NHL Picks: Lightning stay hot vs. Pens, Blackhawks push streak to 10 – CBSSports.com
Welcome to NHL Picks where CBSSports.com hockey writers Chris Peters and Adam Gretz make their predictions for all of the day’s games.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7:30 p.m. ET
The Tampa Bay Lightning have a chance to get back into one of the top three spots in the Atlantic Division, but to do it, they’ll need a win over the Pittsburgh Penguins Friday night. Tampa is just one point behind the third-place Montreal Canadiens who dropped a 2-1 decision to the Chicago Blackhawks Thursday night.
The Atlantic race is going to be tight probably all year, but getting back into one of the top three spots in the division represents a milestone in the Lightning’s rebound from a fairly bad start to the season. Even just last Friday, the defending Eastern Conference Champions were seven points behind the Canadiens and two points out of a playoff spot of any kind. Thanks to a three-game winning streak and both the Canadiens and Boston Bruinsstruggling a bit of late, the Lightning are right back in the thick of things, currently owning the top wild card spot.
The Penguins, meanwhile, haven’t done themselves too many favors more recently. Five losses in their last eight games have the Pens on the outside looking in, with both the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes in line just one point ahead of Pittsburgh for the last wild card spot. The Bruins, who will be playing Friday night as well, currently have that last playoff spot by the narrowest of margins.
As far as the Pens are concerned, Tampa Bay is one of several teams in their way for a wild card spot, too. Even though it’s January, both teams could benefit from playing with a little desperation. It seems like every point from here on out can make a difference in the particularly tight Eastern Conference wild card race.
The Lightning have been playing some of their best hockey of late, scoring goals and getting continued strong play from Ben Bishop who has quietly been excellent this season with a .926 save percentage. Steven Stamkos has four goals over his last five games. The Lightning’s most consistent threat more recently, however, has been Nikita Kucherov, who has 21 points in his last 17 games.
The Pens, meanwhile, haven’ been able to make the most of the improved play of late from Sidney Crosby. He has 14 points in his last 11 games, but Pittsburgh has gone 5-3-3 over that same span. Now they’ll lose a little depth with Nick Bonino out of the lineup for at least a month, per reports. That’s on top of already being without oft-injured Beau Bennett.
Tampa Bay has appeared to start figuring things out and have started looking like their old selves again. They haven’t been particularly great on home ice this year, but they’ll ride this recent hot streak to another important victory and launch themselves back into the top-three in the Atlantic. Picks: Lightning 4, Penguins 1
Steven Stamkos has four goals over his last five games. (USATSI)
The rest of Friday’s picks
Boston Bruins 3, Buffalo Sabres 1
Chicago Blackhawks 6, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
Carolina Hurricanes 3, Vancouver Canucks 2
Minnesota Wild 4, Winnipeg Jets 3
Dallas Stars 4, Anaheim Ducks 2
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