At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Minnesota Wild.  There's not much separating the Knights, Wild and Avalanche right now in the Honda West Division.  There's only a four points difference in the standings among those three, and the 4th place team is eight points behind.  The fact that these three are in a dogfight with each other was borne out on Thursday night.  The Wild and Knights played to a 3-2 shootout final won by Minnesota.  And the shots-on-goal in that game were 37 apiece.  But there are several reasons to think that the Knights will come through tonight in the rematch.  First, there's the fact that the Knights are 7-3 in their last 10 coming off a home loss to a division rival and 4-1 in their last five off of a close loss (one goal or less) to a division rival.  Second is the fact that despite Thursday's result, the home team is 6-1 in the last seven meetings of these two.  Finally, Vegas is 8-3 (+7 games on the moneyline) in its last 11 games when revenging a loss vs. an opponent.  Take the Knights.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Arizona Coyotes over the Anaheim Ducks.  In their last game, the Coyotes were embarrassed by Colorado as the Avalanche scored 9 goals on 38 shots.  That 9-3 defeat was Arizona's worst loss this season, and the most goals it has given up since it lost to Detroit, 9-2, on Oct. 11, 2006.  But off that defeat, we'll take the Coyotes tonight, as they're 5-0 this season after giving up 5+ goals.  And looking out further finds Arizona 31-23 (+14 games on the moneyline) after allowing 4+ goals.  After facing the Avalanche, there's no doubt the Coyotes will be happy to see the Ducks tonight.  And Anaheim has been out-shot 122-63 over its last three games.  That doesn't bode well for the Ducks tonight, as they're 1-6 after three straight games of 24 (or less) shots on goal, and 3-8 after being out-shot by 8+ shots in three straight games.  Even worse:  Anaheim lost the previous meeting with Arizona, 5-1.  And the Ducks are 27-48 their last 75 when playing with revenge, including 0-9 this season when playing with revenge from a loss by 2+ goals.  Take the Coyotes.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Nashville Predators.  The defending Western conference champion Stars are on a 3-game losing streak after dropping a 3-2 decision in overtime on Tuesday to these Predators.  Dallas has been horrid this season when games go past regulation (2-10), so if it fails to make the playoffs, it can point to that as the reason why.  We'll take Dallas tonight, as it's 81-64 (+15 games on the moneyline) off 3+ losses, while Nashville is a dreadful 21-33 (minus 24 games on the moneyline) off back-to-back wins.  Even better:  Dallas is 101-59 (+43 games on the moneyline) off a division road loss.  Take the Stars.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over Columbus.  The defending Stanley Cup champions are on a rare 3-game losing streak after dropping a 3-1 decision to these Blue Jackets on Tuesday.  I look for the Lightning to bounce back tonight, as they're 48-19 (+17 games on the moneyline) off a loss.  And Tampa's an eye-popping 25-3 (+20 games on the moneyline) after not scoring 2+ goals in its previous game!  Meanwhile, Columbus is a poor 4-9 (minus 5 games on the moneyline) off a win, and 23-36 (minus 16 games on the moneyline) when playing its 3rd road game in five days.  Take the Lightning.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Washington Capitals.  New York returns home today after losing back-to-back games at Pittsburgh on Saturday and Monday.  And the Isles also play with revenge from a 3-1 loss at Washington on March 16.  The good news for New York tonight is that it's 24-16 (+7 games on the moneyline) off back to back losses.  And it's 26-13 (+14 games on the moneyline) when playing with revenge from a game where it failed to score 2+ goals.  Take the Islanders.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the San Jose Sharks.  The Wild come into this game off a 4-3 loss to San Jose, and have 4 games against the Avalanche and Golden Knights on deck, so this game is important for Minnesota to win, as it tries to jockey for playoff positioning in the rugged West division.  The Sharks are 3-10 off a win this season, and 33-41 (minus 17 games on the moneyline) after scoring more than 3 goals, while the Wild are 8-2 when playing with revenge from a loss to its opponent earlier in the season.  Take Minnesota.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Buffalo Sabres over the Philadelphia Flyers.  The Sabres have tied the all-time NHL record for the most consecutive losses at 18 and tonight they "go for" the outright record.  But not so fast.  You have to feel that if they're going to break out of their losing ways, it's going to be against the Flyers.  For one thing, it almost happened on Monday, as the Sabres raced to a 3-0 lead by the end of the second period.  But the Flyers came back in the final 20 minutes to tie it and then they won it OT, thus extending the Sabres' misery.  But that was the second straight Flyers-Sabres contest that had gone into overtime, and you just feel that Philly is the shakiest team -- defensively anyway -- in the division right now.  So we're counting on tonight being the night that the Sabres put one up in the win column (but don't count on a win streak after that).  Philly's defense and goaltending has been awful of late.  In their last 12 games, the Flyers have allowed a total of 54 goals, or a GAA of 4.50.  Take the Sabres.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Winnipeg Jets.  These two teams met earlier this month in Toronto, and the Jets took 2 of 3, including the most recent meeting by a 5-2 score.  We'll take Toronto to avenge that defeat, as it's 52-31 when playing with revenge, including 12-2 this season.  Meanwhile, the Jets come into tonight off a 5-2 win at Calgary.  But the Jets are a horrible 69-93 (minus 23 games on the moneyline) off a road win, and 2-9 at home after scoring more than 4 goals in their previous game.  Take Toronto.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the New Jersey Devils.  Boston was shut out, 1-0, by New Jersey on Sunday.  So, the Bruins will want to avenge that defeat tonight.  In Sunday's loss, Boston threw 40 shots at Mackenzie Blackwood, but none got by the goalie.  Interestingly, the last three times Boston had 40+ shots on goal, they lost all three games, and scored 0, 1 and 0 goals in those games!  Still, if a team gets 40+ shots on goal, you will generally take your chances with the result.  I look for Boston to bounce back on Tuesday, as the Devils are a horrid 31-49 (minus 35 games on the moneyline) after a road shutout win.  Meanwhile, the Bruins are 21-11 (+6 games on the moneyline) off a shutout loss, and an awesome 51-21 (+18 games on the moneyline) off a strong defensive effort where they didn't allow 2+ goals.  Take Boston tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  The Pens come into tonight's game off a 6-3 win over these Islanders.  And that triumph closed the gap between the 2nd Place Isles, and 3rd Place Penguins to a mere two points.  Pittsburgh has now won each of its three previous games (all at home), but will be hard-pressed to extend its win streak to four games tonight.  For technical support, consider that the Pens are a dismal 16-23 (minus 13 games on the moneyline) off three straight home wins, and 70-69 (minus 22 games on the moneyline) off a win by 3+ goals over a division rival.  Meanwhile, New York is 29-17 (+12 games on the moneyline) after giving up 3+ goals in each of its two previous games.  Take New York.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 5:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Anaheim Ducks.  When you look up the definition of "frustrating loss" you might just get directed to the result of the Blues game against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.  On the scoreboard, it looks like a three-goal win for the underdogs, but it was really a one-goal affair with some lucky bounces for the winners.  