Dallas finished with the best record in the Western Conference and the Stars have taken over this series against Las Vegas winning three in a row. The defending Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights are on the verge of elimination now. I don't see them getting up to make the count.

Las Vegas hasn't been able to get its attack in gear. The Golden Knights are going against a hot Jake Oettinger and haven't scored more than two goals in any of the last three games.

The Stars had a season-best 26-10-5 road mark. They look fresher and more confident than Las Vegas.

Credit Toronto with a gutty, 2-1, road win against the Bruins in Game 5 to stay alive in their Stanley Cup series.

But do you trust the Maple Leafs to follow up that victory with a home win?

I don't. Toronto is 1-5 in its last six home games, including 0-2 during this series. The Maple Leafs were 1-5 at home in Stanley Cup action last season.

The Bruins didn't play up to their standards in Game 5 yet still almost won.

The Maple Leafs are averaging only 1.8 goals a game during the series and could be minus Auston Matthews, the NHL's leading goal scorer. He's questionable due to illness.

After a pair of one-goal road losses to the Panthers, the price is right to back the Lightning at home for Game 3 of their Stanley Cup Series. The frustrated Lightning probably should have won Tuesday's Game 2, but were defeated in overtime.

Florida lost second-line center Sam Bennett in its Game 2 victory.

Tampa Bay is 25-11-4-1 on home ice. The Lightning have the top power play unit in the NHL. It's hard to imagine Sergei Bobrovsky being as good in net as he was in Game 2 when he was absolutely spectacular for Florida.

There's a lot of built-in pressure on the Canucks hosting their first Stanley Cup game in nine years. I believe the Predators - an excellent road team at 24-14-3 - can steal this first one in Vancouver.

I have a lot of faith and respect for forward Filip Forsberg, defenseman Roman Josi and goalie Juuse Saros, all of whom rank among the best at their respective positions. 

Vancouver did sweep Nashville, 3-0, during the regular season. However, all three of those victories came before Christmas. The Predators became a much stronger team during the second half of the season.

Boston owned Toronto during the regular season winning all four games, including capturing the last two meetings by three goals apiece in each game. 

Toronto has a sad playoff history and enters this opening game matchup on a four-game losing streak giving up 22 goals during this span.

Defense always is a key especially in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Bruins ranked sixth defensively. They held Toronto to one goal each during the previous two meetings. 

The Maple Leafs were 21st defensive and 23rd on the penalty kill.

At this price, I'm going to take a shot on the Blackhawks. The Kings have clinched a playoff berth. So they could be resting players to get ready for the Stanley Cup.

The Kings still could clinch third place in the Pacific Division if they win and somehow the visiting heavily underdog Ducks upset the Golden Knights. But even if that were to happen, the Kings would meet the Oilers in the first round. That's not an ideal matchup for the Kings, who have been eliminated in the first round by Edmonton each of the past two seasons.

Chicago has lost five in a row. Prior to that, though, the Blackhawks upset the Stars. The Blackhawks also played the Golden Knights tough in Las Vegas during their previous game. Chicago trailed by one goal late in the game before pulling its goalie and losing by two goals when the Golden Knights scored an empty net goal.

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.

Vancouver is leading the Pacific Division. But the Canucks have been struggling since losing their top goalie, Thatcher Demko, to a lower body injury.

The Canucks are 2-4 in their last six games and 5-6 in their past 11 games. None of the victories during this span have been against a playoff team.

The Golden Knights are the best team the Canucks have played in this time frame. Las Vegas is going to be highly motivated after shockingly blowing a 4-1 lead to Arizona in a stunning, 7-4, road loss to the Coyotes this past Friday. The Golden Knights had the weekend to stew about that defeat.

That loss snapped a three-game Golden Knights' win streak. Las Vegas is 6-2 in its last eight games.

The Golden Knights will get a boost, too, with Tomas Hertl in the lineup for the first time since he was acquired from the Sharks a month ago. He had been out with a knee injury.

Las Vegas has scored four or more goals in four of its last five games. The Canucks have allowed 13 goals in their last three games. There's a huge drop-off from Thatcher to backups Casey DeSmith or Arturs Silovs.

The Coyotes have a winning record at Mullett Arena. They've won five of their last seven home games.

Vancouver is not in good form. The Canucks have lost three of their last four games, including a bad, 6-3, road loss to the Golden Knights last night.

Third-string goalie Arturs Silovs is expected to be in net for the Canucks today. This would only be his second NHL start of the season. Arizona has scored 19 goals in its last three games.

