I'm going to accept this price on the home underdog Coyotes, who are likely playing their final game in Arizona. The team is expected to move to Salt Lake City next season.

The Coyotes are 4-2 in their last six games. Playing at 5,000-seat Mullett Arena on the Arizona State campus is tough enough for opponents, but it should be especially difficult for the Oilers because of the Coyotes' added motivation.

"We want to play our last game with class, with respect and give the best effort that crowd can expect," Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny was quoted as saying. "We want to make sure we are remembered as a group who fought with every last ounce we have in our body."

The Oilers have had a wild ride this season. But they have secured home-ice advantage for the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is just their second road game in two weeks.

Nashville is a blistering 15-2 in its last 17 games with five consecutive victories. The Predators are riding a franchise-record 17-game point streak.

The Predators are home and have had ample rest and preparation time. Their last game was this past Saturday in Nashville.

Las Vegas has won three in a row, but played bad offenses during this stretch and have a high fatigue rating. The Golden Knights also could be starting third-string goalie Jiri Patera.

This is the Golden Knights' fourth game in six days and second in two nights. Their three straight victories have been against the Blues (26th in scoring), Blue Jackets (31st in scoring) and Kraken (29th in scoring).

The last time Las Vegas played a strong offensive team was four games ago in a 5-3 home loss to the Lightning.

The Golden Knights just got through nipping the Blues on the road, 2-1, in overtime Monday night. Logan Thompson was outstanding in goal for Las Vegas.

Las Vegas, though, brought up Patera this past Sunday with the expectation that he likely would be in net for this game since Thompson played last night and Adin Hill was injured this past Saturday. Patera has by far the highest goals against average of Las Vegas' three goalies at 3.75. Patera has made five appearances this season and has a 1-3 record.

The Predators rank 12th in scoring and have allowed only five goals during their past five games.

Having gone just 9-9-1-5 in LA, the Kings have burned the most money at home of any team in the NHL.

Don't be shocked if the Kings fail to win at home again even against Columbus. This is a horrendous situational spot for Los Angeles.

The Kings returned to Southern California after winning their last three games of a four-game road trip. This marks their fifth game in eight days and first in the Pacific time zone since Feb. 10.

Contrast this with the Blue Jackets, who are in action for only the third time in 10 days. They last played this past Saturday at San Jose where they nipped the Sharks, 4-3.

Columbus has the fourth-fewest points in the NHL. So the Kings can't help but feel cocky and confident. However, if you give the Blue Jackets plus 1 1/2 goals, they would be 12-8 in their last 20 games.

The Oilers beat the Ducks, 5-3, on Friday. The Kings last played on Jan. 31 - 10 days ago. So what we have here is a fatigue vs a huge rust situation. It's unique and sets up an Under given the high total for this game. 

It's easy to think of goals with the Oilers since they have the magnificent Connor McDavid. But Edmonton has had an unbelievable long run of excellent defense. The Oilers have given up fewer than three goals in 14 of their last 16 games. 

Calvin Pickard was in net for the Oilers against the Ducks on Friday night. So a fresh Stuart Skinner will get the start in goal today. He's been brilliant having not allowed more than two goals during his last 12 games. Skinner surrendered fewer than two goals in half of those games. 

Edmonton will be playing for the third time in five days and second in two nights. So the Oilers carry a fatigue rating. That usually means an increased emphasis on defense and slower pace. 

The Kings entered the weekend ranked sixth defensively with the top penalty kill unit in the NHL. This also is the Kings' first game under interim head coach Jim Hiller. He replaced the fired Todd McLellan. That should ensure a huge defensive effort from the Kings.

I find this total too short given the circumstances and current form of these two teams.

The Blue Jackets are the second-worst defensive team in the NHL. They have surrendered at least four goals in 14 of their last 19 games. Columbus also carries a huge fatigue factor playing for the fourth time in six days and without rest after losing, 5-4, in overtime at Vancouver last night. The Blue Jackets ran out of gas surrendering three goals in the third period to the Canucks. That doesn't bode well for this matchup.

Seattle has scored nine goals in its last two games.

Columbus, though, also has scored nine goals in its last two games and produced at least four goals in four of its last six games.

The Kraken have allowed three or more goals in six of their past seven games.

This is a mystifying line. Since when is a team that has lost nine of their last 10 games, carries a high fatigue rating and is in a terrible situational spot a mid-sized favorite against an above .500 quality opponent? 

I can't say never because of this line where the Kings are fairly strong favorites against Nashville. 

So I'll gladly take this plus price with the road underdog Predators. 

Los Angeles is 1-9 in its last 10 games. The Kings just completed a rough six-game, 10-day trip that concluded in Dallas where they got crushed, 5-1, by the Stars this past Tuesday night. 

That was a horrible spot for the Kings. This one isn't any better. It's LA's third game in four days - all at different arenas - and fourth game in six days. The Kings just returned home on Wednesday after being gone for the past 10 days. So their focus and concentration could be off given the traveling circumstances and reuniting with their families. 

Nashville has a winning road record. The Kings are just a .500 team at home. The Predators will be rested and ready having last played on Monday against the Golden Knights. That was a day game in nearby Las Vegas - just an hour flight from Los Angeles. 

The Predators lost to Las Vegas, but they had won their two previous games. This included an impressive, 6-3, upset road win against the Stars in Dallas this past Friday.

The teams met earlier this season. Colorado won, 7-4. While I'm not expecting 11 goals again, I do believe there will be more than six goals scored.

Colorado is the No. 2 scoring team in the NHL with one of the top lines in the league led by Nathan MacKinnon, who has scored at least one point in 19 straight home games.

The Islanders are 29th on the penalty kill. The Avalanche has a top-eight power play.

I expect the Islanders to contribute to this total going Over, too. They've scored three or more goals in 18 of their last 22 games.

Tampa Bay has been inconsistent, but coming out of the Christmas break this is a good spot for the Lightning. The price is right to back them. Tampa Bay has been better at home and Andrei Vasilevskiy is coming around to his superstar form in his return from back surgery.

The Lightning have won four consecutive home games, including defeating Dallas and Las Vegas. Tampa Bay is on a three-game win streak after edging the Capitals on the road this past Saturday and has won four of its last five overall games.

Vasilevskiy is playing much better. He's 7-2 with a .925 save percentage in his last nine games.

The Lightning are a top-10 scoring team and have an elite goalie. Florida ranks 24th in scoring.

The Panthers are off a highly-satisfying, 4-2, victory against the Golden Knights this past Saturday. The game was played in Sunrise, Fla. The Golden Knights had defeated the Panthers in the Stanley Cup finals. Before that victory, though, the Panthers had lost four of their previous five games.

These teams are closely matched. Nashville is the better defensive team. But Carolina is a solid favorite because of being the home team.

Yet that home ice is negated by this being just a brutal spot for the Hurricanes.

It's Carolina's first game back from a six-game road trip that consisted of around 6,000 miles and culminated with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against the Red Wings on Thursday night. The Hurricanes get no rest. They haven't been home in nearly two weeks and immediately have to play this game against the rested Predators, who last were in action three days ago. It's also Carolina's third game in four days. The Hurricanes come back fat and happy, too, having closed their road swing with consecutive victories.