After a scoreless first period, the Ducks got a pair in the second period including a fluky goal in the final minute.  The Blues answered with a third period goal before Anaheim put a pair in an empty net in the final 1:03, resulting in a 4-1 final.  Still, the Blues out-shot the Ducks 34-24 and dominated play over most of the 60 minutes.  Today they have a chance to get on the right side of the score in this rematch.  It could be tough for the Ducks to make it two in a row as they are just 10-28 in their last 38 coming off of a win, and 31-54 (minus 21 games on the moneyline) within the division.  The Blues are 13-7 in their last 20 after three or more consecutive losses, and they're 9-3 after not scoring 3+ goals in any of their previous three games.  Take St. Louis.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Winnipeg Jets.  The time for Calgary to get back into the playoff chase is getting shorter by the day.  Yesterday, it lost its 4th straight game, 3-2 to these Jets, and Calgary now sits 4 points behind Montreal (but the Canadiens have played four less games).  With the two #1  goalies (Jacob Markstrom, Connor Hellebuyck) having played last night, the two teams will turn to their #2 goalies for this contest (David Rittich, Laurent Brossoit).  I look for Calgary to get back into the win column today, as it's cashed 63.1 the past three seasons off a 1-goal home defeat.  Meanwhile, Winnipeg is a wallet-busting 14-26 off back-to-back road wins, and 11-28 on the road off 3 wins overall.  Take Calgary tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Vegas Golden Knights.  Last season, our preseason pick to win the Stanley Cup was on Tampa Bay, and we cashed the Lightning at 7-1 odds.  This season, our choice was Colorado, also at 7-1 odds.  The Avalanche got off to a slower-than-expected start, but have come on strong lately to get to within 2 points of the Golden Knights for 1st place in the division.  So, this 2-game series here in Denver could catapult the Avs to the top of the standings.  The Avalanche are 7-1 in their last eight games, and have outscored their opponents by 36-13 over those eight games (including a 6-0 mark in regulation).  Colorado did lose the previous meeting this season against Vegas.  But that's not necessarily a bad thing, as they Avalanche are 9-0 this season when playing with revenge.  And over the last 3 seasons, Colorado is 34-18 (+18 games on the moneyline) when playing with revenge from a loss by 2+ goals.  Meanwhile, Vegas does come into this game off a blowout 5-1 win.  But the Golden Knights are a poor 8-11 (minus 10 games on the moneyline) off a win by more than 3 goals.  Take Colorado.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Kings over San Jose.  We played on the Sharks when these teams met two nights ago, and got the $$$$ in a thrilling 2-1 victory which saw San Jose's netminder, Martin Jones (and the post behind him), make some incredible saves late in the game to preserve the win.  Los Angeles peppered Jones with 42 shots, but just were unable to catch a break.  Cal Petersen (92.6% Saves Pct.) was given that game off in favor of the veteran goalie, Jonathan Quick (89.8% Saves Pct.), but Petersen should be back in goal for the Kings tonight.  We'll take the Kings, as San Jose is a poor 2-9 off a win, while L.A. is a solid 36-32 (+16 games on the moneyline) when playing with revenge.  Take Los Angeles.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Montreal Canadiens over the Vancouver Canucks.  The Canucks won, in overtime, 3-2, last night.  But that was just Vancouver's 4th win in the last 17 games here vs. the Canadiens.  Moreover, they also extended their streak of NOT winning in regulation at Montreal to 17 straight games.  We'll take Montreal to bounce back tonight.  Goaltender Carey Price should be back in net after backup Jake Allen got the start last night.  With last night's loss, Allen is now 0-2-4 his last six starts.  Meanwhile, Price is 3-0-2 vs. Vancouver this season (2.14 GAA).  It's unclear who will man the pipes for Vancouver.  But with Thatcher Demko playing last night, it's very possible backup Braden Holtby will get the call tonight.  And Holtby is 1-2 with a 4.90 GAA vs. Montreal this season.  Regardless, we'll take the homestanding Canadiens to bounce back on Saturday night.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Calgary Flames.  For the early part of this NHL season, Toronto was the league's best team.  It sprinted out to an 18-6 record, but has dropped six of its last seven games, including a 4-3 loss to these Flames last night.  Still, there's no reason to panic.  And there's every reason to believe Toronto will right its ship tonight vs. Calgary.  The Leafs are 25-11 off back to back losses (and 7-3 off 3+ losses).  And Toronto is also 50-31 (+8 games on the moneyline) when playing with revenge from a loss.  Meanwhile, Calgary is 1-6 after scoring more than 3 goals;  5-14 (minus 17 games on the moneyline) off a road division win; and 81-117 (minus 41 games on the moneyline) after a road win in which it scored more than 3 goals.  Take Toronto.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Calgary Flames.  With their regular #1 goalie, Frederik Andersen having played the entire game last Saturday, the Leafs figured they were safe giving him the day off on Sunday against the lowly Senators.  So they started back-up Michael Hutchinson and paid dearly for that decision when the 31-year-old journeyman allowed two goals on the first three shots he faced.  Toronto never recovered -- despite promptly replacing its back-up net-minder -- and went on to drop a 4-3 decision.  Thankfully, Andersen has had four days now to recover as he steps back in goal tonight to face a team that the Leafs have taken three of four from this season in the Flames.  Calgary goalie Jakob Markstrom had his own issues when he allowed seven goals in his last start -- a 7-3 loss to the Oilers on Wednesday which broke a three-game Flames win streak.  The Flames are 1-9 (-11 games on the money line) in their last 10 coming off of a blowout home loss by three or more goals, while Toronto's 25-10 off back to back losses.  Take the Leafs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the New Jersey Devils.  We played against Pittsburgh on Tuesday, and got the $$$$ with Boston.  But we'll switch gears and take Sidney Crosby & Co. tonight, as they'll step down in class to play New Jersey.  The Devils did snap their four game losing streak on Wednesday with a win over Buffalo.  But that was the Sabres' 12th straight loss, so it's hard to put much stock in New Jersey's victory.  New Jersey will try to make it two-in-a-row on Thursday.  Unfortunately, the Devils are 2-5 their last seven off a win.  Even worse for New Jersey:  it must face the Penguins after they lost, 2-1, to Boston.  And the Pens are 21-13 after not scoring 2+ goals in their previous game.  The Penguins have dominated the lower-tier teams in the division this season (7 wins, 1 loss), and I look for them to continue that domination tonight against the Devils.  Take Pittsburgh.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Los Angeles Kings. These two teams were scheduled to play Monday night, here in Los Angeles, but a Denver blizzard stranded the Kings in the Mile High City.  So, the Blues' road trip will start tonight, which is probably fine with the visitors, as they got the benefit of some time off.  For the Kings, they're hoping that the extra rest will mean the return of goalie Jonathan Quick from his upper-body injury, but all indications are that Quick will remain on the shelf tonight which leaves them once again with Cal Peterson as the likely starter.  The 26-year-old former 5th round pick has won just four of his 14 starts in goal this season.  Morevoer, the road team in this series is 4-1 in the last five meetings.  And St. Louis is also looking to rebound from back-to-back home losses last week to Vegas, including a 5-1 defeat on Saturday.   