At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Carolina Hurricanes.  There have been upsets in this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, but none more surprising than the Hurricanes victories in the first two games of this second round series.  The 'Canes had to go to seven games to beat the Caps, while the Islanders were well-rested after a first round sweep of the Pens.  But that hasn't mattered so far as the Canes out-played the Isles at home as they did in Game 7 of the series with DC.  But Game 2 was costly to Carolina, as it lost two more players to injury, including #1 goalie Petr Mrazek who left in the 2nd period with a groin injury.  Back-up Curtis McElhinney came in and stopped all 17 shots he faced, but asking him to do that again after he played in just one regular season game since the end of March is a tall order.  The Isles know that a loss tonight would basically end their season so expect them to come out swinging tonight.  The good news for them is that, with the 'Canes victories in the first two games, the road team is now 7-1 in the last eight meetings.  And the Islanders are 11-1 this season off back to back losses, and 16-1 after not scoring 3 or more goals in any of their two previous games.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the Colorado Avalanche.  When their first-round series against the Golden Knights got underway, the Sharks had to wonder if Martin Jones could be relied on to get them past the first five games.  In Game 1, Jones was his usual solid self (two goals on 26 shots).  But in Games 2 through 4, he completely fell apart, and allowed 11 goals on just 54 shots -- a save percentage of just .796.  In two of those games, Jones was pulled and replaced by back-up Aaron Dell.  But in the last three games of that series -- and so far in the first two of this one -- the dependable Martin Jones has returned, as he's allowed just 12 goals on 188 shots -- a .936 save pct.  That's the type of goaltending which will win you a Conference Title, if not a Stanley Cup.  His career record vs. the Avs is pretty impressive -- a 10-3-1 record with a 2.85 GAA in 14 games.  The Sharks are also 38-18 in the last 56 meetings of these clubs.  Meanwhile, the Avs are a poor 3-13 in their last 16 Conference Semi-Final games.  Take San Jose.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Dallas Stars.  If a team is expecting to go deep in the NHL playoffs, it has to be able to win on the road.  No club has demonstrated that more in this post-season than the St. Louis Blues.  The Blues have yet to lose away from St. Louis, having swept all three first-round games in Winnipeg leading to this series.  Tonight will be the Blues first road game of the second round and the fact that it will take place in Dallas is going to test that road record as the Blues are 1-4 in the last five tries here.  However the good news is that they won here this year (3-1 on January 12) and with the split that occurred in Games 1 and 2, the road team is now 4-2 in the last six meetings.  And in their last 20 road games of the season (going back to January 23) the Blues went 12-8.  St. Louis is also 15-8 (+6 games on the money line) in its last 23 games coming off of a home loss to a division rival, and 8-1 on the road after giving up more than 3 goals in its previous game.  Take the Blues.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Carolina Hurricanes.  For those who thought that Carolina's 7-game series victory over the Capitals would take its toll on the Hurricanes and that they would be easy pickings for the Isles in Game 1...they need to think again.  The dogged visitors (just ask the defending Champion Caps how pesky Carolina is) showed no sign of weariness on Friday night, and held New York scoreless for 60 minutes of regulation.  In the OT, Jordan Staal worked his magic again and scored the game winner to put the 'Canes up 1-0 in the series.  It's likely that the long layoff (the Isles hadn't played in 10 days since sweeping the Pens) did New York no favors so look for the Isles to be much sharper this afternoon in Game 2.  The Islanders can start by firing more than the 31 shots (only 29 in regulation) they registered on Friday while keeping the same tight defense and goaltending.  If they can do that, this series should be even at 1 game apiece heading to Raleigh for Game 3.  The Hurricanes are a horrid 18-47 on the road vs. winning teams, 27-58 on the road off 3+ wins, and 33-61 after shutting out their opponent in their previous game.   Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the San Jose Sharks.  If you had told us that the Knights would pile up 59 shots against the Sharks and goalie Martin Jones in Game 6 (vs. only 29 that Marc-Andre Fleury had to face) then we would have said "series over."  After all, Jones had been pretty awful leading up to that game on Sunday.  But despite the fact that the home team threw everything but the kitchen sink at Jones, he somehow prevailed.  And the Sharks got the game-winner in double OT to force this Game 7.  Of course, just because Jones was spectacular on Sunday, it does not mean he will equal that performance one game later -- especially in light of the fact that, in the first four games of this series, Jones had allowed 13 goals on 80 shots (a 0.838 saves percentage).  There are other reasons to like the visitors tonight as well.  Like the fact that they are 19-6 (+12 games on the money line) in their last 25 when revenging a home loss.  Or that they're 25-9 after not scoring 2+ goals.  Take Vegas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the San Jose Sharks.  Not that they needed more motivation, but the Golden Knights must be licking their chops at the prospect of getting back to the Conference Championship now that the #1-seeded Flames are out.  But first things first, and that means finishing off the Sharks.  No doubt, the Knights want to get this series over with tonight rather than going back to San Jose for a Game 7.  In a very short period of time, T-Mobile Arena has become one of the toughest places for opposing teams in the NHL.  In fact, the Knights are almost perfect (4-1) in five post-season games vs. the Sharks here at home coming into tonight.  And they're 35-16 at home when the Total was 6 goals (or more).  Sharks goalie Martin Jones had a much-needed solid performance in Game 5 at home, but he has been shaky at best here in Vegas.  In fact, Jones has been pulled mid-game four times in eight games at T-Mobile in the regular season and playoffs.  Although he wasn't pulled in the Sharks' 6-3 loss here in Game 3, he easily could have as he was the following game after allowing two goals in the first seven shots.  Take Vegas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Nashville Predators over the Dallas Stars.  The Preds felt pretty good after victories in Games 2 and 3 of this series, but the defense fell apart in Game 4 -- an easy 5-1 win for the Stars at home.  Now it's back to Nashville with the series all tied up at two games apiece.  The Stars were just 19-22 on the road during the regular season, and Nashville is always a tough place for visiting teams in the post-season, especially in the first round.  The fact that they got blown out in Game 4 may be a blessing in disguise as the Predators are 5-1 in their last six (37-14 in their last 51) after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game.  And they are 14-2 in their last 16 games following a loss by three or more goals.  The Stars are 29-60 in their last 89 games as a road underdog and 9-26 (-24 games on the money line) after scoring five or more goals in their previous game.  Take Nashville.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Colorado Avalanche.  Add the Avalanche and Flames to the growing list of first round surprises in this year's NHL Playoffs.  After winning the first game of this series convincingly, the Flames have now fallen in three straight and stand just one game away from elimination heading into Game 5 tonight back at home.  The #1 seed in the West cannot afford to allow 52 shots like it did in Game 4 in Denver on Wednesday.  But on the bright side, if you're a Calgary fan, is the fact that, despite the lopsided shot totals, the game still went into overtime.  Unfortunately, a Mikko Rantanen goal with 10 minutes left in the extra stanza extinguished the Flames by a 3-2 final score.  The Flames knew that winning two in Colorado would be tough so now they will rely on their own home ice advantage which worked well for them in the regular season (26-10-5).  Moreover, the Avs are just 16-35 in their last 51 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.  Take the Flames.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the Vegas Golden Knights.  The Sharks return home for Game 5 with their post-season lives hanging by a thread.  After taking Game 1 here last Wednesday, San Jose has been steamrolled by the defending Western Conference Champs, losing the next three games by a combined 16-6.  Monday's Game 4 on the Strip was especially bad, as the Knights never gave the visitors a chance in a 5-0 shellacking.  Look for the Sharks to mix up some lines tonight as they try to get back to the form that won them 46 games in the regular season -- 25 of them here at home.  The Sharks also will get the services of C Joe Thornton back tonight, as the veteran leader had to sit out game four to serve a one-game suspension.  The Knights are 1-5 in their last six road games and 5-16 in their last 21 as an underdog.  Meanwhile, San Jose is 8-1 when playing with revenge from a shutout loss, and 13-1 at home after losing by more than two goals in its previous game.  Take the Sharks.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Colorado Avalanche.  Like their #1-seeded partners over in the Eastern Conference, the Flames are in a bit a trouble in their first round series (though won't be swept like Tampa Bay was).  After looking every bit the part of a top seed in the first game when they blanked the Avs 4-0 at home, the Flames have stumbled in Games 2 +3, and now find themselves down 2-1 heading into this crucial Game 4 in Denver.  Look for Calgary to tighten up the defense considerably tonight as it can ill-afford to give up another 56 shots to the home team as it did on Monday.  The Avs are thin at the center position with Derick Brassard suffering from an illness and Vladislav Kamenek still sidelined with a shoulder injury.  Neither is expected to suit up tonight.  Despite their loss on Monday, the Flames are still 9-3 in the last 12 meetings and 4-1 in the last five here at the Pepsi Center.  Take Calgary.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  In one of the most shocking first round results ever, the heavily-favored Lightning find themselves on the brink of elimination -- down 3-0 to the Blue Jackets heading into Game 4 in Columbus tonight.  You can basically count on one hand the number of teams that have come back from a 3-0 deficit in a first-round NHL playoff series.  And now the Lightning find themselves in that position.  But there's some reason for optimism.  The most obvious is the fact that the Bolts will get the services back of the NHL's most productive player.  Nikita Kucherov (41 G; 87 A; 128 Points) served a one-game suspension for Game 3, and will be on the ice tonight for the visitors.  Certainly, if Tampa had Kucherov in the last game, it could have made a difference in the final result.  And, although they've had a handful of three-game losing streaks in the last couple of seasons, the fact remains that the Lightning have not lost four in a row since January 2017 (and they're 9-2 their last 11 following a 3-game losing streak).  Even better:  the Lightning are 11-0 this season after a road loss (and 36-15 the last 3 seasons).  Take Tampa Bay.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Washington Capitals.  The Hurricanes' task is straightforward:  win Games 3 + 4 to level this series at two games apiece.  It's true that the Caps have won each of the last five meetings here in Raleigh.  But all five defeats were narrow, and were decided by a single goal, with three of the five ending in overtime or a shoot-out.  Additionally, Carolina out-shot Washington in four of those five games.  So there are plenty of reasons to like the home team tonight in what clearly is a must-win for the 'Canes.  For technical support, consider that the Caps are a poor 6-13 in their last 19 playoff games, priced as an underdog of +150 or less, while Carolina cashed 67% at home this season off back to back losses.  Take Carolina.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  The Lightning went down two-games-to-none at home in this first round series with a 5-1 loss on Friday.  And, to make matters worse, Tampa's top scorer, Nikita Kucherov, will miss today's game due to a suspension for a boarding infraction.  But there are a few reasons for the fans in the Bay area not to panic.  The most obvious is that, despite their performances in the first two games, the Bolts are still the more talented team.  Tampa's success this season also wasn't primarily at home; it was also the best road team in the NHL this season, winning 30 of 41 games away from Amelie Arena.  Historically, the Lightning have performed exceptionally well here in Columbus, taking each of the last three games (including the only meeting here in the regular season), and six of the last seven.  If all of that wasn't enough, it's also worth noting that the Lightning are 8-0 in their last eight games immediately following a home loss by three or more goals, and 11-0 after not scoring 2+ goals in their previous game.  Meanwhile, Columbus is a horrid 2-8 at home this season after scoring 3+ goals in back to back games.  Finally, NHL teams have gone 27-14 following a Playoffs loss by more than three goals.  With their backs against the wall, we'll back the Lightning.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 12:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over New York.  The Islanders took Games 1 + 2 in this series, and come into the Igloo on a four-game win streak.  Unfortunately for New York, it's an awful 15-35 (minus 22 games on the money line) after winning its four previous games.  Meanwhile, the Penguins are 34-10 at home with Mike Sullivan as coach after not scoring 2+ goals in their previous game, and 12-1 off back to back road losses.  They've also won nine of 10 Playoff series with Sullivan on the bench, and won't panic just because their collective backs are against the proverbial wall.  Take the Penguins to bounce back in Game 3.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. 

