Thursday, March 10 is a very busy night on the NHL schedule. Twenty-six of the league’s teams are in action tonight and several of the games are important to the 2022 NHL Playoff picture.
Before we look at three of the most intriguing games on tonight’s NHL schedule, check out the odds for the 2022 NHL Playoffs and the latest odds on Stanley Cup Futures.
Colorado vs. Carolina
Date & Location: Thursday, March 10 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Sportsnet NOW, NHL Live
In a possible preview of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, the top two teams in the NHL meet tonight. In that game, the No. 1 Colorado Avalanche face the No. 2 Carolina Hurricanes. This is the first meeting of the 2022 NHL season between the clubs.
Both teams are excellent at goal-scoring. The Avalanche are second in the league with 230 goals. Carolina is No. 8 with 191 goals. No team has allowed fewer goals than the Hurricanes at 134. Meanwhile, Colorado is in the middle of the pack with 168. Despite allowing more goals, the Avalanche have a better goal differential at +62. Carolina is +57.
Frederik Andersen is exceptional in the net for the Hurricanes. He is third in the NHL in GAA (2.08), SVPCT (.928) and wins (29). Andersen has three shutouts. Colorado’s Darcy Kuemper has a 2.57 GAA, a .904 SVPCT and three shutouts to go with 27 victories.
Colorado will be without defenceman Brian Bowen in this matchup. Andersen missed Sunday’s game for Carolina. He is day-to-day.
The Avalanche are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and coming off a 5-3 loss to New Jersey. The club is 1-3 in its past four outings. Carolina is 7-1-2 in their past 10 and on a two-game winning streak. Colorado is 18-9-2 on the road and Carolina is 21-4-2 at home.
Avalanche defensemen Cale Maker has nine points in the team’s last five games. Teuvo Teravainen is Carolina’s highest-scoring in their past five outings with five points.
Pick: If Andersen plays, Carolina gets the win. Without Andersen, the pick goes to Colorado.
New York Rangers vs. St. Louis
Date & Location: Thursday, March 10 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Sportsnet NOW, NHL Live
The New York Rangers enter tonight’s game as the No. 5 team in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the home St. Louis Blues are third in the West. This is the second meeting of the teams in the 2022 NHL season. New York won the first game 5-3 at home on March 2. The Rangers are 2-1 since then and coming off a 5-2 loss to Minnesota. That loss started the Blues on a four-game losing skid. St. Louis is coming off a 4-1 loss to Ottawa.
The Blues are one of the highest-scoring teams in the NHL with 195 goals. The Rangers have 171 markers. St. Louis has allowed 155 goals. New York has allowed 144 goals.
The Rangers’ goalie, Igor Shesterkin, leads the league in GAA (1.93) and SVPCT (.942). He is third in wins with 28. The Blues are alternating goaltenders Jordan Binnington (3.08 GAA, .904 SVPCT) and Ville Husso (2.17 GAA, .930 SVPCT)
Artemi Panarin leads the Rangers in scoring in the team’s past five games with seven points. Chris Kreider has four goals in five games. He is tied for second in the NHL with 38 goals. Jordan Kyrou has been a point-per-game player for St. Louis in the team’s past five outings. David Perron has four goals during that stretch.
New York is without Kaapo Kakko and Kevin Rooney. St. Louis is healthy.
Three of the Blues’ recent losses came on the road. St. Louis is 19-7-2 at home and the Rangers are 17-11-2 on the road.
Pick: St. Louis to win at home.
Tampa Bay vs. Calgary
Date & Location: Thursday, March 10 at Scotiabank Saddledome
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Sportsnet NOW, NHL Live
Two of the top teams in the NHL met in Calgary tonight when the Tampa Bay Lightning play the Flames. Calgary is the No. 2 team in the Western Conference, while Tampa Bay is in the third spot in the East. Both teams are coming off losses, but they have been playing well. Tampa Bay is 7-3-0 in their past 10 games and Calgary is 7-2-1 during that same stretch. The Flames are 16-5-5 at home, while Tampa is an 18-8-2 road team.
The two teams are close in goals scored with Tampa netting 196 to Calgary’s 197. However, the Lightning allow more goals at 162 to the Flames’ 139.
Jacob Markstrom has been excellent in the Calgary net, he is fourth in the NHL in GAA (2.14) and fifth in SVPCT (.926). His eight shutouts lead the league. Andrei Vasilevskiy is having another outstanding season in the Tampa net with a 2.39 GAA and .918 SVPCT to go with two shutouts.
Victor Hedman leads the Lightning in points (6) and goals (3) in Tampa’s past five outings, while Elias Lindholm has the hot hand in Calgary with nine points and six goals in Calgary’s last five games.
I expect an entertaining game here, but I think the home team wins behind the hotter goaltender.
Pick: Calgary to beat Tampa Bay.
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