The good news is that St Louis has cashed 67% the past 3 seasons off back to back home losses, and is also 10-6 off a home loss by 3+ goals.  Take the Blues.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  This will be the second straight night of a two-game series for these clubs.  Although the Penguins won the first one on Monday in a convincing fashion on the scoreboard at least -- 4-1 -- there is reason to believe that the Bruins will bounce back tonight.  First there is the fact that Boston pretty much dominated play throughout most of Monday's game, out-shooting Pittsburgh by a lopsided 43-25 margin.  Second, with #1 goalie Tristan Jarry carrying the load and playing brilliantly last night for the home team, the Pens will almost certainly be forced to go with back-up Casey DeSmith tonight.  Third is the fact that the Pens have three regular defensemen -- Riikola, Friedman, and Marino -- sidelined with injuries, which is likely a major reason why the Bruins dominated in the shots department on Monday.  The Bruins are 20-11 in their last 31 after scoring one goal or less in their previous game.  Take Boston.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 5:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over Columbus.  The defending Western Conference champs wouldn't make the playoffs if the season ended as of last night, as they're in 7th place in the Central division.  But there's still enough time for the Stars to get back into the thick of things, and it will try to rebound off last night's overtime loss to this Blue Jackets team.  Unfortunately, the Stars have been dreadful in overtime and/or shootouts, as they've lost their last six that have stretched past regulation.  But if there is a silver lining so far for the Stars, it is that they have a positive scoring margin on the season.  Indeed, Dallas's scoring margin ranks 4th in the Central division (and tied for 15th in the league).  In contrast, Columbus' minus 18-goal scoring margin ranks #25 of the 31 NHL teams!  Dallas is a solid 174-122 (+28 games on the moneyline) off a division loss.  Take the Stars this afternoon.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Flyers over the Washington Capitals.  The Flyers were allowed to have about 3,000 fans in the stands since returning home earlier this month.  In the three games since, Philly has lost twice to the Caps and had to go to a shootout to beat the lowly Sabres.  Needless to say (and true to Philly form), the team has been serenaded with a chorus of boos from the home faithful.  They tried to mix it up in goal in the last game, by using Brian Elliott instead of #1 Carter Hart.  But that didn't work as the Caps rolled to a 5-3 win on Thursday.  That's not necessarily a bad thing for them for tonight as Philly is 15-3 in its last 18 when allowing five or more goals the previous game.  And it's 7-0 its last seven after a home loss by more than a goal.  Hart will be back in net tonight as the Flyers look to bounce back.  With Tom Wilson still serving his seven-game suspension, look for the Flyers to be much more physical tonight, a recipe which should not only help reverse things on the scoreboard, but also turn the boos into cheers.  Take Philly.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over Winnipeg.  This is the 2nd of a 3-game series played here in Toronto.  And the Leafs dropped Game 1 by a 4-3 score, which was their 3rd straight loss, overall.  But Toronto has been very good off back to back defeats, as it's 24-10 (+12 games on the moneyline) its last 34.  And it's also 6-0 this season when playing with revenge after losing the previous meeting by a single goal.  Meanwhile, Winnipeg is a wallet-busting 67-90 (minus 22 games on the moneyline) off a road win.  Take Toronto to bounce back tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the New York Islanders.  The Islanders are currently riding a 5-game win streak.  But three of those wins were against Buffalo, which has lost seven straight games, while another of those wins was against the Devils, who have lost eight of their last 10 games.  So, New York's 5-game win streak must be put in its proper perspective.  Tonight, New York will have to step-up greatly in class.  It's not often that you get a team as good as Boston in a triple-revenge situation.  But that's the case this evening, as the Islanders have won each of the three previous meetings this season, including a 7-2 shellacking in the last one.  With revenge on its mind, we'll take Boston tonight, as it's 13-7 when playing with revenge from a blowout loss by 3+ goals.  Even better:  Boston suffered a shutout loss, 1-0, at the hands of the New Jersey Devils on Sunday.  And the Bruins are 6-1 their last seven off a shutout loss.   Finally, the Isles are a horrible 25-39 (minus 20 games on the moneyline) off 4+ wins.  Take Boston.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Arizona Coyotes.  The Avs had to go to overtime twice against arguably the worst team in the league -- the Anaheim Ducks -- and they split that two-game series.  They will need to play better tonight against a Coyotes club that has shown some signs of life in recent games.  The #1 problem for the Avs so far has been injuries as they have no fewer than seven regulars right now who are either out of action or questionable for tonight's game.  The biggest name in that group by far is All Star C Nathan MacKinnon who missed both of the Ducks games with a head injury.  But Colorado could get a huge boost tonight as MacKinnon might be able to suit up for the team, as he took part in skating yesterday.  Even if he can't play, there is plenty of offense on this club.  It just needs to be more consistent, and play 60 solid minutes of Avs hockey.  For technical support, consider that the Avs are 7-1 in their last eight immediately off of a loss, while the Coyotes are 11-26 (-17 games on the moneyline) in their last 37 coming off a win over a division rival.  Take Colorado.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Montreal Canadiens over the Winnipeg Jets.  The Canadiens lost for the eighth time in their last 10 games when they fell, 4-3, in overtime on Thursday to this Winnipeg team.  And that loss moved the Jets' record in overtime to 5-0, while Montreal's record after regulation fell to 0-6 (0-4 OT, 0-2 shootout).  So, it would seem that Montreal would be in great shape if it can just have this game decided in regulation.  We'll go against Winnipeg tonight, as it's 8-13 (minus eight games on the moneyline) after winning a game in OT.  And it's 19-26 (minus 7 games on the moneyline) off a road win.  Meanwhile, Montreal is a solid 40-22 (+20 games on the moneyline) if it has lost at least eight of its previous 10 games.  Take the Canadiens.  Good luck, as always....Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Washington Capitals.  The Bruins will be out for revenge against the Capitals tonight after falling, 2-1, in a shootout defeat on Wednesday.  That was the 5th loss in seven games for Boston, so it desperately wants to get back on track in this game.  The Bruins are 18-9 after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game, and 35-24 when playing with revenge.  If there was a silver lining in Wednesday's loss, it was that goalie Tuukka Rask turned away 27 of 28 shots, which was his second straight strong game, as he stopped 20 of 21 shots in Boston's 4-1 victory on Sunday at the NY Rangers.  That bodes well for the Bruins tonight, as they're 36-22 after back to back games where they've not allowed more than 2 goals.  Take the Bruins.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Montreal Canadiens over Ottawa.  When these teams met last week in Ottawa for two games, the Canadiens thought they pulled out a win with 3 seconds to go in the 2nd game, but the goal was disallowed after a review.  Then Ottawa earned the extra point with a 5-4 victory, via a shootout, for a 2-game sweep of the series.  