The Predators are going to have fresh legs and be fully prepared. The same can't be said for Carolina. The Hurricanes carry a high fatigue rating plus their concentration is likely to be altered arriving home early in the morning and trying to catch up on personal things having been gone for nearly two weeks.

Nashville is playing well also, winning five of its last six games. The Predators are 4-1, too, during their past five away contests. Expect Juuse Saros to be in net. The Predators have won nine of Saros' last 10 starts, including the past five.

The Kings are the No. 2 scoring team in the NHL. They have produced 3 or more goals in 11 of their last 13 games. The Kings should really be on the attack after losing their last game, 4-2, at home to the Flyers. That was back on Saturday so they'll have fresh legs.

Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to be in net for Florida. He's a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, but struggles against LA with a career mark of 3-9-2, an .898 save percentage and 3.04 goals-against average.

The Panthers should be fully adjusted to West Coast time after a flat performance in San Jose against the woeful Sharks two days ago. The Sharks rank last in the NHL in scoring at 1.3 goals, but they scored three times versus Florida. The Panthers scored five goals to pull out the victory. They know they have to play much better to beat the Kings.

Florida is averaging 4.6 goals in its last five games, while giving up an average of 3.3 goals in its last six games. The Over has cashed in Florida's past six games.

The two teams also have gone Over in six of their past eight meetings.

The Flames were a major disappointment in October, but they are coming around now. They have scored 13 goals in their last three games. I'm looking for a lot of offense from Calgary against the Maple Leafs, who are giving up an average of 4.8 goals in their last five games. Toronto ranks 28th defensively.

The Maple Leafs have explosive offensive talent, though. They've scored 3 or more goals in six of their last nine games, reaching at least 4 goals in five of those games.

The Over has cashed in five of Toronto's last seven home games.

The Kings are in action. So think Over. There have been 7 or more goals scored in six of the Kings' eight games. The Kings have surrendered at least three goals in every game except one.

So it's no surprise the Over has cashed in seven of LA's eight games this season, including the past five.

The Kings lead the NHL in scoring at 4.4 goals per game. However, they rank 25th defensively. The Maple Leafs have been playing shorthanded on the blue line due to multiple injuries.

Toronto has scored four goals apiece in three of its last four games. The Maple Leafs rank 11th in scoring and fourth on the power play.

Expect both teams to come out skating at a fast tempo since each team last played this past Saturday.

The Rangers were outstanding on the road last season going 24-9-8 and they've started off well this season winning three of four away contests. I like the Rangers to keep hot on the road against the struggling Oilers.

New York stays in the same time zone after defeating Calgary, 3-1, on Tuesday. That was the Rangers' first win at the Saddledome in six years. Now they get the 1-4-1 Oilers, who aren't likely to have Connor McDavid. He suffered an upper-body injury in the Oilers' 3-2 overtime loss to the Jets this past Saturday.

McDavid missed the Oilers' last game. That was a 7-4 road loss to the Wild. The Oilers looked clueless without their superstar. Three times the Oilers were whistled for having too many men on the ice. Edmonton might have allowed even more than seven goals if it weren't for goalie Jack Campbell making several spectacular saves.

Edmonton ranks second-to-last in scoring defense allowing 4.5 goals per game.

The Oilers have a bigger game on deck when they play against rival Calgary in the Heritage Classic outdoors at Commonwealth Stadium on Sunday night. The Oilers are hoping McDavid will be ready for that game. So it's highly unlikely they would rush him into the lineup against the Rangers.

Colorado won't have team captain Gabriel Landeskog as he still is recovering from knee surgery. But I like the rest of the makeup of the Avalanche as they begin the season highly motivated after an early playoff exit last season.

The Avalanche won the Stanley Cup two seasons ago keyed by elite talents and strong depth. Colorado improved their depth in the off-season and still have superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. They give the Avalanche easily the two best players on the ice in this matchup.

Colorado also holds a big edge in net. I don't like any of the Kings' goalies.

The Avalanche know how to win on the road, too, going 31-11-2 in away games last season.

It will be a festive opening night of the hockey season for the Las Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday. There will be a special ceremony prior to the game raising the Golden Knights' Stanley Cup banner. The Vegas players will enter on a special gold carpet.

This pomp is all very nice, but also very distracting.

The Golden Knights are playing the wrong opponent for all this pregame hoopla.

Seattle is one of the few teams that can come close to matching the Golden Knights' four-line depth. The Kraken are a hard-working team strong on the forecheck.

The Kraken beat the Golden Knights in Las Vegas last season and can do it again on Tuesday especially if the Golden Knights get caught up in all the pregame celebrations.

The Kraken knocked off the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs last season and then took the Stars to a Game 7 in the next round. They were one win away from meeting the Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals.

The Golden Knights have mostly dominated this series. So their being up 3-1 is not a surprise.

Las Vegas has outscored Florida, 17-9, made far fewer mistakes, has a decided edge in expected goals, is the much deeper and healthier team with Matthew Tkachuk battling a shoulder injury that has greatly reduced his minutes.

The Panthers haven't been able to penetrate the middle of Las Vegas' tall and physical defense. Adin Hill has stepped up in net outplaying Sergei Bobrovsky throughout much of the series. Florida ranked 10th in power play goal percentage during the regular season. But against Las Vegas, the Panthers have failed to score in 13 power play opportunities.

The Golden Knights held on to nip the Panthers, 3-2, this past Saturday in Florida in Game 4. Now the Panthers have to regroup and do it with a hobbled Tkachuk, who has been their best player.

I don't see it happening, especially not at Las Vegas where the Panthers have lost the past seven times. I don't even see it being a close game. So I'm laying 1 1/2 goals on the puck line turning huge minus juice into huge plus juice.

The Cinderella Panthers raced through the East knocking off the Bruins, Maple Leafs and Hurricanes.

But the Golden Knights are turning the Panthers' carriage into a pumpkin, exposing Florida for the eighth-place team it was in the Eastern Conference during the regular season.

Las Vegas clearly has established itself as the superior team. If it weren't for getting some fortunate breaks in Thursday's Game 3 the Panthers would be down 3-0 in the series.

The Panthers being favored in Saturday's Game 4 puts me on the underdog Golden Knights.

The Golden Knights are the deeper team able to keep the pressure on Florida without a break having four strong lines. Florida can't match that. Las Vegas also has the better defense, special teams and hasn't made nearly as many mistakes as Florida has. Las Vegas has proven itself on the road, too, winning 15 of its last 21 away games.

Las Vegas dominated the first two games, outscoring the Panthers, 12-4. The Panthers needed a late goal after they had pulled their goalie to force overtime in Game 3. The Golden Knights had a 15-8 advantage in scoring chances. Vegas shots hit the crossbar and post. Sergei Bobrovsky had his best game of the series by far for Florida. A metric showed Bobrovsky stopping 1.89 goals above expected. Bobrovsky is better than he showed in the first two games, but it's probably a reach to expect him to produce another ''A'' game.

The Panthers, constantly stymied by the Golden Knights' tall and physical defensemen, managed only four shots on goal during the third period in Game 3. The Panthers continue to take stupid penalties. The Golden Knights have made them pay for this scoring on six of 17 power play chances for 35 percent.