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over New York.  The Islanders took a 1-0 series lead with an exciting 4-3 overtime win on Wednesday.  I fully expect the Penguins to bounce back tonight, as they're 39-15 when playing with revenge from a loss by a single goal.  And they're also 69-38 following a game where they surrendered more than three goals.  Meanwhile, the Islanders are a horrid 51-86 after winning their three previous games.  The Penguins out-shot the Islanders in each of the three periods (17-12; 13-10; 11-9), as well as the overtime period (3-2).  And their shots in the 2nd and 3rd periods were also of a significantly higher quality than the Islanders' shots.  I look for Pittsburgh to level this series at 1 game apiece.  Take the Penguins.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Arizona Coyotes.   This is a big game for the Jets.  A victory by Winnipeg tonight in the desert coupled with a Nashville loss would bring the Jets their first Division Title since moving north from Atlanta.  It's been a frustrating end-of-season road trip so far for the Jets as they lost their last two in Minnesota and Colorado, the latter one being a 3-2 OT defeat on Thursday.  But the good news for them is that they have dominated this series lately, taking five of the last six meetings going back to January of 2017.  It's true that the Coyotes have had a strong second half of the season, but they've still been one of the most anemic teams at home all season with just a 2.70 GPG average here at the Gila River Arena.  Moreover, the Jets are one of the best teams in the league when playing as a road favorite (4-1 in their last five as a road favorite overall, and 17-5 in their last 22 as a road favorite of -110 to -150).  And they are 46-22 in their last 68 vs. teams with a losing record.  Take Winnipeg.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Florida Panthers.  The same team that tried to help the Islanders on Monday night will now face them at home in the next-to-last game of the season for both teams.  I say "tried" because, despite the fact that the Panthers beat the first-place Caps here three days ago, the Isles lost that same night at home to the Leafs, 2-1.  So tonight is a must-win situation for the visitors if they are to have any hope of winning the Division (and they will keep their collective eyes on the out-of-town scoreboard as the Caps play the Habs at home at the same time).  In what can only be described as "too little - too late", Florida comes in on a three-game win streak having beaten the Senators, Bruins, and aforementioned Caps, but the Panthers had already been eliminated from post-season contention.  This series has not been kind to the hosts lately as the home team is 1-6 in the last seven meetings of the Isles and Panthers.  Even better for the Isles:  they are 16-7 in their last 23 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the Vancouver Canucks.  Although the Sharks can't catch the Calgary Flames for first place in the Pacific Division, they still are in a battle to hold onto the second-best record in the Western Conference.  San Jose's 97 points coming into tonight is 1 point better than the Jets, who are leading the Central Division.  And this is a position that the Sharks would like to maintain with three games left in the regular season.  Tonight, they head to Vancouver to play the Canucks -- a team they have totally dominated in recent meetings.  In fact, the Sharks are 6-0 in their last six games against Vancouver going back to December of 2017.  They are also 21-8 in the last 29 meetings at Rogers Arena.  The Canucks did beat the Stars, 3-2, in OT in their last game.  But that may not bode well for tonight as they are 6-12 in their last 18 (-6 games on the money line) off of a home win.  They are also 3-9 in their last 12 after an overtime victory.  Take the Sharks.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the New York Islanders.  The Maple Leafs will try to salvage the third game of their 3-game road trip tonight.  They lost at Philadelphia, 5-4, and then lost at Ottawa, 4-2.  The good news for the Leafs is that they've only lost three-in-a-row once this season, as they're a super 11-1 this season when working on a two-game losing streak.  The Islanders, meanwhile, are ripe for a letdown following their back-to-back 5-goal efforts at Winnipeg (5-4) and vs. Buffalo (5-1).  New York's a poor 34-45 (minus 11 games on the money line) after scoring 3+ goals in back to back games.  Take Toronto.  Good luck, as always....Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over Detroit.  The Red Wings come into game off their first home shutout win of the season -- 4-0 vs. New Jersey.  And that was just their 2nd shutout of the season, overall. This is a tough spot for the Red Wings, as they're playing their 3rd game in 4 nights, while Boston has had the last two days off.  Detroit is an awful 1-10 at home when playing its 3rd game in four nights.  And it's also just 24-60 its last 84 divisional contests, and 12-27 after giving up less than two goals in its previous game.  Take Boston.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. 

At 1:35 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Philadelphia Flyers.  No team has been as up-and-down this season as the Flyers.  Looking totally lost at some times and like a playoff team at others, the Flyers have pretty much been treading water for the last two months and look to be staying home for the post-season this year.  They somehow managed to beat the Maple Leafs in their last, 5-4, in a shootout.  But the Flyers were just 2-5 in their previous seven games.  The 'Canes did not help their case for a Wild Card spot this past week, losing two straight games.  But those were against the defending Cup Champion Capitals, who are hungry to repeat.  And the Canes did go 4-1 in their previous five, with the only loss coming against the best team in the League (Tampa).  They are no doubt looking forward to their final five games, three of which come against the Flyers (2) and Devils.  The Flyers are just 18-20 away from Philadelphia this season while Carolina is 6-1 in its last seven home games vs. teams with a losing road record.  Take the Hurricanes.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Dallas Stars.  With six games to go in the regular season, the Flames are inching ever closer to wrapping up the best record in the West (along with home ice through the Conference Finals).  So it's a bit of a mystery how -- as a huge favorite and riding a three-game win streak -- Calgary managed to get shut out by the Kings in its last game on Monday, 3-0.  About the only thing you can point to is the fact that goalie Mike Smith had been used in three straight games in five days (with a road game in the middle) and simply ran out of gas.  So tonight the Flames will turn to David Rittich and give Smith a much-needed break.  He may be a little-known back-up with just 16 starts under his belt heading into the season, but Rittich has been rock-solid so far for his team with a 26-12 record in his starts with a .911 save pct and 2.63 GAA.  This is a big revenge situation as the Stars have beaten the Flames in both their meetings this season.  The Flames are 12-5 (+ 6 games on the money line) in their last 17 revenging two consecutive losses.  And Dallas is 8-25 (including 1-8 this season) after scoring more than 4 goals in their previous game.  Take Calgary.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Los Angeles Kings.  For the first 10 years of his career, the Kings' Jonathan Quick was one of the most feared goalies in the league.  Along with dominant numbers, multiple All Star appearances, and numerous individual awards came two Stanley Cup Championships (2012 and 2014).  But to say that Quick has taken a step back this season would be a gross understatement.  His GAA (3.25), and saves percentage (.891) are both career-worsts, and he will finish the season with a losing record for the first time since he became a full-time net-minder in 2008-2009.  It wouldn't be fair to pin all of the fault for L.A.'s lousy season on Quick, but he certainly hasn't helped matters much.  The Oilers looked like they might be a playoff team into early December, but those hopes have since been dashed by their inconsistent play.  The Kings beat the Oilers in the last meeting in L.A., 4-0 but Edmonton is 10-4 (+8 games on the money line) in its last 14 revenging a loss in which it scored one goal or less.  The home team is also 20-7 in the last 27 meetings.  Take the Oilers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Boston Bruins.  The Bruins might be almost 20 points behind the Lightning in their division, but they are also likely the second-best team in the Eastern Conference, if not the entire League right now.  And the Bruins would like to show tonight that they can beat the Bolts when they need to.  It might be tempting to assume that the Lightning will spend their remaining regular season games trying to stay healthy without giving a 100% effort since they already have the Presidents Trophy locked up.  But the last thing Tampa wants to do is go into the playoffs on a losing note, especially losing to teams like the Bruins who it may very well see again in May.  Sure, the Bruins are on fire, having won their last three by a combined 17-4.  But two of those were against the Devils and Panthers.  And Tampa poses a much bigger challenge tonight, especially at home.  Amalie Arena has not been kind to the Bruins lately as they are 1-4 in their last five here.  Also, the Bruins are also 1-5 in the last six meetings overall while the favorite is 26-11 in the last 37 meetings.  Take the Lightning.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Minnesota Wild.  The Wild pulled off an upset Friday night, beating the Defending Cup Champion Capitals in Washington by a 2-1 margin.  Now they head south to Raleigh to face a Canes team that is only two points out of third place in the Metropolitan -- the final guaranteed playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.  So Carolina's backs are against the wall heading into this game having lost its last one by a 6-3 tally on Thursday.  But losing to the Lightning almost doesn't count at this point as the team that has already clinched the President's Trophy is running over every other club in the league right now.  