We'll take Montreal tonight to avenge those two upset losses, as Ottawa's a horrible 21-61 (minus 21 games on the moneyline) in road games with a total of 6+ goals.  Meanwhile, the Canadiens are a solid 19-11 (+8 games on the moneyline) when playing with revenge from a loss in which they surrendered 5+ goals.  Even better:  Montreal lost, 2-1, in overtime to Winnipeg on Saturday.  But it's 24-14 (+9 games on the moneyline) after not scoring 2+ goals in its previous game.  Take the Canadiens tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Carolina Hurricanes.  The Discover Central Division is shaping up to be one of the best in the league, with the Lightning, Panthers, Hurricanes and surprising Blackhawks all within three points of one another.  The Panthers enter tonight's rematch with the 'Canes tied for the points lead in the Division with Tampa at 29.  After two meetings, things are all even between these two, with the Panthers winning on February 17, 4-3, and then the 'Canes returning the favor by the same score on Saturday.  The biggest problem for the 'Canes this season has been the disparity of their defensive numbers between home and road games.  In eight games in Raleigh, the Hurricanes have allowed 18 goals for an average of 2.25 GA.  But in 12 road games, the 'Canes have given up 38 goals or an average of 3.17 GA -- almost a goal higher than at home.  The Panthers have yet to lose twice in a row this season, and are 7-0 (+8 games on the money line) against an opponent if they lost the previous meeting.  Take Florida.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Montreal Canadiens over Winnipeg.  The Jets handed interim Canadiens coach, Dominique Ducharme, a loss in his debut behind the bench.  But we'll look for Montreal to get him his first win tonight.  Winnipeg's 6-3 win on Thursday was its third straight win.  But the Jets are a woeful 1-7 at home off 3+ wins.  And they're 4-13 after scoring more than 4 goals in their previous game.   Meanwhile, Montreal is 19-10 when playing with revenge from a loss where it gave up 5+ goals, and 25-17 (+11 games on the moneyline) off 3 straight road losses.  Take the Canadiens.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Arizona Coyotes.  Picked as the favorites to win the Stanley Cup by many this year (including myself), the start of the NHL season hasn't gone exactly as planned for the Avalanche.  Their 9-6-1 record is decent but nowhere near as dominant as the talent on the roster would suggest.  And the 6-2 drubbing handed to them by the Wild in their last game was humbling to say the least.  So perhaps a match-up tonight with the Coyotes -- the first since they eliminated Arizona in the playoffs last August -- will be just what the doctor ordered.  The result of that playoff series was a four games to one thrashing by the Avs.  And they won the last two by identical 7-1 routs.  And perhaps more important is how the Avs tend to bounce back strong after suffering a rout of their own, going 8-1 in their last nine games following a loss by three or more goals.  Arizona beat Anaheim 4-3 in a shootout on Wednesday but the Coyotes are a poor 9-25 (-16 games on the money line) in their last 34 following a one-goal victory.  Take Colorado.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Ottawa Senators.  The Senators will have more victories this season, but they will be hard-pressed to have one more dramatic than the 5-4 win over the Canadiens on Tuesday.  After three back-and-forth periods, and the score tied 4-4, the Habs appeared to win it with three seconds left on the clock.  But the replay officials would overturn Brendan Gallagher's goal and Ottawa would prevail after OT in the shoot-out.  Of course the question is, 'what will the Sens do for an encore,' as unfortunately this is still a pretty bad team with a 6-15 record.  I love playing against bad NHL teams off wins, and the Senators are just 1-8 (-7 games on the money line) in their last nine coming off of two straight home wins.  Worse than that, Ottawa is 3-21 in its last 24 following a game in which it scored five or more goals.  Take the Flames.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Los Angeles Kings.  Don't look now, but the hottest team in the NHL just might be none-other-than the Los Angeles Kings.  After losing five straight between January 28 and February 9, the Kings have now won five straight coming into tonight's showdown with the Blues.  And over those five games, L.A. has out-scored its opponents by a whopping 20-6.  But before we hand them the Cup, let's keep in mind that this is still the Kings we're talking about and even those five straight victories couldn't bring their miserable record back to the .500 mark (8-9).  Despite losing the last game here to L.A., St. Louis is still 4-2 in the last six meetings with the Kings.  Those two losses came in the last two meetings and that may be a good thing for the Blues who are 29-17 (+13 games on the money line) in their last 46 double-revenge situations.  The Kings are also 9-19 in their last 28 games coming off a road victory.  Take St. Louis.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Carolina Hurricanes.  With their 4-0 defeat of the Lightning on Saturday night, the Canes have now shut out Tampa in back-to-back meetings, albeit about a month apart.  You would have to search hard to find the last time that happened in the same season to the Bolts (the Caps did it to them in the 2018 playoffs).  So to say Tampa has revenge on its mind tonight is an understatement.  And one thing it can't do is take this very good Carolina team lightly.  These could be not only the best two teams in the Division but possibly the two best in the League right now.  But even though the Hurricanes have now won both meetings this year, the Bolts know that they have owned this series lately, taking 20 of the last 28 meetings overall and 14 of the last 19 here in Raleigh.  Yes, the Canes are on a roll right now, but they have a habit of faltering after firing off big victories.  Carolina is just 8-22 (-19 games on the money line) in their last 30 coming off two consecutive home wins by two or more goals.  Take Tampa.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the San Jose Sharks.  Going for their third straight win on Monday, the Blues held the Coyotes to just 19 shots on goal.  But despite this, the St. Louis offense took the night off and Arizona won the game, 1-0.  It was only the second time the Blues had been held scoreless this season, the first being an 8-0 drubbing by the Avs one month earlier.  Perhaps the Coyotes just had the Blues figured out as Monday's 1-0 contest was the seventh straight meeting between the two teams.  No doubt the Blues are happy to be moving on and if they could hand-pick their next opponent, it might very well be the Sharks.  St. Louis has won six of the last seven meetings with San Jose going back to the 2019 post-season when it eliminated the Sharks on the way to the Stanley Cup.  The Sharks won their last game but putting back-to-back wins together has proven very difficult of late as they are 0-6 in their last six games immediately following a victory (0-5 off a win so far this season).  And St. Louis is 22-13 (+6 games on the moneyline) after failing to score 2+ goals in their previous game.  Take the Blues.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Winnipeg Jets.  Coming off of a 3-0 shutout over a very good Canadiens team, the Oilers figured they were safe to use goalie Mike Smith four days later against this Jets team.  Unfortunately, they were very wrong.  The 38-year-old net-minder completely fell apart on Monday, and allowed four goals on just 11 shots.  Edmonton replaced Smith with Mikko Koskinen and the move worked but it was too little too late and the Jets held on for a 6-5 win.  Smith will be back on the bench tonight and a similar effort on offense by the Oilers should get the job done with Koskinen in net.  The Oilers out-shot Winnipeg by a whopping 45-24 but Smith put them in too big of a hole.  Scoring a lot of goals does not carry over well for the Jets lately as they are 0-8 in their last eight games immediately following a five-plus goal effort.  Saturday's win was also Winnipeg's second straight over Edmonton but the Oilers are 30-19 (+17 games on the money line) in their last 49 playing with double-revenge.  Take Edmonton.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie. 

