At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over Minnesota.  The Oilers were blasted, 5-1, here at home by Los Angeles on Sunday, which followed a 4-3 loss to the Kraken, on Friday.  That blowout loss to the Kings particularly rankled their coach, Dave Tippett, who claimed his team wasn't playing hard or fast enough.  The good news is that the Oilers typically bounce back from poor games, as they're 29-12 off a loss by 2+ goals, and 22-8 after surrendering more than 4 goals.  Edmonton is also 15-7 off back to back losses.  Take the Oilers on Tuesday night.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. 

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Ottawa Senators.  The Isles were hit hard by COVID-19, and have lost 11 straight games in large part due to the absences forced by the protocols.  But everyone other than Casey Cizikas is back in the fold now, so the team should soon start to look like the one which reached the Playoff semifinals last season.  This is Ottawa's second game in as many nights, as it played at New Jersey yesterday.  And it's also its fifth game in seven days, with travel before and after each of the five games.  Take New York.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vancouver Canucks over the Los Angeles Kings.  The Canucks cleaned house by firing their general manager and coach after Saturday's 4-1 home loss to Pittsburgh, and hired the well-traveled Bruce Boudreau (Capitals, Wild, Ducks) to be behind the bench.  In 14 seasons as head coach, Boudreau's teams have won eight division titles, but he's never got a team to the Stanley Cup finals.  Still, I like the move to replace Travis Green at this time, given Vancouver's horrible start to the season, as well as the fact that Boudreau's first five games will all be at home.  We'll take the Canucks in this game, as the Kings played at Edmonton last night, and will turn to backup Cal Petersen to be between the pipes.  Vancouver is 21-14 (+9.8 games on the moneyline) off a home loss, and 8-3 off a blowout home loss by more than two goals.  Take the Canucks.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Ottawa Senators.  The Devils gave up a season-high eight goals in their lopsided loss to the Jets in Winnipeg on Friday.  But since it was the second half of back-to-back road games, New Jersey played back-up goalie Jonathan Bernier in that one.  Bernier wasn't very good to say the least and the Devils pulled him for their #1 net-minder Mackenzie Blackwood.  He wasn't much better than Bernier but then again Blackwood wasn't ready to play and was clearly unprepared to enter the sinking ship.  Blackwood should be rested and ready to go against a Senators team that has won just six times in 22 games this season.  Not only has Ottawa won two straight coming into the Meadowlands tonight -- its first two-game win streak of the season -- but they've come against two of the better teams in the league in the Avs (6-5) and Hurricanes (3-2).  The Devils are 4-1 in the last five meetings with the Senators, while Ottawa is 1-3 in the last four trips here going back to October 2017.  And the Senators are also 0-7 their last seven after scoring more than 5 goals in their previous game.  Take New Jersey.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Detroit Red Wings.  Home isn't always the place to be.  The Islanders opened their brand new venue on Long Island November 20 in the first of five games in a row there, and they proceeded to reel off five straight losses.  There will be plenty of victories at UBS Arena in the future, but for now let's just say that the Isles are probably feeling good to be out of New York.  They only have tonight's game at Detroit before returning to the Island for another try at their new home against Chicago on Sunday.  If they're going to escape for a game, Detroit is not a bad place to visit as the Isles are 4-1 in the last five meetings here going back to February of 2017.  Top winger Tyler Bertuzzi (18 points in 20 games) has landed on the COVID protocol list for Detroit and will miss at least four games, so that is a big blow to the home team tonight.  The Wings are 14-43 in their last 57 games vs. the East (and also 13-38 in their last 51 vs. teams from the Metropolitan Division).  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the St. Louis Blues.  This is the second game of a home-and-home, East vs. West miniseries.  And Game 1 in St. Louis on Tuesday couldn't have been any closer.  The Blues prevailed at home in a shootout, 4-3, with both of these teams registering 33 shots in the process.  Now the two elite teams head to the southeast for what could be another barn-burner in Tampa.  The Bolts have been tough here at Amalie Arena while the Blues have a losing record this season on the road at 5-4-2.  And with the win in St. Louis two days ago, the home team is now 6-3 in the last nine meetings of these two.  Lightning star Steven Stamkos sat out Tuesday's game for personal reasons but is expected to be back on the ice tonight for the home team and that should give them a big boost.  The fact that the Blues won the front end of this miniseries may not bode well for them tonight as they are 1-6 in their last seven following a win.  They are also 0-4 in their last four road games.  Take the Lightning.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over Anaheim.  The Ducks won a shootout last night vs. rival Los Angeles, and will host Vegas tonight, on Wednesday.  Unfortunately, captain Ryan Getzlaf was injured last night, so his point production (20 points) will be sorely missed.  Even worse for Anaheim:  the Golden Knights are 18-3 in the last 21 meetings, including 9-1 here, in Anaheim.  The Knights are looking to bounce back off their loss to Edmonton, and they're 22-12 off a division loss, and 71-35 vs. division rivals, overall.  Take Vegas.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Washington Capitals.  The Panthers had a home winning streak that stretched from the beginning of the season until last Saturday (11 games).  And the team that broke the streak?  None-other than the expansion Seattle Kraken, who beat Florida here by a 4-1 margin.  The Panthers look to begin a new streak tonight but it won't be easy against a Caps team that has won nine of its last 11.  But the Caps are still without forwards Nicklas Backstrom (hip), T.J. Oshie (foot), and Anthony Mantha (shoulder) so the mountain they have to climb tonight is probably higher than Florida's.  