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.

The home 'dog Blues are not getting enough respect here. All the Blues have done is go 6-1 in their last seven games with the only loss during this span coming to the Avalanche by one goal.

St. Louis has scored at least three goals in each of its last seven games. The Golden Knights' defense is down from last season. 

Colorado is fat and happy having won the first three games of its road trip. This is the Avalanche's final game of that road trip. 

The Avalanche also are going with backup Justus Annumen in net. 

The Blues are playing well having won four in a row. They've given up only six goals during this four-game span. 

This is more than a fair price to back the Red Wings, off an embarrassing nationally televised road loss to the Avalanche two days ago. You couldn't ask for more of a step down spot for Detroit as the Coyotes have dropped 16 of their last 18 games. 

Arizona is playing without rest and the team is in a transition stage due to trades. 

No disrespect to the Canucks, who have been playing great hockey. But I want the Bruins going for me after their coach, Jim Montgomery, was highly critical of his team following Boston's 4-1 loss to the Flames coming off break.

Prior to that defeat, Boston had gone 7-1 in its last eight games and had only dropped two games all season in regulation to Western Conference opponents.

Vancouver wasn't that sharp either in its return from break. But the Canucks got past the Hurricanes, 3-2, on the road despite being outshot.

The Avalanche are the No. 1 scoring team in the NHL. They were held to just one goal by the Rangers last night coming off break. Colorado got the rust off with that game.

The Devils, though, haven't played in 10 days. They ranked 27th defensively. New Jersey also has a losing home record. 

This is a huge revenge game for the Red Wings. They lost 5-1 to the Senators on Dec. 9 when Dylan Larkin was injured. The Red Wings haven't forgotten about that. Detroit has been playing much better since then going 9-2-1 this month. Ottawa, by contrast, is 5-7-2 this month.

The Red Wings have been idle since Saturday, while the Senators are in action for the fourth time in seven days.

Nashville is one of the better road teams in the NHL and has a goalie edge with Juuse Saros back in net. Saros was rested in the Predators' last game, a 4-1 loss to the Oilers this past Saturday. Edmonton has won 16 in a row. The Predators held the Oilers to only 21 shots on goal. That was the second-fewest shots Edmonton took all season.

Ottawa is just .500 at home. The Senators pulled their goalie, Joonas Korpisalo, in their last game, a 7-2 loss to the Rangers two days ago.

The Senators rank third-from-the-bottom in defense and in penalty killing.

The Predators have dominated this series going 10-1-3 during the last 14 meetings.

The Kings are becoming a near auto-fade under Todd McLellan as the All-Star break draws near. LA is 2-12 in its last 14 games. The Kings just lost at home as huge favorites to the Sharks and Sabres this past Wednesday blowing a 3-1 lead.

I don't see the Kings bouncing back against the Avalanche, winners of 12 of their last 16 games. I see the Kings as a dead team going into break and McLellan perhaps getting fired.

Colorado is averaging 4.6 goals a game in its last 11 games. The Kings are averaging just two goals a game during their past five games.

I'm looking for a strong bounce back game from Dallas after the Stars lost, 5-1, to the Flyers at home two days ago. That was the Stars' most lopsided defeat since Dec. 9.

Dallas is a strong road team - 12-5-2-1 - and the third-highest scoring team in the NHL.

New Jersey ranks 28th defensively. The Devils also carry a high fatigue rating. They beat the Blue Jackets, 4-1, in Columbus last night. So they are playing without rest and also for the fourth time in six days.

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.

Losers of eight of their last 11 games and thin at center without injured leading scorer Jack Eichel, the Golden Knights can not be favored. Certainly not here against Nashville.

The Predators are 5-2 in their last seven games. They are 6-1 in their last seven road games and have scored 3 or more goals in each of their last eight games. 

The Golden Knights are averaging only 1.7 goals in their last nine games. 

Carolina is riding a four-game winning streak. But I'm going to step in against the Hurricanes based on the spot.

This is the Hurricanes' final game of a three-game road swing in which they secured victories against the Rangers in an underdog role and Maple Leafs. Carolina returns home following this matchup only to meet the Blues there for a Saturday game.

Carolina has a right to feel fat and happy, while also anxious to get home for the first time in a week.

The Capitals are in a more desperate state, having lost five of their past six games. This includes a 6-3 loss to the Devils in the first of a five-game homestand two days ago. Washington had upset the Penguins on the road in its previous game. The Capitals also beat Carolina on the road in the team's lone meeting this season.

