This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
It's a busy 10-game slate in the NHL on Thursday, and there is no need to waste time before touching on the marquee matchup of the night. It deserves huge hype, and hopefully the two best teams in the league don't disappoint in the Metropolitan Division showdown.
Featured Matchups
Penguins (PP: 7, PK: 23) at Blue Jackets (PP: 1, PK: 18), 7:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Matt Murray (13-2-1, 1.85, .938), Sergei Bobrovsky (19-5-2, 1.94, .932)
Key Injuries:Trevor Daley (upper body), Tom Kuhnhackl (lower body), Kris Letang (lower body)
This is the game of the night, and it isn't even close. Columbus has rolled off 10 consecutive wins and is a point behind Pittsburgh in the standings with three games in hand. Pittsburgh hasn't lost in regulation in December and is generating the most scoring chances per 60 minutes (34.48) in the league at five-on-five, and Columbus is third with 29.03.
Offensively, Columbus actually has a deeper attack with six players above 20 points and four with double-digit goals. In comparison, Pittsburgh has four 20-point players with three scorers with at least 10 goals. It's also tight in nets with both Murray and Bobrovksy sporting tremendous statistics. Add the Sidney Crosby-Brandon Dubinsky angle, and this should prove to have a playoff atmosphere.
Wild (PP: 17, PK: 5) at Canadiens (PP: 11, PK: 17), 7:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Devan Dubnyk (16-6-3, 1.55, .948), Carey Price (18-4-2, 1.87, .936)
Key Injuries:Erik Haula (lower body), Sven Andrighetto (upper body), David Desharnais (knee), Alex Galchenyuk (knee), Andrei Markov (lower body), Greg Pateryn (ankle), Andrew Shaw (concussion)
The best two goalies in the league don the creases in this contest, and the Wild enter with an eight-game winning streak and a plus-17 goal differential during the stretch. Meanwhile, Montreal has survived without Galchenyuk and rolled off a 4-1-2 record. The Canadiens also own an otherworldly 15-2-2 record on home ice and allow just 1.68 goals per game at the Bell Centre.
Eric Staal has heated up for Minnesota and posted five goals, 12 points and 38 shots with a plus-8 rating over 13 games since late November, and Max Pacioretty has found his groove with nine goals, 13 points and 39 shots through his latest 12 games. However, this should be a low-scoring game with Price and Dubnyk looking to grab a midseason edge on the Vezina race.
Blues (PP: 9, PK: 2) at Lightning (PP: 3, PK: 23), 7:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Jake Allen (16-7-3, 2.57, .907), Andrei Vasilevskiy (7-4-1, 2.41, .923)
Key Injuries:Paul Stastny (upper body), Ben Bishop (lower body), Ryan Callahan (lower body), Nikita Kucherov (lower body), Ondrej Palat (undisclosed), Steven Stamkos (knee)
Perhaps this isn't the must-watch game on paper with Tampa Bay riddled with injuries and sporting a disastrous 3-7-2 record dating back to late November. However, with Bishop out of the picture, Vasilevskiy's play will be under the microscope for the next handful of weeks. Kick-starting his fleeting tenure as the No. 1 goalie against St. Louis will prove to be a tough task.
Robby Fabbri has found a groove alongside Vladimir Tarasenko, and the duo is quickly becoming a go-to punch for the Blues. The sophomore has seven goals, 16 points and 37 shots through his past 19 games, which makes him a must-own winger in all seasonal leagues, and Fabbri still presents upside in daily contests because his salary hasn't caught up to his production.
Other Matchups
Flyers (PP: 5, PK: 9) at Devils (PP: 25, PK: 10), 7:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Anthony Stolarz (2-0-0, 1.46, .950), Cory Schneider (9-10-5, 2.93, .904)
Key Injuries:Sean Couturier (knee), Michal Neuvirth (lower body), Matt Read (oblique), Mark Streit (shoulder)
The Flyers enter on the wrong end of back-to-back games following a shootout win over Washington on Wednesday, and Philadelphia is now 1-2 since its 10-game winning streak. The Devils have lost seven consecutive games and allowed an average of 4.0 goals per night during the skid. Schneider hasn't won consecutive starts in 12 games, and he owns a 2-7-3 record, .878 save percentage and 3.72 GAA during his slide.
Hurricanes (PP: 8, PK: 1) at Sabres (PP: 4, PK: 30), 7:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Cam Ward (10-8-6, 2.30, .915), Robin Lehner (7-9-5, 2.47, .921)
Key Injuries:Tyler Ennis (groin), Eddie Lack (concussion)
The Sabres are 5-2-3 with Jack Eichel in the lineup and averaging 3.1 goals per game. He has five goals, eight points and 37 shots during the stretch. Carolina has their own star pivot, as Victor Rask has posted a 14th-ranked 2.22 points per 60 minutes among skaters with at least 400 minutes this season. In many circles, Rask is likely flying way under the radar.