Plus, this is a revenge game for the Panthers as they were one of the victims in the Caps' latest run, falling in DC back on November 26, 4-3.  And home ice would seem to be important in this series as the host team has won four of the last five meetings between these two.  The Panthers are also 4-0 in their last four games following a home loss of three or more goals, and they're an incredible 23-4 in their last 27 games here at FLA Live arena.  Take Florida.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over Columbus.  After a 5-0 start to the season, the Blues have gone 5-7-3 since, including an overtime loss in Chicago last night.   And what made last night's loss even more frustrating was that St. Louis blew a 2-0, first period lead.  Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets won for the 3rd straight game, with a 4-2 home victory over Vancouver last night.  But their win streak should be halted tonight in St. Louis, as they've lost 20 of the last 25 meetings played here vs. the Blues.  Even worse:  Columbus is 7-14 after a home win, in which it scored more than three goals.  Take St. Louis to bounce back on Saturday.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:35 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Minnesota Wild.  Minnesota is a first place team in its Division (the Central), and although it's early in the season, the Wild must be feeling good about that.  But it's interesting to note that the Wild also has a goal differential of just +6, by far the lowest number of any of the Division Leading teams (Carolina +22, Florida +25, Calgary +30).  In fact, two other Central Clubs have goal differentials higher than Minnesota's +6 (St. Louis +10 and Colorado +15).  So this would seem to indicate that the Wild has been fortunate up to this point and that a regression may be in order.  Minnesota has a goals-allowed-per-game of 3.16, and there are only nine teams in the entire league with higher averages than that.  At home, that number is even worse, as the Wild has allowed 3.57 GPG when playing here at Xcel Energy Center (the third-highest home number in the league).  The Jets are 9-4 in their last 13 games vs. teams from the West and 6-2 in their last eight against teams from the Central Division.  Take Winnipeg.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the New York Rangers.  After 13 straight games on the road to open the season, the Islanders finally got to play at their new home last Saturday night.  But after two games here at the UBS Arena, the Isles are still looking for their first victory in the shiny new building.  Home has not been "sweet home" for the Isles as they have been out-scored so far at home by a combined 8-2 in losses to the Flames and Maple Leafs.  COVID-19 can be blamed at least somewhat for the Islanders swoon as no fewer than seven players have been out on protocol the last few games.  They may get some of them back tonight for their first cross-town battle at UBS Arena with the Rangers.  The Islanders are hoping recent history repeats itself so they can finally get their first win in their new home tonight and no doubt the fans will be pumped for the first meetings with the Rangers this season.  The Isles have won the last four meetings and 20 out of the last 28, including 10 of the last 14 at home.  Take the Islanders as a home dog.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie. 

At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Pittsburgh's NHL team is 2/3 of the way through a Canadian road trip and if the first two games are any indication, the Penguins may not want to return to the U.S.  The Pens have won the first two games in Montreal and Toronto by a combined 8-0 and tonight they go further west to Winnipeg to take on the Jets.  The Pens have Sidney Crosby, Brian Dumoulin, and Jeff Carter back in the lineup but are still without C Evgeni Malkin, who continues to nurse a damaged knee.  This could be a tough match-up for the visitors against a Jets team that has only lost one home game in regulation so far this season (7-1-1).  The Penguins' victory in Toronto on Saturday was their first in their last six immediately following a victory.  Pittsburgh is also 0-4 in its last four games against teams from the Western Conference.  Meanwhile, the Jets are 5-1 in their last six games against teams that have lost more than half their games.  Take Winnipeg.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Toronto Maple Leafs.  After 13 straight games on the road to open the season, the New York Islanders finally opened their home schedule last night at the brand new UBS Arena in Elmont.  Unfortunately, the home team couldn't deliver a win to christen the new rink as the visiting Flames won the game, 5-2, thanks to two empty-net tallies late in the game.  The Isles have a quick turnaround against a very talented Maple Leafs club tonight (and one which I tabbed in the preseason to win the Stanley Cup this season), but there are at least a couple of reasons to believe New York will get its first win in its new home this evening.  First off, despite a 12-5-1 overall record, the Leafs are just 3-3 on the road this season, including their 2-0 loss in Pittsburgh last night.  Second, this has been a very host-friendly series lately as the home team is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings of these two clubs.  Take the Islanders.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Kraken over the Chicago Blackhawks.  Chicago's on a 3-game win streak.  But all three wins were at home.  And the first two came via overtime/shootout, while the 3rd was in regulation, but against the 2-13-1 Arizona Coyotes.  On the road, the Blackhawks have yet to win, as they are 0-6, and have been outscored 25-11.  Chicago is 11-16 (minus 6.1 net games on the moneyline) off back-to-back wins; 15-27 (minus 11.0 net games) off back-to-back home games; and 12-20 (minus 8.7 net games) off a home win.  The Kraken's Philipp Grubauer has just been confirmed as tonight's goalie following the morning skate.  It's true that Grubauer has been a disappointment in the early going, and ranks near the bottom in the major statistical categories.  But the one goalie who has been worse than Grubauer is Chicago's Marc-Andre Fleury!  This game sets up well for Grubauer, who has had to play the lion's share between the pipes this season, as back-up Chris Driedger had been sidelined until November 3rd.  The Kraken have been off since Saturday, so Grubauer will be very well-rested when the team takes the ice tonight.  Take Seattle.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. 

