The Colorado Avalanche have been playing terrific hockey in the early going, but they are now without two of their best players with both being called week-to-week with lower-body injuries. They would be wingers Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. They play on arguably the NHL’s top line with Nathan MacKinnon.
Sounds like Landeskog, the team captain, will be out longer than Rantanen. MacKinnon is still putting up points without his linemates. Here are two early-week intriguing games. Check back for NHL odds.
Top NHL Betting Picks of the Week – November 4th Edition
Chicago Blackhawks at San Jose Sharks
- When: Tuesday, 10 PM ET
- TV: NBC Sports Network
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
This concludes the California Swing for the Blackhawks. The Hawks are 1-1 on it, losing Saturday at the Kings in overtime but then winning the next night in OT, 3-2 at the Ducks, for their first road win of the season. Patrick Kane posted the overtime game-winner. Kane beat Ryan Miller over the shoulder on a nice pass from Jonathan Toews. Kane entered the game with just two assists and no goals across the past six outings. The goal was just his fourth of the season, and first since Oct. 20.
Adam Boqvist notched his first NHL goal in just his second game in Sunday’s win. Boqvist is the third-youngest defenseman in Blackhawks franchise history to score a goal (19 years, 80 days). Only Steve McCarthy (18 years, 245 days on Oct. 6, 1999 vs. Vancouver) and Harold Jackson (18 years, 173 days on Jan. 21, 1937 vs. N.Y. Rangers) were younger. Robin Lehner allowed just two goals on 38 shots. He is now 3-2-2 with a 2.22 goals-against average and .939 save percentage across his seven starts and eight appearances.
Why the Sharks should be your NHL Betting pick?
San Jose lost its fifth in a row Saturday, 5-2 to Vancouver. A day after the Sharks fired 53 shots in a 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, the Canucks held them to 26. Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored a short-handed goal for San Jose, which has lost five straight and seven of eight (1-6-1). San Jose has been scored on first in 11 of their first 15 games, in which they’re 2-9.
It’s the second meeting between these teams. Chicago lost at home to San Jose 5-4 on Oct. 10. Patrick Marleau had two goals for the Sharks, Barclay Goodrow snapped a third-period tie and Brent Burns scored his 200th career goal for San Jose.
Goodrow was all alone in the slot when Joe Thornton threw the puck in front 4:47 into the third. Kevin Labanc also scored, and Dylan Gambrell had two assists. Andrew Shaw had two goals for Chicago. Dominik Kubalik scored his first NHL goal, and Dylan Strome had a goal and an assist.
Detroit Red Wings at New York Rangers
- When: Wednesday, 8 PM ET
- TV: NBC Sports Network
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
Detroit enters the week with just one victory in its past 11 games. Not clear if top defenseman Mike Green will play here. He missed Monday’s game with an illness. Coach Jeff Blashill does not believe Green’s issue is related to the virus the defenseman had last season. In 14 games this season, Green has just one goal and one assist, far below his usual offensive production.
The Red Wings have said repeatedly that they would ideally like to have their special teams be in the top 10 in both power play and penalty kill.
They started the season off with both of those elements in the Top 10 but have fallen to 25th in the league with the man-advantage at 14 percent compared to the Boston Bruins’ league-leading 30.9 percent. The penalty kill is ranked 29th at 70.2 percent compared to the San Jose Sharks’ 90.7 percent.
Why the Rangers should be your NHL Betting Pick?
The Rangers plan to start Henrik Lundqvist on Wednesday against Detroit. Lundqvist last played on Oct. 27th. He’s 2-3-0 with a 3.58 GAA and .906 save percentage in six contests. New York remains without center Mike Zibanejad as he’s dealing with an upper-body injury. He was last in the lineup on Oct. 27th. Zibanejad has compiled 11 points through six matches.First meeting of the season between Original Six rivals, neither of which is very good this season. Last year in an oddity every game finished 3-2 between these teams and Detroit won them all. The one game at Madison Square Garden was the final meeting. Andreas Athanasiou had two goals for the Wings.
Frans Nielsen also scored and Jimmy Howard stopped 41 shots and improved to 10-3-3 in 16 career appearances against the Rangers. Thus, Howard should be in there for this one. Ryan Strome and Brendan Smith scored for the Rangers, while Henrik Lundqvist made 27 saves.
Expert NHL Betting Picks
Both home teams should be your NHL Betting picks.