Prior to the loss to the Bolts, Carolina had won four of out five, including victories over the Penguins, Predators, and Avalanche.  The home team is 5-1 in the last six meetings of these two while the favorite is 10-2 in the last 12 meetings as well.  It's true that this is also a revenge situation for the Wild, as they lost 5-4 to Carolina back in October.  But they are just 8-15 in the last 23 (-10 games on the money line) avenging a same season loss.  Take the Canes.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Detroit Red Wings.  The road has been a tough place lately for the Rangers as they have been away for six of their last seven, losing all six.  Their lone home game during that period was a 4-2 victory over the Devils.  The Rangers aren't going anywhere come playoff time but they're still a dangerous team at home.  After losing four in a row and 12 of their last 13, the Red Wings somehow managed a win over the Islanders on Saturday, 2-1.  But Detroit is 2-7 in the last nine trips to MSG and the home team is 4-1 in the last five meetings, so the Wings success could be short-lived as they try to beat the odds tonight on the road.  And that's the other problem as Detroit has won just 11 times in 33 games away from home.  Another issue for the Wings tonight is injuries.  While New York is close to 100% healthy, Detroit has a list of walking wounded.  Finally, the Red Wings are a wallet-busing 11-27 (-17 games on the money line) in their last 38 after not allowing 2+ goals in their previous game.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the Vegas Golden Knights.  With a seven point lead over the fourth-place Coyotes, the Golden Knights have a pretty good hold on the last guaranteed playoff spot from the Pacific Division.  Still, despite a successful (i.e., winning) season, this year's version of the Knights appears to fall far short of the one which went all the way to the Finals less than 12 months ago.  The Sharks, on the other hand, stand an excellent chance of eclipsing their wins and point total from last season and reaching the century mark for the second straight year.  San Jose would like to be this year's Vegas, and make it all the way to the Finals for what would be its second time in the last four seasons.  Vegas won at home last night, but they are just a .500 team on the road this season (18-18).  Even worse for Vegas:  this will be the sixth time this season that it had to go on the road as an underdog after playing the previous day.  And Vegas has gone 0-5 in the five previous games, while being outscored in those games, 22-8.  Finally, the fact that the Sharks have allowed four goals in each of their last two games (vs. the Panthers and Predators) has triggered a team situation which is 75%, as the Sharks are 18-6 (+12 games on the money line) after allowing four or more goals in two straight.  Take San Jose.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the New Jersey Devils.  The Devils' six-game road trip comes to an end this afternoon in Denver.  The good news for them is that after today, six of their final nine games are at home.  New Jersey's road record this season is atrocious at 10-27 -- the second-worst in the league.  And Colorado has not been friendly to them as the Devils are 1-6 in the last seven meetings here and 4-11 in the last 15 meetings altogether.  Already eliminated from playoff contention, it's been a lost season for New Jersey, with injuries to the roster almost too numerous to mention heading into the final weeks.  The Avs almost certainly will be staying home in mid-April as well, despite some of the most talented offensive players in the league.  A recent upper body injury to All Star winger Gabriel Landeskog has doomed them, but the Avs still have enough fire power to handle the Devils.  Colorado won the the only other meeting this season on October 18 and the Devils are 5-18 in the last 23 (-13 games on the money line) revenging a same season loss vs. an opponent.  Take the Avs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Any hope that the Bruins had of catching the Atlantic Division-leading Lightning just went out the window with a three game losing streak.  Boston is now 19 points behind Tampa and hoping to hold on to second place with the Toronto Maple Leafs hot on the trail.  The good news for tonight is that the Bruins are back home after losing those three on the road, as Boston is 27-7-3 at the TD Garden this season.  The bad news is that after tonight, seven of the Bruins last 10 games are on the road.  This is a revenge situation, as one of those three losses was in Columbus on Tuesday when the Jackets blitzed the Bruins, 7-4.  Boston is 6-3 in its last nine games when revenging a blowout loss by an opponent of three or more goals.  This has also been a very host-friendly series lately as the home team is 5-1 in the last six meetings of these two.  Boston is also 21-10 (+ 8 games on the money line) in its last 31 after playing three consecutive road contests.  Take the Bruins.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie. 

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Dallas Stars.  If the Golden Knights are going to make it back to the Stanley Cup Finals, they're going to have to get over two big hurdles -- the Flames and Sharks.  Calgary and San Jose are both double-digit points ahead of the Knights as of this writing.  The Flames just showed how dominant they can be, when they beat the Knights, 6-3, last Sunday to snap the Knights' six-game win streak.  The good news for Vegas tonight is that it will have had four days of rest coming in and it is 11-5 in its last 16 when playing on three or more days off.  The Stars have won their last two -- both on the road -- against the the Sabres and Wild, but they've struggled against Vegas, losing four of the five games that have been played between the two, including the last three.  The Knights are also 25-15 (+ 10 games on the money line) immediately following a road loss.  Take Vegas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Chicago Blackhawks.  Considering they went 9-23 in their first 32 games of the season, the fact that the Blackhawks are now 30-30-9 doesn't seem so bad.  In fact the Hawks are on a three-game win streak heading into this match-up in Toronto tonight.  But those three victories have come against the Sabres (in OT), Stars, and Coyotes -- three teams with a combined record of 101-107.  The Leafs set a franchise record with 105 points last season, and with 13 games to go in the regular season, they only need to go 8-5 in order to match that number.  The difference is that they finished first in the Division in 2018, but will do no better than second -- and might even finish in third -- thanks to a very tough couple of teams in the Bruins and Lightning.  And speaking of Tampa, the Bolts just had their way with Toronto, beating the Leafs 6-2 in their last game on Monday.  That defeat bodes well for the Leafs tonight as they are 18-3 (+14 games on the money line) in their last 21 coming off of a loss to a Division rival by two or more goals.  Take Toronto.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the San Jose Sharks.  The two division leaders in the West face off tonight in a crucial game with only three weeks to go in the regular season.  Winnipeg will likely be happy to get back to inter-conference play after an eastern road trip that saw them go 2-2.  They lost the last game of that trip on Sunday, 3-1, but there's no shame in losing a close game in DC to the defending Champion Capitals right now.  The Sharks, meanwhile, are on a five game win streak, but three of those five have come against the Avs, Blackhawks, and Wild -- all teams with losing records.  And four of the five were played in San Jose where the Sharks have an incredible 25-5-5 record compared to one that is barely over .500 on the road (19-14-3).  That's a similar situation to the Jets, who have been dominant here at Bell MTS Place (22-8-4).  The Jets have taken three of the last four meetings with the Sharks, with their lone loss coming in OT (3-2) in the last one on February 5.  The Jets are also 45-29 (+13 games on the money line) in their last 74 games revenging a same-season loss.  Take Winnipeg.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the NY Rangers.  We played against Edmonton here, at home, on Saturday, and got the $$$ when Toronto came into Rogers Place, and defeated the Oilers, 3-2.  But we'll switch gears and take Edmonton tonight, as it will be facing a Rangers team which has lost six of its last seven games (and 21 of its last 31).  Even worse for New York:  it lost, 2-1, earlier this season at Madison Square Garden to Edmonton.  And it's a poor 30-48, -17 games on the money line, when playing with revenge from an earlier loss in the season.  The Oilers are just 7 points away from the Playoff Picture at the moment so, with 14 games to go, there's still an opportunity in front of them, if they can string some wins together.  Take the Oilers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over Vegas.  The Golden Knights had to play last night.  And, although they won, 6-2, at Vancouver, they'll be hard-pressed to duplicate that feat tonight.  Indeed, this will be the fifth time this season that Vegas has had to go on the road as an underdog after playing the previous day.  And Vegas went 0-4 in the four previous games, while being outscored in those games, 16-5.  In contrast, Calgary will be playing tonight's game after having the two previous days off.  Take the Flames to blow out Vegas.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Edmonton Oilers.  The Oilers' current winning streak is tied for their longest of the season at four games.  But three of those four were against the likes of the Sabres, Senators, and Canucks, three losing teams with a combined record of 81-122.  So they take a big step up in class tonight against a Maple Leafs team that is 41-21-5 and also a team that just pounded the Oilers on February 27, 6-2 in Toronto.  It doesn't appear that the Oilers will have much -- if any -- of a home ice advantage tonight.  The Oilers are just 15-17 at Rogers Place.  But more important is the fact that the Leafs are sporting one of the best road records in the league at 20-9-4.  And even more dominant is Toronto's 11-3 record in its last 14 games as a heavy road favorite and the fact that the Oilers are 1-6 in their last seven games as a home underdog.  