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Detroit Red Wings.  These two teams will meet tonight for the second time this season.  The Wings got the better of the Jackets on October 19 by a 4-1 margin.  It was another win for the home team in this series as the hosts have been dominant lately, taking seven of the last eight meetings between Detroit and Columbus.  Among the Jackets five home wins this season are victories over the Islanders, Stars, and Avalanche.  The Red Wings will get back to what they were in their glory days with the young talent they have.  It just won't be this season, although they can consider it a success so far with a .500 record (8-6-2) after just 19 wins in 56 games last season.  With the loss in October, this is a revenge game for Columbus, which is 15-6 in the last 21 meetings with Detroit.  The favorite is also 42-16 in the last 58 meetings of these two. Take the Blue Jackets.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 5:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Ottawa Senators.  The Senators pulled off a big upset last night, easily beating the Pittsburgh Penguins here at home, 6-3.  But before we hand them the Stanley Cup or even think they can do it again this evening, let's keep in mind that the Pens were still missing three of their best players last night (Crosby, Malkin, and Dumoulin).  And even with those three, they're still far from the same team that won back-to-back Cups four years ago.  Ottawa's win last night is made even more unexpected when you consider that the Sens have no fewer than eight players unavailable due to COVID protocol -- including former Pens goalie Matt Murray.  They won't be available tonight either against a healthy Flames team that has lost its last three games.  Calgary has done its best work on the road this season where it is 5-2-1 in eight games (vs. 2-1-3 at home).  The Senators are 1-6 in their last seven games as a home underdog and 0-5 in their last five games vs. teams from the Pacific Division.  Take the Flames.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Detroit Red Wings over the Montreal Canadiens.  Nobody is predicting a Stanley Cup for the Detroit Red Wings this season.  But it might not be too long before the franchise notches its 12th NHL Championship.  The reason that folks in Detroit may be very optimistic about the future right now is because the Wings have arguably the two best rookies in the League in winger Lucas Raymond (14 points in 15 games) and Defenseman Moritz Seider (11 points).  These two young stars -- together with some solid veterans like Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi -- are the main reasons why the Wings are 7-6-2 and in third place in the Atlantic Division behind only Florida and Toronto.  Things aren't nearly as uplifting if you're a fan of the Canadiens.  So far, the 2021-2022 season seems to be showing us all that Montreal's surprise appearance in last season's Cup Finals was a fluke.  The Habs are just 4-10-1 and have only won once on the road so far (out of six games).  Montreal is 0-5 in its last five immediately following a victory.  Take the Red Wings.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the San Jose Sharks.  NHL teams have been hit by the COVID protocol this season, but none harder than the San Jose Sharks.  Currently, the Sharks have no fewer than six regulars out on COVID protocol and none of them made this Western Canada road trip.  Another one, winger Evander Cane, violated the league's policy so bad that he has been suspended until the end of this month.  San Jose's head coach, Bob Boughner, is also out on COVID protocol and has not joined the club and will be replaced on the bench by assistant John MacLean.  The Jets lost a tough one to the Blues in a shootout on Tuesday, but overall they've played very well here at home this season (4-1-0-1).  This is a revenge situation for the Jets as well as the Sharks won both meetings in October -- while playing at home.  The Sharks are 19-39 in their last 58 games as a road underdog while the Jets are 10-1 off an overtime/shootout defeat.  Take Winnipeg.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Philadelphia Flyers.  The Maple Leafs were flying high on a five-game win streak when they ran into a bit of a buzz saw in the Los Angeles Kings on Monday.  On paper, the Leafs are a far superior team (as evidenced by the -250 line) but for whatever reason, they went to sleep and the Kings cruised to an easy 5-1 victory in Toronto.  The Leafs will simply move past that game as they now head to Philadelphia for their first match-up with the Flyers in almost two years.  The Flyers are 2-2 in their last four games with victories against a bad Arizona Coyotes team and a banged-up Caps club while dropping decisions to the Penguins and Flames.  That home loss to the Kings could actually be a good thing for the Leafs tonight as they are 5-2 in their last seven games following a home loss by three or more goals.  Meanwhile, the Flyers are 8-20 in their last 28 games following a victory and they are also 4-10 in their last 14 games as a home underdog.  Take the Maple Leafs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Montreal Canadiens over the Los Angeles Kings.  After three games against the Knights, Red Wings, and Islanders, the Canadiens will catch a bit of a break tonight, as the Kings come to Montreal after playing in Toronto last night (while the Habs are rested).  The defense has been showing up lately for the Canadiens as they held the Wings to just 22 shots on goal in their 3-0 shutout a week ago.  In their last game, they did it again, holding Vegas to just 16 shots the entire game although they somehow lost, 5-2, to the Knights.  (But that game was really 3-2 as the Knights got two empty-net tallies with time running out.)  Tonight is a revenge situation as the Kings just beat the Canadiens in Los Angeles in their last meeting on October 30.  Because this is the 2nd of a back-to-back for the Kings, Jonathan Quick will not be between the pipes tonight.  Instead, it will be 27-year-old journeyman Cal Petersen's duty.  The lack of rest is one of the key factors for tonight, as the Kings are 1-5 in their last six in the second game of a back-to-back situation. Additionally, the Canadiens are 10-4 after losing at home by more than two goals.  Take Montreal.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Florida Panthers.  Two teams (Florida + Carolina) without a regulation time loss on their ledger met on Saturday in South Florida and the Panthers came out on top, beating the Hurricanes by a 5-2 margin.  