Betting news, trends, odds and predictions for Wednesday, February 28, 2018 from various handicappers and websites
Detroit Lock City
The Detroit Red Wings have won two in a row, but they have mostly been spinning their wheels lately. However, while they're 5-5-2 across the past 12 games overall, nine of those outings have resulted in one-goal games. That's huge if you're into betting puck lines. However, Detroit has been a lock recently for total bettors. The 'under' is 8-0 in the past eight contests, and the under is 15-3 in the past 18 games, and 22-6 across the past 28 battles. The streak might continue in Wednesday's outing in St. Louis, as the under is 8-2 in the past 10 meetings. The under is also 7-0 in the past seven for St. Louis against Eastern Conference teams, and 18-7 in the past 25 home games. The Blues are playing in their fourth game in six days, and the under is 11-5 in their past 16 in the fourth game of a 4-in-6 situation, so keep that in mind Wednesday.
Jekyll and Hyde
The New Jersey Devils are a hard team to figure out lately. They are the only team to spoil the fun for the Philadelphia Flyers over the past 11 games, winning 5-4 in a shootout on Feb. 13, and that victory kicked off a four-game winning streak which included a home-and-home sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes and a 4-3 win on the road against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Like Detroit above, five of the past eight for New Jersey have resulted in one-goal outcomes. Speaking of Jekyll and Hyde, the 'over' cashed in five in a row from Feb. 10-17, but the 'under' is now 4-0-1 across the past five battles. That includes a 3-2 'under' result in a win on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins last time out on Tuesday night.
Advertisement
Looking Ahead
Wednesday, February 28
The Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames are battling for playoff positioning in the Western Conference and/or they're trying to stay in the playoff mix. The last time these teams hooked up it was a 5-1 beatdown by the Flames in Calgary on Saturday night, so the Avalanche will be looking for a little payback at home. Calgary has posted a 4-0 record over their past four against Central Division teams, and they're 9-4 in their past 13 games away from home. For Colorado, they have won 13 of the past 16 at home, but they're 5-17 in the past 22 home games against a team with a winning road record, and they're 1-4 in the past five overall against teams with a winning overall mark. The Flames have won five in a row in this series, and 12 of their past 17 visits to the Mile High City.
Thursday, March 1
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins were two busy teams adding key components at the NHL trade deadline, trying to get better for what they hope will be a stretch run. The key add for the Pens was Derick Brassard from the Ottawa Senators, while the B's welcomed scorer Rick Nash to the fold. These teams could be on a collision course in the playoffs, and if the first two meetings are any indication, it might be a very entertaining series. The Bruins topped the Penguins 4-3 on Nov. 24 in Beantown, and the Pens returned the favor 6-5 in overtime in the Steel City back on Jan. 7. The home team has won six meetings in a row since the B's were able to win on Pittsburgh's ice back on Dec. 18, 2015, the last visitor to cash in this series.
The Los Angeles Kings swept a home-and-home series against the Vegas Golden Knights Monday-Tuesday, giving them four valuable points as they sniff around for a playoff spot. They're battling several teams just to get into the playoff mix, but things are certainly looking up. L.A. is 5-2 over their past seven games, and they're 4-2 over the past six at Staples Center while averaging 3.5 goals per game during the span. These teams used to meet frequently when the Blue Jackets were in the Western Conference, but now they square off just twice per season. The first meeting resulted in a 6-4 win by the Kings in Columbus, which was a rarity. The previous five meetings were all one-goal games.
Friday, March 2
It's a busy slate for a Friday, and the Canadiens and Islanders do battle in the second end of a home-and-home after meeting Wednesday in Montreal. The Islanders entered play just 2-5 over their past seven overall, and 1-5 in their past six against Atlantic Division teams. The Habs entered just 7-20 in their past 27 overall, while going 1-4 in their past five against Eastern Conference clubs and 1-5 in their past six against Metropolitan Division clubs. With those types of numbers it's no wonder why both of these teams were sellers at the trade deadline. Montreal has won 10 of the past 14 against New York heading into Wednesday's game.
The Predators invade the Pacific Northwest looking to take care of the Canucks and keep their lead in the Western Conference. It went about as good as possible the last time the Predators were in town, topping the Canucks 7-1 back on Dec. 13. They were returning the favor after suffering a 5-3 setback on home ice in the previous meeting on Nov. 30. It's odd that the home team has dropped both meetings this series, as the home team was 5-0 in the previous five meetings in the series entering the season.