Ducks (PP: 2, PK: 19) at Senators (PP: 18, PK: 14), 7:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:John Gibson (11-9-4, 2.66, .908), Mike Condon (0-0-0, 0.00, 1.000)
Key Injuries:Simon Despres (head), Clayton Stoner (lower body), Craig Anderson (personal), Andrew Hammond (undisclosed), Clarke MacArthur (concussion)
This is the final stop during Anaheim's six-game road trip, and the Ducks have alternated wins and losses to a 2-3 record thus far. It's also been a weak showing defensively with 22 goals allowed and 17 in the three defeats. Ottawa, on the other hand, has rattled off three straight wins and scored 13 goals during the process. Condon has won all three games with a stout .925 save percentage and 2.21 GAA.
Bruins (PP: 29, PK: 3) at Panthers (PP: 23, PK: 4), 7:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Tuukka Rask (16-6-3, 1.91, .929), James Reimer (4-4-2, 2.77, .904)
Key Injuries:Matt Beleskey (knee), John-Michael Liles (concussion), David Pastrnak (elbow), Jonathan Huberdeau (achilles)
Florida needs a strong stretch. Not only to save face, but does anyone remember how disgruntled Jaromir Jagr was during those final years in Washington and New York? The Panthers have won two straight, and Boston looks poised to follow up another strong start with an early golf season again this spring. Rask owns a mediocre 5-4-3 record, .909 save percentage and 2.42 GAA over his past 12 outings.
Kings (PP: 21, PK: 8) at Predators (PP: 12, PK: 16), 8:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Peter Budaj (14-8-3, 2.11, .916), Pekka Rinne (13-8-4, 2.43, .918)
Key Injuries:Dustin Brown (upper body), Brayden McNabb (collarbone), Jonathan Quick (groin), P.K. Subban (upper body)
Los Angeles is in the heart of a nine-game road trip that sandwiches the holiday break. The Kings are 2-2-1 so far, but this game should prove tough to win. With Subban out, Mattias Ekholm has stepped up with three even-strength points -- one goal -- through three games while averaging 23:25 of ice. The 26-year-old Swede could present a fleeting uptick in fantasy value for deeper leagues and daily contests.
Maple Leafs (PP: 16, PK: 13) at Avalanche (PP: 22, PK: 22), 9:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Frederik Andersen (12-8-6, 2.65, .918), Semyon Varlamov (6-13-0, 3.15, .906)
Key Injuries:Joe Colborne (lower body), Erik Johnson (leg), Tyler Bozak (lower body), Martin Marincin (lower body)
Colorado's last win came at Toronto, and the Avalanche have allowed 13 goals and scored just five during their current four-game losing skid. In fact, the Aves have a 2-10-1 record dating back to late November. This certainly can't be cast as a cushy spot for the Maple Leafs, though. Toronto has generated the second-most scoring chances per 60 minutes at five-on-five (31.92) but has also allowed the third-most (28.3).
Jets (PP: 26, PK: 28) at Canucks (PP: 27, PK: 20), 10:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Connor Hellebuyck (12-11-1, 2.68, .910), Ryan Miller (7-9-1, 2.90, .907)
Key Injuries:Derek Dorsett (neck), Alexander Edler (finger), Erik Gudbranson (wrist), Philip Larsen (upper body), Anton Rodin (knee),Joel Armia (undisclosed), Shawn Matthias (lower body), Tyler Myers (lower body)
Vancouver topped Winnipeg 4-1 at Rogers Arena on Tuesday, and the two clubs meet up just two days later. The edge would have to go to the Jets, but their 5-11-2 road record has been their Achilles' heel. Additionally, Patrik Laine has just two points through his past eight road games and missed the scoresheet entirely in nine of his past 15 outings overall. His game-to-game inconsistency pairs with his contest-winning fantasy ceiling to make him an intriguing target in daily tournaments.
Recommended Pickup
Anders Lee, LW, NYI – After posting 25 goals with a 12th-ranked 1.37 goals per 60 minutes among skaters with at least 1,000 minutes during the 2014-15 campaign, Lee looked the part of an emerging scorer. A film study of his goals that season showcased a budding power forward and matchup nightmare down low with exceptional hands in tight. However, he never fully found his footing in 2015-16 (15 goals and 41 points) and provided underwhelming fantasy results. Fast forward and Lee has found himself stapled to John Tavares' flank, and the winger has 11 goals, 14 points and 35 shots through his past 14 games. With a 31.4 shooting percentage during the offensive surge, he's not going to maintain that pace, but there is plenty of room for negative regression before Lee's fantasy flame begins to flicker.