Florida, on the other hand, has yet to produce a goal in 12 power play opportunities against Las Vegas.

Is there a zig/zag in this Stanley Cup Finals with Las Vegas traveling to Florida up 2-0 in the series? 

Yes. Key signs point to a Panthers' victory. 

The home team has won 11 of the last 12 in this series. Florida has beaten Las Vegas four of the past five times it has hosted them. The Panthers have won 69 percent of their past 109 home games. 

Those are strong trends, but it takes more than trends to fully get behind the Panthers, who were dominated in a 7-2 Game 2 loss this past Monday. 

The Panthers have proven their resilience overcoming a 3-1 series deficit to eliminate the Bruins, the record-setting regular season points leader. 
Florida could have won Game 1 in Las Vegas. Here's an interesting quote from Florida coach Paul Maurice, ''We feel that our best hockey is still ahead of us. We certainly haven't controlled the game at times, but in the first game we didn't feel it was controlled against us either.'' 

The Panthers have gotten quality looks and shots on goal. They've been hurt by lack of discipline on the defensive end and Sergei Bobrovsky's mediocre play in net. Bobrovsky was pulled after 27 minutes in Game 2. 

I expect a strong performance from the prideful Bobrovsky in this Game 3 along with a much cleaner defensive effort from the Panthers, who will get back defenseman Radko Gudas, who missed much of Game 2. 

Bobrovsky went into this championship series with a collective 18.95 saved goals above expectations. That was the best playoff mark since 2008. 
Las Vegas has scored four power play goals in 11 chances for a 36.3 percentage. The Golden Knights were below average on power play percentage during the regular season at 20.3 percent. So I'm expecting a reduction there. 

I'm also expecting the Panthers to produce their ''A'' game. 

Down 3-0 against the Golden Knights in their Western Conference Finals series, the Stars went all out at home this past Thursday to stay alive. They fired 42 shots on goal, received an outstanding goalie performance from overdue Jake Oettinger and out-hit the Golden Knights, 46-23.

The Stars won - barely. They prevailed in overtime, 3-2.

Now the scene shifts back to Las Vegas where I see the Golden Knights ending the series. Teams that have taken a 3-0 lead in the playoffs before the Stanley Cup final round are 47-0.

The Golden Knights are 11-1 after scoring two goals or less during their previous game. Dallas is 1-4 in its last five road games and also 1-4 following a victory.

The Golden Knights outplayed the Stars in the third period in Game 4. They outshot the Stars, 14-8, in the third period and looked like they were going to win in regulation. So even taking the Stars' best shot, the Golden Knights nearly clinched the series on the road.

The Stars can't match the Golden Knights' four-line depth - especially missing suspended team captain Jamie Benn and injured right winger Evgenii Dadonov - nor can they match Las Vegas' solid core of six reliable defensemen. Adin Hill has also outplayed Oettinger in net.

Las Vegas is an NHL-leading 6-2 at home during the postseason. Unlike Game 4, the Golden Knights will be in control of the matchups having the final line say being the home team.

These many edges are too much for the Stars to overcome.

Dallas is down 3-0 to Las Vegas in these Western Conference Finals and totally frustrated. The Stars are averaging two goals during their last five games and now will be without their captain and second-leading points producer suspended Jamie Benn. Dallas also likely will be missing injured forward Evgenii Dadonov, who has accounted for 10 points during the Stars' 16 playoff game hurting the team's scoring depth.

The Golden Knights have stymied the Stars with their defensive depth - six solid blue-liners - and with backup goalie Adin Hill stepping up. Hill made 34 saves in Las Vegas' 4-0 Game 3 road win this past Tuesday. The Golden Knights have held their opponents to 1.7 goals during their last four games.

Clogging up the middle of the ice, leading the NHL in blocked shots and averaging 10.3 takeaways - best of the remaining playoff teams - have been keys for the Golden Knights in holding the Stars to two goals during the last seven periods.

How does Dallas respond?

Obviously the Stars are in a desperate position on the verge of elimination. I don't see them opening up their attack. It's not realistically possible minus Benn, who has been such an important figure in their offense. Instead, I see the Stars trying to be more careful with the puck and helping out their goalie either backup Scott Wedgewood, or a shaky Jake Oettinger. That means a conservative game plan trying to get that much-needed elusive first win to keep the series alive.

It's worth noting, too, that the past seven games in Dallas between these two teams have all gone Under.

It's going to be extremely difficult for the Panthers to be fully up for this Game 1 series matchup against the Maple Leafs. You can't blame the Panthers either. Florida eliminated the Bruins this past Sunday with an overtime Game 7 victory in Boston. The Bruins had set the NHL regular season record with 65 wins and 135 points.

It was a stunning loss for the Bruins and a tremendous victory for the Panthers.

Florida matched-up well to Boston. The Panthers haven't matched-well to the Maple Leafs when playing in Toronto losing nine of the past 11 times there.

Toronto should feel less pressure now after winning their first playoff series in 19 years by taking out the Lightning this past Saturday. It's a great spot for the Maple Leafs. One that should result in a victory.

Perhaps they feel less pressure. Some teams just play better on the road, especially when it counts the most.

The Rangers are such a team. New York rolled past the Devils, 5-1 in both Games 1 and 2, in this first-round series. Both wins were at New Jersey.

But then the Rangers seemed to play tight and without Stanley Cup playoff intensity when they returned home, losing a pair of close games to the Devils.

Now the Rangers go back to New Jersey - and I'm expecting them to win this Game 5 there.

New York is 4-1 in its past five away contests. The Rangers have defeated the Devils in eight of the last 11 meetings in New Jersey.

Look for a great effort from the Rangers after their coach, Gerard Gallant, ripped them for their poor play at home.

The Devils are braced for a strong Rangers' performance.

"We are going to see their best game," Devils coach Lindy Ruff said of the Rangers. "There is no doubt, by far, we will see their best game.''

I believe him.

Swept the past two games at home, the Panthers find themselves down, 3-1, to the Bruins and on the verge of elimination in this first-round series matchup.

I don't see Florida upsetting the Bruins in Boston in this Game 5. I'm willing, too, to turn a huge lay price into a plus price by laying 1 1/2 goals on the puck line with the Bruins. The bonus being this is a closeout spot so the Panthers won't hesitate to pull their goalie early if down by a goal or two near the end of the game. 

The Bruins have been dominant all season. They certainly are dominant at home having won 42 of their last 51 games there. Florida has lost 20 of the past 26 times in Boston. 

Boston, though, will be taking nothing for granted as the road Panthers upset the Bruins in Game 2. The stinging defeat was a wakeup call for Boston. The Bruins beat the Panthers, 4-2 and 6-2, in Games 3 and 4. Boston's last six victories now have all been by more than one goal. 

As a bonus, the Bruins could get back their captain, Patrice Bergeron. He's yet to play in the series after getting hurt in Boston's regular-season finale. Bergeron is Boston's second-leading goal-scorer. 

The Bruins set the NHL regular season record for wins and points. Until proven otherwise, they are the best team in the NHL. They have taken control of their first-round series against the Panthers going up 2-1 following a 4-2 road win against the Panthers two days ago.

