The Pittsburgh Penguins return home to face the Columbus Blue Jackets in a divisional clash at PPG Paints Arena. 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 tonight’s game, the Penguins aim to regain momentum against a Blue Jackets team looking to ride their wave of momentum.
NHL Predictions
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
Head-to-Head: Penguins 0-1 Blue Jackets
Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: Sportsnet Pittsburgh; Bally Sports Ohio; ESPN+, Sportsnet+
In their second match-up of the season, both the Penguins and Blue Jackets are fighting for valuable points in a tight wildcard race. Pittsburgh sits in the second wildcard spot, with seven teams within four points of them. Columbus is one of these teams, having gone 5-4-1 in their last 10. They’re just one point behind Pittsburgh, with a game in hand.
The Penguins’ Story
The Pittsburgh Penguins are 17-17-7 coming into this matchup. Coming off back to back losses past regulation, the team is hoping to snap a two-game losing streak. Sidney Crosby continues to lead his team with 42 points in 41 games. Behind him, Rickard Rakell has passed Evgeni Malkin for second on the team in scoring with 33 points in 41 games. Rakell had a tough season last year, and has rebounded nicely in the absence of Jake Guentzel. Another forward that has been integral to the Penguins was the centrepiece of the Jake Guentzel trade, Michael Bunting. After a slow start, Bunting has been on a run over the last few weeks. He has 3 goals and five points in his last five games. Pittsburgh has shown they have the offensive talent to compete against any team, they just need their talent to click at the same time.
In net, Tristan Jarry is likely to get the start following Alex Nedeljkovic’s loss against Carolina. Jarry had a tough start to the season, including being sent down to the Wilkes-Barre Penguins. However, he has rebounded well, and is 8-6-3 on the season. As Columbus has been scoring at will the last few weeks, Jarry will have to be sharp in this game.
The Blue Jackets’ Story
Columbus comes into this game 17-17-6, a similar record to the Penguins. The team had a slow start to the season, following the loss of Johnny Gaudreau. However, they have put their game into high gear over the past month to climb back into the playoff race. Defenceman Zach Werenski leads the scoring on Columbus with 45 points in 40 games. Although defenceman like Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar receive the most attention for awards like the Norris Trophy, Werenski’s name is likely to be in the fold come awards season. Behind Werenski, the Blue Jackets have two more point-per-game players in Kirill Marchenko and Sean Monahan. They’ve scored 43 and 40 points in 40 games respectively. Over the past few weeks, Columbus has shown that they have the ability to score at will. Against a Pittsburgh team struggling with defence, Columbus has an upper hand going into this matchup.
Goaltending has been a weak point for Columbus. Elvis Merzlikins plays the starter role. Although he has just a .888 save percentage, Merzlikins is 13-10-3 in his games this season. While he has shown the ability to shut down games just enough for Columbus to get the win, Pittsburgh’s offence will be a tough test for the netminder.
NHL Prediction
Although Pittsburgh has lost their last few, the losses have been by slim margins. Returning back to Pittsburgh and playing in PPG Paints Arena should be the boost this Penguins team needs to begin gaining ground in the wildcard race. Expect Crosby, Rakell and Bryan Rust to have their best foot forward in this game to lead Pittsburgh to a win.
Prediction: Penguins win 5-3.
Prop Bet for the Night
FanDuel’s Total Goals Over 7 (+132) is a solid bet as both teams have shown offensive bursts along with weakness’ in their own zones.
Main photo by: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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The post NHL Predictions: Jan. 7 Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.