I'm going to ride Calgary, which is 5-2 in its last seven games and getting excellent net play from Jacob Markstrom, who has a .936 save percentage in his last six games. The Flames have given up two or fewer goals in five of their last seven games.

Nashville is 2-3 in its past five games. The Predators have permitted five goals in four of their last nine games. They've been without defenseman Tyson Barrie during their past four 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.

The Rangers are hot and in an excellent situational spot here. New York is riding a three-game winning streak, including scoring impressive consecutive road victories against the Maple Leafs and Bruins. New York last played on Tuesday. So the Rangers have had ample time to get home and be ready for this matchup.

Edmonton beat the Devils on the road, 6-3, Thursday night. This will be the Oilers' third game in four nights and second in two days.

The Oilers are potent offensively, but have holes defensively. They are giving up an average of 4.5 goals in their last four games. The Oilers rank 26th defensively compared to the Rangers, who allow the eighth-fewest goals per game.

This is a circle-the-wagons game for the Hurricanes. They've been pointing to this marquee matchup and I believe they get it done.

Carolina has dropped the first two games of its homestand losing in a shootout and in overtime.

Both of Las Vegas' goalies, Adin Hill and Logan Thompson, are nursing injuries.

This also is the Golden Knights' first road game in 10 days.

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.

When you have to count on Tom Wilson to do most of your goal-scoring your offense is in trouble. That's what's going on with the Capitals, who rank second-to-last in goals scored at 2.2 per game. Wilson, more goon/enforcer than scorer, has produced four of Washington's last six goals. 

I don't like this situational spot for Washington either.

This is the Capitals' first home since Nov. 24. They just concluded a five-game road trip that finished with a 4-1 loss to Las Vegas this past Saturday and a 6-0 defeat to Arizona this past Monday. Washington's concentration could be off having been gone from home for so long.

The spot also sets up well for Dallas. The Stars are off a poorly-played 5-4 road loss to Florida. The Stars had lost to Tampa Bay in their previous game. You have to go all the way back to last February to find the last time the Stars lost three straight games. 

The Blues are 4-1 in their last five games. They stunned Colorado, 8-2, on the road in their last game this past Saturday. Tampa Bay lost its last two games, both at home to the Blackhawks and to the Hurricanes in their last game four days ago.

Yet the Lightning are a solid road favorite here. The oddsmaker is telling you Tampa Bay is the better team. I agree. The Blues have been playing above their heads.

Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper is really stressing the importance of this road matchup following two straight home defeats. The Lightning didn't have star scorer Nikita Kucherov against Carolina. Kucherov was ill, but he returned to practice yesterday and is expected to play.

The Canadiens are improved this season. They are 4-3 in their last seven games with two of those losses during this span occurring by one goal.

The Canadiens catch the Blues playing without rest after St. Louis upset the Devils, 4-1, last night. St. Louis is 0-6 when playing on zero rest.

The Blues are expected to go with backup Joel Hofer in net.

The Bruins are off to a great start at 7-0-1. They rank first defensively giving up the fewest goals per game. They also have the No. 1 penalty kill unit.

That alone would be enough to back the Bruins. But Boston has had this matchup circled ever since the Panthers pulled a major upset by knocking the Bruins out of the playoffs last season.

The Panthers match up well to Boston. But I want the Bruins going for me in this spot. 

The Kings figure to get the Golden Knights ''A'' game tonight and the situation isn't ideal for them.

Las Vegas suffered its first loss of the season blowing a 2-0 lead at home against the Blackhawks on a rare Friday afternoon game. That defeat stopped the Golden Knights' seven-game win streak to open the season.

The Kings were in Tempe, Ariz. last night where they quickly fell behind the Coyotes, 4-1. Much to their credit, the Kings rallied for an improbable, 5-4, victory scoring three goals in the final period.

That took a lot of effort and grit from the Kings, who had to fly back home in the wee hours of the morning. So Vegas will be the more rested team. The Golden Knights are the far superior defensive team and they will have had more rest. The Kings rank 25th defensively. The Golden Nuggets give up the second-fewest goals per game.

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.

The Red Wings are the home team. But it's Calgary that has been practicing at Detroit's home facility. While the Flames were in Detroit on Saturday, the Red Wings were pulling off an impressive upset against the Senators in Ottawa on Saturday.

Detroit doesn't have a good record when playing without rest. The Red Wings have lost 69 percent of the past 62 times in that situation.