I don't see the Panthers getting back into the series after that loss.

The Bruins exposed 30-year-old career minor league goalie Alex Lyon, who allowed several soft goals in Friday's loss. Lyon had been a major surprise for the Panthers down the stretch. But the team may have lost confidence in him now. That could mean a pivot to Sergei Bobrovsky, who hasn't played since March 27. So there would be plenty of rust if the Panthers go with Bobrovsky in net.

The Panthers may not have their best defenseman, Aaron Ekblad, either. He's questionable after getting hurt in Game 3.

The Bruins are 41-11 the past 52 times when playing on one day's rest.

Surprised the Islanders are favored against the Hurricanes?

Don't be. The oddsmaker has it right. After two close road losses, the Islanders get to host their first playoff game at UBS Arena.

Carolina nipped New York, 2-1, in Game 1. The Hurricanes nipped the Islanders, 4-3, in overtime in Wednesday's Game 2. The Islanders had 12 penalty minutes in Game 2. Carolina wasn't whistled for a penalty.

The Hurricanes scored the overtime winner on a sequence after the referee failed to call an obvious high stick penalty on Carolina's Jordan Martinook.

The Islanders have won their last four home games. They are due to get some breaks.

The Hurricanes' forward depth took another hit when left winger Teuvo Teravainen suffered a broken hand late in Wednesday's game. Teravainen had 37 points playing on Carolina's top line.

Congrats to the Bruins on setting the NHL single-season win record. Now the Bruins conclude their regular season with this road game. It means nothing to the Bruins. Their thoughts are all geared to next week's Stanley Cup action. As for Montreal, the Canadiens long ago checked out. They are 1-6 in their last seven games.

I'd compare this situation for the Bruins to an NFL team playing its final preseason game. The biggest concern is not having anybody get hurt. The Bruins are likely to be holding out players, just being content to just passing the puck around until this meaningless game is finished. Don't look for many penalties to be called. 

Montreal has scored two or fewer goals in six of its last seven games. If you discount a six-goal game against the Capitals, the Canadiens are averaging 1.1 goals in their last six games. 

These teams have a solid Under history even under normal conditions with the low side being 11-4-2 during the last 17 meetings. 

Defense and tight-checking will be stressed here with the Predators, Flames and Jets all trying to chase down the final wild-card playoff spot in the West.

The Predators, down Filip Forsberg and Matt Duchene, are trying to hang in with defense and outstanding goaltending from Juuse Saros.

Nashville is averaging 1.7 goals in its last four games. The Predators have scored 3 or fewer goals in nine of their last 10 games. They tallied 2 or fewer goals in seven of those 10 games.

But if you discount the five goals they allowed to the Stars, the Predators have held their last six opponents to only eight goals.

The Flames have an above average defense, too. They rank No. 3 in fewest shots allowed.

The Under has cashed in four of the last five meetings between the two teams.

The price is low enough to strongly back the Bruins, the best team in hockey. Boston gives up the fewest goals while scoring the second-most.

The line is low because the Devils are a strong team, too, and unlike Boston - which has already clinched the No. 1 seed - are playing for playoff seeding.

So motivation factors. The Bruins haven't taken their foot off the gas winning 10 of their last 11 games. They have incentive. This is a nationally televised game courtesy of ABC and a victory would allow Boston to match the highest win total in NHL history. The Bruins are 61-12-5 on the season, including 32-4-3 at home.

New Jersey is just 2-4 in its last six road contests with one of those victories occurring versus the lowly Blackhawks. The Devils also are 2-5 the past seven times they've played an above .500 opponent.

Boston has defeated New Jersey 17 of the past 22 times when playing at home.

Getting an elite team off a home loss against a bottom-feeder off a rare home victory sets up a great spot here for taking Las Vegas against San Jose.

The Golden Knights are off a 7-4 home loss to the Oilers this past Tuesday. Las Vegas was 11-2 in its previous 13 games prior to that loss. The Golden Knights have the most points in the Western Conference. Their 17-4-2 record in their 23 games is tied for the second-best mark in the NHL during this span.

San Jose snapped a nine-game losing streak in its last game, beating the Jets, 3-0, this past Tuesday. The Sharks have the worst home mark in the NHL with only seven victories. Before defeating the Jets, the Sharks hadn't won at home since Feb. 20. San Jose, already eliminated from the playoffs, has lost 43 of its past 57 home games.

Las Vegas is a top road team with a 24-7-5 away mark. The Golden Knights have won seven consecutive road games. They consider San Jose an arch-rival. The Golden Knights won't lack motivation. They've beaten the Sharks eight straight times in San Jose.

The Golden Knights are expected to go back to Laurent Brossoit in net after Jonathan Quick struggled in goal against the Oilers. Brossoit has allowed just 11 goals in his last five appearances. Las Vegas is giving up an average of 2.4 goals during its last seven road contests.

I see this as a kill spot for Seattle. The Kraken are off three straight home losses. Now they go on the road to play the Sharks, who have by far the worst home mark in the NHL at  6-19-9.

The Kraken have played much better on the road going 21-9-3. They've won their last four road games. Their last road defeat occurred to the Sharks, 4-0, on Feb. 20. So no chance the revenge-minded Kraken take the Sharks lightly.

Motivation, on the other hand, could be difficult for the Sharks. They just were eliminated from playoff contention for the fourth straight season following a 6-5 home overtime loss to the Blue Jackets. 

The Bruins have a seven-point lead over the Hurricanes for the best record in the NHL. It could prove difficult for Boston to be up for every one of its games. But the Bruins are sure to be heavily motivated for this matchup. 

It was the Kraken who dealt the Bruins their first home loss of the season with a stunning, 3-0, victory on Jan. 12. It also was the only time this season Boston failed to score. 

The Bruins have had this rematch circled ever since. It's their only chance to get revenge unless the teams happen to meet in the Stanley Cup Finals. 

Seattle lost to the Sharks, 4-0, in its last game this past Monday. The Bruins last played on Monday, too, beating the Senators, 3-1, for their fourth straight victory. 

Boston is 19-6-2 on the road. The Bruins have won their last three away games beating the Predators, Stars and Maple Leafs by a combined margin of 13-4. 

Linus Ullmark is expected to be in net for the Bruins. He's 29-4-1 with a 1.88 goals against average and a .937 save percentage. Those are Vezina Trophy numbers. Ullmark has surrendered just seven goals in his last four games. The Bruins rank No. 1 in scoring defense and penalty killing. They also are the second-highest scoring team in the league.

I would be very surprised if the Bruins lose a second time to Seattle. 

I can easily envision each team scoring at least three goals here. The Flames enter this matchup desperate for a victory after a 4-3 home loss to the Flyers this past Monday.

The Coyotes are tough at home with a 13-8-2 record.

The Flames have scored 3 or more goals in eight of their last 11 games. They take the second-most shots in the NHL. Arizona gives up the second-most shots.

Arizona has produced at least 3 goals in six of its last seven games. The Flames have surrendered 3 or more goals in each of their last four games.

The Golden Knights are 4-0 this month. But the oddsmaker has it right making the Lightning road chalk.

