This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
There are just a handful of games in the National Hockey League, as Wednesdays tend to be rather light. But don't ignore the schedule completely. The battle of Pennsylvania will be a good one, as there is always plenty of feisty play when rivals clash. And two of the hottest clubs meeting in Calgary when the Bruins and Flames hook up. It might be a short slate, but it will be long on excitement.
Featured Matchups
Penguins (PP: 3, PK: 20) at Flyers (PP: 13, PK: 23), 7:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Matt Murray (26-8-3, 2.33, .925), Steve Mason (19-19-7, 2.77, .905)
Key Injuries:Brandon Manning (upper body), Michael Raffl (lower body), Matt Cullen (undisclosed), Trevor Daley (knee), Carl Hagelin (lower body), Patric Hornqvist (concussion), Kris Letang (upper body), Olli Maatta (hand), Bryan Rust (arm), Tom Sestito (suspension), Mark Streit (lower body)
It's time for another installment of the Keystone State rivalry, and these battles are usually pretty fierce. The Penguins have dominated lately, going 5-1 in the past six meetings, although the home team is 5-2 in the past seven in the series. Steve Mason yielded three goals on 13 shots in the first meeting with the Pens, and he was pulled after just one period of work. Evgeni Malkin notched two goals in that meeting on Oct. 29, including his 300th career marker. He has been red hot lately, too, netting seven goals with three assists and a plus-7 rating over his past six outings. Rookie Travis Konecny netted a pair of goals Monday for the Flyers, while Brayden Schenn posted his NHL-leading 15th power-play goal in that game Monday, and he has a helper in each of his meetings with the Pens this season.
Bruins (PP: 11, PK: 2) at Flames (PP: 14, PK: 14), 9:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Anton Khudobin (4-5-1, 2.76, .895), Brian Elliott (21-13-3, 2.51, .910)
Key Injuries:Tim Schaller (lower body), Ryan Spooner (concussion), Ladislav Smid (neck), Michael Stone (shoulder)
Two of the hottest teams in the league meet on the prairie when the Bruins invade the Scotiabank Saddledome to try and snuff out the Flames. No one has been able to top Calgary this month, and the Flames carry a franchise record 10 consecutive wins into play. Johnny Gaudreau has been a huge part of the success, posting 14 points during the 10-game winning streak. Brian Elliott is riding a 13-1-1 record over his past 15 starts, but he holds a dismal 3-6-3 record with a 3.16 goals-against average in his career against Boston. On the flip side, Tuukka Rask owns a 4-0-3 record with a 1.61 GAA and two shutouts in his career against the Flames.
Blues (PP: 5, PK: 8) at Ducks (PP: 16, PK: 3), 10:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Jake Allen (26-18-3, 2.54, .910), Jonathan Bernier (13-7-2, 2.69, .911)
Key Injuries:Simon Despres (head), John Gibson (lower body), Clayton Stoner (abdomen), Robby Fabbri (knee), Dmitrij Jaskin (upper body), Jori Lehtera (upper body)
Jonathan Bernier looks to stay hot subbing for the injured John Gibson. He went 3-0-0 with a 1.62 GAA, .948 save percentage and one shutout last week to earn the NHL's Second Star of the Week honors. However, he'll be tested early and often by a Blues team which has potted 16 goals during their five-game winning streak. Vladimir Tarasenko is the biggest threat for the Blues lately, lighting the lamp 13 times over his past 21 games while totaling 61 points overall to lead the team. Rickard Rakell has been equally hot for the Ducks, flicking the switch seven times over his past eight games. He has scored in each of his previous two meetings this season against the Blues, too.
Other Matchups
Red Wings (PP: 30, PK: 13) at Avalanche (PP: 29, PK: 24), 9:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Jimmy Howard (6-7-1, 1.96, .934), Calvin Pickard (12-23-2, 2.86, .910)
Key Injuries:Semyon Varlamov (groin), Nikita Zadorov (ankle), Jonathan Ericsson (wrist), Johan Franzen (concussion), Ryan Sproul (knee), Joe Vitale (concussion)
The Red Wings-Avalanche rivalry used to be one of the most heated in the NHL, but it is certainly back-page news this season with both teams out of postseason contention. This game features the two worst power-play units in the NHL. That's good news for Jimmy Howard, who owns a 7-2-2 record with a 2.54 GAA in his career against the Avs. Prospect defenseman Anton Lindholm makes his NHL debut for the Avalanche, and he is expected to be paired with veteran Francois Beauchemin. Anthony Mantha is expected to draw back in after being in head coach Jeff Blashill's doghouse for the past two games. Look for Mantha to serve as a top-six forward on a line with All-Star Frans Nielsen and Darren Helm.
Recommended Pickup
Anthony Mantha, RW, DET - Mantha should skate with a chip on his shoulder in this one, looking to impress Blashill after a two-game banishment to the press box. His return comes at a perfect time, as he'll face a team with the NHL's worst goal differential at minus-91. Mantha is a sharp mid-tier addition in DFS play, and not a bad add in daily seasonal formats. He doesn't have much in the way of long-term fantasy appeal, but he could generate some offense against Colorado's terrible penalty kill to make him a decent one-off pick-up.
