PREMIUM
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(NHL) Las Vegas vs. Nashville,
Total: 5.50 | 105.00 Under
Result: Loss
Total: 5.50 | 105.00 Under
Result: Loss
The set-up: The Nashville Predators emerged as the best team in the West a year ago by advancing to the Stanley Cup Final but so far this season, the 25-11-6 Preds are sitting with 56 points and 'looking up' at the Winnipeg Jets in the Central Division. Both the Jets and Preds are looking up at the expansion Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference, as with a 29-10-3 record, Vegas leads not only the Pacific Division with its 61 points but the entire conference as well. The Golden Knights will visit Bridgestone Arena Tuesday night, after returning from their bye week with a 2-1 overtime home loss to Edmonton last Saturday night. This marks Nashville's first game since its league-mandated break. The Preds had lost six of eight (2-4-2) before winning their final two before the break, closing out a six-game road trip with a 4-3 win at Los Angeles and edging Edmonton 2-1.
Vegas: The Golden Knights have been the "feel-good story" of the NHL in their inaugural campaign but "We weren't sharp. We didn't play our typical game," head coach Gerard Gallant said, attributing the team's third setback in 17 games (14-1-2) to the layoff. "The first game is tough to come back, but it will be good for us down the road." Vegas has converted on only 1 of 23 chances on the power play over the past nine games but it has killed off 23 straight short-handed situations since yielding a pair of man-advantage tallies back on Dec. 19. "When your PK is good, it starts with goaltending," Gallant said. "We talk about special teams a lot. They can win you a lot of hockey games." William Karlsson has scored eight of his team-high 23 goals in the past nine games, including one in each of the past three. James Neal, left unprotected by the Predators in the expansion draft, has 18 goals.
Nashville:Leading scorer Filip Forsberg, expected to be sidelined four to six weeks after suffering a reported fractured hand on Dec. 29, resumed skating on his own Monday. However, that news was overshadowed after Viktor Arvidsson, the third-leading scorer, exited Monday's practice and appeared unable to put weight on one leg. Arvidsson, who had a breakout season with 31 goals in 2016-17, has 13 goals and 27 points in 41 games.
The pick: The Predators take the ice tonight looking to avoid a three-game sweep in the season series vs. Vegas. Nashville dropped a 4-3 decision in a shootout at home to the Golden Knights on Dec. 8 and were blanked at Vegas 3-0 on Jan. The goalie matchup in goal is expected to be All-Stars Marc-Andre Fleury (9-2-2, 1.83 GAA & .942 SP) for Vegas and Pekka Rinne (21-8-3, 2.43 GAA & 925 SP) for Nashville, which may lead one to say "under." However, Nashville averages 3.47 GPG on home ice, while a "typical" Vegas road game has averaged 6 1/2 goals, Y-T-D. Make the Over a 10* play.
Vegas: The Golden Knights have been the "feel-good story" of the NHL in their inaugural campaign but "We weren't sharp. We didn't play our typical game," head coach Gerard Gallant said, attributing the team's third setback in 17 games (14-1-2) to the layoff. "The first game is tough to come back, but it will be good for us down the road." Vegas has converted on only 1 of 23 chances on the power play over the past nine games but it has killed off 23 straight short-handed situations since yielding a pair of man-advantage tallies back on Dec. 19. "When your PK is good, it starts with goaltending," Gallant said. "We talk about special teams a lot. They can win you a lot of hockey games." William Karlsson has scored eight of his team-high 23 goals in the past nine games, including one in each of the past three. James Neal, left unprotected by the Predators in the expansion draft, has 18 goals.
Nashville:Leading scorer Filip Forsberg, expected to be sidelined four to six weeks after suffering a reported fractured hand on Dec. 29, resumed skating on his own Monday. However, that news was overshadowed after Viktor Arvidsson, the third-leading scorer, exited Monday's practice and appeared unable to put weight on one leg. Arvidsson, who had a breakout season with 31 goals in 2016-17, has 13 goals and 27 points in 41 games.
The pick: The Predators take the ice tonight looking to avoid a three-game sweep in the season series vs. Vegas. Nashville dropped a 4-3 decision in a shootout at home to the Golden Knights on Dec. 8 and were blanked at Vegas 3-0 on Jan. The goalie matchup in goal is expected to be All-Stars Marc-Andre Fleury (9-2-2, 1.83 GAA & .942 SP) for Vegas and Pekka Rinne (21-8-3, 2.43 GAA & 925 SP) for Nashville, which may lead one to say "under." However, Nashville averages 3.47 GPG on home ice, while a "typical" Vegas road game has averaged 6 1/2 goals, Y-T-D. Make the Over a 10* play.
