This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
There are a total of 13 games in the National Hockey League on Tuesday, which is, of course, New Year’s Eve. That slate also includes the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field in Chicago, featuring the St. Louis Blues and the Chicago Blackhawks. That game begins at 5:00 p.m. ET, but we won’t be highlighting that one. We’ll focus on the later slate of games instead. Let’s get started!
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The Predators (11-19-7) and the Wild (22-11-4) meet at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.
The Predators were blanked 3-0 by Connor Hellebuyck in Winnipeg on Monday and now face a quick turnaround in the Twin Cities. After burning Juuse Saros for a start in Winnipeg, it will be backup Justus Annunen (8-5-0, 2.83 GAA, .894 SV%) getting the starting nod for the visitors.
The Wild won the first meeting 3-2 in overtime back on Nov. 30 in Minnesota’s capital city, as Jared Spurgeon sent the fans home happy with the winner past Saros, with a little help from Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek.
The Wild are looking to bounce back after a 3-1 loss to the Senators, and they are just 2-5-0 over their last seven games. However, Nashville is on no rest, and it is just 2-3-0 this season in games after being shut out.
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The Canucks (17-10-8) take on the Flames (17-12-7) at the Scotiabank Saddledome at 9:00 p.m. ET.
These teams met once this season in Vancouver, and the Canucks came away with a 3-1 win Nov. 12 as a heavy favorite (-233) as the Under (6.5) cashed. Kevin Lankinen stopped 28 of the 29 shots he faced, while Elias Pettersson (PPG), Pius Suter and Erik Brannstrom were the goal scorers.
Vancouver is 2-1-3 over the past six games, having a difficult time figuring things out in overtime lately. Calgary lost 3-0 in Vegas last time out, but it is still 3-1-2 in the past six games to more than hold its own.
Calgary is also 8-1-3 in the past 12 skates at home, and that will be the difference here. Back the Flames on home ice, and we’ll avoid the total. The Over-Under has been erratic for the Flames lately, while the Over has hit in three consecutive games for the Canucks. However, we went low in the first meeting between these teams.
The Utah Hockey Club (16-14-6) and the Oilers (21-12-3) lock horns at Rogers Place at 9:00 p.m. ET.
These teams met in Salt Lake City on Nov. 29, with the Oilers coming with an exciting 4-3 overtime win as moderate favorites (-142) as the Over (6.5) cashed. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had the unassisted game-winning goal in overtime to garner a second point for the visitors.
Calvin Pickard stopped 28 of the 31 shots he faced in the overtime win, while Karel Vejmelka also made 28 saves for the overtime loss. Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid each scored on the power play in the game.
Utah suffered a 5-2 loss in Seattle on Monday and now faces a tough turnaround on no rest. It is 2-2-0 in four games on no rest, with Jaxson Stauber providing some stability in back-to-backs.
The Oiolers were outscored 9-6 while going 0-1-1 on a two-game Southern California trip, so they will head back home ornery and look to bounce back against Utah. Back the home side on the puck line, and let’s go high.
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