The Flames have defeated the Red Wings in nine of the last 12 meetings. This is the final game of their five game road trip that has been disappointing so far at 1-3.

The Red Wings are expected to start backup James Reimer in net.

Early revenge spot here for Buffalo. The Islanders scored a goal with fewer than seven minutes left to nip the Sabres, 3-2, at home last Saturday.

The Sabres have been home since that game. The Islanders emptied the tank trying to beat the Devils at home last night, but fell, 5-4, in overtime. The Islanders have been missing defenseman Scott Mayfield.

This is the Islanders' first road game and first game without rest. The Islanders gave up nearly a goal more on the road than at home last season. New York also has lost its last five road games to the Sabres.

The 0-2 Sabres are due to get their first win. The situation sets up for them here drawing the struggling Lightning, who still could be missing team captain Steve Stamkos.

Tampa Bay is playing its third road game in four days. The Sabres have been idle since Saturday.

The Lightning are struggling in net without Andrei Vasilevskiy allowing 4.67 goals per game. Tampa Bay's defense hasn't helped its inexperienced goalies, Jonas Johansson and Matt Tomkins. The Lightning have given up the most shots on goal and third-most high-danger scoring chances.

The Lightning are off consecutive road defeats to the Red Wings and Senators. The Sabres are better than those two teams.

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 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.

Down 0-2 to the Panthers - with both losses occurring at home and in overtime - it's maybe best for the Hurricanes they go on the road now. Carolina has to be totally focused and unfazed.

The Hurricanes have outshot the Panthers, 103-86, and had good scoring looks. But bad luck and unexpected strong goaltending from 34-year-old Sergei Bobrovsky, who hasn't been nearly that good up to this point of the season, has stymied the Hurricanes.

I see that changing in this Game 3, however.

Florida is on a tremendous roll winning nine of its last 10. But the Panthers haven't been dominant. They are 6-0 in overtime games during this time frame.

Despite the two losses in a row, the Hurricanes are 50-24 in their last 74 games. They also are 7-3 during their past 10 visits to the Panthers.

I'm not convinced that the Panthers are the superior team. I certainly don't see Florida sweeping. This is Carolina's game to win.

Price and value. That's what this Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals comes down to.

Florida has played once in eight days. Carolina has played once in nine days. But the last game these two teams played was this past Thursday night/early Friday morning in Carolina. It went within 12 seconds of going into a fifth overtime.

The road underdog Panthers won it.

Now there's a huge randomness factor with the teams not just playing only once in more than a week, but how they react to that epic four overtime game. Florida is on house money leading 1-0 in the series. The Hurricanes have to be down both physically and more important emotionally. They have little time to regroup. And the pressure is all on them.

I see this game as a toss-up. So getting this nice plus price on the Panthers makes sense.

The Panthers have more than proven themselves on the road in the postseason winning seven of eight away playoff games. They are on a seven-game road win streak having defeated the Bruins three consecutive times in Boston and Maple Leafs three times in a row in Toronto entering this series.

Florida is 13-3 in its last 16 road contests. The Panthers also have beaten the Hurricanes six of the past eight times.

I'm going to ride the Devils in their Game 4 series matchup hosting the Hurricanes following their 8-4 home win this past Sunday. That win greatly boosted the Devils' confidence after they lost the first two games of the series in Carolina. I'm expecting a strong carryover effect for New Jersey.

I'm not sold on any of Carolina's goalies following that Devils' four-goal victory. Frederik Andersen played so poorly in Game 3 he was pulled. Antti Raanta has been sick. He's also been much worse on the road where he's 1-6 the past seven times in net with an .884 save percentage.

The Devils were able to establish their speed game at home in Game 3, something they weren't able to do in Carolina when they were too tentative.

New Jersey has won eight of its last 10 home games. The Devils also have beaten the Hurricanes seven of the last nine times when hosting them.

The Oilers have one of the great power plays of all-time. They are home now and coming off an impressive 5-1 road victory against the Golden Knights this past Saturday to even this playoff series at 1-1.

But I find the underdog Knights an outstanding value play. Las Vegas has proven resilient all season. The Knights are an excellent road team, much deeper than the Oilers and better than the Oilers when the teams are at full strength.

Only twice have the Knights lost two consecutive games since the All-Star break. They are 10-2 after giving up five or more goals in their previous game. Las Vegas tied for the second-most road points during the regular season and are 11-3 in its past 14 away games. The Knights have outscored the Oilers, 5-3, in the series when the teams were skating five-on-five.