And they did it without their #1 goalie Sergei Bobrovsky who is still nursing an upper body injury sustained in Florida's overtime win over the Capitals on November 4.  Bobrovsky had been brilliant prior to his injury, posting a league-leading .948 saves pct. and 1.72 GAA.  Spencer Knight has filled in well for Bobrovsky, so he'll have to do it again tonight against a very good Rangers team which should be glad to be back home after a tough four-game swing out west, where they dropped their last three games.  Bobrovsky's injury is far from the only one that the Panthers are dealing with.  They will be without no fewer that four center-icemen tonight in New York City (Barkov, Bennett, Thornton, Acciari).  The Rangers are a solid 111-84 (+30.2 net games on the moneyline) off 3+ losses.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Blackhawks over the Nashville Predators.  The Blackhawks have gotten off to a nightmarish 1-11 start this season, and lost at Winnipeg, 5-1, in their last game.  That 4-goal defeat, of their many defeats, was the first time this season the Blackhawks lost by more than three goals.  But off that blowout loss, we'll step in and take Chicago to bounce back tonight, at home.  Indeed, over the last 2+ seasons, Chicago has won 63% of the time off a loss by more than three goals.  Meanwhile, this will be the Predators' third road game in five days, and they've won just 30.7% in that situation over the last 2+ seasons.  Take Chicago in this Pk'em game.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Nashville Predators over the Vancouver Canucks.  The Predators lost their last game to a very good Oilers team on Wednesday.  But prior to that, the Preds had won four straight by a combined 14-7.  They weren't beating the cream of the NHL crop, but these days it's hard to have a four-game win streak no matter who you're playing.  The Canucks beat the Rangers in their last game but prior to that, Vancouver had lost three straight.  Vancouver's biggest problem right now is health, especially on the front lines.  The Canucks currently have no fewer than five regular forwards out with either an injury or illness.  The Preds will be without one of their best forwards in Filip Forsberg (upper body) but other than that they are healthy.  Nashville's scoring is led by defenseman Roman Josi who has 11 points in 10 games (3 Goals, 8 Assists).  The Canucks have been terrible at home, as they have the second-lowest offensive output this season when hosting (1.75 GPG).  Vancouver is also 1-8 in its last nine games following a win.  Take Nashville.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Anaheim Ducks.  The Devils begin a west coast swing tonight that will take them into Anaheim, then up to Los Angeles, and then north to San Jose.  The question for the first game of this road trip is -- which version of the Devils will show up in Anaheim?  This team has been a bit of a Jeckyll and Hyde story lately.  They had inspiring efforts in beating the Penguins and Sabres, but have also lost three of their last five interwoven with those two victories.  But you have to consider who they've lost to as well.  The Flames and Caps look like two of the best teams in the league and the Blue Jackets are 5-3 in their first eight games.  So the Ducks (and their 3-4-3 record) will be a step-down in class tonight, even if this game is in Anaheim's home arena.  The Ducks broke a three-game losing streak in their last game, but it was against the 2-8 Canadiens.  The Ducks are also just 5-23 in their last 28 games as a home underdog while the favorite is 14-4 in the last 18 meetings of these two.  Take New Jersey.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Montreal Canadiens over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  After being blitzed, 5-1, in Game 1 of this series (and outshot 27-19), the Canadiens took the action to Tampa Bay in Game 2, and significantly outshot them, 43-23.  Unfortunately, the scoreboard didn't reflect that higher level of play, and Montreal lost, 3-1.  The good news is that Montreal generally bounces back off games where they outshot their opponent, but lost, as they're 12-7 this year in those situations.  Meanwhile, Tampa Bay is 10-12 this year following a game where it won, but was outshot by its opponent.  Of course, 10-12 doesn't sound awful, but to the extent Tampa was favored to win 21 of those 22 games, it is.  Montreal is 35-20 after scoring less than 2 goals in its previous game, and 12-8 when playing with double-revenge.  Take the underdog Canadiens tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the New York Islanders.  If the Lightning didn't realize they were in for a major fight when the Islanders became their opponent for this semi-finals series, they certainly realize it now.  With their win on Saturday, the Isles tied up this series at two games apiece.  However, I expect to see a different Tampa team tonight back at home -- one that plays with the urgency and power that it displayed in the last two games of the series vs. Carolina.  Tampa knows it has the benefit of the best goaltender in the game today and the offense needs to force the play in the Islanders zone without worrying too much about what could happen behind the play.  The Bolts thrive in these revenge situations.  They are 8-1 (+6 games on the moneyline) in their last nine when revenging a one-goal loss to an opponent (and 59-22 off any loss).  They are also 4-0 in their last four when in a situation in which they are tied in a playoff series.  Take the Lightning.  As always good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Montreal Canadiens.  The Canadiens surprised just about everyone by beating the heavily favored Knights on Wednesday in Vegas to even this series at 1-1.  The Habs took a 2-0 lead in the first period of Game 2 and never looked back.  It was not one of Marc-Andre Fleury's best nights as he allowed three goals on 16 shots through the first two periods before settling down finally in the third period. But by then it was too late.  The good news is that the veteran net-minder almost always uses a bad performance like that as motivation for his next one, so look for Fleury to play like his old self tonight at the Bell Centre in Montreal.  And the offense should pick it up tonight as well as the Knights are 9-2 in their last 11 after scoring less than three goals in their previous game.  Finally, the Canadiens are 2-5 in their last seven coming off a one-goal road victory and 10-20 (minus 16 games on the moneyline) if they've won at least four of their previous five games.  Take the Knights.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Colorado Avalanche.  