Finally, the Leafs are 32-17 (+10 games on the money line) in their last 49 games when playing on two days of rest, including 8-1 their last nine on the road.  Take Toronto.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Anaheim Ducks.  The Blues lost their last game -- an embarrassing 4-1 defeat to the Stars at home -- but they are still just five points behind the Division-leading Predators.  Now is the time for them to step it up if they are to capture their first division crown in five years.  A trip into Anaheim to play the 25-41 Ducks could certainly help.  For one thing, the road team has captured the last five meetings in this series, dating back to November of 2017.  For another, the Blues are a bit of an oddity in that they have a better record on the road than they do at home (albeit slightly).  And Anaheim's 12 wins here at the Honda Center is tied for the fewest number of home victories in the league so far this season.  If the last meeting is any indication, this could be a blowout as on January 23, the Blues came in here and trounced the Ducks, 5-1, limiting them to an absurd 13 shots on goal the entire game.  The Blues are also 22-6 in their last 28 games as a road favorite priced from -151 to -200.  Take St. Louis.  NHL Game of the Week. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Philadelphia Flyers.  The Isles played one of their biggest games of the season on Friday when they faced the Capitals at home and for two periods, they were beating the Defending Cup Champions.  Nobody knows the Caps better than Isles coach Barry Trotz, but he and his team couldn't hold that lead in the third period and the Caps got out of New York with a hard-fought 3-1 victory.  The Isles will be happy to see the Flyers, with their losing record, on Sunday.  Philly has a goalie problem right now as it must rely on either Brian Elliott or Cam Talbot with both #1 Michal Neuvirth and red-hot rookie Carter Hart sidelined with injuries.  Speaking of hot goalies, veteran journeyman Robin Lehner has resurrected his career with the Islanders and is having his best season ever, with a league-leading 2.07 GAA and .931 saves pct. in 34 starts.  With Thomas Greiss going against the Caps on Friday, Lehner should be back in goal today.  The Isles are a solid 23-13 (+14 games on the money line) in their last 36 off of a loss to a division foe, while Philly's an awful 4-16 its last 20 after scoring more than four goals in its previous game.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Dallas Stars.  The Blues were the hottest team in the League in February, winning 11 games in a row at one point -- starting on January 23 and continuing through February 17.  Since then, the Blues have been treading water a bit, going 2-3 in their last five.  Last night they lost to a very good (and also red-hot) Hurricanes team in Raleigh and tonight they will be attempting to avenge one of those other losses.  On February 21, St. Louis went into Dallas and lost to the Stars badly, 5-2.  The Blues are 14-9 (+5 games on the money line) in their last 23 when playing with revenge from a blowout loss by more than 2 goals.  The Stars have been alternating wins and losses over their last six games, with their latest being a 4-3 OT victory over the Kings in Los Angeles on Thursday.  Their biggest problem right now is the myriad of injuries they've sustained, with the two biggest names being LW Jamie Benn (upper body) and RW Mats Zuccarello (arm).  Dallas is 28-41 (-23 games on the money line) in its last 69 after scoring 4+ goals in its previous game.  Take the Blues.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the Colorado Avalanche.  The Sharks return home from a tough four-game road trip that included games in Pittsburgh, Columbus, and Boston (they got a bit of a break in the fourth one which was in Detroit).  They're still chasing the Flames for the top spot in the Pacific, but can feel pretty good about the playoffs at this point, sitting a healthy 11 points ahead of third-place Vegas.  They should be pleased to see that this opening game of their 4-game home stand is against the Avalanche, a team they've dominated here.  Colorado is just 4-22 in its last 26 visits to Silicon Valley, a trend which the Sharks hope will continue tonight.  Few teams in the league have been as tough at home this season as the Sharks, who are 19-5-5 in 29 games at SAP Center.  The Avs squeaked out a 3-2 SO win at home over the Canucks in their last game, but only managed two goals in regulation on 45 shots.  We'll take the home team, as the Sharks are a solid 24-9 (+14 games on the money line) in their last 33 after a blowout loss by three goals or more in their previous game.   And they're 20-5 at home after giving up more than 2 goals in each of their two previous games.  Take San Jose.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Philadelphia Flyers.  After back-to-back shutouts over the Senators and Sharks, the Jackets ran up against the Penguins on Tuesday and were soundly beaten, 5-2.  The NHL trade deadline just passed and no team was as active as the Blue Jackets.  Columbus added Ryan Duchene and Ryan Dzingel from Ottawa in separate deals, then added Adam McQuaid from the Rangers and Keith Kinkaid from the Devils.  The Jackets also elected to hold onto winger Artemi Panarin and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, two organizational pillars that were discussed as potential trade pieces due to their expiring contracts.  The Jackets have been in the league for 20 years without a single playoff series victory, so their aggressive deadline deals seem to signal that they believe this is their best chance to win a Cup.  What better way to debut their new lineup than to play a Flyers team that they have dominated lately as the Jackets are 4-0 in the last four meetings, and 12-1 their last 13 meetings here, at home.  Columbus is also 12-5 in its last 17 after a loss by two or more goals in its previous game.  Take the Jackets.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Vancouver Canucks.  The Canucks somehow snapped a three-game losing streak in their last game despite several injuries which have left them depleted -- especially on the blue line.  The fact that their last game was against the woeful Ducks no doubt helped immensely as the Canucks notched their first shutout of the season, 4-0, while registering only 29 shots.  They will likely need to do much better than that tonight with their top two defensemen -- Chris Tanev and Alexander Edler -- on the shelf.  The firepower of the Avs' offense has been on display lately with 20 goals scored in the last four games and it will likely be able to exploit the losses on Vancouver's back line tonight at home.  The Avs lost a tough one in their last, 4-3, in OT to Florida.  But prior to that, they had beaten the Jets, Blackhawks, and Predators by a combined score of 17-4.  They are also avenging an embarrassing loss to Vancouver, 5-1, here on February 2.  Vancouver is 8-21 (-14 games on the money line) in their last 29 off a home win in which it scored four or more goals.  Take the Avalanche.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Dallas Stars.  Like their 2018 Finals counterparts in the East (the Capitals), the Golden Knights are going to have to find some consistency if they are to have a chance to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals in three months.  Vegas is barely over .500 right now (32-31) and currently sits in the third playoff spot in the Division, just two points from falling into the Wild Card.  The team that is immediately behind the Knights is tonight's opponent, the Dallas Stars.  In its short history, this series has been dominated by the Knights, as they have taken three of four meetings, including the most recent one here on the Strip, last December, by a score of 4-2.  They've lost three straight coming into tonight's game, despite out-shooting their opponents in all three of those.  So, the Knights will look for the kind of performance they had here on February 16 when they fired 50 shots on goal, and crushed the Predators, 5-1.  The Stars did beat the Blackhawks in their previous game, 4-3, but they are just 2-8 (-9 games on the money line) in their last 10 coming off of a one-goal win over a division rival.  And they're 5-14 on the road after scoring more than 3 goals in their previous game.  Finally, this will be Dallas' 3rd game in four nights.  And it's an awful 8-23 on the road in that scheduling situation.  Take Vegas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Nashville Predators over the Edmonton Oilers.  Amazingly, the Oilers have only had one winning season in over 30 years.  And by the looks of things, this season will not be their second.  The team that was once so dominant -- winning five Stanley Cups in a seven-year span in the 80's -- is just 26-35 and in sixth place in the Pacific Division.  But they did something almost as rare as having a winning season in their last match-up with the Predators four months ago.  They won.  And it was the first victory for Edmonton over Nashville in 14 meetings going back to October of 2014.  The Oilers also won their last game, 2-1 over the Ducks despite being out-shot by a 34-21 margin.  The Preds do very well in these situations as they are 53-27 (+18 games on the money line) in their last 80 when revenging a same season loss vs. an opponent.  They are also 31-15 (+9 games on the money line) in their last 46 coming off of a home loss.  Take Nashville.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 12:35 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over the New York Rangers.  The Caps return home from a six-game road trip that was moderately successful.  They had a chance to go 4-2 on the trip, but fell to the Sabres yesterday in Buffalo, 5-2.  The very inconsistent Braden Holtby continued in that vein as the Stanley Cup-winning goalie allowed four goals on 41 shots yesterday in the loss.  With the quick turnaround today, look for back-up Pheonix Copley to mind the net for the home team.  Copley has had arguably a better season than the more experienced Holtby, with a 13-5-3 record in 22 games (19 starts), a 2.97 GAA and a .904 saves percentage.  Copley has also won his last three starts -- two against the Kings and one against the Avalanche.  