially when Max Domi and Jonathan Drouin are on the ice together. The Preds want to avoid the penalty box and establish the cycle game early. The key to this game will be testing Antti Niemi early and often since he can let in some goals.

Preds Prey Prediction for the Week

The Predators will finish the week out with a 2-1-1 record. The road stuggles with continue with a loss to the Capitals on New Years Eve. The team will bounce back with regulation wins against the Flyers and Red Wings, who are two teams towards the bottom of the League standings. They will finish off the week with an overtime loss to the Canadiens, since they'll be coming off of a game the night before in Detroit.