Our preseason pick to win this year's Stanley Cup was Colorado (at 7-1 odds), and the Avalanche have done nothing yet to dispel our belief that they will eventually be crowned the champs.  They've won their last 11 games, and also earned the Presidents' Trophy for garnering the most points in the regular season.  But Vegas tied Colorado for points in the regular season (it lost on the tie-breaker), and actually outplayed the Avs in Game 2, though it lost in overtime, 3-2, on a power play goal by Mikko Rantenen.  Indeed, the Golden Knights struck the goal post five times on shots that got by Philipp Grubauer (and outshot the Avs, 41-25), so they were enormously unlucky on Wednesday night.  The good news for Vegas is that it will be back home at T-Mobile Arena on Friday, where it went 21-5-2 this season.  Even better:  Vegas is 48-26 (+19.4 games on the moneyline) off a road loss, and 63-40 when playing with revenge from a loss earlier in the season.  Take the Golden Knights.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Montreal Canadiens.  Montreal surprised heavily favored Toronto, coming back from a 3-1 games deficit to advance to the second round.  Now the Habs will try to do the same to the upstart Jets, who also pulled off an upset of their own (over the Oilers) in their first round series.  But this may be more difficult than beating Toronto, whose offense went to sleep in the seven-game series.  For one thing, the Jets have had the Habs number lately, taking seven of the last 10 meetings.  Second, Winnipeg has had 10 days to rest, recover and prepare for this game while the Habs played two days ago and are still licking their wounds from that tough series.  Including their first round four-game sweep of Edmonton, the Jets have now won six straight coming in so you could say they are peaking at just the right time. Montreal has won three straight but it is just 1-13 (-17 games on the moneyline) in its last 14 following a three-game win streak.  And it's also a poor 24-37 (minus 19.9 games on the moneyline) off a win by 2+ goals.  Take Winnipeg.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  This series has the makings of a great one, as both clubs rightfully have championship hopes.  The Lightning drew first blood with a Game 1 victory, 2-1, behind 37 saves from Andrei Vasilevskiy.  We'll take the homestanding Hurricanes to bounce back in Game 2, as they are 23-9 here, in Raleigh, this season, including 6-2 if they lost their previous home game.  And the Hurricanes are also 16-8 when playing with revenge.  The Lightning, meanwhile, are an unprofitable 17-14 (minus 6.8 games on the moneyline) on the road this season, and are 8-8 (minus 6.7 games on the moneyline) off a road win.  The revenge-minded team has won each of the last four meetings in this series, and we look for Carolina to extend that streak to five games.  Take the Hurricanes.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Vegas Golden Knights.  Here is the match-up that almost everyone predicted and many want to see.  The Avs and Knights finished the regular season with identical point totals (82) but it was Colorado's final win over Vegas on May 10 which gave it a chance to lock up the division title and Presidents Trophy provided it won its final two regular season games vs. the Kings (which the Avs did, easily).  And just to show that their blowout wins at the end of the regular season (6-0 and 5-1) were not a fluke, the Avs then proceeded to dismantle a pretty good Blues team in the first round.  In its four game sweep of St. Louis, Colorado out-scored the Blues by an embarrassing 20-7.  No such easy time for the Knights, however, as they had to go to seven games to put away a very good Minnesota Wild club.  So, Colorado is fresh and Vegas is anything but, after its grueling series which ended less than 48 hours ago with a 6-2 win in Game 7.  The Avs are 11-0 at home in their last 11 after two straight wins by two or more goals, while the Knights are a poor 11-15 off a win by more than three goals.  I predicted in the preseason that the Avalanche (at 7-1 odds) would win the Stanley Cup (last year, I correctly forecast the Lightning would win), and there's absolutely no reason to back off now, given the Avalanche's 9-game win streak.  Take Colorado.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Unlike last season's playoffs, when all the games were played at a neutral site, this season's games are being played at the home rinks of the various teams.  And some teams (like the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins) have out-performed at home this season.  Indeed, the Penguins were 22-6 at home in the regular season, but just 15-13 (minus 3 games on the moneyline) on the road.  Likewise, New York is 21-7 at home this year, including a perfect 6-0 against teams that outscore their opponents by at least a half-goal.  That bodes well for New York tonight.  As does the fact that the Isles are a super 33-20 (+14 games on the money line) after scoring less than two goals in their previous game.  With the Islanders off a 2-1 loss to Pittsburgh in Game #2, we'll take the Islanders at home tonight, on Thursday.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the New York Islanders.  Four of the first seven 2021 NHL playoff games have gone to OT and a fifth easily could have.  If this second game of the Pittsburgh-New York series heads there, it's likely bad news for the Pens, who lost Game 1 and need to dominate tonight before this series heads to Long Island.  The Pens could get a huge boost by the return of C Evgeni Malkin who's been battling a lower body injury, but even if the 34-year-old can't re-join his team, Pittsburgh should still have enough firepower to level this series.  Despite their victory on Sunday, the Isles are just 2-6 in the last eight meetings with the Pens and 16-35 in the last 51 here at the Igloo.  The Isles will likely get #1 goalie Semyon Varlamov back tonight, which will be welcomed, even though Ilya Sorokin performed very well in Game 1.  But I don't think that will be enough, as Pittsburgh is 17-4 (+12 games on the moneyline) in its last 21 revenging a loss vs. an opponent.  And it's 15-2 at home off a loss in its previous game.  Take the Penguins.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Washington Capitals.  The Caps prevailed in Game one of this series in OT, but that important home victory came with a price.  Up 1-0 and seemingly in control of things, goalie Vitek Vanecek sprawled to make a save on Jake DeBrusk but instead gave up the tying goal and remained face down on the ice.  