10 NHL Games You Can't Miss Starting March 10 and Predictions

The wonderful thing about the parity in the NHL is that there is almost always a great game to watch on national television every day during the week.

Starting today, I’m going to help be your NHL TV Guide and tell you which games I think you should watch this week. I’ve focused on “national” games, contests that are played on NBC, NBC Sports Network and the NHL Network—as well as RDS and CBC for my Canadian friends out there.

Not only that, but I’ve provided predictions for how each game will turn out. My hope is that this becomes a one-stop shop for all you NHL fans out there who want to see the game’s best teams compete against each other every week.

March 11: Boston Bruins (16-3-3) at Ottawa Senators (13-8-4), RDS

The Ottawa Senators have shown signs of life this season and can make a statement in this game against the Boston Bruins, a Northeast rival that is expected by many to not only win the division, but also the entire Eastern Conference this season.

Ottawa is tough to beat at home and should give Boston a run for its money.

Prediction: Boston 3, Ottawa 4 (OT)

March 12: Boston Bruins (16-3-3) at Pittsburgh Penguins (16-8-0), NBCSN

Boston is on top of the Northeast. The Pittsburgh Penguins are on top of the Atlantic. Both teams look playoff-bound right now.

The Penguins have a bit of a cushion in their division (the Rangers and Devils are more than five points behind them), but Boston enters the game knowing that it has very little room for error with a solid Montreal Canadiens team breathing down its back.

Boston is just as good away as it is at home and will have no trouble playing in western Pennsylvania, where the Penguins are 6-4-0 this season.

Prediction: Boston 5, Pittsburgh 4

Philadelphia and New Jersey (March 13: NBCSN, March 15: NHLN)

These two games will be a barometer by which we can measure these two Atlantic Division rivals. The New Jersey Devils started out well but have struggled lately. The opposite goes for an injured Philadelphia Flyers club that has played better now that it's gotten more guys back.

The Flyers have done well at home but really struggled on the road. New Jersey is better in the Prudential Center but usually can squeak a point out of an away game. The game on March 13 will be played in Philly. The game on March 15 will be played in Jersey.

March 13 Prediction: New Jersey 2, Philadelphia 3

March 15 Prediction: Philadelphia 2, New Jersey 4

March 14: Pittsburgh Penguins (16-8-0) at Toronto Maple Leafs (15-10-0), RDS

The Toronto Maple Leafs have more to prove in this one. The Penguins already have won a cup with their core and have proven they can win with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Co. Toronto did not make the playoffs between lockouts but appears capable of making the playoffs this year.

If the Leafs are going to make a long-awaited run in the Eastern Conference, it will likely go through Pittsburgh.

Toronto is actually a better team away from the ACC, and the Pens are road warriors, making this a difficult matchup for the Leafs.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 5, Toronto 2

March 14: Washington Capitals (10-11-1) at Carolina Hurricanes (13-9-1), NHLN

A much-improved Carolina Hurricanes team is threatening to take over a division once owned by the Washington Capitals. Even though they haven’t been good at home this year, the Hurricanes should have the upper hand in the contest against a Washington team that struggles on the road.

Prediction: Washington 2, Carolina 3

March 16: Detroit Red Wings (12-9-4) at Vancouver Canucks (11-6-6), NHLN

In a matchup of two teams that once had a chokehold on their respective divisions but now are in jeopardy of relinquishing it, the Detroit Red Wings head west to take on a Vancouver Canucks team that has played well at home all year.

Both teams need the points. The Red Wings are a clear No. 2 in the Central, given that the Chicago Blackhawks only recently lost a game, but they have the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators right behind them. The Canucks know that if they slip, a surging Minnesota Wild team could catch them in the Northwest.

The Red Wings got the best of the Canucks last time around, but that game was played in Motown. Away from home, they’re going to find things a little more difficult.

Prediction: Detroit 2, Vancouver 4

March 16: New York Rangers (12-9-2) at Pittsburgh Penguins (16-8-0), NHLN

The New York Rangers will be looking to make up for lost time in this game, while the Penguins hope to keep them in their place. Both Atlantic Division rivals are highly talented and expected to make the playoffs this year, although the Blueshirts have found out that a win in the offseason doesn’t always translate once the game starts.

New York has been terrible on the road, and Pittsburgh has been good enough at the CONSOL Energy Center that it should pull this one off.

Prediction: New York 2, Pittsburgh 4

March 16: Montreal Canadiens (15-5-4) at New Jersey Devils (11-8-5), NHLN

The Canadiens have surprised everyone outside of Montreal with their hot start this season after spending last year in the Northeast Division cellar.

New Jersey did well last year when it won the Eastern Conference, but people felt that the loss of Zach Parise would spell doom for the Devils. After a hot start, this team has simmered down and could be slipping in the powerful Atlantic Division.

Montreal has done just fine away from the Bell Centre, but the Devils are tough to beat at home.

Prediction: Montreal 4, New Jersey 3 (OT)

March 16: Toronto Maple Leafs (15-10-0) at Winnipeg Jets (12-11-1), CBC

You know what? The Winnipeg Jets aren’t half bad.

Are they the Selanne-Tkachuk-Zhamnov Jets of the mid-1990s? No, but this young team is coming into its own.

How will they fare against the Leafs, another team that is suddenly looking kind of good? I don’t know. The Jets are struggling in the ‘Peg, and the Leafs are tearing it up on the road.

Prediction: Toronto 4, Winnipeg 2

Tom Schreier writes a weekly column for TheFanManifesto.com and contributes to Hockey’s Future and Stadium Journey.

Follow @tschreier3