Minnesota’s only defeat in nine outings came in Winnipeg and the Wild will be looking to put the record straight at Canada Life Centre. The visitors had won two previous meetings this season and are 15 points better off in the Central Division, with two games in hand.
Calgary will look to extend their six-game winning run when they welcome Columbus to Alberta. The visitors have a three-game hot streak of their own, but victory for the Flames will lift them to the top of the Pacific Division standings and they are rated a cut above.
Canada enjoyed a smooth 5-0 success over China in the final round of Group A fixtures and should also cruise through a quick rematch in the playoffs. The hosts had to assemble a side from scratch for this event and fell to three straight defeats during the pool stage.
Washington have already beaten Ottawa twice this season and look well placed to complete a hat-trick of head-to-head wins. The Senators have a mountain to climb if they are to get into playoffs contention and must back-up from a 2-0 loss to Boston in Canada.
Nashville will quickly look to get things back on track when Winnipeg continue their road trip tonight. Both teams suffered defeats in Dallas in their last outings – the Predators going down 4-3 on Wednesday, while the Jets slipped to a 4-3 overtime loss last night.
Calgary will go in search of a sixth straight victory when the New York Islanders bring their three-game western Canada road trip to an end. The Flames have been impressive since resuming after the All-Star break, with a 6-0 victory over Vegas followed by a 5-2 win over Toronto.
Canada and the USA both got off to flying starts at the Winter Olympics and now meet up in what should prove a Group A decider. A young American side looked exciting when routing China but will face formidable opposition in Team Canada, who cruised past Germany.
Edmonton will look to launch a new era under coach Jay Woodcroft following back-to-back losses against Vegas and Chicago. The New York Islanders have had a largely forgettable season, even though victory last time over Vancouver enabled them to improve their record to .500.
Calgary and Toronto have both put together a good run of results recently and a close encounter is on the cards. However, the Maple Leafs may just benefit from having more time to prepare, with the Flames forced to back up after last night’s big win over Vegas.
Pittsburgh’s big guns eventually got going at Boston on Tuesday and may again prove too powerful for Ottawa at Canadian Tire Centre. The Senators are showing great spirit and will be seeking a hat-trick of home wins, but three quick matches will test the depth of their squad.
Ottawa face a tough test when taking on Carolina but their recent form has been encouraging. The Senators have also held their own in two previous meetings, winning 3-2 away in December and only going down by the same scoreline in a shootout at home last month.
The absence of NHL stars has obviously affected everybody’s Winter Olympics 2022 Ice Hockey predictions and is also reflected in our power rankings. There will still be a host of proven performers and hot prospects on show, though, so we’re still expecting plenty of thrills.
Vancouver enjoyed a nice win in Chicago last night but backing up on the road against a strong home team like Nashville is a tough task. The Canucks did prevail 3-1 at Bridgestone Arena last month but it was the Predators who had played the previous day on that occasion.
Edmonton were beaten 6-4 by Ottawa earlier this month but have really hit form since that defeat and are now fancied to gain revenge. The Oilers hadn’t played for 10 days due to Covid issues but are healthy again and hoping to make a push for the play-offs from here on.