Wednesday night's meeting between the Rangers and Capitals could carry a little more weight. (USATSI)
Wednesday night's meeting between the Rangers and Capitals could carry a little more weight. (USATSI)

Welcome to the NHL Daily Picks, where CBS hockey writers Chris Peters and Adam Gretz share their predictions for select games every day.

Buffalo Sabres at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. ET

In a battle between the two teams with the worst records in the Eastern Conference, there’s not a whole lot on the line in this one. The Maple Leafs aren’t going to catch the Sabres in the race to the bottom, so they might as well try to give the home fans a bit of a show. The Maple Leafs have lost three consecutive games, while the Sabres are on a four-game skid. Those that head into the Air Canada Centre Wednesday night might not see a spectacular game, but they should see some goals. The two clubs have split the season series to date with Toronto winning the first matchup 4-0 and Buffalo taking round two by a 6-2 score. Both teams are dealing with some injuries, so things could get ugly in this one. Pick: Maple Leafs 4, Sabres 1

New York Rangers at Washington Capitals, 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN

After a big 2-1 win over the New York Islanders Tuesday night, the Rangers have a chance to skate out of the nation’s capital with the top spot in the Metropolitan Division in hand. The Capitals obviously aren’t going to let the Rangers waltz out that easily, though. It will be a bit tougher to pick up a W for the Caps if they’re missing some key players. Mike Green and Brooks Laich are among the players that could miss the contest with injuries. The Rangers, meanwhile, have the disadvantage of playing on the second half of a back-to-back. Goaltender Cam Talbot saw a lot of work in his 30-save performance against the Islanders, so it could be Mackenzie Skapski’s net against the Caps. However, that carrot of first place being dangled in front of the Rangers is a pretty powerful motivator. The last time these two teams clashed, Rick Nash had a hat trick and the Rangers cruised to a late-December win. With three games left between these two clubs the rest of the way this season, including Wednesday’s tilt, there’s a big chance for both teams to pick up some important divisional points. Pick: Capitals 3, Rangers 2

Anaheim Ducks at Calgary Flames, 9:30 p.m. ET

As should be the case the rest of the season, the Flames are in a race to hold off the Los Angeles Kings. The two clubs are even with 77 points in 66 games so far, with the Flames holding the tiebreaker. Unfortunately for Calgary, the Ducks have been one of the few Pacific Division teams that has truly given the Flames trouble. Anaheim is 3-0-1 in the series this season, with Wednesday night representing the last regular-season meeting between the two divisional foes. The Ducks are still well clear of their divisional competitors, but a victory Wednesday will give them sole possession of first place in the Western Conference. It’s a three-horse race for that coveted top spot in the West, however. The Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues are both firmly in the mix to take the top seed into the postseason, so even if there’s no pressure from the teams in the Pacific, the Ducks have something to chase. Pick: Ducks 4, Flames 1

Three Stars

1. Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks: In the season series with the Flame this year, Perry has averaged a point-per-game with a goal and three assists over four contests. He also has 32 points in 39 career games against Calgary. Additionally, Perry is just two goals away from hitting the 30-goal mark.

2. Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks: Getzlaf has had good success against Calgary in his career with 37 points in 37 games against the Flames. He also has two goals and an assist over four games in the season series to date.

3. Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals: Holtby has been very strong of late, and really all season, so he could be a big difference maker in this big divisional matchup with New York. In eight appearances against the Rangers, his record of 2-4-1 comes despite a solid save percentage of .932 in the series. Catching the Rangers while he’s in his stride should give the Capitals goalie a good chance to showcase himself.