At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the San Jose Sharks.  After winning three straight, the Golden Knights came into Thursday's game against the Ducks as an almost 2-1 favorite.  But they wound up on the short end of that one, getting shut out for the first time this season, 1-0.  Clearly the offense took the night off and that's unusual for this team as Vegas' 3.36 GPG average this season is in the league's top 10 in that category.  That offense could be salivating a bit coming into this game against a Sharks club that could be without its #1 goaltender.  San Jose acquired veteran Devan Dubnyk to be their main man between the pipes this season, but the 35-year-old missed his last start with a lower-body injury and may be down for today's game as well.  That would leave them relying on back-up Martin Jones who has really struggled so far this season (.865 SV% and 4.09 GAA in eight games).  The Knights are also 6-2 in their last eight immediately after being shut out in their previous game.  Take Vegas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Chicago Blackhawks.  The Stars lost a tough one in overtime to this Blackhawks squad on Super Bowl Sunday, 2-1.  It was the Stars' third loss in their last four games.  But if there's a silver lining there, it's the fact that all three of those losses have been by a single goal, two in OT.  For the Blackhawks, they've done the opposite of what Dallas has, winning three of their last four.  But the bad news coming into tonight is that Chicago has been hit hard recently by the COVID-19 bug, with no fewer than three regulars having to sit out tonight due to COVID protocols.  And it's not a great situation for Chicago as the Hawks are 1-5 in their last six games coming off two consecutive victories against Division rivals.  Dallas' loss on Sunday was its first in its last six as a home favorite (5-1 now) and the Stars are 7-3 in their last 10 after losing two straight by one goal.  Finally, Chicago is just 5-18 in its last 23 road games coming into tonight.  Take the Stars.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Arizona Coyotes.  The Coyotes scored a big upset victory over the Blues two nights ago despite registering just 19 shots on goal the entire game.  Regular #1 goalie Jordan Binnington probably wins that game for the home team, but the Blues went with rookie back-up Ville Husso instead.  Husso may be a solid NHL goalie one day but his 3.69 GAA so far in four games indicates that the 25-year-old is still a work in progress.  Binnington should be back between the pipes tonight for St. Louis and the hosts will have some revenge on their minds as they attempt to win for just the second time this month.  Saturday was the Blues' second straight loss to the Coyotes in as many games but that's a good situation for them coming into tonight.  St. Louis is 6-1in its last seven coming off of two consecutive losses against division rivals.  Meanwhile Arizona is 9-22 (-14 games on the money line) in its last 31 coming off a win vs. a division rival.  Take the Blues.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Dallas Stars.  Game 5 of this Stanley Cup Finals was one for the ages.  With their backs against the wall, the Stars somehow managed to survive yet again despite being out-shot and out-played by the Lightning.  And once they were able to get the game into overtime, they seemed to be energized to a different level.  Dallas prevailed 9:23 into the second overtime period on the second goal of the game by Corey Perry to stay alive and take this series to a sixth game.  Like he has done much of these Playoffs, the Stars' goalie Anton Khodobin kept them in the game and you have to wonder if he has it in him to do it again.  While this is a 3-2 series, the games really haven't been that close.  The Bolts have out-shot the Stars in all five of the games, and they hold a cumulative advantage in that category of 175 to 135.  Tampa is 64-25 (+25 games on the moneyline) in its last 56 immediately following a loss.  Look for the Lightning to wrap up their second Stanley Cup Championship tonight.  Take the Bolts.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Dallas Stars.  We cashed again last night on Tampa Bay (we've now played on the Lightning in each of their last 20 games), and won't get off them tonight, given that they might hoist Lord Stanley's Cup.  Indeed, I released the Lightning as my NHL futures pick a year ago, prior to the season, at 7-1 odds, and it was one of my two favorite futures bets in the past 20 years (along with Virginia (2019) in NCAA basketball, at 22-1 odds).  Game 5 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals will have an interesting wrinkle, as it will be played with no rest after a grueling, overtime Game 4 that went late into Friday night.  When the smoke cleared, it was the Bolts who emerged with a 5-4 victory and a 3-1 series lead, needing just one more to clinch their second-ever Stanley Cup.  Last night's defeat was painful for the Stars, who had three separate leads in the game (1-0, 2-0, and 3-2) but simply couldn't put the incredibly pesky Bolts away.  And the penalty which set up Tampa's game-winning goal was questionable, too.  It's not known as of this writing whether the Lightning will rest goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy to go with back-up Curtis McElhinney, but we're not going to let that possibility interfere with our selection as the Bolts have consistently shown that they can win without key players on the ice this entire post-season.  This will be the second back-to-back game for Tampa in these playoffs, and it won the first one 7-1 over Boston.  During the regular season, Tampa was 8-3 in 11 games with no off-day.  Take the Lightning.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Dallas Stars.  As if the Lightning's fortunes couldn't get any better, they got captain Steven Stamkos back on the ice for the first time in seven months and as if that wasn't enough, Stamkos scored on his first shot of the game.  But it would also be his only shot as Stamkos didn't play in the final seven minutes of the first period and then didn't play the rest of the game, having apparently re-aggravated his injury.  But it didn't matter much as the rest of the Bolts players stepped up in his absence and Tampa cruised to a 5-2 victory to take a 2-1 series lead heading into tonight's crucial Game 4.  It was Tampa's most complete game of the series as the Bolts out-shot the Stars by 32-24 and out-played them on both ends of the ice, knocking Dallas goalie Anton Khudobin out after two periods.  It's unclear whether Stamkos will suit up tonight, but the truth is that it may not matter if the Bolts continue to play like they have.  Tampa is 46-21 in its last 67 after a win by more than two goals, while Dallas is 8-12 this season off back to back losses.  Take the Bolts.  As always good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Dallas Stars.  After getting pushed around pretty bad in Game 1, the Tampa Bay Lightning made some adjustments before Game 2.  Those adjustments paid off as Tampa built a 3-0 in the first period and was able to hold on for a 3-2 victory that evened this series at a game apiece.  Tampa achieved two important things in the process of winning Game 2.  First, unlike Game 1, the Bolts didn't let the Stars dictate the game with their physical play.  And it seemed like every time one of Dallas' physical players -- and there are quite a few of them -- hit someone, they got hit back.  Second, the Lightning were able to get to Stars' goalie Anton Khudobin early and often in building that 3-0 lead, and that could turn out to be the key to this series.  