The Penguins take on the Stars in a star-studded contest. 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 this contest, the Penguins and Stars look to gain momentum, inching closer to the halfway point of the season.
NHL Predictions
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Dallas Stars
Head-to-Head: Stars 0-0 Penguins
Time: 6:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
How to Watch: Sportsnet+, Victory+, SN-Pittsburgh
Mikko Rantanen and the Dallas Stars take on Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in a cross-conference clash.
The Penguins Story
Pittsburgh comes into this game off a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night. The victory marked the Penguins’ second straight win and a record of 5-3-2 in their last 10. The team was seemingly derailing over the course of November, but may have found some stable ground with the additions and soon-to-be returns of players like Rutger McGroarty, Noel Acciari, and Justin Brazeau. In a very tight Eastern Conference, Pittsburgh’s been efficient in picking up points. Their 14-7-5 record places them in the top four of the East by points and point percentage. The team will need to continue stacking up points in a tight playoff race this season.
Evgeni Malkin was the star of the game against Tampa Bay. He scored two goals and an assist, his eight goals and 29 points in 26 games tying him with captain Sidney Crosby for the team lead in points. In addition to Crosby and Malkin, the “kid” line of Ville Koivunen, Ben Kindel and Rutger McGroarty has paid early dividends. Kindel and Koivunen have scored in the Penguins’ last two games, respectively, while the trio has outplayed their opposition in both games they’ve been put together. In net, starter Tristan Jarry has been playing an increased workload, so it can be expected for Arturs Silovs to get the nod in this game. Silovs is 4-4-4 on the season, with a .898 save percentage and 3.00 goals against average. The young netminder has struggled recently and will need to play much better against a star-studded Dallas Stars team.
The Stars Story
The Dallas Stars have once again established themselves in the upper echelon of the NHL. Beating the San Jose Sharks 4-1 on Friday, Dallas is 7-1-2 in their last 10. The club is playing terrific hockey, and in a relatively weak Western Conference, they trail behind just the Colorado Avalanche by one point for the top of the conference. The next best team in the Central Division, the Minnesota Wild, are eight points behind Dallas, giving the Stars a sizeable lead in the divisional race.
The strength of the Dallas Stars comes from both top-of-the-line elite players and incredible depth. Dallas boasts four point-per-game players, those being Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, and Roope Hintz. Rantanen and Robertson have been especially spectacular, scoring 38 and 37 points through 29 games, respectively. The team also has an excellent defensive group led by superstar Miro Heiskanen. With five goals and 25 points and excellent shut-down play, Heiskanen sets the bar for the rest of the defence group. In net, it seems likely that former Penguin Casey DeSmith gets the start, with Jake Oettinger having started the Stars’ last two games. The veteran goalie is 6-1-3 this season with a .921 save percentage and 2.16 goals against average. Pittsburgh will need to find a way to play a consistent 60-minute team game to have any chance of defeating the star-studded Stars.
NHL Prediction
The Penguins have been playing better as of late, but the Dallas Stars are on a whole other level of talent. Expect Dallas to continue pushing Colorado for the top spot in the West.
NHL Prediction: Stars win 5-3
Prop Bet of the Night
With an incredible amount of scoring talent on both squads, expect a high-scoring game. A popular prop bet of goals over 7 with odds of +186 is a good bet.
Main photo by: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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The post NHL Predictions: Dec 7 Pittsburgh Penguins vs Dallas Stars appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.