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The Canadiens finished second in the Eastern Conference this season while the Senators were seventh. However, Ottawa has a red hot goalie in Andrew Hammond, whose 20-1-2 record backed the Sens' improbable end-of-season run to the playoffs. Ottawa is red hot and playing playoff hockey the last 2 months. They are the more physical team and I like them to win game 1 and also the series here. The Canadiens also went 1-3-0 against the Senators this season. They were outscored 14-9 and I think the Senators have the edge. Home ice doesn't mean much when you have a hot goalie in there. Play OTTAWA as a nice underdog.   5*

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The Pittsburgh Penguins head to Denver on the back of four consecutive wins as they'll take on a team they have dominated over recent seasons, winning six of the last seven meetings. The Penguins are only four points back of the Islanders for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division with three games in hand. They're looking to put themselves in as good of a position as possible for the upcoming playoffs and have acquired Ben Lovejoy and Ian Cole to boost their defense. Colorado on the other hand is sitting dead last in the Central Division seven points out of a wild card spot. Pitt has the NHL's top rated power play for almost the whole first half and they seem to have found their groove again as they've converted on six of their last 18 chances. Pittsburgh is by far the better team here and they'll show it tonight! 5* GAME OF THE MONTH

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The Blackhawks were just shutout in back to back games and I expect them to come out strong and with some intensity tonight! The Blackhawks and the Jets have already battled each other three times in Chicago this season with the Jets claiming all three. The Jets have allowed 23 goals over a five game skid and have struggled immensely on the penalty kill, yielding eight goals. Only three points separate the two teams in the standings and the Blackhawks are only five points ahead of the Canucks who sits eighth in the Western Conference. Chicago is the better offensive and defensive team and also much better on the Power Play. This is not a situation Chicago can be comfortable with, and I think they'll give a very strong effort tonight! 5* Game of the Week on Chicago. 5*

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The Caps have dropped two of their last three and I think they'll come up short against a Blackhawks team looking to even out the season series today. No team in the league has a better goals against per game average than the Blackhawks as they're allowing just over two goals per game. Corey Crawford is set to make his fourth consecutive start, and has been rock solid all season, and has been particularly good on the road where he is 8-3-1 behind a 1.90 GAA.

Chicago also own the very best penalty kill units in the NHL, conceding goals on less than 10% of their short-handed situations. They've got their power play going lately as well, going 6-for-22 over their last seven games. That could spell trouble for a Caps team who's penalty kill ranks near the bottom of the league and has given up four goals over its last three games. PLay the Chicago Blackhawks here on Thursday! 5*

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Washington puts up close to 3 goals per game and I expect them to put a stop to the Columbus 7 game winning streak. Six of the seven wins in this run for the Blue Jackets have been by one goal, with five going to overtime. The Capitals lost to these same Blue Jackets in OT last week despite outshooting them 41-23. Columbus is allowing 3.43 goals at home while the Caps allow just 2.40 goals on the road. Washington is very good on the road and in the penalty play. The Caps have a HOT Goalie and we'll ride him tonight. Holtby has keyed Washington going 4-0-2 in their last six games as he's posted a 1.79 GAA. The Capitals own the NHL's best power play at 27.1 percent overall and 35.5 on the road.  5* NHL GAME OF THE MONTH

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The Wild are very good at home sporting a 7-2 record as they score 3 goals per game and also get a ton of shots on goal. Montreal will be playing its fourth game in five days and they have played 26 games so far this season. A key factor, the Canadians played a high-altitude game on Monday and looking ahead to a big revenge game against Chicago on Friday. The Wild will be playing with three days of rest and they have played 23 games so far. Minnesota has the better offense and defense, and great at killing the penalty. Look for the Wild to get a big win here at home on Wednesday night!  5*

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Toronto (9-7-2) has lost two in a row, totaling three goals after scoring 16 during the three-game win streak that preceded the defeats. Nashville is a very good team(11-4-2) and has allowed fewer than 30 shots on goal in the last four games and 11 of 17 times this season. The Predators' 2.0 goals allowed per game is tied for second in the league. Pekka Rinne will likely start for Nashville. He's posted a 1.92 goals against average in 15 games this season. The Predators have won two of the past three meetings with the Leafs and I think they'll have a huge advantage tonight. Take NASHVILLE as our 5* NHL ICEMAN PLAY OF THE WEEK.

