There was some fairly major news in the NHL this week as the league announced which teams would play in the 2023 Winter Classic on Jan. 2: Pittsburgh will visit Boston from Fenway Park. It’s the second time the Winter Classic will be held at Fenway Park. The venue previously hosted the Winter Classic in 2010, when the Bruins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in overtime.
Here’s a look at two important NHL matchups this weekend. Check back for NHL odds.
Winnipeg at Florida
Start date: 15 Apr 2022 19:00
Location: Sunrise, Florida
Venue: FLA Live Arena
It’s a 7 p.m. ET puck drop and shown on the NHL Network. Florida has clinched a playoff spot and is going to win the Atlantic Division but is battling with Colorado to finish with the most points in the league and the Presidents’ Trophy. Winnipeg needs this game much more as it chases an unlikely wild-card spot in the West.
You don’t see games in the NHL postponed very often these days now that COVID is pretty much under control but Winnipeg’s home matchup vs. Seattle on Wednesday was postponed because of a winter storm. It will be made up on May 1.
The Jets do enter on a two-game winning streak to at least keep their playoff chances alive. They won in Montreal 4-2 on Monday. Paul Stastny had a goal, his 20th goal and 40th point in 63 contests this season. It’s his first 20-goal season since the 2013-14 campaign and he’s now five points away from 800 on his career. Nikolaj Ehlers registered an assist to extend his point streak to seven games. He’s up to 25 goals and 49 points in 54 contests this season.
Connor Hellebuyck allowed two goals on 25 shots and has won back-to-back decisions. and he hasn’t lost in regulation in his last three. He owns a 27-25-10 record with a 2.93 goals-against-average and a .911 save percentage this season.
Florida won its eighth game in a row Tuesday, 3-2 in OT over Anaheim. Anthony Duclair scored two goals and his second goal of the night was the 30th of his career – his first 30-goal campaign. He also has 54 points in 2021-22, which is another career-high. Jonathan Huberdeau scored the winning goal in OT. He is to 28 goals and 105 points through 73 games played. Sergei Bobrovsky made 22 saves. He has won nine straight decisions since the beginning of March but has a mediocre 2.96 GAA and .894 save percentage in that span.
The Panthers try for the season sweep as the won 5-3 in Winnipeg on Jan. 25. Mason Marchment scored twice and added an assist for Florida. Anton Lundell had a goal and assist, and Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett also scored for the Panthers. Bobrovsky made 32 saves. Stastny, Kyle Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois scored for the Jets. Hellebuyck made 27 stops.
Winnipeg at Florida – Bet NHL Games Now!
Minnesota at St. Louis
Start date: 16 Apr 2022 15:00
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Venue: Enterprise Center
ABC national TV game at 3 p.m. ET. Huge in the Central Division as well. Colorado is going to win that but Minnesota and St. Louis are battling for second and home-ice advantage in at least the first round of the playoffs. Should those teams meet in the postseason, the higher seed would host Games 1 and 2, as well as a potential Game 7.
“Everybody wants that. All the teams want that Game 7, if there is a Game 7, at home,” said Wild forward Kevin Fiala. “That’s a huge advantage, so we want to get as many wins as possible and get as high as possible in the standings.”
The Wild won’t have forward Jordan Greenway due to an unspecified upper-body injury he suffered in the first period of Tuesday’s win over Edmonton. Greenway has tallied eight goals and 15 assists across 59 games this season.
St. Louis got a top defenseman back from injury on Tuesday in Torey Krug, and he scored a goal and registered an assist in the Blues’ 4-2 win against Boston. Krug was playing in his first game since March 22 due to a hand injury and now has 39 points in 59 games.
“He was great all night,” teammate David Perron said of Krug. “It’s amazing how quick he is with his decision-making up top. Even his goal, you don’t see a defenseman too often come in the way he did and score. There were reads he made all over the ice offensively. He’s just another guy who I think his compete level is there and he’s bigger than he looks out there, so it was great to have him back.” Krug has nine goals and 39 points in 59 games this season.
Should be Ville Husso in net for the Blues. He stopped 39-of-41 shots in Tuesday’s win and has won seven consecutive starts, going 7-0-1 in his last eight appearances with a .935 save percentage.
The Blues are 2-0 vs. the Wild this season. They last played April 8 in St. Louis and Robert Thomas scored at 1:27 of overtime to give the Blues a 4-3 victory. Minnesota blew a 3-1 lead.
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