And he beat the Rangers in his only other career start against them which was this season back on November 24, 5-3, in New York.  The Rangers went with back-up Alexandar Georgiev in net yesterday in their win against the Devils, so Henrik Lundqvist should be starting today.  Unfortunately for the Rangers, they're 0-4 in the last four trips to DC.  Take the Capitals.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over Montreal.  The Maple Leafs are on their longest losing streak of the season, as they fell for the 3rd straight game this past Thursday in a 3-2 loss to Washington.  The good news for tonight's game is that Toronto is 8-1 at home its last nine when it was on a 3-game (or worse) losing streak.  The Leafs will also be happy to see their Canadian rivals tonight, as the Leafs have won six straight in this series.  And that's not much of a surprise given how poor the Canadiens have played lately with double-revenge (16-41).  Montreal's lost its last three road games by a combined score of 12-4, and I expect another blowout this evening.  Take the Maple Leafs.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the New Jersey Devils.  With their 4-0 victory on Thursday, the Devils have now won three of their last four games.  But those three wins have come against the Senators, Wild, and Sabres -- three losing teams with a combined record of 78-103.  Now they head to New York for a Saturday Matinee in a place that has not been kind them recently.  New Jersey is 1-4 in the last five visits to Madison Square Garden and the home team is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings of these two.  Meanwhile, the Rangers have been treading water lately, having alternated wins and losses over their last eight games, with their last effort being a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Wild.  Already thin on the left side with the injury to Taylor Hall, the Devils had LW Miles Wood return recently, only to have him go back on the shelf after an injury on Thursday night against the Senators.  The Devils are 3-10 (-10 games on the money line) in their last 13 coming off of a blowout win by three goals or more.  And the Rangers are 35-21 (+19 games on the money line) in their last 56 off of a home loss.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vancouver Canucks over the Arizona Coyotes.  The Canucks haven't played since last Saturday when they dropped a close 3-2 decision in San Jose, despite out-shooting the Sharks by a 34-26 margin. The Coyotes, on the other hand, have played two games since Saturday and will be playing their third in four days when they come into Rogers Arena tonight.  Once thought to be the doormat of the West, the Coyotes have won four of their last six games, with the two losses coming against the Flames and Blues, two of the best teams in the West right now.  But this is still a team with enough injuries to field an entire starting lineup and then some.  This is a revenge situation for the Canucks, who lost here to this same decimated Arizona team on January 10 by a score of 4-3 in OT despite out-shooting the Coyotes by a wide margin (36-22).   The Coyotes beat the Oilers in Edmonton in their last game, however they are just 2-16 in their last 18 games coming off a road win against a division rival.  Take the Canucks.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over Florida.  The Hurricanes come into this game off a 3-game home stand in which they went 2-1.  Prior to that, the Hurricanes played five straight road games, and they went 4-1 in those five.  Overall, Carolina's now won nine of its last 13 road games.  Even better:  the Panthers are an awful 26-46 off back to back wins by 2+ goals.  Take Carolina.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over Washington.  The Maple Leafs dropped their last two games to Arizona and St. Louis.  But off those 2 losses, we'll step in and take them, as they're a perfect 8-0 this season off back to back defeats.  And they're also 43-25 at home when the total is 6 goals or more.  Take the Maple Leafs.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over Boston.  The Knights were shut out, 3-0, at Colorado, on Monday.  But I love them to rebound tonight, as they're 21-6 after not scoring 2+ goals in their previous game, while Boston is a relatively poor 10-17 (minus 12 games on the money line) on the road after scoring 3+ goals in back to back games.  Take Vegas.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Colorado Avalanche.  The Avs notched their first home shutout of the season on Monday, blanking the Golden Knights at Pepsi Center, 3-0.  But home has not been kind to the team from Denver this season as the Avs are just 11-17 here so far.  Couple that with the fact that one of the best road teams in the West is coming in tonight, and things don't get any easier for the home team.  The Jets were starting to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the teams in the Central Division but now they've lost two straight coming into this match-up, including a 4-1 loss to this Colorado team six days ago.  But it's a match-up that's been good to the Jets lately as they have still taken four of the last five meetings.  With a 36-19-4 record (76 points), the Jets are in a great position to win their first Division Title in over 10 years -- and first since they moved to Winnipeg from Atlanta.  That home shutout against Vegas may look good on paper, but it might not bode well for tonight as the Avs are 2-8 in their last 10 immediately following a victory.  Meanwhile, Winnipeg is 40-19 when playing with revenge.  Take the Jets.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Detroit Red Wings over Chicago.  We played on the Blackhawks in their last game, and were rewarded with an 8-7 win over Ottawa.  But we will play against Chicago on the road tonight, as it's won just 2 of 14 road games after allowing more than 3 goals.  Take the Red Wings.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the Anaheim Ducks.  The Wild got blanked in their last game by the red-hot St. Blues (who have now won 10 straight).  They will go "down in class" tonight, and face a Ducks team mired in a horrible season.  The Ducks have suffered recent injuries to all three of their goaltenders -- Josh Gibson, Ryan Miller, and Chad Johnson.  Miller has recovered from his knee injury and appears to be the only veteran goalie who is available at this point so he will likely get the start tonight over rookie Kevin Boyle.  Anaheim is just 11-19 on the road this season, with 18 of those 19 losses coming in regulation.  And it's 2-12 its last 14 away from home.  Additionally, this is a revenge situation for the Wild as they were blanked here at Xcel Energy Center by the Ducks back on January 17, 3-0.  And that defeat was despite the fact that the Wild out-shot the Ducks by a whopping 37-23 in that game.  Finally, the fact that the Wild were blown out by the hottest team in the league on Sunday may not be a bad thing for tonight, given that Minny is 23-7 (+ 15 games on the money line) in its last 30 immediately following a blowout loss by three or more goals.  Take the Wild.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over St Louis.  The Leafs were shut out, 2-0, by Arizona in their last game.  But we will jump on Toronto off that defeat, as they are 9-1 on the road vs. Western Conference foes this season.  And they are also playing this game with revenge from a 3-goal loss, at home, to St Louis earlier this season.  That bodes well for Toronto, as it is 27-11 its last 38 when playing with revenge from a same-season defeat.  Finally, St Louis comes into this game off a blowout win over Minnesota, but it is a soft 7-16 at home off a win by 3+ goals.  Take the Leafs.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Blackhawks over the Ottawa Senators.  The Blackhawks are one of the most improved teams in the league when you look at what they did the first two months and what they've done since.  Through December 11, the Hawks went 9-18-5 and looked like they might be headed for a last-place Conference finish.  But since that time, Chicago has gone 15-8-4 and is now within striking distance of a Wild Card spot in the West with plenty of hockey left to play.  The Hawks have lost two of their last three, but those came against the Blue Jackets and Bruins -- two of the better teams from the East.  Nobody would accuse the Senators of being one of those, as they have stumbled their way to the worst record in the NHL.  Unlike the Hawks, the Sens have been consistently bad pretty much the entire way.  And with plenty of injuries on their already challenged roster, it doesn't look like that will change.  Ottawa has been giving up goals in bunches and is 22-45 (-17 games on the money line) in its last 67 after allowing three or more goals in three straight games.  Take Chicago.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:05 pm, our selection is on the Buffalo Sabres over New Jersey.  The Sabres are currently on the outside, looking in at the Playoff standings, and need to get on a roll, if they are to make the post-season.  After Friday's 6-2 home loss to the Rangers, their coach, Phil Housley, called his team "soft."  That will surely serve to motivate his troops this evening.  And, for additional support, consider that Buffalo is 6-0 this season after losing by more than 3 goals.

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the St. Louis Blues.  The hottest team in the NHL?  Very quietly it's the St. Louis Blues, who have now won nine in a row, including two straight shutouts after their 3-0 blanking of the Avs on Saturday.  Even more impressive is the fact that the Blues have won seven of those nine straight on the road (including Saturday's win in Denver).  But stretching their win streak to 10 in a row will prove difficult, as St. Louis now faces a team which has given it fits in recent seasons.  The Wild have won each of the last five regular season meetings with the Blues going back to December of 2017, and they've out-scored them, 24-9, in those five victories.  Minnesota is also 11-5 in its last 16 home games vs. teams with a winning road record, and 30-15 off back to back losses.  Finally, there's been a pretty big difference in the Blues' scoring ability at home (3.28 goals per game) and on the road (2.67 goals per game) this season.  Take Minnesota.

