Saturday Picks: Ducks' streak ends vs. Kings
Welcome to the NHL Daily Picks where hockey writers Adam Gretz and Chris Peters make their picks for all of the day’s games.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. ET
There have been some pretty lengthy winning streaks in the NHL this season, including the one the Tampa Bay Lightning take into Saturday night that has helped propel them to the top of the Atlantic Division. Entering Saturday the Lightning have won eight games in a row, a streak that has seen them outscore their opponents by a 30-13 margin.
The schedule has certainly played in their favor during that streak with only two of those wins coming against teams that currently occupy a playoff spot (Pittsburgh and Boston). But they can’t control who they play and are doing exactly what they need to do: Taking care of business and beating the teams they need to beat. They get another one of those teams on Saturday when they face a Hurricanes team that has started to stumble a bit and sold off some players (Eric Staal, John Michael-Liles) at the trade deadline.
Steven Stamkos has been a huge part of the streak for the Lightning and has seen his production steadily rise ever since general manager Steve Yzerman announced the team was not going to trade him. He has scored a goal in seven of the eight games during the current streak, has reclaimed the team lead in scoring, and is now on a 38-goal pace for the season. He also has three multi-point games during the current streak.
While he has been filling the net, Ben Bishop has been making sure nothing gets in behind him. He is on a five-game stretch that has seen him stop 152 out of 158 shots (.962 save percentage). No reason to think any of those runs come to an end on Saturday. Tampa Bay Lightning 4, Carolina Hurricanes 1
Bonus game: Los Angeles Kings vs. Anaheim Ducks, 4 p.m. ET
Speaking of winning streaks, the Anaheim Ducks are one of three teams this season to put together a 10-game winning streak and they take it into Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon for a first-place showdown with the Kings.
The two teams are not only tied for first place in the Pacific Division with 80 points (the Ducks completely erased a 12-point the Kings had on them since Dec. 22) but just met a week ago in Anaheim in what might have been one of the most physical and intense regular season games of the year. The Ducks emerged as winners thanks to a Corey Perry hat trick.
While the Ducks have won 10 in a row, the Kings are also playing some pretty tough hockey lately with wins in five of their past six (the Ducks game was the only loss during that stretch) and have been playing some Kings-style hockey, grinding out a bunch of tight, low-scoring, one-goal wins. In other words, they’re ready for the playoffs.
Even though the Ducks have been scoring a ton of goals recently, the Kings will be able to slow them down at home and not only put a stop to the Ducks’ winning streak, but also regain sole possession of first place in the division. Pick: Los Angeles Kings 3, Anaheim Ducks 1
The rest of Saturday’s picks
Minnesota Wild 3, Buffalo Sabres 1
Nashville Predators 4, Colorado Avalanche 3
Pittsburgh Penguins 4, Calgary Flames 2
Montreal Canadiens 5, Winnipeg Jets 3
Ottawa Senators 6, Toronto Maple Leafs 3
Boston Bruins 3, Washington Capitals 2
Philadelphia Flyers 2, Columbus Blue Jackets 0
Florida Panthers 4, Arizona Coyotes 1
San Jose Sharks 3, Vancouver Canucks 2
Steven Stamkos has helped lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to an 8-game winning streak.(USATSI)
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