The Penguins return to Pittsburgh to face the Minnesota Wild. Welcome back to NHL Predictions here on Last Word On Hockey! Each day, we provide in-depth analysis, insights, and predictions for all the NHL’s games. In tonight’s matchup, the Pittsburgh Penguins look to bounce back from a two-game skid against the Los Angeles Kings.
NHL Predictions Minnesota Wild versus Pittsburgh Penguins
Head-to-Head: Wild 0-1 Penguins
Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
How to Watch TV: NHLN, TVAS, FDSNNO, SN-PIT, FDSNWI, Sportsnet+
Sidney Crosby and the Penguins take on Kirill Kaprizov and the Wild in a Friday night matchup.
The Penguins Story
Having played just two games in the last 11 days, the Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves in fourth in the Metropolitan Division. Teams like the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals failed to catch them in the standings. The Penguins were lucky to have had such a great cushion in the standings. Now, they look to build their way back up to secure a top-three spot in their division. The Penguins still boast the league’s best power play, averaging a 34.1% success rate. The team’s fifth-best ranked penalty kill will be another a big factor in shutting down the Minnesota Wild.
The Penguins have had two weeks of rest with a couple of games sprinkled in between. Even then, Pittsburgh still has a mound of injuries up front affecting the entire top nine of the team. Rickard Rakell, Justin Brazeau, and Filip Hallander are all still injured, and the Penguins will need their replacements to help pitch in offence against the Wild. Pittsburgh is still led in scoring by stars Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. Malkin leads the team with 23 points, while Crosby has 12 goals and 20 points as second in team scoring. Goaltender Arturs Silovs is likely to get the start, however, the Penguins are on a back-to-back and may opt to start rookie goaltender Sergey Murashov. Murashov picked up his first career shutout in his second NHL start in his last game against the Predators. Regardless of goaltender, Pittsburgh will need to play a complete, 60-minute game to pick up a crucial two points against the Minnesota Wild.
The Wild Story
The Minnesota Wild seem to have turned around what was starting out as a disastrous season for them. The team, starting near the bottom of the standings for the first 10 games of the season, has since gone 7-2-1 over their last 10 games, placing them in the second wildcard spot in the West. The team boasts a top five power-play in the league. However, they’ll have to contend with the Penguins own top-five penalty kill in this game. The Wild’s own penalty kill is 28th in the league, and if the Penguins are to get power play chances in this game, Minnesota has to be careful in not allowing too many opportunities against a lethal unit.
The stars have put their best foot forward so far for Minnesota as Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy lead the team in scoring. Kaprizov has 11 goals and 24 points in 21 games, while Boldy has 11 goals and 21 points in 21 games. Veteran winger Marcus Johansson has seen a bit of a resurgence this season, scoring seven goals and 17 points and 21 games to start the year. Unfortunately for the Wild, their young centre, Marco Rossi, has struggled to produce, with just 13 points in 21 games himself following tumultuous negotiations over the off-season for a new contract. The Wild will need players like Kaprizov and Boldy to show up and lead their team in order to get a win in this game.
NHL Prediction
The Penguins are by far the fresher team, and after their 4-0 win against the Predators in their last game, they’re also hungry for more points. Expect them in their return to Pittsburgh to come out swinging and earn the victory against the Wild.
NHL Prediction: Penguins win 5-3.
Prop Bet for the Night
A popular prop bet is the total goals over 7, with odds of +176. The Penguins have been scoring at a good pace, and struggling defensively lately. Expect a high-scoring game Friday night in Pittsburgh.
Main Photo Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
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The post NHL Predictions: November 21 Minnesota Wild vs Pittsburgh Penguins appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.