At 12:35 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the NY Rangers.  The Pens lost a tough, 5-4, decision yesterday to Calgary.  But I love the Pens to rebound at home this afternoon, as they're 63-35 (+12 games on the money line) after allowing more than 4 goals.  Take the Penguins.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Nashville Predators.  After a 6-3 drubbing at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Knights have now lost three straight -- all at home.  If they fall to the Predators tonight it would be their second four-game losing streak in their last 10 games.  But two of the games in that last streak were on the road.  And, in fact, Vegas has never had a four-game home losing streak since they came into the league at the beginning of last season.  Another reason to like the home team tonight is because this is a revenge situation.  The Preds just beat the Knights right here in Las Vegas less than a month ago, 2-1, on January 23.  And Vegas is 16-3 (+14 games on the money line) when playing with revenge from a home defeat.  Finally, the Knights are also 23-6 in their last 29 home games vs. teams with a winning road record (the Preds are 15-14 away from Nashville this season).  Take Vegas.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over Vancouver.  The Canucks edged Los Angeles, 4-3, in overtime on Thursday night.  But the Canucks have won just once in 13 games off an overtime win.  Meanwhile, San Jose was blasted 5-1 here, at home, by the Washington Capitals on Thursday.  However, they're 38-14 off a home loss by more than two goals.  Take San Jose.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Columbus Blue Jackets over Chicago. The Blue Jackets lost at home, 4-1, to these Blackhawks in the first meeting between the teams this season.  The good news for Columbus is that it's 8-2 when playing with revenge from a home loss.  It's also 36-20 off a loss by 2+ goals in its previous game.  With the Jackets in off a 3-0 shutout loss to the Islanders, we'll back the road team in this game, tonight.  Take Columbus.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Toronto Maple Leafs.  The Knights were big favorites on Tuesday at home, but were stunned by the Arizona Coyotes, 5-2.  This despite the fact that they out-shot their visiting rivals by a whopping 43-26.  It was the Knights' fourth-straight home loss -- all as a prohibitive favorite -- and their task here at T-Mobile Arena doesn't get any easier with the Maple Leafs coming to town.  This will be Toronto's first visit to Las Vegas since New Years Eve 2017, a game which the home team won easily, 6-3.  In fact the home team is undefeated in this series, although it's a pretty small sample size (three games).  The Knights tend to come back with guns blazing after an embarrassing defeat like the one they just experienced.  In their last 16 games after allowing five goals or more, the Knights are 11-5 (and they are 43-18 in their last 61 after scoring two or less).  Despite his recent struggles, Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury still leads the league with 29 victories and six shutouts.  Take the Golden Knights.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Arizona Coyotes.  The Coyotes won for the first time in six games (their first win of the month) on Saturday, 3-2.  Their reward for beating a Dallas Stars team at home on that occasion is to go into one of the toughest arenas in the league to face the defending Stanley Cup Finalists from the West.  The Knights played a lackluster game here on the Strip on Saturday, falling to the Blue Jackets 4-3 in just their seventh home defeat in regulation this season.  No doubt the team was tired after returning from a grueling four-game eastern road trip, so the two days of home rest that they have enjoyed will likely come in handy tonight.  The Knights have lost to the Coyotes only once in their franchise history -- a 3-2 defeat last March -- but avenged that defeat with 2 wins this season, including a 5-1 blowout in the last meeting.  Vegas is 7-1 in its last eight games playing on two days of rest, while Arizona is 12-42 when it lost its previous meeting to its opponent by more than 2 goals.  Take the Golden Knights.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Ottawa Senators.  Hard to believe, but tonight's game in Ottawa is actually a revenge match-up for the visiting Hurricanes.  The Sens put a pretty good beating on the 'Canes in Raleigh back on January 18, 4-1.  It's also a bit hard to believe that the Senators are riding their third two-game win streak since the start of the new year.  28-year-old journeyman goalie Anders Nilsson has all of a sudden turned into Patrick Roy as he has put up some ridiculous numbers as the back-up to Craig Anderson since joining the Senators.  Given Nilsson's career numbers prior to coming to Ottawa (a 39-54-13 record with a goals-against above 3.00), he will almost certainly come back down to earth, especially considering the number of shots he's been facing lately.  This is the final game of a successful 5-game road trip for the 'Canes as they've gone 3-1 so far including dominant, shut-out victories in Pittsburgh and New York City.  The Senators are 4-11 (minus 8 games on the money line) in their last 15 games following two or more consecutive home victories.  Take the Hurricanes.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Philadelphia Flyers.  The Penguins are riding a four-game losing streak coming into tonight, including Sunshine State losses at Florida (3-2) and Tampa Bay (5-4) their last two times on the ice.  Superstar Center Evgeni Malkin has missed the last five games due to an upper body injury.  Malkin could be activated in time for tonight's game in Philadelphia and no doubt the rest of the team is hoping that he will be recovered and can join them.  But even if Malkin isn't ready tonight, there are some solid reasons to like the Pens in this match-up.  Most obvious is the fact that Wells Fargo Center has been very kind to them recently as the Pens are 5-0 in their last five trips here.  Second -- and just as obvious -- is the fact that the road team has dominated this series lately, taking each of the last six meetings.  Finally, the Flyers are still without their top two goalies.  And even though Carter Hart has been fantastic filling in, the rookie's workload has to be of some concern, especially when he has to face a team like the Pens.  Pittsburgh is 10-1 (+8 games on the money line) in its last 11 coming off back-to-back road losses, and 62-35 after allowing more than 3 goals.  Take the Pens.  NHL Elite Info Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over Buffalo.  These two teams met in Winnipeg earlier this season, and the Sabres handed the Jets a rare loss on their home ice, by a 2-1 score, in a game which needed seven rounds of a shootout to determine the winner.  The Jets are an outstanding 30-12 when playing with revenge from a loss earlier in the season.  And they're also 16-6 off a road defeat by more than 2 goals.  Take the Jets.  NHL Payback Payday!  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. 

At 12:35 pm, our selection is on the Nashville Predators over St. Louis.  These two teams met in the Gateway City yesterday, and the Blues won, 3-2, to earn at least a point in 11 of their last 12 games.  We'll take Nashville in the rematch this afternoon, as the Predators have won six of the last eight in this series, overall, and have also won the last nine in Nashville (by an aggregate score of 34-11).  The Preds are also 53-25 when playing with revenge.  Take Nashville. NHL High Roller. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Ottawa Senators.  While most of the NHL headlines these days might involve the Lightning, Flames, Capitals, Golden Knights, or Penguins, the Winnipeg Jets are very quietly putting together one of the best seasons in the league.  Winnipeg has climbed its way atop the Central Division ahead of Nashville while currently posting the third-best overall record.  And you need to look no further than the goal crease to find the biggest reason for the Jets' recent success.  The goaltending tandem of Connor Hellebuyck and Laurent Brossoit has been ultra-tough of late.  Little-known Brossoit doesn't have enough games to qualify for the goalie leaders.  But if he did, he would be right up at the top with a 2.09 GAA and .940 saves pct in 13 games.  On the other end of the spectrum are the Senators.  Ottawa's 45 points in 54 games ranks it as the worst team in the league.  The Sens beat a bad Ducks team on Thursday despite being out-shot 45-35.  The Jets are 15-4 (+10 games on the money line) in their last 19 games immediately following a loss.  Take Winnipeg.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Los Angeles Kings.  With his 1-0 shutout over the Capitals on February 3, Tuukka Rask became the winningest goaltender in Bruins franchise history.  And at only 31-years-old, Rask potentially still has plenty of years left to add to his legacy in Boston.  With a 2.30 GAA and .924 saves pct in his 29 games (28 starts), Rask is having arguably his best season since he won the Vezina Trophy in 2013-2014.  After back-to-back victories over two very good teams (the Caps and Isles), Rask took a night off on Wednesday and the Bruins paid for it, dropping a 4-3 SO decision to the Rangers in New York.  He will be back in net today at home to face the 23-31 Kings.  Los Angeles ended the Flyers win streak in its last game, beating them in Philadelphia on Thursday, 3-2 -- the Kings' third win in a row on this current east coast road swing.  Unfortunately for L.A., the Bruins are 6-1 in their last seven games coming off of a close road loss by one goal while the Kings are 7-15 in their last 22 coming off of a win.  Take Boston.  NHL HIGH ROLLER WINNER.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie. 

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over Montreal.  The Jets had their 3-game win streak snapped on Tuesday, when they lost, 3-2, to San Jose.  Meanwhile, Montreal won its second straight game with a 4-1 blowout of Anaheim two days ago.  I love Winnipeg to bounce back on this Thursday night, as it's 9-0 off a home loss by a goal, while Montreal is an awful 0-5 at home after not allowing 2 or more goals in its previous game.  Take the Jets.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the St. Louis Blues.  These two teams met six times between March of 2004 and December 1 2006, with the Blues taking all six of those meetings.  Since that last victory more than two years ago however, they've only met three times with the Bolts going 3-0.  They didn't play each other in calendar year 2018 and this will be their first meeting of this season.  The Blues have enjoyed winning seasons every year since 2010, but with just 24 wins in 51 games, they are in danger of posting a losing campaign.  Rookie goalie Jordan Binnington has started six straight games, but with the youngster having gotten the call in Tuesday night's win, the Blues will probably have to turn to veteran Jake Allen tonight.  Allen has struggled mightily this season (15-19; 3.04 GAA) and that could be a big problem against the high-powered Bolts offense.  Tampa is 12-1 in its last 13 immediately following a loss, and 46-17 at home when the total is 6 goals or more.    Take the Lightning.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over Chicago.  The Blackhawks have won four straight games.  But they've been out-shot in those four wins, 149-129.  And the Blackhawks have out-shot their opponent just once in their last 11 games, and have been out-shot, in the aggregate, by 8.3 shots per game (420-329).  This season, Chicago's won just 10 of its 27 road games, and was shutout here in the last meeting, 4-0, on November 1st.  The Oilers also won the other meeting this season -- in Chicago -- by a 2-1 score.  The Blackhawks are an awful 27-50 when playing with revenge, including 4-16 (minus 10 games on the money line) their last 20 when playing with double revenge.  And they're 6-18 off a road win.  Meanwhile, the favorite in this series is 13-5 in the last 18 meetings.  Take the Oilers.  NHL Game of the Month.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Carolina Hurricanes.  Bill Peters coached the Hurricanes for the last four seasons without much success during that time.  Now, in his first season as skipper of the Flames, Peters is poised to have a breakthrough season.  The Flames looked a lot like the 'Canes last season, posting just 37 wins with Glen Gulutzan behind the bench for the second straight season.  But now that Peters is in charge, Calgary is poised to win its first Division Title since the 2005-2006 season.  The Flames have a commanding six point lead over the second place Sharks in the Pacific Division, although they come into this game having lost their last one on Friday night, 4-3, to the Caps.  This will be the second meeting of the season for these two, as the Flames beat the 'Canes at home on January 22, 3-2 in OT.  That loss to the Caps may bode well for the Flames tonight as they are 13-2 (+11 games on the money line) in their last 15 after allowing four or more goals in their previous game.  Meanwhile, the Canes are 2-7 in their last nine vs. teams with a winning percentage above .600.  Take Calgary.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the Chicago Blackhawks.  For the second time this season, the Blackhawks are on a three game winning streak after exploding for seven goals on just 30 shots against the Sabres on Friday night.  