You Better Not Miss This

The games you absolutely need to watch this week

Courtesy officepools.com

By Marnitz Kotze

With so many great games each week, we single out three that you absolutely, positively cannot miss. As always, my winners are in bold.

Phoenix at Anaheim

November 6th-7:00 PM Pacific
Fox Sports West

Phoenix is off to its hottest start since 2001, sitting pretty with twenty two points through fifteen games. Currently third in a Pacific Division which features some of the toughest teams in the league, the Coyotes are on a four-game winning streak and visit the Ducks on Wednesday. The Ducks had an amazing October with just three losses, stringing together a seven-game winning streak in the process. The last meeting between these two featured a goalie battle decided in the shootout with Anaheim taking the extra point. Being so close in the standings in the toughest division in the league means these two teams will come ready to play and I expect another very close game.

Courtesy pucksofafeather.com

Prediction: Anaheim. Only one goal separates these two teams' offensive output so I am expecting another close game but based on Anaheim's veteran presence and better defensive numbers I think the Ducks will come out on top and wouldn't be surprised to see another shootout.

Toronto at Boston

November 9th-4:00 PM Pacific

Courtesy hfboards.hockeysfuture.com

CBC

Oh how I've waited for this game. Let's rewind for a moment. Toronto was up 4-1 in Game 7 against Boston in the opening round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Leafs had overcome a 3-1 deficit in the series to get to this point and had the game in their pocket with only ten minutes left in the third. The Bruins went on to administer "The D" with Patrice Bergeron providing the final blow (no pun intended) in OT as the Bruins took the game 5-4 and the series 4-3. The two teams haven't played since then and I can only imagine that the Leafs are going to come out hard. This is Hockey Night in Canada's big game of the week and I am hoping that it lives up to the hype. Boston has not had the best start, going 8-5 thus far, but they still find themselves only 4 points behind the Leafs with two games in hand. This game will be huge for both teams as a statement game as well as in the standings and I expect a very heated affair.

Prediction: I hate picking against stats and in picking the Bruins I'm totally doing so but I think November is the turn around month for them. I don't expect a lot of goals in this one but I do expect penalty minutes galore, or at least Lucic going Godzilla on the Leafs.

Tampa Bay at Detroit

November 9th-4:00 PM Pacific
RDS,SUN

Realignment sees Detroit in the East now, playing in the Atlantic Division. I love that these two teams will play each other more often now. This much fire power on the ice makes this game a borderline war zone. Detroit hasn't played very well this year but have recently been playing better sitting on a three game win streak. After finishing their season twenty-eighth in the league last year, the Tampa Bay Lightning have exploded out of the gate behind new Head Coach John Cooper. They currently sit atop the Atlantic with twenty points in fourteen games. This will be the first game of the season between the two and elite skill will be on display. Pavel Datsyuk and Henrick Zetterberg are the main point producers for Detroit as are Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis for Tampa, so I imagine it will be a battle of top lines trying to outscore one another.

Prediction: These two teams are evenly matched but depending on how Babcock matches his lines Detroit should have the upper hand. If anything this should come to goal tending in which I'll give it to Howard.

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Marnitz Kotze is probably the most famous South African to immigrate to Canada since Steve Nash. Follow him on Twitter at @marnitzkotze