The Penguins take on the Ducks in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 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. Pittsburgh hopes to pick up two points against the Pacific Divison-leading Ducks.
NHL Predictions Anaheim Ducks vs Pittsburgh Penguins
Head-to-Head: Ducks 1-0 Penguins
Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
How to Watch: Sportsnet+, SN-PIT, KCOP-13, Victory+
Sidney Crosby and the Penguins host Jacob Trouba, and the Anaheim Ducks in Pittsburgh.
Penguins Story
Pittsburgh comes into this game off a 3-2 loss to the Dallas Stars in the shootout. Although they lost that game, they controlled play for big stretches and looked good against one of the NHL’s best teams. The Penguins have also succeeded in getting a point in six of their last seven games, with an overall record of 4-1-2 during this time. With the NHL’s top power-play and five out of a possible six points so far in the month of December, Pittsburgh has positioned itself very well heading to the halfway point of the regular season.
With players like Justin Brazeau and Noel Acciari making their returns to the lineup, the Penguins are finally getting back to some semblance of full strength. Sidney Crosby leads the team with 18 goals and 30 points in 27 games. Behind him Evgeni Malkin, who was absent from the previous game, has scored eight goals and 29 points through 26 games this season. Past the two-headed-monster of the Penguins, they’ve received some production from their third and fourth lines in recent games. This has been something that was missing earlier in the season for the squad. With Tristan Jarry having started a third-straight game, expect back-up Arturs Silovs to get the start in this game. Silovs is 4-4-4 this season with an .898 save percentage. The Penguins will need to insulate Silovs against a very high flying Ducks squad in this contest.
Ducks Story
The Anaheim Ducks come into this contest off a 7-1 thrashing over the Chicago Blackhawks. They are 2-1-1 in the month of December, their 18-10-1 record placing them at the top of the Pacific Division. A big factor as to why the Ducks have been so successful has been their incredible offence. They’re 102 goals places them second in the league for goals scored this season. A potential weakness of the Ducks however, is their goals against. They’ve been scored on 93 times this season, placing them in the bottom ten of the league. This is something they’ll have to be mindful of against a Pittsburgh squad that can grind out crucial goals.
The youth lead the way in Anaheim, with three of their top five scorers being younger stars. Centre Leo Carlsson leads the way with 16 goals and 38 points and just 29 games. Behind him, Cutter Gauthier also has 16 goals along with 33 points in 29 games. These young stars are pretty early in their careers and are already producing amazing results. Another former top draft pick Beckett Sennecke, has scored 24 points through 29 games so far. The Ducks starting netminder Lucas Dostal is likely unable to go as he’s been sidelined with injury for 2 to 3 weeks, retroactive to November 24th. In his stead, expect Ville Husso to get the start against Pittsburgh. Husso is 4-2 this season with an .875 save percentage. Against a high octane Penguins squad, Anaheim will need to insulate their netminder to have a chance at winning this game.
NHL Prediction
The Penguins and the Ducks are in a similar boat, both being high-scoring teams, likely playing their struggling backup goaltenders. However, Pittsburgh has been relying on excellent goaltending to get them points recently, and with Silovs in net instead of Jarry, expect the Ducks to get the win in this contest.
NHL Prediction: Ducks win 5-4
Prop Bet of the Night
In a battle of the backups, expect a high-scoring affair, and with that, a popular prop bet of goals over-8, with odds of +310, is a solid bet.
Main Photo: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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The post NHL Predictions: Dec 9 Anaheim Ducks vs Pittsburgh Penguins appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.