NHL Predictions For Sunday, April 9

In the biggest rivalry in hockey, the Montreal Canadiens travel to face their arch-rivals in Toronto in what should be a fiery clash. 

While this match has all of the ingredients for another hugely entertaining clash, there is little on the line outside of bragging rights. The Canadiens were brilliant in 2021 as they made it to the Stanley Cup finals, but they have dropped off massively. In 2022, they missed out on the playoffs, and while their record is slightly better this year, they will miss out on the playoffs this year too. 

With leading goalscorer Cole Caufield ruled out with a shoulder injury, there will be more shuffling of the pack for the Canadiens, who are already without forwards Christian Dvorak and Josh Anderson alongside defencemen Kaiden Guhle and David Savard, while goaltender Carey Price is still out. 

With fitness an issue for Sean Monahan Paul Byron and Kirby Dach, this is not an ideal time for the Canadiens to make the trip to Toronto. 

Currently sitting in second in the Atlantic Division, the Maple Leafs have already secured their place in the playoffs, and they will want nothing more than to rub the Canadiens' noses in it with by consigning them to another defeat. 

Despite being the better team in the form book, these derby matches rarely entirely go the way we think they should. In fact, the Canadiens have won four of the last six meetings with Toronto, including two of three this season. However, it is worth remembering that these wins have all come at home, while the team that is hosting has won the last 10 matches in a row. The Maple Leafs are therefore our pick in this one. 

The Nashville Predators are doing their best to keep their head above water this season as they continue to cling to their dreams of a Wild Card place. This makes their match against the Winnipeg Jets even more intriguing, with the Jets the side they are closest to chasing down at the time of writing. 

The Jets sit in fourth in the Central Division, with the outfit boasting the final Wild Card slot in the Western Conference. With a two-point advantage over the Calgary Flames and a five-point lead over the Predators, the Jets are in the ascendancy. 

However, the Predators have two games in hand over their hosts, but they will have to be near-perfect if they are to reach the playoffs. Neither side has been great going forward this year with the Predators scoring 212 goals, the fifth-worst record in the NHL. Meanwhile, the Jets have scored 233 goals, meaning they are ranked 21st in the NHL. 

Clearly, the pair are better defensively, with the Jets ranked ninth with 215 goals conceded, while the Predators have conceded 220 goals, meaning they are ranked 12th. With this in mind, it would be no surprise to see a low-scoring affair between two defensively strong sides that have a lot riding on this match. 

The Jets are 24-12-2 at home, while they have won four of their last six against their opponents, including two of three this season. With the Jets having the statistical advantage, this match could finally see the playoff dreams of the Predators ended.