Las Vegas barely edged the lowly Sharks, 2-1, at home two days ago. The Golden Knights' other wins were also against unimpressive foes - the Ducks, slumping Wild and Predators. Las Vegas is not a strong home team.

Tampa Bay should come in highly motivated after being upset by the Coyotes, 1-0, in a shootout this past Wednesday. The Lightning played their backup goalie in that game and also outshot Arizona, 47-26.

Until that loss, Tampa Bay had won three in a row. The Lightning have won the past six times they've faced an above .500 opponent.

The Over has cashed in 13 of Anaheim's last 16 games. Surprised? Not really since the Ducks are the worst defensive team in the NHL. They are in terrible form, too, giving up 20 goals during their last three games.

The Kings are in strong form offensively scoring four or more goals in five of their last six games. LA should have their skating legs, too, having last played on Monday when they beat the visiting Sabres, 5-2. The Kings have gone Over the past eight times following a victory.

The Ducks should contribute to this total going Over. The Kings have permitted at least three goals in nine of their last 12 games. LA ranks 22nd defensively.

The Coyotes are not a good team. But they are respectable at home going 11-8-2 at their new temporary home, Mullett Arena. They have won four of their last six home games and are capable of beating any team at Mullett Arena having proven that with victories against the Bruins, Maple Leafs and Avalanche.

Mullett Arena is a 5,000-seat arena on the Arizona State campus. It is not a normal NHL arena because of its small size. Fans are right on top of the players. Opponents of the Coyotes are not used to this, especially when playing there for the first time. Tampa Bay fits that category. The Lightning probably won't take to the ice until pre-game warmups because they aren't likely to have a morning skate after playing Tuesday night.

And what a game the Lightning had last night in Colorado.

Tampa Bay edged the Avalanche, 4-3, in a shootout. The game had the intensity of a playoff matchup. I doubt the Lightning will go with star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy in the second of back-to-back games. Tampa Bay's next game is much bigger on the road against the Golden Knights. There's a monster drop off from Vasilevskiy to backup goalie Brian Elliott. So that would be another plus for the Coyotes.

I would recommend taking the Coyotes to win the first period, too, at around a nice plus $1.50 price. The Coyotes have yet to be outscored during the first period in five previous situations where an opponent was playing at Mullett Arena for the first time after playing the day before.

Carolina is playing great. But the Sabres also are playing well with five wins in their last six games. The Hurricanes face a brutal scheduling spot here. So I'm going to take this big price on the home 'dog.

Buffalo defeated the Penguins on the road this past Saturday night. The Sabres haven't played since. They should be well-rested and well prepared.

Not so for the Hurricanes.

Carolina gave its all in pulling out a 5-4 overtime home victory against the Kings Tuesday night after trailing by three goals entering the third period. The Hurricanes had beaten the Bruins in a huge revenge matchup this past Sunday in their previous game. So this marks their fifth game in eight days with three of their past four games having gone into overtime. Flying nearly 500 miles to Buffalo to play without rest is a horrible spot for Carolina.

The Avalanche are still down defensemen Bowen Byram and Josh Manson. But their firepower has returned with superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar in top offensive form. The Avalanche have scored 13 goals during their last two games. They also have back from injury forward Valeri Nichushkin.

The Flames should be primed for a big effort returning home from five games on the road. They were highly frustrated in a 2-1 loss to the Predators on Monday. They also ran into star goalie Juuse Saros.

Even with that result, Calgary still has scored 3 or more goals in 11 of its last 13 games. The Over has cashed eight of the past 10 times the Flames have played on one day's rest.

This is a great spot for the underdog Coyotes. They catch the Kings fat and happy after LA just completed a three-game homestand sweep by edging the Flames, 4-3, in overtime last night.

So the Kings are playing for the third time in four days and without rest. This also is the first time they will be playing in Mullett Arena, a college hockey rink much smaller than a normal NHL arena. This gives the Coyotes a huge home ice advantage especially for opponents who have yet to play there like the Kings. The Kings aren't likely to have the luxury of a morning skate there either to get used to the place because they played last night.

The Coyotes have won three of their last five home games, including upsetting the Bruins during this span.

Winnipeg is home with double revenge. The Golden Knights are dealing with injuries to their best players. The spot is right for the Jets. So is the price.

The Golden Knights are 2-0 against the Jets with both wins coming in Las Vegas, including a 2-1 overtime winner on Oct. 30, where the Jets were playing for the third time in four days.

Las Vegas is down their leading goal and points scorer with Jack Eichel going on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Also out is defenseman Zach Whitecloud with a knee injury. Two other important defensemen, Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo, have been out, too, for Las Vegas. Pietrangelo hasn't played since Nov. 26 due to an illness in his family, while Theodore missed the Golden Knights' Sunday loss to the Bruins with a lower-body injury.

The loss of these players really hurts Las Vegas' special teams both on the power-play and penalty kill unit.

Winnipeg has won 10 of 14 home games. The Jets are 7-2 in their last nine games, but coming off a 5-2 home loss to the Capitals this past Sunday that halted a four-game win streak.

The Golden Knights haven't maintained their hot earlier pace. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games with three of those five victories coming in a shootout or overtime. Las Vegas also hasn't fared well in Winnipeg losing in its last four visits.

Death, taxes and the Bruins beating the Coyotes. Those are about the only three certain things in life. 

Boston has defeated Arizona 19 straight times. 

I'd be shocked if the Bruins didn't make it 20 in a row against the Coyotes, who haven't defeated Boston in 12 years. The Bruins are tied for the most points in the NHL. They rank first defensively and second in goals scored per game. 

The key question is can Boston beat Arizona by more than one goal so as to reduce laying such high vigorish? 

Yes. This is the Coyotes' first home game after a record-tying 14 consecutive road games that began back on Nov. 5. Not surprisingly, Arizona ran out of gas losing its last six games with the most recent defeat occurring two days ago to Edmonton by six goals. This marks the Coyotes' fifth game in nine days. They also have the distraction of finally being home after being gone close to five weeks. 

The Bruins rolled past the Coyotes, 6-3, at home in the first meeting between the two teams this season. Boston has won by multiple goals in 11 of its last 12 victories. 

The Rangers are much superior to the Senators. Yet the line is short here because the Rangers have lost three in a row, while the Senators have won consecutive games.

I see the Rangers turning things around against this opponent.

New York lost 5-3 to the streaking Devils this past Monday. New Jersey is the hottest team in the NHL winning 19 of its last 21 games. The Rangers went into their matchup against the Devils having lost 4-3 to the Oilers and 3-2 to the Ducks. The Rangers blew a 3-0 third period lead against the Oilers.

Rangers star goalie Igor Shesterkin wasn't happy with his performance against the Devils. He's primed for a bounce back effort. The Rangers should be able to release their frustrations against an Ottawa club that ranks 23rd defensively and had lost 11 of 13 games before beating the Ducks and posting an overtime victory against the Kings.

This is the Senators' first home game since returning from a four-game West Coast trip that finished this past Sunday. Ottawa is 1-6 in its last seven home games.

The Ducks are a low-scoring team once again. They have produced just six goals in regulation during their last 10 games, an average of 1.6 goals during this span.

