Pittsburgh vs. Minnesota: NHL Match Prediction

Current form

After a successful start to the season, Pittsburgh began a decline that continues to this day. The Penguins played on the road, where they suffered crushing defeats from Winnipeg (3:6) and Edmonton (0:4). Twice the defensive line showed its worst side, allowing opponents to create a huge number of dangerous moments near their goal, and in total they made 87 shots on goal. On the road to Calgary, Sullivan charges were one step away from success, but allowed the Flames to tie the score less than a minute before the final whistle. As a result, it came down to a series of shootouts, where they had to lose again (3:4).

The Penguins were also able to give a decent fight to Vancouver, but once again the club defense let them down. The attacking line was almost able to compensate for the lapses in defense, but still had to suffer their fifth defeat in a row with a score of 3:4. A large number of lost points led to Pittsburgh dropping to 15th place in the Eastern Conference standings, having only seven points.

Disqualifications and injuries

Pittsburgh also continues to have some roster issues. Lizotte and Nietto are definitely out for the upcoming game, while Glass and Rust are questionable.

Interesting trends for betting

• Pittsburgh is allowing an average of 4.3 goals per game.

The Penguins' main problem remains their very weak defensive play.

• On average, a team receives seven penalty minutes per match.

But the club has complete discipline and rarely breaks the rules, which allows it to remain at full strength.

Current form

The Minnesota Wild have been showing impressive results for a long time and have managed to put together a winning streak of four games, all of which were played on the road. Thanks to a solid defensive performance, the team confidently beat St. Louis 4-1 and Columbus 3-1. It is especially worth noting the excellent play of goalie Gustavsson, who reflected 96% of the shots in both games. However, the Wild best performance was their confrontation with the current Stanley Cup holder, Florida. They won a crushing victory with a score of 5-1. In this game, forward Kaprizov showed himself again, giving two assists.

Then Minnesota met Tampa Bay and again did not meet much resistance, winning again with a score of 4:2. In this meeting, Kaprizov scored three points, strengthening his status as the club top scorer. It seemed that in such form, Minnesota would leave no chance even for the troubled Philadelphia. However, this time almost all of the opponent shots were on target, and Gustavsson did not play reliably enough. As a result, the team conceded seven goals, and the winning streak was interrupted.

Disqualifications and injuries

Minnesota doesn't have a ton of injured players, but each one is a big deal. The team is without defenseman Ryan Hartman and forward Jared Spurgeon.

Interesting trends for betting

• Minnesota averages 3.6 goals per game

The Wild have been playing great offensively lately, creating huge problems for their opponents' defense.

• The team averages 27 shots per game

Oddly enough, given the club high scoring record, it doesn't take many shots on goal.