They've yet to win four in a row this season and in fact you have to go back to December of 2017 to find the last time the 'Hawks strung together more than three consecutive victories.  The Blackhawks have beaten the Wild in the last two meetings, the last of which was at the end of December in Chicago when they pounded them, 5-2.  But the Wild are 28-11 (+15 games on the money line) in their last 39 games when avenging a road loss by a margin of two or more goals.  This has also been a very home-friendly series lately as the host has won each of the last four meetings.  Even worse for Chicago:  this will be the first time the Blackhawks have played on back-to-back days since January 6 and 7.  And they are 6-20 in their last 26 games playing without rest.  Take Minnesota.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Buffalo Sabres over the Chicago Blackhawks.  At 25-19-6, the Sabres are treading water overall, but they have a very solid record here at KeyBank Center, going 14-6-3.  It's true that the Blackhawks are riding a two-game win streak for the fifth time this season, with wins over two of the Metropolitan Division's best in the Capitals and Islanders.  But only once this season were they able to stretch a 2-game win streak to three games.  And Chicago's latest two wins have both come at home.  To say the Hawks have struggled on the road this season would be an understatement.  Chicago's 8-17 record away from United Center is the worst road ledger in the Western Conference, and those eight wins are tied for third fewest in the NHL.  And Chicago's road record gets even worse when they play winning teams.  The Hawks are 6-21 in their last 27 road games vs. teams with a home winning % of greater than .600.  And they're also 6-16 (-12 games on the money line) in their last 22 when playing with three or more days of rest.  Take the Sabres.  Always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Philadelphia Flyers.  The Bruins went into the break having lost three of their last four games.  The good news is that they came out of the break seemingly firing on all cylinders.  They out-hit, out-shot, and out-played a good Winnipeg Jets team here at home on Tuesday.  The only problem is -- they still lost in a shoot-out, 4-3.  They're still only one point behind the Maple Leafs for second place in the division, so there's plenty of time to turn around their latest funk.  They need to start with tonight's match-up against a Flyers team that they've dominated in recent years (22-8 in the last 30 meetings).  And here at home, it's been even more lopsided with Boston taking 12 of the last 14 meetings.  But they can't take the red-hot Flyers for granted.  Philly has now won five straight despite being out-shot in all five victories, and despite a rash of injuries to key players, including their top two goal-tenders.  Even worse for Philly:  it's just 3-11 (-11 games on the money line) in its last 14 after scoring one goal or less in its previous game.   And it's 39-63 after not allowing 2 or more goals in each of its two previous games.  Take Boston.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Philadelphia Flyers.  For teams that head into All Star weekend bumbling and stumbling (the Capitals come to mind) the long break couldn't come at a better time.  For those who are finally hitting their stride, they probably wish they could just keep playing and skip the festivities.  The Flyers fall into the latter category.  Philly has won its last three games with an offensive out-burst that resulted in a total of 16 goals.  All Star Claude Giroux made his presence felt over the weekend in San Jose but the Flyers now hope he can do that for them.  After leading the league in assists last season (68), Giroux isn't even in the top 10 right now and he only has 14 goals in 48 games so far.  Like the Flyers, the Jets were on a roll as well having won four in a row between January 11 and 17.  But then right before the break, they threw in a clunker against the Stars.  It was their third game in five days so the time off will probably do them some good.  Despite their recent success, the Flyers are 0-5 in their last five home games vs. teams with a winning road record.  Take the Jets.  NHL High Roller Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Minnesota Wild.  Despite only 22 wins in their 48 games, the Avalanche still find themselves tied for third place in the Central Division thanks to eight over-time losses.  It also doesn't hurt them that the Central is one of the weakest groups in the league.  But if Colorado is going to be a serious contender come April, it's going to have to play like it was in the beginning of the season.  After crushing the Kings, 7-1, here at home on Saturday, the Avs were soundly beaten by the Predators, 4-1, in their next game (also here) despite out-shooting Nashville, 36-27 (the fourth straight game they out-shot their opponents).  The Wild come in having put up a .500 overall record so far, and they are riding a two-game winning streak having beaten the Blue Jackets and Golden Knights.  But this match-up hasn't been kind to them lately as the Wild is 1-4 in the last five meetings overall and 1-4 in the last five trips to Denver.  The home team is also 5-1 in the last six meetings.  Take the Avs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Montreal Canadiens over the Arizona Coyotes.  Early in the second half of the season, the Canadiens seemed to be trending in the right direction, winning four straight between January 12 and 18.  And in those victories, the Habs out-scored their opposition by 15-4.  But going from Columbus (their last victory) to their home ice in back-to-back days proved a bit too much as the Canadiens fell to the Flyers by a 5-2 final.  The good news is that was four days ago and the Habs haven't had to travel in the interim so they should be rested and ready to go as the Coyotes visit Bell Centre for the first time in over a year.  It's Arizona's turn to travel for games on back-to-back nights and the Coyotes are coming into this off of an unlikely winning streak, having won in Toronto and Ottawa in their last two.  But a plethora of injuries continues to keep the Coyotes from being competitive.  The Habs are 12-3 (+10 games on the money line) in their last 15 off of a home blowout loss by three or more goals.  Even better:  Arizona is 6-17 in the last 23 meetings and 3-8 in the last 11 in Montreal.  Take the Canadiens.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over Florida.  These two teams have been "mirror opposites" over their last nine games.  The Sharks enter off back to back 6-3 losses to the Coyotes and Lightning.  And this current losing streak has come on the heels of a 7-game win streak.  In contrast, the Panthers have won back to back games, and their win streak followed a 7-game losing streak.  I love San Jose tonight, as it's 16-4 its last 20 (and a perfect 7-0 this season) after giving up more than 3 goals in each of its two previous games.  Meanwhile, the Panthers are an awful 25-45 (minus 30 games on the moneyline) after back to back wins by more than a goal.  Finally, the Sharks have won each of the last three meetings here, in Miami.  Take San Jose tonight.  Good luck, as always....Al McMordie.

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Nashville Predators over Colorado.  The Predators and Avalanche last met just after Thanksgiving, and the Avalanche upset Nashville, 3-2, even though Nashville out-shot the Avs, 38-25.  That loss snapped a then-6-game home win streak for the Predators.  But I love Nashville to avenge that defeat this afternoon, as it is 27-7 when playing with revenge from a loss earlier in the season.  And it's also won the last three meetings here, in Denver, and nine of the last 10.  We actually played on Colorado in its last game, a 7-1 blowout win over Los Angeles.  But the Avalanche are a poor 1-8 after scoring more than five goals in their previous game.  Take Nashville.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over Pittsburgh.  The Pens won in overtime last night, 3-2, at Arizona, while Vegas has had the last three nights off to rest up for this game.  That bodes well for the Knights in this game.  Also in their favor is the fact that they only scored one goal on Tuesday, at Winnipeg.  But Vegas is 19-5 after not scoring 2 or more goals in its previous game.  Take the Knights to blow out Pittsburgh.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over Ottawa.  The Blues are a solid 8-2 this season (and 30-17 the past three seasons) off back to back losses.  And we'll take a rested St. Louis team tonight, as it catches the Senators off a road game last night.  Ottawa is a poor 6-13 after scoring more than 3 goals in its previous game.  Take St. Louis.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over Winnipeg.  The Jets enter tonight's game on a 4-game win streak.  But that's not good news, necessarily, as Winnipeg is an atrocious 0-6 off 4+ wins when playing away from home.  Meanwhile, the Stars are on a streak of their own -- in the opposite direction -- as they've lost their last four games.  But Dallas is 40-16 at home off a defeat, and also 72-53 off 3+ losses.  These two teams met in Winnipeg just 13 days ago, and the Jets came away with a 5-1 victory.  But Dallas is 8-2 this season when playing with revenge from a loss earlier in the year.  Take the Stars tonight. NHL Game of the Week. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Los Angeles Kings.  One of the better teams in the league through the month of November, the Colorado Avalanche have been in a bit of a free-fall since early December. The Avs have gone 4-14 since December 8 and have won just twice in their last 12 games.  But seven of their last 11 have been on the road and now the Avs come home to a place that's almost always been kind to them -- and they have five straight here, starting with this afternoon affair against the Kings.  If they're looking for a way to get back on track -- which they obviously are -- this home date with the Kings would seem to be a perfect formula.  L.A is just 8-15 on the road this season, and the Kings have by far the worst scoring average in the NHL when playing games away from their home ice -- a paltry 1.87 goals per game (vs. 2.62 GPG at home).  The Kings upset the Stars, 2-1 on Thursday, but they are just 2-10 after not giving up 2+ goals in their previous game. Take the Avalanche.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over Arizona.  The Pens come into tonight's game off back to back blowout losses by an identical 5-2 score.  I love Pittsburgh to bounce back tonight, as it's owned the Coyotes, of late, with three blowout wins since last season (outscoring the Coyotes 11-3) and five wins in the last six meetings (outscoring Arizona, 27-7).  Arizona's 11-40 when playing with revenge from a loss by more than 2 goals, while Pittsburgh is 9-1 off back to back road defeats.  Take the Penguins.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over New York.  The Caps have dropped three straight games (coinciding with the injury sustained to Braden Holtby in Saturday's overtime loss to Columbus), but they're an awesome 18-5 (+11 games on the money line) off back to back losses.  And they received some good news when they learned this morning that Braden Holtby will be back in goal.  Take Washington.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Ottawa Senators.  The Hurricanes were on quite a roll, winning seven of eight games between New Years Eve and January 13.  During that stretch, they out-scored their opponents by 31-19 in those seven victories and the lone loss came in Tampa against the team with the best record in the NHL.  Then in their last one, the 'Canes laid an egg, losing to the Rangers in New York badly, 6-2.  But it was their fourth game in six days and they clearly needed a rest and a chance to get back to home ice.  Tonight, the 'Canes are back in Raleigh with two off-days since that disappointing effort in the Big Apple.  Home has been a good place overall for the Hurricanes this season as they've lost in regulation just seven times in 24 games here.  And the road has been a struggle for the Senators, who are just 6-16 away from Ottawa.  Finally, the home team is 28-9 in the last 37 meetings, including a perfect 5-0 the last five in this building.  Take the 'Canes.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Philadelphia Flyers.  The Bruins were rolling along with 5 straight wins around the start of 2019.  However they've now lost two of their last three after that win streak.  But all three of those were against some of the better teams in the East (Washington, Toronto, Montreal), so now they get a bit of a break by taking on the 17-29 Flyers.  No matter what happens to them, the Flyers will likely remember this season as the one where every one of their net-minders got injured.  Despite that run of bad luck in goal the Flyers exploded in their last game, and beat the Wild, 7-4.  It's the most goals they've scored since their fourth game of the season when they beat the Senators in Ottawa by the same tally.  But that's not necessarily a good thing for tonight as Philly is a horrid 3-13 in its last 16 after scoring five goals or more in its previous game.  Also, this series has not been kind to Philadelphia recently as the Bruins are 22-7 in the last 29 meetings.  Take Boston.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie. 

