The Pittsburgh Penguins host the St Louis Blues in a cross-conference match-up. 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 today’s matchup, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the St. Louis Blues at PPG Paints Arena. Pittsburgh is looking to build momentum following a string of victories, while the Blues a win to gain valuable points in the Western Conference wildcard race.
NHL Predictions
St. Louis Blues vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Time: 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
TV: ESPN+, Sportsnet+; Fan Duel Sports Midwest
This is the first meeting between these teams this season. Both teams will look to put their best foot forward to gain points closing in on the end of the season.
The Penguins’ Story
Following back-to-back wins, the Penguins have a record of 25-31-10. With this record, Pittsburgh is sixth-last in the league. These recent wins have helped to bridge the gap Pittsburgh had behind teams like Philadelphia and Anaheim. An important note is that the Penguins have played 66 games so far, the most in the NHL. With all the teams around them having games in hand, it’s possible Pittsburgh slides further down the standings before seasons end.
Captain Sidney Crosby leads the way, following a fantastic performance in the Penguins’ last two games. Crosby has eight points in his last five games, with four goals in his last two. The legendary star has 70 points in 65 games, and will be trying to pad his point-per-game stats to ensure he breaks Wayne Gretzky’s record with 20 straight point-per-game seasons. A significant factor in this game along with Crosby will be linemates Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust. Rakell has scored 29 goals and 56 points through 66 games, while Rust has 47 in 56 games. The trio are the offensive leaders for Pittsburgh, and will play a big role against the Blues.
The Blues’ Story
The Blues are 31-27-7, just one point out of a wildcard spot in the Western Conference. Momentum is the name of the game for St. Louis, a team that has gone 7-2-1 in their last 10. A significant factor playing against the Blues is that both the Calgary and Vancouver have two more games left to play than the Blues. While St Louis has a point to make-up to tie for a playoff spot with Calgary, they’ll also have to string some more wins together to get over the games-in-hand disadvantage they have.
Leading St. Louis in points is centre Robert Thomas. Him alongside Jordan Kyrou are expected to lead the Blues offence, and have done just that this season. Thomas has 51 points in 53 games, while Kyrou has 24 goals and 50 points in 65 games. The duo is supported by veteran scorers like Pavel Buchnevich and Brayden Schenn. The addition of Dylan Holloway and emergence of Jake Neighbours have given the Blues tremendous offensive depth that will play a big role against the Penguins.
Prediction
Even with a win against the Knights, Pittsburgh showed cracks in their game, allowing Vegas to tie the game from up 2-0 before winning in overtime. Expect St. Louis to play more cerebral, as they’re far more in need of points for their playoff push.
Prediction: Blues win 4-2.
Prop Bet for the Night
We close out this round of NHL predictions with some prop bets of the night. Total Goals Over 5 (-265): The Blues’ steady defensive play will help to shut-down the Penguins’ offence. Meanwhile, St. Louis have scorers of their own that could easily take over the game.
Main photo by: Charles LeClaire
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The post NHL Predictions: March 13 St. Louis Blues at Pittsburgh Penguins appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.