The Morning Skate: 3/31

Posted by Chris on .

 
RLD Hockey is an NHL blog of mine where we take a look at the hot topics around the league on a daily basis. One of our staples is the 'Morning Skate', where I rundown everything going on in the NHL, including predictions on the big games. The PensBlog has been nice enough to let me share the Morning Skate with you .  You can follow us on Twitter @RLDhockey!

 

The Morning After:
Yesterday’s scores:
Sabres 1, Rangers 0
Devils 3, Islanders 2
Hurricanes 6, Canadiens 2
Blues 10, Red Wings 3
Ducks 4, Flames 2
Predictions record: 2-3

My 3 stars of the night:
1. Jeff Skinner, CAR (2 Goals, 1 Assist)… For the second straight night, the dazzling rookie came up big for Carolina. He picked up three points in a must-win game against Montreal.
2. Jhonas Enroth, BUF (23 Saves, Shutout)
3. Lubomir Visnovsky, ANA (1 Goal, 1 Assist)
Close but no cigar: C. Porter and C. Stewart, STL; C. Perry, ANA; J. McBain, CAR; H. Lundqvist, NYR; I. Kovalchuk, NJ
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Tonight’s Slate:
Maple Leafs @ Bruins, 7:00 ET
Rangers @ Islanders, 7:00
Thrashers @ Flyers, 7:00
Blue Jackets @ Capitals, 7:00
Penguins @ Lightning, 7:30
Senators @ Panthers, 7:30
Oilers @ Wild, 8:00
Predators @ Avalanche, 9:00
Kings @ Canucks, 10:00
Stars @ Sharks, 10:30

Games of the Night:
Pittsburgh Penguins @ Tampa Bay Lightning
7:30 ET… TV: Local Networks

Records:
Overall: Penguins (45-24-8) … Lightning (41-24-11)
Last Ten: Penguins (7-3-0) … Lightning (4-3-3)
Away/Home: Penguins (21-10-6) … Lightning (23-11-5)
Season Series: 2-1 Penguins

Players to watch:
PIT- Jordan Staal
Staal has gone pointless in the last four games, so he’s due to find the stat-sheet.
TB- Martin St. Louis
The 35-year-old is second in the NHL in points, and has six in his last three games.

Projected Goaltenders:
PIT- Marc-Andre Fleury (2010/11 stats: 34-19-5, 2.32 GAA)
TB- Dwayne Roloson (2010/11 stats: 21-24-5, 2.64 GAA)

Injury Report:
PIT- Brent Johnson (upper body, questionable), Sidney Crosby and Eric Tangradi (concussion, out), Evgeni Malkin and Dustin Jeffrey (knee, out), Nick Johnson (upper body, out)
TB- Ryan Malone (abdominal, out), Randy Jones (ankle, out)

Game Thoughts:
Two weeks from tonight, these two clubs could be facing off in the first round of the playoffs. With a win, the Lightning can clinch a playoff spot – their first since 2007. Meanwhile, the Pens are coming off a tough loss at home to the Flyers. They have played well on the road as of late; the Bolts have been shaky over the last month. Go with Dan Bylsma’s gang in this one.
Prediction: Penguins 4, Lightning 2
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Los Angeles Kings @ Vancouver Canucks
10:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Records:
Overall: Kings (44-26-6) … Canucks (51-17-9)
Last Ten: Kings (8-1-1) … Canucks (9-1-0)
Away/Home: Kings (21-14-3) … Canucks (25-8-5)
Season Series: 2-1 Kings

Players to watch:
LA- Dustin Brown
Captain Brown has seen his production rise at the perfect time.
VAN- Ryan Kesler
Kesler has three goals in his last 19 games; can he turn around those fortunes tonight?

Projected Goaltenders:
LA- Jonathan Quick (2010/11 stats: 33-18-3, 2.19 GAA)
VAN- Roberto Luongo (2010/11 stats: 36-14-7, 2.16 GAA)

Injury Report:
LA- Anze Kopitar (ankle, out), Justin Williams (shoulder, out), Scott Parse (hip, out)
VAN- Mikael Samuelsson (leg, doubtful), Dan Hamhuis (concussion, out), Alexander Edler (back, out), Manny Malhotra (eye, out), Andrew Alberts (wrist, out), Tanner Glass (ribs, questionable)

Game Thoughts:
Both the Canucks and Kings come into this game with some key injuries. Terry Murray and company are without Kopitar and Williams, but were able to pick up a shutout in Edmonton. Vancouver wrapped up the top seed in the West on Tuesday, sweeping their four-game road trip (in which they only gave up four goals). If they can avoid coming out flat, I like their chances.
Prediction: Canucks 2, Kings 1
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Dallas Stars @ San Jose Sharks
10:30 ET… TV: Local Networks

Records:
Overall: Stars (38-26-11) … Sharks (44-23-9)
Last Ten: Stars (3-3-4) … Sharks (6-1-3)
Away/Home: Stars (18-15-3) … Sharks (21-11-5)
Season Series: 3-2 Stars

Players to watch:
DAL- Brenden Morrow
In a must-win situation, look for the captain to bring his best effort.
SJ- Logan Couture
Though he does his best work on the road, Couture has turned up the notch recently.

Projected Goaltenders:
DAL- Kari Lehtonen (2010/11 stats: 30-21-11, 2.24 GAA)
SJ- Antti Niemi (2010/11 stats: 31-17-6, 2.46 GAA)

Injury Report:
DAL- Karlis Skrastins (thigh, questionable), Brian Sutherby (back, questionable), Nicklas Grossman (knee, out), Adam Burish (leg, out)
SJ- Scott Nichol and Kent Huskins (upper body, out)

Game Thoughts:
Dallas enters the Shark Tank with a lot of desperation, needing two points in the worst way. It won’t be easy as the division-leading Sharks would love to ruin their rival’s playoff hopes. The Stars have dropped the first two contests of their season-defining road trip, but did win the first two meetings in San Jose this year. Getting three wins in San Jose may be too much to ask. It’ll be a tight, feisty affair… Team Teal pulls it out tonight.
Prediction: Sharks 3, Stars 2 (OT)

The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Bruins over Maple Leafs
Rangers over Islanders
Flyers over Thrashers
Capitals over Blue Jackets (Lock of the night)
Senators over Panthers
Wild over Oilers
Predators over Avalanche
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Video of the Day:

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The Playoff Drive:
Countdown – 13 days

SportsClubStats swing game of the day:
Dallas @ San Jose
Stars’ playoff chances w/ win: 48.4% (+14.1)
With a loss: 22.4% (-11.9)

Playoff video of the day:

 

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