Saturday, March 3
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals square off outside at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., and all eyes will be on the nationally-televised outdoor game. These teams met in an epic seven-game playoff series as the Leafs turned some heads and served notice to the rest of the NHL that they're on their way back. The Caps haven't gone away, as they're still a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference.
The Leafs and Caps have split the first two meetings. Toronto won 2-0 against Washington in the first battle on Oct. 17 in D.C., and the Caps took a 4-2 decision on Nov. 25. The Caps have been faltering lately, as they have failed to win back-to-back games since sweeping a home-and-home against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Feb. 6-9. So of course they would pound the Jackets on Monday in Columbus, right? Nope. They were blasted 5-1. Washington's unpredictability lately has become comical.
This is just the third-ever NHL Outdoor Game for the Leafs. They won 3-2 in a shootout at Michigan Stadium in the Winter Classic on Jan. 1, 2014, and they won 5-4 in overtime against the Red Wings at BMO Field in Toronto in the Centennial Classic on Jan. 1, 2017. Something's gotta give, too, as the Capitals are also 2-0 all-time in their outdoor games. They won on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Heinz Field back on Jan. 1, 2011, and they pushed aside the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 in regulation at Nationals Park in D.C. on Jan. 1, 2015 in the Winter Classic.
NHL
Wednesday, February 28
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NY ISLANDERS @ MONTREAL
NY Islanders is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Islanders's last 7 games
Montreal is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montreal's last 5 games at home
BUFFALO @ TAMPA BAY
Buffalo is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Buffalo is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 games
Tampa Bay is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games when playing Buffalo
Tampa Bay is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Buffalo
DETROIT @ ST. LOUIS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games
Detroit is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of St. Louis's last 21 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games
CALGARY @ COLORADO
Calgary is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado
Calgary is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 11-1 ATS in its last 12 games at home
Colorado is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home
NY RANGERS @ VANCOUVER
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Rangers's last 6 games on the road
NY Rangers is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Vancouver's last 5 games at home
Vancouver is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing NY Rangers
__________________
NHL
Long Sheet
Wednesday, February 28
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFALO (19-33-0-11, 49 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (43-17-0-3, 89 pts.) - 2/28/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 19-44 ATS (+81.7 Units) in all games this season.
BUFFALO is 2-13 ATS (+20.8 Units) after a division game this season.
TAMPA BAY is 43-20 ATS (+76.0 Units) in all games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 16-5 ATS (+6.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
TAMPA BAY is 23-9 ATS (+9.5 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
BUFFALO is 284-256 ATS (+540.5 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
BUFFALO is 216-227 ATS (+488.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 379-418 ATS (-168.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 8-2 (+4.2 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 8-2-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.6 Units)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NY ISLANDERS (29-27-0-7, 65 pts.) at MONTREAL (23-29-0-10, 56 pts.) - 2/28/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY ISLANDERS are 9-1 ATS (+10.0 Units) in road games when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 3 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 13-6 ATS (+6.5 Units) after a division game this season.
MONTREAL is 23-39 ATS (-16.5 Units) in all games this season.
MONTREAL is 8-17 ATS (-16.1 Units) in February games over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 16-22 ATS (-10.6 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 4-13 ATS (+18.5 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent this season.
MONTREAL is 11-26 ATS (+41.4 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
MONTREAL is 3-10 ATS (-7.5 Units) after playing 3 consecutive home games this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 4-3-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.4 Units)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DETROIT (26-26-0-10, 62 pts.) at ST LOUIS (34-26-0-4, 72 pts.) - 2/28/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 17-6 ATS (+9.7 Units) when playing on back-to-back days over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 6-2 ATS (+9.0 Units) in road games in non-conference games this season.
ST LOUIS is 3-9 ATS (-11.5 Units) in February games this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 3-2-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.7 Units)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CALGARY (32-23-0-9, 73 pts.) at COLORADO (33-24-0-5, 71 pts.) - 2/28/2018, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 33-29 ATS (+63.3 Units) in all games this season.
COLORADO is 12-3 ATS (+15.7 Units) in a home game where where the total is 6 or more this season.
COLORADO is 9-1 ATS (+7.7 Units) in home games second half of the season this season.
COLORADO is 20-19 ATS (+41.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
COLORADO is 8-1 ATS (+9.0 Units) in home games after a win by 2 goals or more this season.
CALGARY is 7-1 ATS (+8.1 Units) in road games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game this season.
CALGARY is 23-13 ATS (+9.8 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 6-2 (+3.9 Units) against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 6-2-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.2 Units)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NY RANGERS (27-30-0-6, 60 pts.) at VANCOUVER (24-32-0-7, 55 pts.) - 2/28/2018, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 7-18 ATS (+28.3 Units) second half of the season this season.
