Daily Picks: Isles-Rangers in season finale
The Islanders and Rangers will meet for the last time this season Tuesday. (USATSI)
Welcome to the NHL Daily Picks, where CBS hockey writers Chris Peters and Adam Gretz share their predictions for select games every day.
There have been many great battles between the Rangers and Islanders at Nassau Coliseum, but Tuesday night represents the last regular-season meeting between the two clubs. It very well could be the last duel ever between New York’s teams in the old barn. With an overtime win against the Maple Leafs Monday night, the Islanders have a hold on first place by three points over their neighbors. A win against the Rangers on what is sure to be a memorable night on Long Island would end the series in the fashion most Islanders fans are hoping for. But it’s going to be tough. Playing the second half of a back-to-back with the first game including a late comeback and overtime could leave the Isles a little tired. The energy of the rivalry should help, as should a fresh Jaroslav Halak, who did not play against the Maple Leafs. The Rangers have points in nine of their last 10 games, which includes seven wins. They’ll be ready to go, especially with a chance to get within a point of the Metropolitan Division lead. This season, however, has really belonged to the Islanders. They have won three of four against the Rangers this season and there should be a little extra jump to try to pull out a win on a momentous night. Pick: Islanders 3, Rangers 1
Over in the Atlantic Division, the two leaders will square off in a really big one. The Lightning have been rolling again of late with three straight wins and seven victories in their last 10 games. The Habs, meanwhile, have been a bit up-and-down these last few weeks with five wins in their last 10. Tampa Bay currently trails Montreal by just two points. A regulation win gets them to 90 points, but the Habs will still have a game in hand. The Canadiens and Lightning have two more games after Tuesday’s battle that very well could decide the division. The Atlantic has been tight all year, but the Lightning have had the Canadiens’ number in the series so far with two wins in as many meetings with the divisional leaders. Tampa Bay’s high-paced offense against MVP front-runner Carey Price should be a lot of fun in a game of this magnitude. Pick: Lightning 3, Canadiens 2
The Ottawa Senators have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL of late and it’s helped unexpectedly vault them back into the playoff race. They still have five points to make up on the Bruins and there’s really no better way to continue on that path than with a W on home ice Tuesday. Ottawa has actually won each of the last two meetings against the Bruins, so they can head in with some confidence. But this has all the makings of one of those must-win games for Ottawa. If the Bruins can grab two points, they’ll keep pulling away from the rest of the Eastern wild card field after opening the door pretty widely with a rough stretch over the back half of February. Having the opportunity to take two points away from the Bruins is just too golden an opportunity for Ottawa. With eight wins in their last 10, they may have a shot at doing just that. Pick: Senators 4, Bruins 2
The Kings face a two-point deficit in their bid to be the third playoff team in the Pacific Division. As has been the case much of this month so far, it’s pretty important to pick up the win. They’ll take on the suddenly-hot Avalanche, a team with seven wins in their last 10 including three straight. The Kings will also be hoping to keep pace in the Western wild card race just in case either the Minnesota Wild or Winnipeg Jets slip. Los Angeles is currently three points back in that one. The Avalanche, with 16 games to play, need a miracle to make the playoffs as they currently reside seven points away from the wild card. Just continuing to finish the season strong will probably be good for the organization as they start looking to build next season. Even if the Kings aren’t in playoff position right now, a win against the defending champs is still quite a feather in a team’s cap. With where they are in the standings, the Kings can’t afford to lose to a team behind them in the standings. Pick: Kings 3, Avalanche 2
The rest of Tuesday night’s schedule
Dallas Stars at Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m.
Winnipeg Jets at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m.
New Jersey Devils at Minnesota Wild, 8 p.m. ET
Three Stars
1. John Tavares, New York Islanders: With the last game against the Rangers in the Coliseum before the move to Brooklyn, the Islanders will be looking to their captain and leading scorer. Tavares has been pretty reliable when called upon. In four games against the Rangers this season, he has three goals and an assist. He also has seven points over his last three games, so he is coming in hot.
2. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning: At just 21 years old, Kucherov is having a remarkable season. He’s on pace for 30 goals and looks like a good bet to get there. Kucherov also has been strong against the Habs this season with four assists in two games against the division leaders. He’s not getting a lot of buzz right now, but Kucherov is definitely a player on the rise.
3. Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars: In his first game back after three weeks off, Seguin had a pair of goals against Tampa Bay, one of the best teams in the league. With the Flyers slipping out of contention and Seguin still having a shot at 40 goals this year, he could be in for a big night.
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