The Oilers can't match Las Vegas' tremendous depth. The Knights are one of the few teams with four strong forward lines and three solid defensive pairings.

Edmonton's strength is its tremendous power play unit. The Knights, though, were the least penalized team in the NHL during the regular season. So the Knights have the right antidote to the Oilers' greatest strength.

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.

The Rangers are right where they want to be - on the road and in a Game 7 playoff series.

The Rangers are 8-3 in their last 11 visits against the Devils. Road teams are 31-18 (63%) in the playoffs this season. The No. 1 seeded Bruins and defending champion Avalanche were just eliminated yesterday on their home ice in Game 7 matchups. The Rangers went 2-0 in the Stanley Cup playoffs last year in Game 7's.

The Devils haven't won a playoff series in 11 seasons.

New Jersey could have won the series this past Saturday, but were soundly thrashed, 5-2, in Game 6.

That sets up this Game 7. I like the Rangers' momentum, track record and goalie edge.

Rookie Akira Schmid finally was exposed in net by the Rangers in Game 6. Devils coach Lindy Ruff pulled him after Schmid gave up five goals on 29 shots. Vitek Vanecek went back in goal. Vanecek was the goalie for the first two games of the series and was terrible, surrendering nine goals on 52 shots. So Ruff has a tough, unattractive goalie choice.

The Rangers, on the other hand, have an elite goalie, Igor Shesterkin, who is playing well. Shesterkin has a 1.79 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage in the series.

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.

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.

We know the Maple Leafs' choking playoff history. They haven't advanced past the first round since 2004. 

But the buy sign is on Toronto now. The Maple Leafs came back from a 7-3 Game 1 embarrassment to blow out the Lightning, 7-2, this past Thursday. 

It's not just renewed confidence for the Maple Leafs. The Lightning are down from years past. They are not in particularly good form having lost five of their last seven games and they could be missing key defensemen Victor Hedman and Erik Cernak for a second straight game. Both were injured in Game 1. Hedman, in particular, is important. 

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.

The Wild played a gutty game in upsetting the Stars, 3-2, in double overtime this past Monday in Dallas to win Game 1 of this Stanley Cup series.

Dallas had won six in a row prior to Monday's game. I like the Stars to come back and win this Game 2 at home.

The Stars dominated the Wild during the third period and in the overtimes with more shots and scoring chances.

But the Wild were able to withstand the pressure despite missing two key players, defenseman John Klingberg and forward Joel Eriksson, their third-leading goal scorer. Both are questionable for this Game 2.

The Stars are looking to win the Central Division. I don't see the Blues tripping them up.

Dallas is 6-1 in its last seven games, riding a four-game win streak.

The Stars have a strong history against bad teams going 45-21 the past 66 times for 68 percent.

The Blues, by contrast, are 8-20 the past 28 times they've played above .500 opponents.

The Golden Knights have playoff seeding incentive and this spot sets up well for them.

Las Vegas last was in action this past Saturday, losing on the road to Dallas, 2-1. The Golden Knights have been home since.

Seattle, meanwhile, is in action for the fourth time in six days and playing without rest after beating Arizona on the road, 4-1, last night.

The teams meet again in the final regular season game Thursday. That game will be played in Seattle.

The Golden Knights are 11-3 in their last 14 home games. They are 5-1 in their last six games against the Kraken. This is their spot to win.

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.

The Golden Knights are a strong road team. But the Wild are a strong home team, playing with short revenge and have dominated the Golden Knights at Xcel Energy Center going 7-1-2.

Minnesota coach Dean Evason questioned his team's energy following the Wild's 4-1 loss to Las Vegas on the road this past Saturday.

I'm expecting a great amount of intensity from the Wild here especially from goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, going against his former team.

The Wild have won 16 of their last 22 games. They are 24-11-3 at home this season. Long-term, Minnesota has won 70 percent of its last 108 home contests.

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.

This matchup may look good on paper, but the Devils are in far superior current form. They have won three in a row and nine of their last 10 home games. They catch the Lightning going through their worst stretch.

Tampa Bay is 2-7 in its last nine games. The Lightning's lone wins during this span have come against two terrible teams - the Blackhawks and Flyers.

Andrei Vasilevskiy has been cold in net, too, for the Lightning.

Look for the Jets to play well in this spot back home from a 1-3 road trip. Winnipeg is 20-8 at Canada Life Centre, including winning the past three times there. 

