NHL Lookahead, Picks Coming Out of Christmas Break

NHL Schedule Breakdown

Let us do this first in terms of game allotment. 

• Tuesday – 11
• Wednesday – 5
• Thursday – 11

Thankfully, there are no more days off until the All-Star Break. However, keep in mind one game was postponed for tonight, and keep an eye on what is going on in Buffalo.

Then, some teams play back-to-backs coming off the three-day break. 

• Vegas (Tuesday, Wednesday)
• Boston (Tuesday, Wednesday)
• Calgary (Tuesday, Wednesday)
• Pittsburgh (Tuesday, Wednesday)
• Detroit (Wednesday, Thursday)
• Tampa Bay (Wednesday, Thursday)
• Montreal (Wednesday, Thursday)

Again, this is pretty straightforward. The only significant wrinkles are New Year’s and the Winter Classic next Monday.

What To Look Forward To Early This Week

The biggest thing to look forward to is how teams come out of the long Christmas break. Three days seems like little, but teams like Buffalo and Columbus now have extra time off (Buffalo Airport is closed till at least Wednesday). 

One of the bigger games on Tuesday is Edmonton versus Calgary. The Oilers play better on the road lately, while Calgary enjoys their home cooking. The sad part is that this is the final “Battle Of Alberta” for the regular season. There are still 3 ½ months of hockey to go.

If there is solace for the New Jersey Devils, they get an extra night's rest while Boston plays in Ottawa tonight. Can the Devils get some of their slumping players back on track? Hopefully, the break allows us to see the New Jersey that played with more pace.

The New York Rangers have an intriguing start to the week taking on Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals. After that, New York heads down to Tampa Bay in a clash versus the Lightning. Tampa Bay may not be the same team as the past few seasons, but it usually has more juice. 

Even the Pittsburgh Penguins play twice to start the week. They open on Long Island against the Islanders, then entertain the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night. Pittsburgh enjoys getting Saturday and Sunday off before playing in the Winter Classic on Monday. Watching older teams transition off breaks is vital this time of year. 

Matthews Headed 'Home' This Week

Hockey is secondary for the Sabres, the city, and surrounding areas. Buffalo is supposed to be home to the Detroit Red Wings. This has some implications, and I figured it to be no one knows what may come next.

Thursday’s schedule has some storylines, too. Auston Matthews goes back “home” as Toronto plays in Arizona. Minnesota has the second test of their young week as they face Dallas at home. The Wild has started to get things going finally. Now, can they continue that level of play?

We just remembered about the Los Angeles Kings. After playing Vegas tonight, they head to Colorado on Thursday to play an Avalanche team still riddled with injuries. With eight players on the injury list and a couple of “emergency call-ups” on the way this week, the Kings might get a boost for Thursday night. 

Some Quick Points To Be Mindful

• Roster Freeze lifts after midnight on Wednesday.
• With Torey Krug on LTIR, picking on St. Louis is still prudent.
• Oilers-Flames Over 7 at plus-money likely not to last.
• Does Erik Karlsson continue to amaze with point-and-shot props in San Jose?
• When does Boston start to regress even a little?

Good luck, and once again, thanks for reading! We will have a few more plays on social media as conditions warrant.

Thanks to BetMGM for solid Tuesday lines and TSN for the easy-to-follow segmented schedule.