It also won't hurt that Dallas suffered a key injury on Monday night, with Blake Comeau leaving the game in the 2nd period.  The Stars generally have not responded well to close losses.  In their last 52 games following a defeat by one goal, the Stars are 25-27 (-7 games on the moneyline).  Take the Lightning.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Dallas Stars.  When the Lightning looked across the ice Saturday night, it probably seemed like looking into a mirror.  If the Stars showed favored Tampa one thing in Game 1, it's that the Bolts will be facing a very different type of team than they saw in the last round.  While the Isles tried to beat Tampa with tight checking and defense, the Stars will be using a much more open-ice, offensive style of hockey.  And in Game 1 at least, they gave the Bolts a taste of their own medicine, so to speak, and came away with a 4-1 victory.  The good news for Tampa is that the only real difference-maker for Dallas was goalie Anton Khudobin who had to be at his very best once again (35 saves).  And while the Stars held a shot advantage through the first two periods, Tampa totally dominated in the last 20 minutes, and out-shot Dallas by a whopping 22-2 -- but just couldn't break Khudobin.  Tampa is 40-12 (+23 games on the moneyline) in their last 52 following a loss by two or more goals, and 10-1 this season after not scoring two goals in their previous game.  Take the Bolts.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Dallas Stars.  It's been five days since the Dallas Stars wrapped up their series with the Golden Knights to reach their second Stanley Cup Finals ever (and first in 20 years).  But the Lightning are fresh off of their six-game series win over a gutsy Islanders team, and if they don't miss a beat on the ice it could be bad news for Dallas.  I don't expect Tampa to suffer in any way, as it's 61-23 (+23 games on the moneyline) when playing its 4th game in seven days.  And, despite the number of close results on the scoreboard in Tampa's Eastern Conference Finals series, most of the games weren't really that competitive.  The only thing that kept New York in Thursday's game (and some of the others) was the amazing play of goalie Semyon Varlamov who spent most of his time looking like he was facing a firing squad.  If the Stars are even the least bit flat coming into tonight, it could be a long evening for them.  The Bolts are 32-9 their last 41 after allowing one goal (or less) in their previous game.  Take Tampa.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the New York Islanders.  With the 2-1 defeat on Tuesday night that went into the 92nd minute of play, the Lightning have now played five overtime games since the playoffs began.  Tuesday's was the first one in which they came up on the short end.  In their last two OT contests (Boston on August 25 and 31), the Bolts came back in the next game to win easily (7-1 against the Bruins and 8-2 in Game 1 of this series).  Tampa will be looking to make it three in a row and, by doing so, it will punch its ticket to its first Stanley Cup Finals in five years to take on the Dallas Stars.  Once again in Game 5 the Bolts out-shot their opponents like they have in every game of this series, save one (Game 2) , and they appeared to dominate play throughout most of the OT affair.  It was the first time the Lightning had been held to a single goal since Game 2 of the Columbus series.  But the good news for tonight is that they are 43-8 in their last 51 after scoring two goals or less in their previous game.  Take Tampa.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the New York Islanders.  Before the season, we tabbed Tampa Bay as our Futures pick to win the Stanley Cup (at 7-1 odds).  And it was one of my two favorite Futures picks over the last 20 years (the other was my pick on Virginia in College Basketball at 22-1 odds, which won in 2019).  After a dominating 4-1 victory in Game 4, the Tampa Bay Lightning are one win away from their first Stanley Cup Finals in five years.  It seems as if there's little the Islanders can do at this point to stop the Bolts, especially considering that no matter how well goalie Semyon Varlamov plays, Tampa's Andrei Vasilevskiy is just that much better.  Simply put, Vasilevskiy is the best net-minder in the world right now and it's really not close.  Not that they needed any more help, but the Lightning got the services of Brayden Point back in Game 4.  However they used him somewhat sparingly and it would show the Isles how confident they are if they didn't even put their talented forward on the ice tonight in an effort to ensure that he's 100% healthy for the Cup Finals.  Tampa feeds off of dominant victories like the one it had in Game 4.  The Bolts are 47-16 (+21 games on the moneyline) in their last 63 games after allowing one goal or less in their previous game.  And they're also not prone to letdowns, as they're 119-64 (+14 games on the moneyline) off a win.  And they're 11-4 when leading in a Playoff series.  Take Tampa Bay.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Dallas Stars.  If they Knights are going to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in three seasons, then they're going to have to do it by way of a three-game win streak.  But despite being down 3-1 to the Stars in this series, there is some good news.  For one thing, all three of their losses have been by a single goal while in their lone victory, the Knights won 3-0.  Second, they have matched or bested the Stars in shots on goal in all four of the games played and in Game 4, Vegas out-shot Dallas by 13 (33-20).  They just have to find a way to get the better of Dallas goalie Anton Khudobin who has been their MVP in the playoffs.  Add C/LW Roope Hintz to the Stars' list of walking wounded as he left Game 4 with an undisclosed injury and likely won't be available tonight.  That's the second key Dallas Forward to go down with an injury in this series.  The Knights are 8-1 (+8 games on the moneyline) in their last nine after losing two straight by one goal.  Take Vegas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie. 

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the New York Islanders.  The Isles finally put together 60 minutes of solid, physical hockey, resulting in their first win of this series, 5-3, on Friday night.  A loss in Game 3 would have all but doomed New York in its quest for its first Stanley Cup Finals appearance since 1984.  The Isles still have quite a hill to climb (more like a mountain) as Tampa goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy had an off night in Game 3, and the chances of him having another in succession are small.  The Bolts could get a huge lift this afternoon from the possible return of Brayden Point.  The dynamic young center missed Game 3 after having to leave Game 2 with an injury but he's been skating with the team.  Even without him, Tampa was in the game almost the entire time and easily could have won if the puck had bounced its way in the third period.  The Bolts are 12-2 (+9 games on the moneyline) in their last 14 after losing their previous game by two or more goals (39-12, +22 games, in their last 51).  Take Tampa.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Dallas Stars.  The Knights played probably their best game on Wednesday, but came up on the short end of a 3-2 overtime final, falling behind 2-1 in the series.  Their 40 shots on goal was the most by either team in this series and the 23 they allowed to the Stars was the lowest such number in the three games as well.  The key for Vegas tonight therefore is to not panic and to just keep doing what its been doing.  There's no doubt the Knights have really benefited in the last two games from the return of enforcing right winger Ryan Reaves, who missed the first game with a suspension carried over from the Colorado series.  The only player that's going to miss tonight for Vegas is forward Tomas Nosek while the Stars have several players (six at last count) who will be unavailable due to various ailments.  