VANCOUVER is 10-7 ATS (+20.5 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.
VANCOUVER is 10-6 ATS (+18.6 Units) after playing 3 consecutive road games this season.
VANCOUVER is 236-241 ATS (-117.9 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 377-356 ATS (-14.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 96-88 ATS (-67.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 2-3 (+0.9 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 3-2-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.1 Units)
__________________
Preview: Islanders at Canadiens
Gracenote
Feb 27, 2018
The New York Islanders continue to fall back in the chase for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and are in the midst of a rugged stretch in which they play only once at home in eight games. The Islanders will look to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat when they visit the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night in the front end of a home-and-home set.
New York was unable to hold a third-period lead for the second straight game in Saturday's 2-1 loss at New Jersey and sits four points behind eighth-place Columbus. "It's deflating. We had a real opportunity to start moving up," Islanders forward Andrew Ladd said. "You give up a game like that and it knocks you back a little bit. It's frustrating. I don't know any other way to say it. We have to find a way to pick ourselves up and keep going." While Montreal has earned points in four straight games (1-0-3), it also has posted just one victory over the last nine games. The Canadiens are coming off a 1-0 setback in a shootout to Philadelphia on Monday to tie a franchise record with its ninth shutout loss of the season.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN2, RDS (Montreal), MSG Plus (New York)
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (29-27-7): Rookie Mathew Barzal collected his 12th assist in the last eight games versus New Jersey and also scored one goal and set up two others in New York's 5-4 overtime win at Montreal on Jan. 15. Defenseman Brandon Davidson, who was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, makes his Islanders debut against the team that waived him in December. Also set to make his debut for New York is physical forward Chris Wagner, who was picked up from Anaheim on Monday in exchange for Jason Chimera.
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (23-29-10): Captain Max Pacioretty was linked to a number of deals but ended up staying put at Monday's trade deadline, a positive sign for an offensive-starved team. “Definitely, there’s a lack of confidence with the season,” coach Claude Julien said. “It’s a difficult season. You see in the practices guys can score. In the games, the guys have chances to score but aren’t capable of finishing." Montreal traded Joe Morrow on Monday and acquired fellow blue-liner Mike Reilly from the Minnesota Wild.
OVERTIME
1. Islanders F Jordan Eberle has scored in four of the last eight games.
2. Canadiens G Antti Niemi takes a 2-1-1 mark and 3.16 goals-against average versus the Islanders into Wednesday's start.
3. New York has killed off all 10 penalties in the last five games.
PREDICTION: Islanders 4, Canadiens 3
Preview: Sabres at Lightning
Gracenote
Feb 27, 2018
The Tampa Bay Lightning ended up making one of the biggest moves at the trade deadline Monday afternoon and could have one of their new acquisitions in the lineup Wednesday when they host the Eastern Conference-worst Buffalo Sabres. The Lightning have won four in a row and own a league-most 43 victories, but sent a major package to the New York Rangers in exchange for steady defenseman Ryan McDonagh and center J.T. Miller.
"Sure, you take notice that those teams improved themselves," Tampa Bay general manager Steve Yzerman told reporters. "But for us, this wasn't a case of trying to keep up with the Joneses. We were just trying to improve. We think we've done that." McDonagh is recovering from an upper-body injury and will likely miss a few more games while Miller (13 goals, 40 points) could make his debut Wednesday against the Sabres, who beat the Lightning 5-3 on Feb. 13. Buffalo, which traded third-leading scorer Evander Kane to San Jose on Monday for a pair of draft picks and a prospect, has won two of their last three games after knocking off red-hot Boston 4-1 on Sunday. “We come to rise against good teams,” Sabres defenseman Nathan Beaulieu told reporters. “We know what’s at stake. … I think we got to try to (have that) mindset every night.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TVA, MSG Buffalo, FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
ABOUT THE SABRES (19-33-11): Buffalo acquired forward Danny O’Regan in the deal with San Jose and the former fifth-round draft pick was a linemate of Sabres leading scorer Jack Eichel when they were together at Boston University. The 24-year-old O’Regan had four assists in 19 games with the Sharks this season and recorded 23 goals and 50 points in 41 contests with Eichel in 2014-15 when the Terriers reached the NCAA final. Eichel (53 points) is recovering from an ankle injury and second-leading scorer Ryan O’Reilly (45 points) has gone six games without a goal.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (43-17-3): Right wing Nikita Kucherov, who leads the league with 82 points, left Monday’s game with an upper-body injury but he could return Wednesday. Miller should help Tampa Bay in the faceoff circle with his 54.3 percentage and McDonagh is expected to add stability to a defense that has allowed 42 goals in 13 games this month - despite going 9-4-0. “He does everything really good,” Lightning defenseman Daniel Girardi told reporters of his former blue line partner McDonagh. “. … He thinks about the right net, he’s going to worry about defense first.”
