Boston are only fifth in the Eastern Atlantic division but have games in hand of those teams above them and are still fairly well placed. Brad Marchand continues to lead the way for the Bruins and he should again help them to victory against Vancouver, who have lost three straight.
Los Angeles have just come off a dreadful homestand as they head north to face Edmonton at Rogers Place. The Oilers have seen provincial rivals Calgary Flames pull three points clear at the top of the Pacific Division standings and will be hoping to move closer.
Pittsburgh will be looking to make it third time lucky on their Canadian road trip when visiting a suddenly resurgent Vancouver. The Penguins only went down in overtime at Calgary and were undone by breakaways in Edmonton but played well enough on both occasions.
Ottawa will hope to climb off the foot of the NHL standings when they welcome Colorado to the Canadian Tire Centre. However, the Avalanche responded to a heavy defeat by Toronto with a smooth victory over Montreal and are fancied to prove just too strong.
Nashville were beaten 6-3 in Montreal a couple of weeks ago but are fancied to gain revenge in the return fixture at Bridgestone Arena. The Predators have a solid 7-5-0 record on home ice while the Canadiens are not travelling well this term, going 2-9-1 on the road.
Pittsburgh and Calgary both saw winning runs come to an end over the weekend but the Flames look better equipped to get back on track. Darryl Sutter’s side crushed the Penguins 4-0 on the road in front of 17,743 fans last month when coming on strong in the closing period.
Los Angeles have gone five games without a win but their last victory was when visiting Ottawa and they are taken to confirm that superiority. The Senators are on a woeful run of form themselves, picking up just one triumph in 10 outings and conceding 17 times in three defeats this week.
Toronto appear to be going from strength to strength at the moment and have the all-round quality to take out San Jose. The Maple Leafs made it seven victories in eight games when beginning their three-match California swing with a 6-2 demolition of Los Angeles Kings.
Los Angeles and Toronto head into this game at opposite ends of the spectrum and an intriguing counter is in store at Staples Center. The Maple Leafs have climbed to second place in the Atlantic Division, while the Kings have dropped three straight home games.
Ottawa have only claimed four victories this season, five fewer than San Jose, but there is not much between these teams in several key stats departments. If the Senators can bring their A-game to SAP Center, the feeling is this is a winnable contest for DJ Smith’s side.
Ottawa return to action after a Covid-19 outbreak and will be hoping the lay-off can help them to regroup and improve on this season’s results. However, a 1-4-0 record on the road makes the Senators hard to fancy against an in-form Colorado outfit which is seeking a fifth straight victory.
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