The Knights are 26-14 in their last 40 games when revenging a loss to an opponent, while Dallas has won just four of 13 off an upset victory.  Take Vegas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the New York Islanders.  You can never count a team out after just two games of a best-of-seven series, but if ever there was a game that seemed to take all of the wind out of a competitor's sails, it was Game 2 of this series.  And the Islanders really have no one to blame but themselves.  They out-shot the Lightning in the game, and failed to capitalize on plenty of opportunities (including a 5-on-3 for about 30 seconds in the third period).  It looked like the game was heading to OT when Tampa scored the game-winner with just 10 seconds left in regulation.  The Bolts did lose Brayden Point to a hip injury during the game, so the speedy winger may not be available tonight.  But it likely won't matter as this just seems to be a team which takes full advantage of its opportunities regardless of who is out on the ice.  Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy was once again superb for Tampa, stopping all but one of the 28 shots he faced.  Tampa is 16-3 in its last 19 after allowing one goal or less, and is 15-2 after winning its previous four games.  Take the Lightning.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the New York Islanders.  If this was supposed to be a close Finals Series with a lot of back-and-forth play then somebody forgot to tell the Lightning before Game 1.  In the biggest rout of the post-season since they did basically the same thing to the Bruins about two weeks ago, the Bolts blitzed the Isles, 8-2 in a game that was basically over almost as soon as it started.  New York tried everything, including replacing its goalie but nothing helped.  The Isles have to regroup now but clearly they need another formula from the one they employed on Monday night.  Tampa goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy didn't have his best stuff in Game 1 (two goals allowed on 24 shots) but he didn't have to.  And the scary thing for New York is that Tampa generally doesn't have letdowns after games like that.  In fact the Bolts are 21-9 (+6 games on the moneyline) in their last 30 after a blowout win by four or more goals.  They're also 11-2 in their last 13 after a five-game win streak.  Take the Lightning.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Dallas Stars.  Whatever we were expecting from Game 1 of this series, what we got was an old-fashioned defensive battle.  When the smoke cleared, it was the Stars' first period goal which made all the difference in an unlikely 1-0 victory over favored Vegas.  A total of only 50 shots on goal were fired in the entire 60 minutes (25 for each side).  It was the exact same strategy that the Stars employed to take down the heavily favored, and offensively superior Avalanche.  But if the you're Vegas, the worst thing you can do now is panic and start changing lines.  When they were shut out by the Canucks in Game 6 as a heavy favorite, the Knights simply re-grouped to turn the tables in a 3-0 Game 7 victory.  The Knights will get a big boost tonight from the return of tough, physical forward Ryan Reeves, who is back after a one-game suspension.  Vegas is 8-3 in its last 11 after being shut out.  Take the Knights.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the New York Islanders.  There's quite a contrast in the way these two teams got to this point.  The Lightning rolled past the over-matched Bruins in five games, winning four straight after losing the opener and out-scoring Boston 13-4 in the final three.  Meanwhile, the Islanders had a back-and-forth, seven-game nail-biting series with the Flyers, finally putting it all together in Game 7 with a no-doubt victory.  And while Tampa won't get the services of its leader, Steven Stamkos back for this series (so says the team currently), it will have Nikita Kucherov (high stick to the face) ready to go tonight and that's very good news.  But the man of the hour would seem to be Tampa's all-everything goaltender, Andrei Vasilevskiy.  There's little doubt now that the 26-year-old is the best netminder in the game, never mind the best left in the playoffs.  It's hard to imagine the Isles having much of an answer to him.  The Bolts are 10-2 in their last 12 games vs. teams from the Metropolitan division, and Tampa's also 13-2 this season (and 35-14 their last 49) when they've won their four previous games.  Take Tampa Bay.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Philadelphia Flyers.  You can sum up another come-from-behind Flyers victory on Thursday to force this seventh game in two words -- Carter Hart.  The young goaltender was outstanding when he needed to be, amidst an onslaught of pressure from a superior Islanders offense for most of the game's five periods.  When the smoke cleared, and Ivan Provorov had won it for Philly, Hart had made a remarkable 49 saves and was the unquestionable MVP for his team.  On the other end, Semyon Varlamov had his second shaky performance in a row so I wouldn't be surprised if Barry Trotz tabbed Thomas Greiss to be in net for New York tonight.  But we've seen Hart struggle after a huge effort before, so if the Isles keep the pressure up like they did on Thursday, they should find themselves in the East Finals against the Lightning.  Indeed, they've been without a doubt the better team in this series.  One of my favorite stats of this year's Playoffs is that New York is 10-5 in the Playoffs, and has yet to lose by more than 1 goal.  In other words:  they've played well enough to have won every single game.  For the Playoffs, they've outscored their foes 50-31, while the Flyers have actually been outscored 33-27, even though they've won seven of 12 games.   So, New York's outscored its foes by an average of 1.26 gpg, while the Flyers have been outscored by 0.5 gpg.  New York's a super 33-25 off back to back losses (+10 games on the moneyline).  Take the Islanders.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over Vancouver.  The Knights were shutout, 4-0, last night by the upstart Canucks.  And this quarterfinals series is now tied at 3-games apiece.  However, if there is a silver lining for Vegas, it's that they've out-shot the Canucks in each of the six games, including a staggering 91-40 over the past two games!  But hockey can be a cruel sport, so the Knights are no doubt scratching their heads after losing both of the last two games.  Still, if you're going to have the overwhelming number of shots on goal, you'll generally take your chances.  Vegas is a solid 18-7 (+6 games on the moneyline) when playing with revenge this season, and 29-14 (+11 games on the moneyline) after not scoring 2+ goals in its previous game.  Take the Golden Knights.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:45 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Dallas Stars.  Like their Denver counterparts in Major League Baseball (the Rockies), the Avalanche are known for scoring.  So it was more than a little disconcerting when they managed just five total goals in Games 1 and 2 of this series and quickly fell behind a very good Stars team, 2-0.  But the Avs didn't panic, and sure enough, the scoring came back in Game 3 this past Wednesday in a virtual "must-win" situation.  They took that one 6-4, netting their six goals on just 31 shots and gave themselves an opportunity for a new series after that effort.  Unfortunately, they fell behind early last night, and lost 5-4, so they're now one game away from elimination.  Thus, tonight's game is a definite "must-win."  Colorado is 16-8 after allowing 4+ goals, and it's also 13-6 when playing with revenge from a loss in which it surrendered 4+ goals.  Meanwhile, the Stars are a poor 16-20 (minus 9 games on the moneyline) after scoring more than 4 goals in their previous game.   Take the Avalanche.