The Jets have won three in a row against the Avalanche, too, including twice this season. 

Colorado has won three consecutive games, but won't have star defenseman Cale Makar. He's out due to post-concussion symptoms. The Avalanche also hasn't played in four days. That's too much time off this late in the season. So their momentum could be derailed. 

Winnipeg is 7-1 at home versus Central Division foes. I'm expecting Connor Hellebuyck to be in net. He stopped 40 shots when the Jets shut out the Avalanche, 5-0, when they last met on Nov. 29. 

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. 

It's not often the Coyotes are favored. But it's justified in this matchup.

Arizona is tough at home playing on the Arizona State campus in a small arena. The Coyotes are 12-8-2 at home this season.

Columbus is 6-17-2 on the road. The Blue Jackets just upset the Stars, 4-1, as a heavy road underdog on Saturday. They were 1-5 in their previous six games. This marks their fourth game in six days.

The Coyotes also played Saturday nearly pulling out a win against the Kings after trailing, 5-1. They should ride that momentum given the poor opponent and being home.

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.

Now that they are healthy, the Avalanche are superior to the Penguins. They also went into the All-Star break playing much better than Pittsburgh.

Colorado is 7-1 in its last eight games. Pittsburgh is 1-3 in its last four and 5-12 in its last 17 games.

The Avalanche get a boost to their defense with Bowem Byram expected to play after missing three months with a lower body injury. The Penguins aren't likely to have back their No. 1 goalie, Tristan Jarry.

Colorado has won 39 of its last 58 road games. I give the Avalanche edges in all three areas - offensive, defense and goaltending. So they are an easy choice at this price.

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.

Lost in the glare of the Bruins' brilliant season has been the Hurricanes. Carolina is 21-6 in its last 27 games, including 4-0 in its past four games.

The rested Hurricanes host the Bruins, who just suffered a brutal road overtime 4-3 loss to the Panthers on Saturday when Florida tied the game with 2.4 seconds left.

The Bruins are banged-up down a couple of starters and playing for the third time in four days and without rest.

Carolina has had this game marked since a 3-2 overtime road loss to the Bruins on Nov. 25. The Hurricanes have beaten the Bruins five straight times in Carolina.

The Kings have won three in a row, averaging five goals a game during this span. They've been idle since Wednesday and won't play again for five more days. So LA should have its full focus to defeat the Devils, who beat the Ducks last night.

The Devils are 7 -20 the past 27 times they've played without rest. Even with that win against Anaheim, the Devils are 6-8-2 in their last 16 games.

Los Angeles has won seven of its last nine home games. The Kings also have defeated New Jersey in four of the last five meetings.

Saturday Free Play

Blackhawks plus $2.15 hosting Kraken 

The Kraken are only in their second year in the NHL. Yet they've already accomplished something that hasn't been done since 2015 - win the first six games of a road trip.

Seattle has just one game left on its seven-game, 12-day road swing: this one against the lowly Blackhawks.

The Kraken just upset the Bruins, 3-0, on Thursday thus dealing NHL-leading Boston its first regulation loss of the season at home. It probably was Seattle's finest game of the season.

It also puts the Kraken in a huge letdown spot. At more than 2-to-1 odds, I'll take a shot on the Blackhawks.

Chicago is tied with Columbus for the fewest points in the league. However, the Blackhawks are playing well on a three-game win streak. There's a strong chance the Blackhawks get Patrick Kane back. He's their second-leading points producer despite being out since Jan. 3 because of a lower-body injury.

The Kraken are anxious to come home. They host the Lightning on Monday. Seattle is 2-8 the past 10 times it has played in a four-game, six-day situation.

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.

The Sharks have won two in a row. They are getting healthier and have dominated the Kings in LA winning 15 of the last 19 times there.

LA returns home following a huge upset road win against the Bruins two days ago. The Kings are 0-6 following a victory. They also are 1-4 in their last five home games.

The Sharks are well rested having last played on Tuesday while this marks the Kings' fifth game in eight days.

San Jose could have a goalie edge. James Reimer has been confirmed as its starter. The Kings could go with Pheonix Copley instead of Johnathan Quick.

The Islanders are in circle-the-wagons mode with six losses in their last eight games. They've played tough against elite foes - a 4-3 shootout loss to the Bruins on the road this past Tuesday for example - but have played down to the level of their competition. That happened to them last night in Arizona when they to the Coyotes, 5-4. 