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the Los Angeles Kings.  Last night, the Wild were drilled, 7-4, by the Philadelphia Flyers.  I love them to rebound tonight, however, as the Wild are 28-17 after allowing more than 3 goals.  And they're 20-7 following a loss by more than 2 goals.  The Kings have also had trouble in this series, of late, as they lost both meetings earlier this season (being outscored 7-2).  And, even worse, they've only won one of the last 12 meetings in regulation!  Take Minnesota.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Anaheim Ducks over the Detroit Red Wings.  Double-digit-game losing streaks are never fun for the team that's going through them, and the latest one to attest to that is Anaheim.  The Ducks' dry spell has grown to 11 games heading into tonight.  But there are some positive signs in their last two as the Ducks' offense -- which was basically a no-show throughout the first nine losses -- was able to put up seven total goals (four and three, respectively) over the weekend.  And those two games were against two of the NHL's best in the Penguins and Jets, the latter of which went to overtime in Winnipeg before the home team finally prevailed.  So perhaps Anaheim couldn't have hand-picked a better situation to try to finally put an end to its bleeding.  For one thing, Detroit is just as bad at home (9-16) as it is on the road (8-14).  And this is one team that the Ducks have dominated in recent meetings (and there aren't many of those) taking eight of the last 11, overall, including three of the last four.  The Wings are also 5-13 (-7 games on the money line) revenging a road loss.  Take Anaheim.  Hockey Game of the Month.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over the St. Louis Blues.  The Caps had their winning streak snapped at three straight by the visiting Blue Jackets on Saturday even though they out-played the visitors and out-shot them by 33-22.  The Caps got a scare when Braden Holtby was forced out of the game after Cam Atkinson's stick went under Holtby's mask and caught him in the eye.  Although he didn't return, Holtby appears to have avoided serious injury and may be back in goal tonight.  If not, back-up Pheonix Copley has been very solid and should provide another quality outing at home.  The Blues come into tonight having won back-to-back contests against the Canadiens and Stars, but they're just 1-5 in the last six meetings with Washington.  They are one of the least productive road teams in the league, averaging just 2.31 goals-per-game away from St. Louis.  They did beat the Caps just 10 days ago at home, 5-2.  However, the Caps are 6-1 in their last seven (and 42-19, +18 games on the money line, in their last 61) when playing with revenge from a same-season loss to an opponent.  Take Washington.  NHL High Roller Winner.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 12:35 pm, our selection is on the Nashville Predators over the Carolina Hurricanes.  It's a bit unusual when two teams don't meet in a calendar year, but this will be the first meeting of these two since December 2017.  This is the sixth and final game in the Predators road trip and it was a successful one regardless of the outcome this afternoon.  The Preds have won three of the five games so far, including a shutout victory in Toronto against a very good Maple Leafs team.  Today, they'll take on a Hurricanes squad which beat the Sabres in their last one, 4-3.  But the Canes were out-shot in that one as they have been in each of their last four games.  And winning a close game doesn't necessarily bode well for Carolina today as it is 13-25 (-19 games on the money line) in its last 28 immediately following a victory by one goal in the previous game.  The Predators' offense has actually been more productive on the road this season (3.17 GPG) than it has been at home (2.88), and I look for Nashville to get the road victory.  Take Nashville.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Philadelphia Flyers.  The Flyers must have one heck-of-a collection of goalie equipment in the storage room these days.  That's because this team has tied the NHL record for most goalies started in a single season (7).  And we're only at the half-way point.  This is not a good thing by the way.  Their top three net minders (Elliott, Neuvirth, Stolarz) are all out with various injuries, which leaves the Flyers with the unfortunate pair of 20-year-old rookie Carter Hart and 35 YO journeyman Mike McKenna.  Philadelphia is McKenna's eighth NHL team, and third already this season, as the Flyers claimed him off waivers from the Canucks after he was with them for one day following a trade from Ottawa.  Hart will likely be in goal tonight in New Jersey, but it hardly matters as with a 16-28 overall record, Phily's season is all but over already.  The Flyers were shut out by the Devils at home on November 15, and they are 1-8 in their last nine revenging a same-season loss.  Prudential Center has also not been kind to them lately as they are 1-4 in their last five here.  Take New Jersey.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Buffalo Sabres.  After a very promising start to the season which saw them go 17-8 in their first 25 games, the Sabres have really struggled lately.  Buffalo is just 3-6 in its last nine games, and those wins came against the likes of the Devils, Panthers, and Ducks -- three losing teams with a combined record of 52-75.  So this is not a team trending in the right direction as its heads into the second half of the season.  It doesn't help matters that the Sabres are still without their best player -- #1 Center Jack Eichel -- who has been nursing an upper body injury and hasn't played in a game since the end of 2018.  The 'Canes, meanwhile, have been playing their best hockey of the season, having won five straight by a combined score of 21-13 before losing at Tampa, the best team in the league, on Thursday.  Despite their loss in that one, the 'Canes should still be confident about their chances this evening.  Buffalo is 0-6 in the last six meetings and 2-8 in the last 10 trips to Raleigh.  Take Carolina.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Kings over Ottawa.  Last night, the Senators came back in the 3rd period to tie Anaheim at 1 goal apiece, and then scored the game-winner in overtime for a 2-1 victory.  That snapped an 8-game losing streak, but the Senators' success should be short-lived.  Tonight, they'll have to go into Staples Center to take on a Kings team looking for revenge from a 5-1 loss suffered in Ottawa earlier this season.  The Kings are 35-17 when playing with revenge from a loss by 4+ goals, while Ottawa is 1-7 this season when playing without rest.  Take the Kings.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Anaheim Ducks over Ottawa.  Certainly, something will have to give tonight, as both teams enter off eight-game losing streaks.  But in this match-up between the league's worst defense (Ottawa), and the league's next-to-last offense (Ducks), we'll take Anaheim, as it's 42-29 (+9 games on the money line) against opponents that give up 3+ goals per game.  Additionally, the Ducks have won the last three home meetings vs. Ottawa, and nine of the last 11.  And they're a solid 21-8 after a blowout defeat by more than 2 goals (Edmonton blanked the Ducks, 4-0, on Sunday).  Likewise, they're 36-20, +18 games on the money line, after giving up more than three goals in their previous game.  Finally, the Senators are 0-9 after scoring more than three goals in their previous game (Ottawa lost, 5-4, to Carolina on Sunday).  Take the Ducks.  Good luck, as always.....Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Some years, you will get to the mid-way point of a season without a clear-cut front-runner.  That is not the case with the 2018-2019 NHL season.  The Tampa Bay Lightning are threatening to run away with the Presidents Trophy with a 32-8-2 record and a commanding 10-point lead over the next-best clubs.  Whether or not they will be able to make a deep run in the post-season is another matter, but the Bolts are without doubt the best team in hockey right now.  They started the second half with a bit of a clunker in their 42nd game, losing to the Sharks, 5-2.  But that was the final game of a 3-game western road swing, so we can certainly understand if Tampa was a little bit tired and not at 100% in that one.  Back home after a two-day break should find the Bolts in peak form against the Jackets, who they've dominated over the last two years.  The Jackets are 3-9 in the last 12 meetings in Tampa, while the Bolts are 11-2 in their last 13 immediately following a game in which they allowed four or more goals.  And Tampa's also 11-0 at home following a road trip of 3+ games.  Take Tampa.  NHL High Roller Winner.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Montreal Canadiens over the Minnesota Wild.  Two teams floundering in fifth place in their respective divisions at the half-way point in the season meet tonight in Montreal.  It is first meeting of these two here in more than a year (November 2017) and it's been pretty much all Minnesota lately when they get together.  But the Habs have been playing perhaps their best hockey of the season lately, winning five of their last seven games, including a recently completed road trip in which they took four of the last five.  Carey Price has fought through injuries in two of the last three seasons, but he finally appears to be healthy and is playing like the Carey Price of old, registering a shutout two games ago against the Canucks.  His 2.76 GAA is almost 1/2 goal better than the number he put up last season.  He had a bit of a letdown in the game after the shutout, allowing three goals in 31 shots in a 4-1 loss to the Predators.  But that may not be a bad thing for tonight as the Canadiens are 22-6 in their last 28 games following a home loss by three or more goals.  Take Montreal.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 5:05 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over the Detroit Red Wings.  The Caps looked like they might break out of their funk on Friday night when they went to a 3-on-3 overtime period against the Stars.  They came out of Dallas with a point, but their losing streak grew to three games when Seguin scored in the OT and now DC finds itself tied atop the Metro Division with the surging Penguins.  The Capitals likely couldn't have hand-picked a better match-up for Sunday in an effort to get back to their winning ways.  Washington is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings with the Red Wings and 5-1 in its last six trips to Detroit.  The Wings beat the Predators as a big underdog in their last game.  And, although that victory was here in Detroit, the Wings are just 7-22 in their last 29 home games vs. teams with a winning road record.  Meanwhile, the Caps are 26-7 (+19 games on the money line) in their last 33 immediately following a losing streak of at least two games.  And they are 30-9 in their last 39 after scoring fewer than two goals in their previous game.  NHL Game of the Week!  Take Washington.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.