OVERTIME
1. Buffalo D Rasmus Ristolainen has registered eight points in the last 10 games to reach 30 for the third straight season.
2. Tampa Bay C Brayden Point boasts five goals in the last five games and notched the shootout winner in the past two contests.
3. The Sabres’ 5-3 win earlier this month - with two goals from F Sam Reinhart - snapped a five-game losing streak against the Lightning.
PREDICTION: Lightning 5, Sabres 1
Preview: Red Wings at Blues
Gracenote
Feb 28, 2018
The slumping St. Louis Blues may have hit rock bottom last time out, and they will attempt to bounce back just 24 hours later when they host the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday. The Blues have lost seven straight games (0-6-1) for the first time since 2009-10 after Tuesday’s humbling 8-3 loss at Minnesota and have fallen out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
“We’re not going to let people take away from the pride and the culture that we have here," St. Louis coach Mike Yeo, whose team opened the season 10-2-1, told reporters after the loss. "Obviously, this is a difficult stretch and I am anxious to see who is ready to respond the right way.” The Red Wings still are hanging on in the playoff race, sitting seven points behind Columbus for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference after winning two straight games and earning a point in three in a row. Detroit opened a critical five-game road trip Sunday with a 3-2 overtime victory over the fading New York Rangers as Jimmy Howard turned aside 36 shots. “We’re still there,” Howard told reporters after making his fourth consecutive start. “We haven’t been put away yet and we’re going to continue to try and grind out wins.”
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (26-26-10): Detroit made one deal at Monday's trade deadline, sending the 27-year-old Tomas Tatar to Vegas for first, second and third-round picks as it attempts to clear space for its promising younger players. “I am trying to build a team here that somewhere down the road can compete for the Stanley Cup,” general manager Ken Holland told the Detroit Free Press. “It has to be done through the draft. Now there’s more draft picks, more assets.” Dylan Larkin has recorded four assists in the last four games to push his team-leading total to 47 points.
ABOUT THE BLUES (34-26-4): St. Louis has been outscored 29-10 during its losing streak and allowed a total of eight first-period goals over its last three contests. Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice in Tuesday’s loss to give him five goals in his last eight games and a team-leading 26 on the season - two more than All-Star Brayden Schenn, who tops the Blues with 56 points. All-Star defenseman Alex Pietrangelo recorded the other tally for St. Louis in his 599th NHL contest to snap a six-game point drought and reach double digits in goals for the second straight season and fourth in his career.
OVERTIME
1. Detroit LW Andreas Athanasiou is warming up with two goals and two assists in his last four games.
2. St. Louis RW Nikita Soshnikov registered six shots over his first two games with the team but has yet to post a point.
3. The Blues recorded a 6-1 triumph at Detroit on Dec. 9 to improve to 3-0-4 in the last seven meetings.
PREDICTION: Red Wings 3, Blues 2
Preview: Flames at Avalanche
Gracenote
Feb 28, 2018
The Colorado Avalanche attempt to avenge a recent setback and move closer to a playoff spot in the Western Conference when they continue their four-game homestand Wednesday against the Calgary Flames. Colorado began the string at Pepsi Center with a triumph over Vancouver on Monday - just two days after suffering a 5-1 loss in Calgary.
Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals to increase his team-leading - and career-high - total to 28 and added an assist in the 3-1 win over the Canucks for the Avalanche, who are three points out of the second wild-card spot in the West and trail Minnesota by eight for third place in the Central Division. Colorado owns an impressive 21-8-1 home record and has won 11 of its last 12 at Pepsi Center as it prepares to host Calgary, which remained behind Los Angeles for the second wild card after dropping a 2-0 decision at Dallas on Tuesday. The Flames have lost four of their last seven road games after going 15-5-5 over their first 25 away from home. Mikael Backlund recorded a goal and two assists in Saturday's victory by Calgary, which trails Anaheim by one point for the second wild card and Los Angeles by two for third in the Pacific Division.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet360 (Calgary), Altitude (Colorado)
ABOUT THE FLAMES (32-23-9): Chris Stewart made his debut with Calgary on Tuesday and finished with one shot and a minus-1 rating in just over 13 minutes of ice time one day after being claimed off waivers from Minnesota. The rugged 30-year-old right wing, who was drafted 18th overall by Colorado in 2006, recorded nine goals and four assists in 47 games with the Wild this season. Nick Shore, who was acquired from Ottawa prior to Monday's trade deadline for a seventh-round pick in the 2019 draft, was not in the lineup against the Stars.