The Golden Knights return to Las Vegas fat and happy winning both games of their road trip that concluded Thursday night in Chicago. Las Vegas is 14-2-1 on the road, but just 8-7 on home ice.

The Golden Knights are 1-4 in their last five home games with the lone victory during this span occurring in overtime against the Flyers. 
I think the Islanders produce a strong effort and game here. So given the spot and the Golden Knights' spotty home record, I'll take a good price on the 'dog. 

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.

I see a buy sign on the Blues here as they catch the Jets fat and happy. 

The Blue received a huge needed dose of confidence snapping their four-game losing streak with a 7-4 road win against the Islanders two days ago. St. Louis achieved this despite missing winger Pavel Buchnevich and defenseman Torey Krug. Both are questionable here. 

The Jets concluded a 3-1 homestand with a highly satisfying 5-2 victory against the Panthers and their former coach Paul Maurice this past Tuesday. 

This will be Winnipeg's first away game since Nov. 27. 

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.

Note a very early start time here. It's important in fading the Rangers in this spot.

The Rangers just concluded a four-game West Coast trip late Wednesday night. So they had to fly cross country on Thanksgiving. This will be their third game in five days. It's almost like playing a fourth game in five days, though, because of the early start time.

The Oilers won't be bothered by this. They've been in New York the past few days. They last played at the Islanders on Wednesday.

The Rangers are 2-6 in their last eight home games. The Oilers have defeated the Rangers in five of the past six meetings. The Oilers have a winning road mark.

If it wasn't for an overtime road loss to the Lightning, the Stars would be on a four-game win streak.

Dallas will have Jake Oettinger in net and catch the Avalanche fat and happy along with being severely short-handed while playing their third road game in five days.

Despite missing numerous key players, the Avalanche are 2-0 on their three-game road trip getting past Carolina in overtime and shutting out Washington this past Saturday night. Those two foes outshot the Avalanche by a combined 36 shots.

Colorado won't be able to get away with that against the Stars in Dallas. The two teams meet again on Saturday night in Denver. That figures to be a better spot for the Avalanche.

The Kings are one of the better road teams. But they haven't been able to win in Vancouver, losing the past five times there. The Canucks are 7-1 in their last eight overall games against the Kings.

I see the Canucks continuing their dominance against the Kings.

Vancouver received a much-needed victory hanging on for a 5-4 win against the Sabres this past Wednesday to close out a five-game road trip in which the Canucks had lost the first four games. Now the Canucks are back home. They should be up for this game with Bruce Boudreau coaching for his job.

The Kings defeated the Oilers on the road, 3-1, this past Wednesday scoring an empty-net goal during the final minute to account for the final. The Kings had played five straight one-goal games prior to Wednesday.

This is a case of taking a nice plus price with a pair of struggling teams.

Buffalo has lost six in a row. Before the losing streak, the Sabres had been showing good improvement. They rank sixth in the league in scoring.

The Senators have been even worse losing eight of their last nine games. I don't see any improvement from the Senators. Things aren't going to be any easier for Ottawa during the next week or so because its top defenseman, Thomas Chabot, is out with a concussion.

I find this a cheap price to back the Islanders against the Senators, a team they have dominated. The Islanders are 9-1 during the last 10 games in this series.

The Islanders are playing well winning eight of their last 10. That's not the case for the Senators, who are 1-7 in their last eight games. Ottawa has lost four in a row at home. The Islanders are 4-1 in their past five road contests.

New York should have an edge in net as the projected goalies are Ilya Sorokin and Anton Forsberg for Ottawa. Sorokin has a 2.17 GAA this season. He stopped 56 of 60 shots in two games against the Senators last season. Forsberg has struggled during his last five games posting a 4.46 GAA.

The Islanders rank fifth defensively, while the Senators are 26th.

This is a buy-low spot on the superior Penguins. Pittsburgh is at low ebb having lost three in a row. This is the Penguins' finale on a five-game road trip.

Pittsburgh's first two defeats during this losing streak occurred against the Oilers and Flames. No shame in that. But then the Penguins fell, 5-1, to the Canucks last night. Unacceptable and Penguins coach Mike Sullivan called into question his team's effort. That should be a kick in the pants for the Penguins. The energy should be there since they were idle the previous two days.

Seattle is 1-4 at home this season.

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.

The Maple Leafs are 4-2 the same as Las Vegas. Toronto has won three of its games by one goal. The Maple Leafs are capable of losing to any team. That was proven when they lost, 4-2, to the Coyotes as more than a 5-to-1 favorite. 

