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As the NHL season heats up, December 28th brings us a trio of thrilling matchups that promise to keep fans on the edge of their seats. With the Columbus Blue Jackets, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Chicago Blackhawks all tipped to win their respective games, these contests offer a feast of hockey action.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are set to host the New York Islanders in what promises to be a tightly contested affair. With a 55% win probability according to our simulation model, Columbus is slightly favored to take the victory, boasting a predicted scoreline of 3.2 to 2.4. This prediction aligns with the Vegas spread of -1.5 for the Blue Jackets, suggesting a narrow win.
Key to Columbus's success will be the performances of Kirill Marchenko and Adam Fantilli. Marchenko is expected to contribute significantly with 0.7 assists, while Fantilli could find the net with an estimated 0.5 goals. Meanwhile, the Islanders will rely on Anders Lee to lead their offense, projected to score 0.4 goals and add 0.3 assists.
Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning are set to light up the ice against the Montreal Canadiens. Our simulations give the Lightning a 57% chance of victory, with a predicted score of 3.2 to 2.2, again in line with a Vegas spread favoring Tampa Bay by -1.5.
Expect fireworks from Nikita Kucherov, who stands out with a projected 1.8 points, including 0.5 goals and a whopping 1.3 assists. Brayden Point is also anticipated to shine, potentially adding 0.6 goals to the scoreboard. Montreal, while the underdog, will look to Cole Caufield to keep them competitive, with projections of 0.5 goals and 0.3 assists.
In the Windy City, the Chicago Blackhawks are slight favorites against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 53% chance of coming out on top. The predicted score of 2.7 to 2.3 reflects the close nature of this matchup, with the Vegas spread offering the Penguins a cushion of +1.5.
Chicago's Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi are expected to be pivotal, with Teravainen projected for 1.0 points through 0.3 goals and 0.6 assists. Bertuzzi is not far behind with a potential 0.8 points. For the Penguins, the legendary Sidney Crosby will aim to defy the odds, with expectations of contributing 0.7 points, including 0.2 goals.
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