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Boston Bruins.  After two dominating victories, the Lighting are one game away from a trip to the Eastern Conference finals to take on either the Flyers or the Islanders.  You just have to feel that the air has gone out of the Boston balloon at this point, having been outscored by a combined 10-2 in the last two games.  And a perfect scenario would be for Tampa to wrap up the series tonight and have the Flyers and Islanders duke it out for several more days while the Bolts get a chance to rest and practice.  Tampa is an incredible 15-3 its last 18 immediately following a game where it did not give up 2+ goals, while Boston's an awful 10-16 (minus 14 games on the moneyline) when playing with triple revenge.  Take the Lightning.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:30 pm, our selection is on the Vancouver Canucks over the Vegas Golden Knights.  This has been a back-and-forth series so far, with the Knights taking Games 1 and 3, and the Canucks taking Game 2.  Last night, the Golden Knights broke out on top, 2-0, in the first period even though they were outshot in that period, 16-9.  We'll play on Vancouver to bounce back off its shutout loss last night, as it's 5-1 this season off a shutout defeat, and 16-8 (+11 games on the money line) off a shutout loss the last three seasons.  Indeed, its Game 2 victory was immediately off a 5-0 shutout loss in Game 1 of this series.  Take the Canucks in Game 4 tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Flyers over the New York Islanders.  We played on the Islanders yesterday as our NHL Game of the Month for August, and were rewarded with a 3-1 victory.  But we'll switch gears today, and take the #1-seeded Flyers in what is, essentially, a 'must-win' game, given that teams rarely come back from a 3-1 series deficit.  The Flyers are a solid 17-6 (+10 games on the money line) when playing with revenge this season from a loss earlier in the year, and 19-12 (+6 games on the moneyline) off a loss.  Take Philadelphia.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Philadelphia Flyers.  After a couple days of postponements, the NHL playoffs re-start today with two games on the ledger that feature the #1 seeds in each conference.  And in both cases, those #1 seeds have to feel at least a little bit nervous at this stage.  For the Flyers, they're one of the only teams left in the post-season that has perhaps some question at the goaltender position.  On the one hand there is young Carter Hart who has gotten them most of the way here, but has shown some cracks and whose inexperience appears to be a vulnerability.  On the other, there is veteran Brian Elliott who has plenty of playoff experience but whose best years are behind him.  Philly has stuck with Hart so far, but he's been very shaky in two of the last four games and a poor showing early on in this Game 3 might get him the hook.  The Flyers are lucky this series is not 0-2 right now, needing OT to win Game 2 after getting trounced in the first one.  The Isles like the position they're in as they're playing great hockey since the re-start.  And their great play has completely erased the memory of their 7-game losing streak heading into this post-season.  Indeed, in New York's three playoff series, they're 8-3, and have yet to lose by more than one goal.  Overall, they've outscored their opponents by 37-19, or 1.63 gpg.  In contrast, the Flyers have gone 5-3 in their two playoff series, but have been outscored 20-15 (-0.62 gpg).  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 12:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Boston Bruins.  Including the Round Robin, the Lightning had played a total of 10 post-season games heading into Wednesday night's Game 3 against the Bruins.  In those 10, the Bolts were 7-3 and they had won each of those seven games by one goal.  Apparently, Tampa really wanted to break that streak of one-goal victories in playoff game #11.  Everything came together for the Bolts -- and fell apart for the Bruins -- in Game 3 as Tampa demolished Boston, 7-1.  Perhaps more impressive is the fact that the seven goals were scored on just 31 shots, resulting in the removal of Jaroslav Halak about mid-way through and the insertion of Daniel Vladar -- the first Bruins goalie ever to make his NHL debut in the post-season.  If that sounds like trouble for Boston, it is and no doubt Tampa would like to end this series as soon as possible to get some added rest before the next round.  Surprisingly (for a team as good as the Bruins), Boston has won just 18 of 51 games when playing with revenge from a loss by more than three goals.  The Bolts are 45-15 in their last 60 after allowing one goal or less in their previous game, and 44-12 their last 56 division contests.  Take Tampa.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Boston Bruins.  After being upset in Game 1, the Lightning bounced back nicely last night to take Game 2 in OT over a very determined Bruins team.  Now, with no off-day, the Bolts have to avoid another letdown.  They know now that the Bruins are not going to go away without a fight and there's plenty of size on that Boston roster to go toe-to-toe with the talented and speedy Bolts.  The key to this series will almost certainly be between the pipes.  While the Bruins feature a goalie who was part of a Jennings Trophy-winning tandem in Jaroslav Halak, Tampa has on its side the best young net-minder in the game (and the defending Vezina Trophy winner), Andrei Vasilevskiy.  Ironically by the numbers, Vasileveskiy was actually slightly worse in Game 2 than Game 1, but he was huge for his team when it needed him most.  With its Game 2 victory, Tampa is now 20-7 in its last 27 vs. division opponents.  Take the Lightning.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Boston Bruins.  When a team goes from playing a huge revenge match-up in the first round to a very good team in the second round, they often find themselves flat.  Such was the case for the Lightning in Game 1 of this series having come off of a big payback series with the Blue Jackets.  By the time Tampa figured out it was playing the Bruins this time around, it had fallen behind 3-0.  The Bolts were out-shot 15-10 in the first period.  But after they woke up in the second period, the Lightning dominated the rest of the way, out-shooting the Bruins 27-16 in the final 40 minutes (but only managing to get two of the goals back).  The 3-2 defeat was stinging for sure, but it should've taught Tampa Bay a lesson in the process.  Expect 60 minutes of Lightning hockey tonight as the Bolts try to even this series.  Vezina Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy had a rare off-night in goal but I  expect him to bounce back big in Game 2.  Tampa is 15-7 in its last 22 immediately following a loss to a Division rival.  Take the Lightning.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 9:45 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Dallas Stars.  It's no small feat what the Stars pulled off in Game 1 of this series.  The high-octane Avs finished off the Coyotes in the first round by scoring seven goals in back to back contests in Games 4 and 5 and out-scored them by a total of 22-8 in the series.  Yet somehow the Stars managed to hold Colorado to just three goals in Game 1 and come away with a 5-3 victory.  But don't think the offensive juggernaut of the Avs is done.  They were the highest scoring offense in the regular season and they rarely throw back-to-back duds.  The biggest problem for Colorado in Game 1 may have been that goalie Philipp Grubauer was playing hurt in the first period when the Stars netted three of their goals and he eventually came out of the game and was replaced by Pavel Francouz.  Francouz is a solid back-up and will be ready for 60 minutes tonight.  The Avs are 5-1 (+5 games on the money line) in their last six coming off a loss by at least two goals to a division rival.  Take Colorado.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.