The Golden Knights are trying to prove they still are a viable playoff team. They've been getting strong goalie play, which was a question entering the season. 

Las Vegas lost, 3-2, to Colorado at home this past Saturday. Toronto opened its five-game road trip with a 4-1 victory against Winnipeg this past Saturday.

I find value on Las Vegas in this spot as a home 'dog. 

The Blackhawks aren't going to win many games this season. But they capped off their three-game West Coast trip with a victory against the Sharks. Now they are in Chicago for their home opener, fat and happy. The Blackhawks last played on Saturday. Six days between games is too long, especially so early in the season.

The Red Wings are the better team. They've been off for three days after suffering a 5-4 overtime victory against the Kings on Monday. Detroit had won its first two games beating the Canadiens and Devils on the road. The Red Wings will be refreshed like the Blackhawks, but not as rusty.

Detroit has improved its depth through free agency and trades. The Red Wings aren't so dependent on just one line anymore. They can handle bad teams such as the Blackhawks.

It has been three days since the Coyotes stunned the Maple Leafs on the road, 4-2. Toronto was better than a 5-1 favorite in that game. 

The Maple Leafs conclude their four-game homestand here looking for redemption following that stunning loss to Arizona. 

Dallas is playing well. But the Stars are 2-6 in their last eight road games, going back to last season. Toronto is 40-16 in its last 56 home games.

The Stars have lost in seven of their past nine visits to Toronto. 

This spot sets up extremely well for Nashville. The Predators last played on Saturday. They host the Kings, who edged the Red Wings, 5-4, in overtime last night. Not only are the Kings playing without rest, but are in action for the fourth time in six days.

The rested Predators should be extremely focused having lost both ends of a home-and-away series to the Stars during their two previous games. Nashville has the offense to take advantage of a weak Kings defense that has allowed 18 goals in their last four games. Predators goalie Juuse Saros is superior to either of LA's goalies, Jonathan Quick or Cal Peterson.

Nashville has defeated the Kings in nine of the past 11 meetings. The Predators have won the last four times they've hosted the Kings.

The schedule maker didn't do Colorado any favors. The Avalanche opened their season rolling past the Blackhawks, 5-2, at home this past Wednesday. But right after that game the Avalanche had to travel to Calgary where they lost, 5-3, to the Flames.

Colorado has been idle since. The high-scoring Avalanche should have plenty of energy and fire power to take advantage of Minnesota's early defensive trouble.

The Wild have surrendered seven goals each to the Rangers and Kings to open their season. Marc-Andre Fleury has looked terrible in net. He was replaced in both games by backup Filip Gustavsson. The Avalanche have been deadly on the power play going 5-for-10 through their first two games.

Free Monday Play

Avalanche-Wild Over 6 1/2 minus $1.07

You better be playing solid defense if you're playing the Avalanche. Minnesota hasn't. The Wild have allowed seven goals in each of their first two games. I've never seen goalie Marc-Andre Fleury start so cold. He's been pulled in both games having given up 8.36 goals per game with a .776 save percentage. The Wild are alarmed enough to start backup goalie Filip Gustavsson today.

Colorado was the fourth-highest scoring team in the league last season. The Avalanche were the No. 1 scoring team during the playoffs. They are averaging 4.0 goals during their first two games this season. 

The Avalanche hasn't been getting good goalie work either, though. Their net is patrolled by a pair of backups, Pavel Francouz and Alexandar Georgiev, who likely will draw the start here. 

The Wild have scored nine goals in their first two games against the Rangers and Kings. 

So it shouldn't be asking too much of each team to produce at least three goals. 

There's a certain randomness to this opening night matchup between the Bruins and Capitals because of injuries. Boston won't have Brad Marchand while the Capitals are missing Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Wilson and perhaps T.J. Oshie. There are others missing but those are the big names. 

Randomness is good for the underdog. So is a strong road record, which the Bruins had last season going 25-13-3. Washington wasn't a strong home team either finishing 19-16-6. 

The Bruins are expected to have Jeremy Swayman in net. He played his best on the road with a 13-6-2 record, 2.08 GAA and a .926 save percentage. Darcy Kuemper is set to make his Capitals debut. He had an excellent season last year, but now is with a new team with new defensemen. So there could be an adjustment period. 

Boston has defeated Washington in six of the last seven meetings, including going 2-1 versus the Capitals last season. 

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.