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For those who don’t follow the NHL regularly, I want to try and put the home ice advantage owned by the Minnesota Wild into perspective. Think Seattle Seahawks. I mean to tell you, now that the Wild are showing some signs of legitimate ascension in the NHL, their building is turning into an insane asylum on tilt. The crowds are arriving early and in huge numbers, and by the time the puck gets dropped, they are in serious full throttle mood. Minnesota has been outstanding thus far. The only aspect of the Wild’s game that hasn’t been sharp is their power play. Beyond that, they’ve been tremendous and they’re proving to be a dominant force at home with a spotless 5-0 slate. The Wild have outscored the opposition by a whopping 21-6 count this far and they’re playing with extreme confidence here.Take the Wild here at home Tuesday night.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are a very good team at home. They are great defensively and at stopping the power play. The Ducks will have to play without defenseman Ben Lovejoy for six to eight weeks after he broke a finger on his right hand while punching San Jose's Joe Pavelski on Sunday. This Chicago team is4-0-1 at the United Center with Sunday's 2-1 victory over Ottawa. Chicago is outshooting teams by about 11 shots per game and exceeding the 40-shot threshold in four of their eight games. The past two seasons they finished second in the League with a shade more than three goals per game each year. The Blackhawks limit their penalties and are playing great hockey right now and I love them at home here on Tuesday night.

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The LA Kings are a very good home team and I think the Rangers are outmatched. The Kings adjusted they totally shut down the Rangers and held them to 0 goals the rest of the game including O/T. In the third period alone Los Angeles out shot New York 20-2 and the Rangers looked lost. So I look for the Kings to dominate big time here right from the drop of the puck, and come away with a very lopsided win here tonight as they are rested and better on the Power Play. Take the LA KINGS! 5*

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 Now in Montreal I expect a big performance from the Habs. The Habs have their backs against the wall here as a loss sends them on vacation. Despite losing in OT in Game 4, Montreal has to still be liking its chances because of the stellar play of young goalie Dustin Tokarski. Tokarski was thrown into the roll as starting netminder when All-Star Carey Price got steamrolled in Game 1. Tokarski has a 2.63 GAA and .917 save percentage through three games and I think has a legitimate shot at gutting out a victory tonight. New York has hardly been a World beater and the home crowd is going to be as supportive as always at the Bell Center. Considering all of the above factors and what’s at stake in this elimination game I like Montreal at home to get the victory.  4*

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Only three teams in the history of the NHL have come back from a 3-0 series deficit, but the Kings have a chance to become the fourth on Wednesday night. Jeff Carter and Mike Richards have been on a 0-3 comeback team before, and the Kings have all the momentum, and the Sharks probably aren't confident about either of their goalies. The momentum has clearly shifted in favor of L.A. and the Sharks are in trouble here tonight. Jonathan Quick meanwhile has stopped 55 of 56 shots the last two games, and he'll come into Game 7 full of confidence and energy. San Jose is no stranger to playoff meltdowns, and past failures have now come back to haunt the Sharks once again. Despite all the pressure, everything working against the home team, we'll back the underdog LA Kings here on Wednesday night.  5* NHL PLayoffs Game of the Month.

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Pitt is off a OT loss at home and the Penguins are 5-0 in the last 5 meetings in Columbus. Pittsburgh is the better team here and they will come out swinging tonight to grab game 3 and take control of this series. The Blue Jackets are 1-5 in their last 6 Conference Quarterfinals games & are 1-4 in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. Penguins have to play better defense, cut down on the penaltiesl and limit turnovers and I believe they'll come out strong here on Monday night NHL Playoff action.  4*