He was helped off with an obvious lower-body injury and the veteran Craig Anderson had to fill in for the Caps the rest of the game.  Although Anderson acquitted himself well the rest of the way, he will have to carry the load for the Caps tonight and maybe beyond and that's a lot to ask of a 40-year-old third string goalie who has appeared in a total of four regular season games for his team.  On the other side, Tuukka Rask was brilliant for the Bruins and he'll no doubt get the call again tonight in net for Game two.  Normally the veteran goalie in a game, Rask is seven years Anderson's junior.  Rask has a career 51-42 record with a 2.20 GAA in 93 NHL post-season starts.  Take Boston.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Florida Panthers.  Both teams will be highly motivated for this final regular season game.  If Florida secures at least one point, then it will have home ice advantage over Tampa in the opening round of the playoffs.  But if the Lightning win in regulation, and earn two points, then they'll leapfrog Florida into second place, and host the Panthers for the first two playoff games.  In Saturday's game, the Panthers dominated, and won by a 5-1 score.  But off that blowout loss -- Tampa's 2nd straight defeat -- we'll take the defending Stanley Cup champs tonight.  The Lightning are a super 7-0 on the road off back to back losses, and 38-19 when playing with revenge.  And they're 28-4 after not scoring 2+ goals in their previous game.  Finally, the Panthers are 36-53 (minus 20 games on the moneyline) after winning by more than three goals in their previous game.  Take the Lightning tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Florida Panthers.  These two teams are tied in the division standings for second place, with a two-game series at Florida over the next three days to decide which of the teams will have home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.  Florida got the better of Tampa Bay in the last meeting, as it won, 5-3, at Tampa on April 17.  And the Panthers are currently riding a 4-game win streak.  Still, we will play on the Lightning tonight, as they're 11-3 this season, and 38-18 their last 56 when playing with revenge.   Meanwhile, the Panthers are an awful 67-83 (minus 24 games on the moneyline) off 3+ wins.  Take Tampa.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over Los Angeles.  The Avalanche are in a tight battle with the Minnesota Wild for home ice advantage in the Playoffs' opening round, so they will remain focused down the stretch of this season.  Tonight, Colorado will look to bounce back off a loss to the San Jose Sharks, 3-2, on Wednesday.  But, if history is any indication, the Avs will bounce back, as they're 12-4 this season off a loss.  Los Angeles has won its last two games, but is a wallet-breaking 7-13 (minus 5 games on the moneyline) its last 20, and 28-50 (minus 11 games on the moneyline) its last 78, off a win in its previous game.  And the Kings are 11-24 (minus 9 games on the moneyline) their last 35 off a road win.  Take Colorado.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Minnesota Wild.  Since the end of March -- more than a month now -- the Golden Knights have turned to a goalie strategy that not many teams have employed recently in NHL.  Specifically, since March 27, Vegas has alternated between Robin Lehner and Marc-Andre Fleury for 20 games.  Other teams may want to take note, as the strategy has been successful with the Knights posting a 14-6 record during that time.  As a result, Vegas has catapulted past Colorado into first place in the West.  This is a revenge situation tonight as the Wild beat the Knights on Monday, 6-5.  That game had Lehner in net for Vegas, so we should expect to see Fleury this evening.  That win makes five in a row for the Wild over the Knights so you can be sure that Vegas wants to put a stop to the bleeding.  Allowing five goals in the last last game may be just what the doctor ordered for Vegas in this one as it is 5-0 in its last five after allowing five or more goals in its previous game, and it's 64-37 after allowing more than 3 goals in its previous game.  Meanwhile, the Wild are a dismal 13-23 (minus 17 games on the moneyline) after scoring more than three goals in each of their three previous games.  Take the Knights.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Buffalo Sabres.  Last night, the Isles were stunned, 4-2, by Buffalo, as Michael Houser -- a career-minor league goalie -- won his NHL debut.  In that game, Houser stopped 34 New York shots, and the Sabres fought back from a 2-0 second period-deficit to garner the victory.  That win snapped the Sabres 4-game losing streak.  Unfortunately, though, it's 1-10 its last 11 off a win, 11-27 off a win by 2+ goals, and 21-38 (minus 14 games on the moneyline) after scoring more than three goals in its previous game.  With the Isles 10-2 in the last 12 meetings, we'll the New York tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over Arizona.  Last night, the Coyotes shut out Vegas, 3-0, here in Phoenix.  We'll take Vegas in this rematch, as it's 45-25 off a road defeat, including 15-3 if it lost its previous game to a division rival.  Moreover, after scoring less than two goals in its previous game, Vegas is 37-18 its last 57, including 10-4 off a shutout defeat.  Take the Golden Knights.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the St. Louis Blues.  The Blues have certainly had the Wild's number, of late.  St. Louis not only won the first two games of this 3-game set, but also won two other games earlier in April, for a 4-game win streak vs. Minnesota, overall.  But I love the Wild to snap this losing streak tonight, as it's a solid 26-11 when playing with revenge from four losses, and a perfect 6-0 this season off back to back defeats.  Take Minnesota.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  These two played a classic Caps-Pens game on Thursday, with the Pens winning in overtime, after 60 minutes of back-and-forth hockey with basically the same number of shots on each side.  So if the Caps need something to swing it to their favor tonight in the rematch, then perhaps that something just might be named Alex Ovechkin.  Ovechkin hasn't played since April 22 due to a lower body injury, but he may make his return tonight.    Meanwhile, the Penguins will still be without star center Evgeni Malkin, who is out indefinitely with a lower body injury.  This is a super situation for Washington, which is a perfect 8-0 in its last eight games revenging a home loss vs. an opponent.  And the Penguins are 10-13 (-10 games on the moneyline) in their last 23 games off a road win against a division rival.  Take the Caps.