This is the Ducks' first game back from three games on the road - all losses. They should be primed for a big effort and that means tight-checking and defensive intensity.

The Rangers are back to winning. They beat the Kings, 5-3, at LA last night for their second straight victory. I don't see the Rangers being up-tempo playing without rest. The Under is 12-5 in their last 17 road games. The Under also has cashed the last five times when the Rangers have scored 5 or more goals in their past game.

There's the possibility the Rangers start backup Jaroslav Halak in net instead of star Igor Shesterkin. I'm fine if that happens. The Rangers would be more defensive-oriented and take less chances if Halak were in goal. Halak has given up two goals in regulation during each of his last two starts facing the Predators and Red Wings.

Two fully rested above average offenses square off here against bottom tier defenses.

Minnesota has scored three or more goals in nine of its 11 games. However, the Wild rank 25th defensively allowing 3.6 goals a game. Los Angeles has scored four goals in each of its last three home games.

The Kings rank 27th defensively, permitting 3.8 goals per game.

Both teams should have plenty of energy since they have been idle since Thursday.

Free Tuesday Play

Coyotes at Sabres Under 6 1/2 plus $1.05

The Under has cashed the last four times these teams have played in Buffalo. Only once in the last seven overall meetings between these teams has the total gone Over. I see that trend continuing here.

The Coyotes average 2.8 goals a game. They are last in shots. Arizona hasn't scored more than three goals in nine of its 11 games. The Sabres should be committed to a strong defensive effort after blowing a late lead in a 5-3 road loss to the Lightning this past Saturday. That was Buffalo's second consecutive defeat. The Sabres' intensity and concentration should be up.

The Sabres haven't allowed more than three goals during each of their past four home games.

This is the second of 14 straight road games for the Coyotes. They have games Thursday, Friday and Saturday. So there is no reason for them to push pace.

The Kings are one of those rare play-better-on-the-road-than-at-home teams. They had a better away mark last season and that pattern has held up early this season as they are 3-2 on the road, 0-2 at home.

LA just concluded a five-game, eight-day East Coast trip this past Saturday night. The Kings are 2-10 the past 12 times at home following a road trip of a week or more.

Tampa Bay matches up well to Los Angeles. The results prove that. The Lightning have won 11 of the past 12 times.

The Kings are likely to draw star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, too. He's expected to start in goal against the Kings with backup Brian Elliott starting on Wednesday when the Lightning plays at the Ducks.

So not only are the Lightning the superior team, but they have history and situation going in their favor, too. The price is low enough to back Tampa Bay.

It has been a great run for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning, but their chance for a three-peat ends Friday night in Colorado.

A combination of an outstanding and hungry Avalanche team and fatigue is too much for Tampa Bay to overcome.

Just like the Celtics, the Lightning have nothing left in the tank this late into the playoffs after enduring a much tougher path than Colorado to reach the finals, including coming back from series deficits to defeat the Maple Leafs and Rangers.

The Avalanche are 7-2 at home in the playoffs. They buried the Lightning, 7-0, in their last home game.

Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper complaining about the Avalanche having six skaters on the ice when they scored the winning goal in overtime in Game 4 this past Wednesday is sort of hoisting up the white flag. That was a bitter home loss for the Lightning - and the turning point of the series.

The Avalanche have proven to be the superior team. They are fresher and highly motivated. I don't see the Lightning having enough left to hang close.

We've been down this 0-2 playoff path before with the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning and recently, too. Tampa Bay came back from a 2-0 playoff deficit against the Rangers in their last series to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. 

I'm not blind, though. The Avalanche are the strongest opponent Tampa Bay has faced during its three-year Cup run. The Lightning nearly pulled out Game 1 in Colorado, losing in overtime. But the Avalanche dominated at home, especially in their 7-0 Game 2 victory over Tampa Bay this past Saturday looking faster, hungrier and more disciplined than the Lightning. 

It was a humbling beatdown of the Lightning that's for sure. 

But I'm not going to ignore, nor discount, the Lightnings' playoff pedigree, goalie edge with Andrei Vasilevskiy and heart. Tampa Bay has always been resilient and able to make the necessary adjustments. The Lightning's 18-2 playoff record following a loss is proof of that. Tampa Bay has won 40 of its last 55 home games, including going 7-1 in this season's Stanley Cup games. 

The Avalanche is as good as advertised. However, I don't see the Lightning getting swept. They are at home now. Their season and pride are on the line. They've come through before. It's not a leap of faith to back them in Game 3.   

Tampa Bay is a mid-sized road 'dog. But there are a number of factors that point to the Lightning grabbing this Game 1.

Here are three of them:

Andrei Vasilevskiy. He's the hottest and best goalie in the playoffs. Vasilevskiy has allowed one or fewer goals in seven of his last 10 games. His GAA in the playoffs is 2.27. The Avalanche can't come close to matching that in net.

Quality of competition and championship experience. Both strongly favor Tampa Bay. The Lightning went against much tougher competition than Colorado in taking out the Maple Leafs, Panthers and Rangers to reach this point. Tampa Bay knows how and when to peak, having won the Stanley Cup the past two years. The Lightning are in peak form now.

Rustiness. The Lightning will have not played in four days when this game goes on Wednesday. But that's nothing compared to Colorado. The Avalanche last played on June 6 so they will have been idle for nine days!

The Avalanche have dominated the Oilers for most of this Western Conference Final in building a 3-0 series lead. That includes a 4-2 road victory in Game 3 this past Saturday.

Colorado is now 6-0 away from home in the playoffs. The Avalanche have outscored their opponents by 15 goals during these six away victories.

I see no reason to go against the Avalanche. They have outscored the Oilers by eight goals in the series. The Oilers must realistically realize their cause is hopeless. Teams that have lost the first three games in the conference finals and semifinals are 0-44 when it comes to winning a series.

The Avalanche are in a great rhythm. They are 40-18 the past 58 times when playing on one day's rest. Colorado is 6-1 during the last seven meetings against Edmonton.

Making things even worse for the Oilers is Evander Kane won't play because of suspension. Kane is the No. 1 postseason scorer with 13 goals.

The Rangers upset the Lightning, 6-2, in the opening game of this Eastern Conference Final. We know what Tampa Bay does following a playoff loss. If you need a reminder this is it: The Lightning are 19-0 following a Stanley Cup loss. 

The oddsmaker doesn't believe in the Rangers either making them a home 'dog despite their convincing Game 1 victory. 

Kudos to the Rangers for not only taking out the Hurricanes with a Game 7 road victory, but also their win against Tampa Bay. But do keep in mind, the Lightning hadn't played in nine days following their four-game sweep of the Panthers in the second round. 

Don't expect the prideful two-time defending Stanley Cup champions to be flat against the Rangers for a second straight game. The rust is off. Star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, stud defenseman Victor Hedman and Tampa's many scoring threats should be primed now with their pride on the line. 

If you're expecting this Game 1 Eastern Conference Final to be similar to Colorado's 8-6 victory against Edmonton in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final Tuesday then we have totally opposite viewpoints.

Because I see a defensive matchup pitting the two best goalies in hockey, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Igor Shesterkin. Both goalies are hot, too.

