Hockey Survivor Picks, Week 3

Well done hockey fans – only two eliminations last week! Now, there are a handful of uneven matchups this week, but I’ve narrowed it down to three top choices. And please, let’s all save ourselves a little stress and avoid those flakey Boston Bruins until they show us they’re worth betting on.

Florida Panthers at Philadelphia Flyers (7:00 PM, Saturday October 24) – Here’s my favourite game this week. Even though the Panthers only victory in their last 6 games came against the Flyers, I’m quite confident that lightning won’t strike the same place twice. The Flyers are far more talented offensively than the Panthers, and have the edge on defense as well. The Panthers rank 29th in the league with an average of 3.81 goals against per game this season, and the Flyers’ snipers Jeff Carter and Mike Richards should take full advantage this time around. This one could be a blowout.

Prediction: Flyers win 5-2

Toronto Maple Leafs at Vancouver Canucks (7:00 PM, Saturday October 24) – The Leafs are going to win one sooner or later, but I’m still thinking later than sooner. Win number one could come against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday. Note that I said could. The Canucks on the other hand, are starting to put it together after a rough start. Roberto Luongo has allowed just 5 goals in his past 3 games, after allowing 20 through his first 6 games. The Canucks are deadly on the power play (5th ranked at 27.5%) while the Leafs are dead last killing penalties (30th ranked at 60.7%), so this came could very well be decided by who plays a more disciplined game. Expect Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler to pop a goal with the man advantage, as they extend the Leafs losing streak to eight games. All poor Joey MacDonald can do is wait for his inevitable return to the AHL.

Prediction: Canucks win 4-1

Nashville Predators at Chicago Blackhawks (8:30 PM, Saturday October 24) – The Blackhawks are reeling after two straight 1 goal losses and are looking to get back on track against the last team they beat – the Nashville Predators. On paper, the Hawks are a much stronger team than the Preds, and haven’t had problems generating scoring opportunities this year (2nd in the NHL with 307 shots on goal). Both teams seem to have a bit of a goaltending battle on their hands, the Blackhawks between Cristobal Huet and Antti Niemi, and the Predators between Pekka Rinne and Dan Ellis, so look for a strong outing by a goaltender to decide this game. One thing to keep an eye on if you’re picking the Hawks this week, is whether or not their captain, Jonathan Toews, will be suiting up for the game. He suffered a mild concussion after taking a monstrous body-check from the Canucks’ Willie Mitchell Wednesday night, and did not practice with the team on Thursday.

Prediction: Blackhawks win 3-1