A very scary-looking injury suffered by Boston Bruins star David Backes on Saturday night as he and Tampa Bay’s Yanni Gourde came together in the Lightning crease, with Gourde’s skate appearing to cut Backes on the outside of his right leg. Backes was able to make his way to the Bruins bench on his own, but he was clutching the back of his leg before getting some help down the tunnel. He needed several stitches to close the laceration but thankfully avoided any serious damage. Here are two intriguing NHL betting matchups for this week. Check back for the latest sportsbook odds at MyBookie.
It could be backup Curtis McElhinney in goal for the Leafs because No. 1 Frederik Andersen suffered an upper-body injury last Wednesday against Dallas. McElhinney made 33 saves in a 4-0 win over Montreal on Saturday. McElhinney has now won seven out of his last nine appearances for the Leafs. His record is 10-4-1, with a 2.49 GAA and a .935 save percentage – better numbers really than Andersen has.The Predators will be without a key player the rest of the regular season in forwarding Calle Jarnkrok due to an upper-body injury. Jarnkrok was hurt last Tuesday in a 3-1 win over Winnipeg when he was checked by Jets forward Andrew Copp during the third period. Jarnkrok went to the locker room and was seen wearing a sling on his right arm leaving the arena. The forward had tied his career high with 16 goals and already has a career-high 35 points, ranking eighth on the Predators in points.
Expert Top NHL Betting Picks of the Week – March 19th
Sullivan on Murray rejoining practice: “It’s a big step for him. We’ll see how he responds after today. He’s not ruled out for Tuesday.” pic.twitter.com/LH4SZaP1Vo
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) 17 de marzo de 2018
Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Islanders
- When: Tuesday, 7 PM ET (TSN, NHL Center Ice)
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
Top Players
Sidney Crosby gets all the publicity on the Penguins, but Evgeni Malkin has been the better player this season. Malkin is second in the NHL with 89 points and third with 40 goals as he pushes for a Hart Trophy. Malkin is second among active players (to Crosby) and 13th all-time in points per game (1.189). Evgeni also is tied for third with Crosby among active players in goals per game, at 0.475, behind only Alex Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos. Malkin was a Hart finalist twice before winning the award in 2011-12; since then, Malkin hasn’t even gotten a single vote for MVP.“He’s been dominant. He’s found another level. Especially in the second half, we’ve needed points, and he found a way to elevate his game,” Crosby said of Malkin, who has scored 53 points in 32 games since the start of 2018.The Islanders have their own star in John Tavares, who is set for free agency this summer and could become the highest-paid player in league history. To shake things up a bit with his team nearly eliminated from playoff contention, coach Doug Weight put Tavares, usually, a center, played left wing Sunday.“It doesn’t mean he’s going to play wing and it doesn’t mean he’s not a centerman,” Weight said of Tavares. “It’s an experiment. Moving forward, it gives them some experience together. I’m excited to see it.”Season Head to Head
Pittsburgh is 3-0 vs. the Islanders this season. They last played March 3 in Pittsburgh and the Pens won 3-2 in overtime. Crosby finished off a 2-on-1 by sneaking a wrist shot past Chris Gibson 3:48 into overtime.Toronto Maple Leafs at Nashville Predators
- When: Thursday, 8 PM ET (NHL Center Ice)
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
It could be backup Curtis McElhinney in goal for the Leafs because No. 1 Frederik Andersen suffered an upper-body injury last Wednesday against Dallas. McElhinney made 33 saves in a 4-0 win over Montreal on Saturday. McElhinney has now won seven out of his last nine appearances for the Leafs. His record is 10-4-1, with a 2.49 GAA and a .935 save percentage – better numbers really than Andersen has.The Predators will be without a key player the rest of the regular season in forwarding Calle Jarnkrok due to an upper-body injury. Jarnkrok was hurt last Tuesday in a 3-1 win over Winnipeg when he was checked by Jets forward Andrew Copp during the third period. Jarnkrok went to the locker room and was seen wearing a sling on his right arm leaving the arena. The forward had tied his career high with 16 goals and already has a career-high 35 points, ranking eighth on the Predators in points.