Tampa Bay, behind Vasilevskiy, has surrendered just four goals in its last five games. That was a four-game sweep of the Panthers, the highest-scoring team in the NHL, and the final game of the series against the Maple Leafs, the second-highest scoring team in the NHL.

Backed by Shesterkin, the likely Vezina Trophy winner as the league's best goalie, the Rangers have not allowed more than two goals per game in six of their last seven games. The Rangers face a Lightning squad that should be extremely rusty, too, since it has been nine days since Tampa Bay last was in action.

Let's get this out of the way right now. The Hurricanes are 7-0 at home in the playoffs. They are 3-0 at home against the Rangers in this series.

So why take the underdog Rangers besides getting a plus price?

Several reasons starting with the goalie matchup. Igor Shesterkin isn't just the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in hockey, but he's also a strong Hart Trophy candidate, too, as the MVP of the league. Shesterkin has allowed two or fewer goals in five of the six games in the series. He's a difference maker.

The same certainly can't be said for Carolina goalie Antti Raanta. He's a backup forced into the spotlight because of an injury to Frederik Andersen. Fatigue could be hitting Raanta. He's made 12 starts in the postseason after making only 26 starts during the regular season. Raanta surrendered two - if not three - marginal goals to the Rangers in Game 6 with New York winning, 5-2. Raanta played so poorly he was pulled after 13 shots.

It's rare to get an underdog this large that holds such a monster goalie edge. All three of the Rangers' losses in Carolina were close. This stage and challenge isn't too big for the Rangers. They proved that in their first playoff series winning Game 6 in Pittsburgh and finishing off the Penguins in seven games.

Adam Fox gives the Rangers a Norris Trophy-winning defenseman. The Rangers have the point producers with Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. The Hurricanes can't be as aggressive as the Rangers because of the goalie discrepancy.

The Rangers were a lot faster and smoother than the Hurricanes in the last game. That should carry over. It's the Hurricanes who are playing with all the pressure.

We've been down this path before with the Rangers. They faced elimination down 3-1 to the Penguins in their first-round Stanley Cup matchup and prevailed. Now they need to win this home game to stay alive against the Hurricanes down 3-2 in the series.

The Rangers have the resilience, goaltending and home ice necessary to win this game. Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad are due to step up bigger than they have in this series. Igor Shesterkin has regained his touch as the best goalie in hockey this season.

The price is more than right to back the Rangers against a Carolina squad that has shown strength at home, but weakness on the road. The Hurricanes are 0-5 in their Stanley Cup away games. All of those losses were by more than one goal. They have been outscored by 13 goals on the road in the playoffs during those five games.

Carolina doesn't have a good history at Madison Square Garden either, losing 20 of the past 26 times there.

Never mind that the Avalanche and Blues are each top-four scoring teams, averaging 3.8 goals per game. It doesn't matter that the Avalanche have fired 85 shots on goal during the first two games of this series, or that the Over is 22-10-1 in St. Louis' last 33 games. Who cares that the Over is 6-1-1 the past eight times these two teams have played in St. Louis.

What matters is that the first two games of this series both went Under with the Avalanche winning, 3-2 in overtime, in Game 1 and the Blues upsetting Colorado, 4-1, in Game 2 this past Thursday. The important takeaway from those two games from a totals perspective is that the expected goals were much higher than what actually transpired.

I'm expecting the floodgates to finally open here with each team getting at least three goals.

The Avalanche were off their game in Game 2. They played too slow. Colorado is going to pick up the pace. The Avalanche wants a fast-paced game. They are going to force the action. The Blues remain without two veteran defensemen with Marco Scandella and Torey Krug both out. So there is some vulnerability.

The Blues are dangerous with all of their lines. They had nine players score 20 or more goals during the regular season. The Blues have scored four or more goals in nine of their last 11 home games.

Expect more than the five goals that were scored in Game 1 when the Avalanche nipped the Blues, 3-2, in overtime.

These teams tied for the third-most goals during the regular season, each averaging 3.8 goals per game.

Colorado peppered Blues goalie Jordan Binnington with 54 shots with three hitting the post and two the crossbar. I'm not counting on the inconsistent Binnington playing that well and being that lucky again. St. Louis is likely to still be missing defensemen Marco Scandella and Torey Krug. The Avalanche did their scoring damage with their supporting cast. Their superstars are due to step up now.

The offensive-minded Blues have excellent scoring depth, too. The Over is 13-3-1 in their last 17 road games.

Prior to Game 1, the teams had gone Over during their past six meetings.

I'm taking 1 1/2 goals on the puck line in the belief the Oilers will wilt at home under the pressure of a Game 7. Even if they win, it will be by the narrowest of margins.

Edmonton hasn't won a playoff series in five years.

The Kings were an outstanding 23-11-7 on the road during the season. They are 2-1 on the road against the Oilers during this first-round series.

LA still has some veterans remaining from its Stanley Cup winning teams of 2012 and 2014. So the Kings know how to win important games.

During the past three postseasons, Tampa Bay has gone 16-0 following a playoff loss. That resiliency has been instrumental in the Lighting winning the Stanley Cup the past two years.

I see that streak continuing with the Lightning hosting the Maple Leafs Sunday.

Toronto opened the series with a 5-0 victory. The Lightning were flat that game. They came back to even the series with a 5-3 win on Wednesday, but then lost at home, 5-2, in Game 3 this past Friday. Tampa Bay couldn't overcome a 3-0 deficit.

The Lightning did outplay the Maple Leafs for much of the last two periods, especially the third period, but the damage had been done. Tampa Bay's core, which has been together for around a decade and used to playoff highs and lows, should rebound like they always have.

Toronto goalie Jack Campbell has been playing above his talent level. I can see a drop-off in his play with this game in Tampa. Having home ice also gives the Lightning the last line change. This is especially crucial for Tampa coach Jon Cooper in matching up against the Maple Leafs' upper tier line featuring superstar Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

The major part of this handicap is a letdown factor from Carolina. The Hurricanes have been playing extremely well winning five in a row. The latest victory, 4-3 against the Rangers two days ago, clinched the Metropolitan Division for the Hurricanes.

So that sense of urgency is gone now for the Hurricanes. They accomplished what they wanted to do. Now, playing for the fourth time in six days, I don't see the Hurricanes too motivated for this matchup against the lowly Devils.

New Jersey is capable of pulling off a huge upset on the road. The Devils have done that twice during the last 3 1/2 weeks beating the Golden Knights and Stars at better than plus $2.00 in each game.

The Devils nearly upset the Hurricanes when they hosted them five days ago, losing 3-2 in overtime. The Hurricanes forced the overtime by scoring with less than two minutes left.

Arizona has become an auto-fade on the puck line. The combination of injuries, inexperience and just wanting to get their season finished have rendered the Coyotes noncompetitive.

The Coyotes are 2-13 in their last 15 games with their only victories during this time frame coming against non-playoff teams the Blackhawks and Sharks.

Arizona has lost six in a row. All of these defeats have been by at least four goals! In fact, 12 of the Coyotes' last 13 losses have occurred by multiple goals.

The Hurricanes can't afford to sleep against the Coyotes being in a tight race with the Rangers for the Metropolitan Division title. Carolina has beaten the Coyotes during seven of their last nine visits.

