No one really knows what is going to happen the rest of the way in the NHL. But you can be pretty sure about some of the teams that are going to be prime contenders when the playoffs come around.
We’re talking about teams like the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers. And there are other squads like the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche and New York Islanders who might be expected to come on as the season progresses.
The Minnesota Wild would like to think they are one of those teams. And they have been playing like that lately. The Los Angeles Kings have given themselves a boost in that direction as well.
What will happen when these teams clash on Friday night? They’ll be meeting at 8 PM ET at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
We’re going to give you an angle you may not have been thinking about, and you can move on it at 1Vice.
Los Angeles Kings at Minnesota Wild Picks
When: 8 PM ET (Friday)
Money Line: Wild -168, Kings +148
Total: Over 5.5 Goals +100, Under 5.5 Goals -120
Puck Line: Kings +1.5 Goals (-169), Wild -1.5 Goals (+149)
Expert NHL Predictions for Tonight
The Wild have been a team on fire lately. On the current four-game winning streak, they have outscored their opponents by a 20-6 margin. Along the way they have gotten healthier, with a number of players taken off the COVID-19 restricted list. And that includes a backline crew that had been torn apart. Kaapo Kahkonen has given up just six goals in his last four games, with a .945 save percentage.
And there’s a little “home, sweet home” flavor to this game.
Minnesota has just finished up a six-game road trip, and they will play these two games with the Kings, then go back on the road to Vegas and Arizona.
The Kings had some significant absences on defense as well, and like the Wild, had to turn to more rookies than they expected. But now Matt Roy and Sean Walker have come back after injuries, so that’s good news for them.
Defense hasn’t been a huge problem for Los Angeles of late; in fact, they are even hotter than Minnesota at this point, winning six straight to put themselves into playoff position. During that streak, they’ve had two shutouts and given up seven goals.
Minnesota’s last outing came a couple of nights ago, as they blew Colorado and Philipp Grubbauer by a 6-2 count. The Kings beat St. Louis 2-1, with Cal Petersen stopping 35 of 36 shots. So these teams have been climbing up the ladder in different ways.
Los Angeles is third in the West division with a 9-6-3 record and 21 points. Minnesota is 10-6 for 20 points and are fifth in the division, but they have games in hand on everybody in front of them.
Both of the Kings’ goaltenders have won three straight games, with Jonathan Quick pitching the two shutouts. Most America’s Bookie patrons who follow the NHL are familiar with Quick’s accomplishments; he has won two Stanley Cups with the Kings, capturing the Conn Smythe Trophy during one of those campaigns, and has been an All-Star three times.
He had a rough start to the season, so this recent run represents him regrouping and coming back. Quick has been with the franchise for 13 seasons, but he has been the subject of trade rumors. There are at least a few teams in contention who could use a veteran goaltender (Colorado would be such an example), and Quick would fit the bill.
A deal like that, of course, would depend on whether they could get some value out of it. But that kind of talk was brought about by the outstanding play of Petersen. Many Kings observers would be more comfortable if we were in the #1 spot.
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When the other guy is Quick, that’s a big statement about a kid who had played all of 19 games in the NHL coming into this season.
But Petersen, who once made 87 saves in a game when playing at Notre Dame, has posted strong numbers. First of all, among goaltenders who have played more than four games, his .931 save percentage ranks sixth in the league. His 2.28 goals-against is almost a half-goal better than Quick. And in the metric of Goals Saved Above Average, he is fourth best in the league. For what it’s worth, Kahkonen isn’t in the vicinity.
So if you’re looking for a situation where the Wild can be slowed down, this is a good spot while getting a decent price. This could be a “royal” upset for you!
The Play: LOS ANGELES +148 (What Is an Underdog in Sports Betting?)