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (33-24-5): Anton Lindholm appears to be close to returning from the upper-body injury that has sidelined him for four games thus far, as he participated in an optional practice on Tuesday. "I did some extra contact after practice, tested it out," the 23-year-old Swedish defenseman, who has notched three assists in 43 games this season, told the team's website. "I think the medical staff first needs to make a decision and maybe re-evaluate after the practice I had with contact. I feel ready." Fellow blue-liner Mark Alt also took part in Tuesday's optional practice, one day after being claimed off waivers from Philadelphia, but is unlikely to be in the lineup against Calgary.
OVERTIME
1. The Avalanche are expected to recall G Spencer Martin from San Antonio of the American Hockey League to serve as Semyon Varlamov's backup on Wednesday as Jonathan Bernier and Andrew Hammond recover from concussions.
2. Calgary assigned LW Andrew Mangiapane, who failed to record a point over 10 games in his first NHL campaign, to Stockton of the AHL.
3. Colorado LW Matt Nieto is one point shy of 100 for his career, but is mired in a seven-game drought and has notched just one over his last 17 contests.
PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Flames 1
Preview: Rangers at Canucks
Gracenote
Feb 27, 2018
The New York Rangers have been losing both games on the scoreboard and bodies in the locker room during what quickly has become a struggling show on Broadway. Losers of seven in a row (0-6-1) and 14 of their last 17 (3-13-1), the rebuilding Rangers look to get back on track at Rogers Arena on Wednesday when they open a three-game road trip versus the Vancouver Canucks.
Although New York has been outscored 29-13 in its last seven contests, the club owns a 9-4-0 mark against Pacific representatives this season and has secured at least one point in 44 of their last 55 encounters (39-11-5) with members of that division. Jesper Fast scored in the Rangers' 4-3 win in a shootout versus the Canucks on Nov. 26 and has tallied in back-to-back contests after being held off the scoresheet in each of his previous 11 games this month. Like New York, Vancouver also has seen the season slip away in rapid fashion, prompting the team to shuffle Thomas Vanek to Columbus for bottom-six forwards Jussi Jokinen and Tyler Motte, while defenseman Philip Holm was sent to Vegas for Brendan Leipsic. "We're going to be a younger, faster, more skilled group going forward," Canucks general manager Jim Benning said. "We're going to give some of these young players a good chance to play from now until the end of the year."
TV: 10 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver)
ABOUT THE RANGERS (27-30-6): Vladimir Namestnikov could make his New York debut versus Vancouver, a team that selected his father, Evgeny, in the sixth round of the 1991 NHL Draft. The younger Namestnikov was acquired in a blockbuster deal on Monday that involved captain Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller heading to Tampa Bay. Namestnikov was in the midst of a career season playing alongside Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos, as the 25-year-old Russian has recorded personal bests in goals (20), assists (24), points (44), average ice time (17:30), power-play tallies (eight) and shots on goal (127). Ryan Spooner, who was acquired in the deal that sent Rick Nash to Boston, notched two assists and saw 16:31 of ice time in Sunday's 3-2 overtime loss to Detroit.
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (24-32-7): Daniel Sedin has been heating up shortly after flipping the calendar, collecting four goals and an assist in his last three contests and posting 34 points (16 goals, 18 assists) since Jan. 7. The 37-year-old Swede scored his team's lone goal in Monday's 3-1 setback at Colorado to remain one point ahead of twin brother Henrik, who has notched an assist in three straight games and seven of his last 10. Jacob Markstrom turned aside 17 of 20 shots in the first encounter versus the Rangers, falling to 3-1-1 in his career against the club despite sporting a 3.15 goals-against average and .896 save percentage.
OVERTIME
1. The Canucks are expected to announce on Wednesday that the city of Vancouver will host the 2019 NHL Draft, marking its first since 2006 when it was held at GM Place.
2. New York LW Jimmy Vesey has been held off the scoresheet in each of his last seven games, but the 24-year-old scored the tying goal early in the third period and added the winner in the seventh round of the shootout in the first encounter versus Vancouver.
3. The Canucks' 26th-ranked penalty kill has permitted eight power-play goals in the last four games.
PREDICTION: Rangers 3, Canucks 2