This is a kill spot for the Avalanche.

Colorado is tied with Florida for the most points in the NHL at 110. The Avalanche have won six in a row. They've been idle since Saturday.

The Kings halted a three-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory against the hapless Blackhawks Tuesday night. The Kings' reward? They go into high altitude to face the rested and ready Avalanche.

Not only are the Kings playing without rest, but it's their third game in four days and they have a cluster injury problem on defense. One of the defensemen out for LA is Drew Doughty.

The Avalanche has dominated the Kings winning the past eight times against them.

I fully expect each of these teams to register at least three goals. Las Vegas has scored 5 or more goals in four of its last six games, including producing 11 goals the past two games. Seattle ranks 27th defensively and 29th in penalty kill. 

The Oilers should be good for at least three goals - if not many more.

Paced by superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers rank ninth in scoring at 3.3 goals a game. McDavid and Draisaitl are the two top point producers in the NHL.

The Blackhawks give up 3.4 goals per game, which ranks 24th. Chicago also is 29th in penalty kill. Edmonton ranks third in power play goal percentage.

Edmonton has scored 3 or more goals in nine of its last 10 games. Here the Oilers get to face a well-below average defense.

The Blackhawks should be up for this game. They've been idle for three full days. That should ensure a lot of energy and fresh legs. Just two games ago, the Blackhawks scored eight goals at home against the Devils.

After racing off to a 16-5 start, Edmonton is just 7-13-3 in its last 23 games.

The bottom fell out for the Oilers in their last game, a 4-1 home loss to the Blackhawks this past Wednesday. The Oilers were minus $1.78 in that game. That loss was so bad the Oilers fired coach Dave Tippett following the game.

This will be Edmonton's first game under new coach Jay Woodcroft. You have to believe the Oilers are going to be super fired-up. It's also must-win time for the Oilers trailing the Flames by five points for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

So the timing is right for the Oilers to beat the Islanders.

The Islanders have endured a rough season themselves. They played for the first time in a week and beat the Canucks, 6-3, this past Wednesday. The Islanders were shut out by Seattle, 3-0, at home in their previous game.

The Islanders are 1-7 the past eight times as a road 'dog. They also are 6-13 the last 19 times following a victory.

Edmonton has dominated the Islanders at home winning eight of the last nine times, although the last time the Oilers hosted the Islanders was nearly three years ago.

The Oilers are in stop-the-pain mode with three consecutive losses, the last two coming in overtime. 

The Rangers, on the other hand, are fat and happy having just defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning, 4-0, on Sunday for the second time in three days.

The Oilers have scored five goals in three of their last five games. They can be explosive with superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Rangers aren't likely to have their best player, forward Artemi Panarin. He was placed in COVID-19 protocols on Sunday.

Edmonton is 5-0 the past five times facing the Rangers. 

Toronto is 11-2 in its last 13 games. The Maple Leafs have accomplished this with defense and strong goaltending. Toronto has permitted just eight goals in its last seven games. The Kings have scored two or fewer goals in four of their last five games.

LA has dropped four in a row, including a 2-1 overtime loss to the lowly Coyotes in its last game this past Sunday.

The Kings are 2-9 the past 11 times they've been a home 'dog.

But don't expect the Maple Leafs to take the Kings lightly, or not be motivated.

Toronto is in full revenge mode for a 5-1 loss suffered at home to the Kings a little more than two weeks ago. Former Kings goalie Jack Campbell is likely to be in net for Toronto. He has three shutouts this month.

Superstar Auston Matthews is due for a breakout game having been held without a goal the past three games despite coming close to scoring.

The Canadiens did a fantastic job pulling off one of the great playoff series upsets when they eliminated the Golden Knights. 

As strange as it sounds, maybe beating the Canadiens, 4-1, in the first game of this series after overcoming the Avalanche in a tough series was the worst thing that could have happened to the Golden Knights. 

Few, if any, thought Montreal would be one of the four finalists for the Stanley Cup. But here the Canadiens are. They are loose, playing on house money and in a great position to ambush the host Golden Knights in Monday's opening game of their semifinal series. 

This is a huge Ontario rivalry. Given the circumstances, the Senators probably should be the favorite instead of a massive home 'dog. 

You may think this is a cheap price for the Blues to lay against the Kings, who won't be making the playoffs. This is all about the situation, though. St. Louis clinched a playoff spot this past Friday. The Blues are locked into the fourth spot in the Pacific Division regardless of this outcome. 

This late in the regular season, it's vital to find out which teams have incentive AND are playing hard and which teams have packed it in.

The Coyotes are in desperation, must-win mode win trailing the Blues for the final playoff spot in the West Division. The Coyotes have a winning record in their past nine home games and are primed to give a strong effort here.

This could be the first time I've ever laid a mid-size price with a team that has lost nine in a row. But I really see the Blue Jackets halting their losing skid. Columbus is home to Detroit. That's the reason. 

The Coyotes are coming off perhaps their biggest win of the season, 5-4 in a shootout, at home against Colorado. I don't see a letdown. Instead I see the Coyotes building off their win knowing they are in the playoff hunt and can't afford a home loss here. A loss to San Jose would nullify the victory over Colorado, which occurred this past Tuesday. Arizona is 11-4 the last 15 times when playing on two days rest.

Returning home from a six-game road trip, the Golden Knights were far from sharp when they hosted San Jose this past Monday. Sure enough Las Vega was flat. But the Golden Knights still managed to beat San Jose, 2-1. 

Las Vegas has averaged 4 goals a game in going 3-0 versus the Sharks this season. San Jose ranks 31st defensively allowing 3.6 goals a game. Given their depth, which includes four strong lines, and deep hatred of the Sharks the Golden Knights should be good for at least four goals again. 

Calgary is close to being in must-win mode and this spot sets up beautifully for the Flames. 

Colorado defeated Las Vegas, 3-2, on Saturday. I mention this because that game holds importance to this matchup and is a reason why I like the Under. 

If there's a non-West Coast team the Kings most would like to beat it probably is Minnesota. The Wild beat the Kings twice in heart-breaking fashion earlier this season in LA winning both, 4-3, in overtime. The teams then met twice in Minneapolis in late January. The Kings got a split in that series. 

Despite being short-handed due to injuries and COVID-19 issues, the Capitals have managed to go 6-3. The Capitals' first eight games were two against the Penguins early in the season when Pittsburgh was struggling, four games against the Sabres, who have a losing record, and two games against the 3-6 Islanders. 

Surprised the Islanders are a mid-sized road favorite against the Capitals? Shouldn't be because the spot and situation set up well for New York.

I'm very surprised this total opened at 6 with juice instead of 6 1/2 or even 7 given the low quality of these defenses. 

By the end of the season, the Rangers could prove dangerous. But right now the Rangers are somewhat vulnerable being one of the youngest teams in the league. The patient, well-coached, savvy Islanders are a bad first-game matchup for the Rangers.

The Golden Knights have picked a bad time to have their offense go cold. Las Vegas has managed just four goals in its last four games. The Golden Knights have scored just two goals when a goalie was in net during their last 240 minutes  - and none of those goals was scored by a forward or center.