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the San Jose Sharks.  The Avalanche lost, 5-2, on Wednesday to their biggest rivals in the Division -- the Golden Knights.  And that defeat placed Colorado  six points behind Vegas for first place.  With only one game left to play vs. the Knights, it's imperative that the Avs win games like the one they're playing tonight.  The Sharks are just 20-24-5 and sit 21 points behind Colorado, so they're not a threat but can still play the role of spoiler.  The good news is that the Avs have dominated this series recently, winning five of the last six meetings overall and going 5-0 in the last five here at Ball Arena.  The Avs are also dangerous right after they get beat like they did on Wednesday.  In their last 13 games following a loss by three or more goals, the Avs are 11-2.  Meanwhile, the Sharks are 7-12 (-6 games on the moneyline) in their last 19 immediately off a win against a division rival.  Take Colorado.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over Edmonton.  The Oilers thrashed the Jets on Monday, 6-1.  And that was Winnipeg's fourth straight defeat, overall.  But the Jets have generally been a reliable bet to bounce back off a bad game, as they're 59-35 (+24 games on the moneyline) off a loss, and 21-14 (+9 games on the moneyline) off a loss by 4+ goals.  That bodes well for the Jets on Wednesday.  As does the fact that Edmonton is a soft 45-61 (-20 games on the moneyline) after scoring 6+ goals in its previous game.  Take Winnipeg.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Dallas Stars.  The Hurricanes lost here last night, 4-3, in overtime.  But off that defeat, we'll take the visitors in this rematch.  Carolina is 8-1 on the road following a 1-goal loss to a division rival.  And it's also 10-6 off a loss, generally.  Meanwhile, the Stars are a poor 29-39 (minus 20 games on the moneyline) after back-to-back division wins.  Take Carolina.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Nashville Predators.  The Preds blew out the Panthers, 4-1, last night.  But that big loss places Florida in several of its best situational roles tonight, and Nashville in its worst.  To wit:  Florida is 31-16 its last 47 after allowing 4+ goals in its previous game.  And it's 13-5 its last 18 off a loss.  With respect to the Predators, they're 22-36 (minus 26 games on the moneyline) off back to back wins.  And they're a soft 17-25 (minus 12 games on the moneyline) after allowing less than 3 goals in each of their two previous games.  Take Florida to bounce back on Tuesday.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  These two teams played about as close a game as can be played on Sunday with the Penguins finally prevailing, 1-0 at home.  The rematch is tonight and you can bet that with the Bruins falling even further behind in the East -- and with the Rangers trailing them by only four points -- the visitors will come out much more physically than they did in the first game.  Despite the loss, Boston still has the upper hand in the season series, leading four games to three with tonight being the last meeting of the season.  However, Pittsburgh is still without the services of Evgeni Malkin, a critical piece of the Penguins' overall structure (and Malkin hasn't played a game since March 16 against these Bruins).  When teams hold the Bruins' offense down, the Bruins typically rebound in the next game, going 8-1 in their last nine immediately after scoring two goals or less.  Boston is also 6-0 in its last six following two or more consecutive losses.  Take the Bruins.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Washington Capitals.  The Caps did what no other team has been able to do this season, and that's to hand the Islanders back-to-back home losses.  Tonight's game will instead be played in the nation's capital, and we'll back the revenge-minded Islanders.  New York is a solid 16-6 when playing with revenge from a home loss, and 26-16 off back-to-back losses.  Take the Islanders.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the Arizona Coyotes.  Tonight, the Sharks will try to snap their losing streak, which reached 8 games with their 6-3 home loss to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.  Meanwhile, their opponent tonight, Arizona, comes into this game off a 4-0 shutout of the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center.  Unfortunately, the Coyotes are a poor 36-62 (minus 22 games on the moneyline) off a division win, and 35-61 (minus 18 games on the moneyline) off a road win.  Additionally, San Jose generally rebounds off blowout home losses, as it's 71-48 (+20 games on the moneyline) off a home loss by more than two goals.  Take the Sharks.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Dallas Stars.  If not for two overtime losses to two of the best teams in Division, the Hurricanes would be 5-0 in their last five games coming into tonight.  On April 19, the 'Canes dropped a tough 3-2 decision to the Lightning and then on the 24th, they lost 4-3 in OT, this time to the Panthers.  They revenged the Tampa loss one night later on April 20.  But they won't get the chance to do the same thing to Florida as, instead, the Canes have to travel to Dallas to take on the Stars.  This is a great match-up for Carolina, which is 5-1 in the last six meetings with Dallas going back to the start of the season.  The Hurricanes are also a solid 14-6 in their last 20 games coming off a one-goal loss to a division rival, and 10-5 in their last 15 coming off a loss.  Take Carolina.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the St. Louis Blues.  The Avs, Knights, and Wild have all locked up a spot in the post-season but that doesn't mean they can cruise for the next eight games.  Vegas has wrested first place away from Colorado and that could be a big deal with the likelihood of fans in the stands come playoff time.  So don't look for the Avs to take a breather heading into the final 18 days of the season as they desperately would like to leapfrog the Knights to get back into first place.  They are looking for revenge tonight in the third game of a three-game set in St. Louis.  This is the rubber match, as Colorado took the first one on Thursday, then the Blues returned the favor on Saturday, scoring five goals in the process.  That loss snapped a five-game win streak for the Avs who are hoping to get more players back from the COVID-19.  The win on Saturday also snapped five straight for the Avs in this series.  For technical support, consider that the Avs are 11-0 in their last 11 when revenging a same-season loss vs. an opponent.  Take Colorado.

At 3:05 pm, on NBC TV, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  There are few teams in the league as hot as the Penguins right now.  Pittsburgh has won six of its last eight games and it's been having all of this success despite the loss of C Evegeni Malkin who continues to miss time due to a lower body injury.  The Pens actually took over first place in the East briefly after they beat the Devils yesterday afternoon -- that is, until the Caps won later in the day and jumped back on top.  Boston currently sits in fourth place, six points behind the Caps.  But Boston has also played two less games than each of the other three contenders.  Don't be surprised if the final eight games is a real back-and-forth between the Caps, Pens, Bruins, and Isles who have separated themselves from the rest of the pack in their Division.  So this is a quick turnaround for the Pens.  The Bruins come into today's game also off a loss to the Sabres but they are still 21-10 in the last 31 meetings with the Pens.  Take Boston.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  Tampa Bay won last night against Carolina, 3-2, but we'll take the 'Canes in this rematch.  Carolina is a fantastic 13-5 this season vs. winning teams, and 25-12 (+11 games on the moneyline) when playing without rest.  It's also 28-17 off a division loss.  Meanwhile, the Lightning are a poor 16-17 (minus 13 games on the moneyline) after winning its previous game in overtime.  Take Carolina.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the New York Rangers.  These two teams met on Friday, and the Rangers blew out the Isles, 4-1, in Uniondale.  But I love the Isles to avenge that home loss, back at home this afternoon.  The Islanders are 13-3 this season vs. losing teams, and also a perfect 6-0 at home after giving up 4+ goals in their previous game.  The Rangers, meanwhile, are an awful 10-23 (minus 11 games on the moneyline) off a win by more than 2 goals, and 13-28 off a road win.  Take the Isles to bounce back on Sunday.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. 

At 5:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the St Louis Blues.  Last night, the Wild suffered one of their worst defeats in the history of the franchise when they lost, 9-1, to St. Louis.  But off that huge embarrassing loss, we'll take Minnesota to bounce back on Saturday afternoon.  Indeed, the Wild generally do just that, as they're 32-22 after allowing 6+ goals in their previous game, and 20-8 their last 28 (+13 games on the moneyline) off a loss by more than 4 goals.  And they're 10-2 when playing with revenge from a loss by more than 3 goals.  Take the Wild over St. Louis.  Good luck, as always.....Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  If you're a Lightning fan, you may be a bit concerned over the team's recent struggles, but it's certainly no reason to panic.  After all, this is a club that usually saves its major problems for the playoffs -- last season notwithstanding.  The fact that Tampa has lost five of its last seven games may not look that good on the surface, but there are plenty of reasons to think it will be the conference favorite heading into the post-season, which begins in a little more than a month.  First, there is the fact that this is a very healthy team going into the final month of the season.  And, second, despite their stumbles of late, the Bolts still feature the top net-minder in the game in veteran Russian Andrei Vasilevskiy, who is sporting the best numbers of his career (2.00 GAA; .931 Sv Pct).  This is a revenge situation for the Bolts and they are 8-2 in their last 10 revenging a loss as a favorite; 26-9 off a road loss; and 31-8 (+18 games on the moneyline) in their last 39 after a loss by two or more goals.  Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets are a wallet-busting 13-21 (minus 12 games on the moneyline) off a home win, in which they scored more than three goals.  Take Tampa.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Philadelphia Flyers.  Boston won the first five meetings between these two teams this season, but faltered last night, when it lost, 3-2, in overtime.  But off that loss, we'll take the Bruins to resume their winning ways vs. Philadelphia.  Carter Hart will be in goal tonight for the Flyers, and he's 0-2-2 with a 5.32 GAA and an awful .843 Saves Pct. vs. Boston this season.  The Bruins are a solid 10-5 this season off a loss, and 39-28 when playing with same-season revenge.  Meanwhile, the Flyers are a wallet-busting 209-240 (but minus 76 games on the moneyline) off a road win.  Take the Bruins.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.