10* WASHINGTON - The Capitals got outplayed by the Penguins Tuesday. The game went to OT but the Caps were severely outshot by the Pens. I look for Washington to make up for that here. Keep in mind, 3 of the 4 wins that Pittsburgh has in these teams match-ups this season have come in OT or the SO. Also, the game prior to Tuesday's was a 3-1 Capitals win in which they outshot the Penguins by a 42 to 27 margin. Pittsburgh has been very strong on home ice this season but their win on Tuesday was just their 3rd win in 9 road games this season. Washington's players will be highly motivated and focused here on a strong effort after being unimpressive for too many stretches of Tuesday's game. The Capitals have just one regulation loss in last five games and get back on track here with their 4th win in 6 games. Look for the Penguins to drop to 0-3 this season when they are on the road and coming off a win. 10* WASHINGTON

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #64 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers got hammered by their newest nemesis, the Bruins, on Sunday in the outdoor game at Lake Tahoe. Philadelphia didn't play all that bad early on considering how short-handed they were because of covid but the game got away from them in the latter half of the 2nd period. The problem is goalie Carter Hart really struggled. That happens sometimes and he'll get a break here and Brian Elliott will get the start. He has been great this season and the Flyers will play extra strong here on home ice as they look to atone for the beating they took at the hands of Boston. Note that the Flyers also are expected to get a boost with the return of captain Claude Giroux from the health protocol list. At the same time the Flyers are getting a boost the Rangers are dealing with a major problem. New York has impressed this season with stronger defensive play and goaltending than expected. However, the Rangers often struggle to score goals. One of the keys to them generating a lot of offensive zone time and great scoring chances seems to be when Artemi Panarin is on the ice. However, he is now out after the big story broke in Russia about past allegations against him. Whether the story is true or fabricated, it has the Rangers missing their best playmaker on offense plus has created a distraction. The Flyers lost in the shootout the last time they faced the Rangers. That is one of only two losses they have this season against teams not named the Bruins as they have now won 8 of 10 games this season other than being winless against Boston. The home team gets their revenge here. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #87 Wednesday 8* Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ Florida Panthers @ 5 ET - The Stars got embarrassed on Monday after a long layoff as the Panthers outshot them 52 to 25 in that game. It was only the strong play of Anton Khudobin that kept them in the game. It was a horrible 2nd period that did in Dallas as the shots were nearly equal in the 1st and 3rd periods. That said, and now that they have their skating legs back, the Stars will be much better in the rematch tonight and I look for them get revenge. Yes Florida is off to a strong start this season but lets not forget this Dallas team was battling with the Lightning for the Stanley Cup in September. This Stars team is a good team and will be ready to respond in a huge way here. 8* DALLAS

Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #85 Wednesday 8* Carolina Hurricanes Money Line (+) @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 5:05 ET - This is a rematch of a Monday game. In that one the Bolts came in determined to get a win as they lost the first two meetings with the Canes by a combined score of 5-0. So of course the defending Stanley Cup Champions really wanted that game. Ultimately the did prevail but it was not easy. The Hurricanes scored first, the game was tied 2-2 going to final period, and in that 3rd period the Canes outshot TB 17-10. So even though Tampa Bay got the deciding goal mid-3rd period and later added an empty netter, it was not an easy win to say the least. That said, I really like Carolina in this rematch at Tampa. The Hurricanes, overall, are the hungrier team this season. It is so hard to repeat as champs and the Bolts just hoisted the Stanley Cup less than 5 months ago. Don't get me wrong, the Lightning are still a great team and have a great goaltender but will the hunger level be there all season? I just don't see that and this looks like a great spot to back a strong team at an underdog price that is very hungry for a win here. I'll take it! 8* CAROLINA

NBCSN Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #51 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Penguins are seeking revenge for a 3-1 loss to the Capitals last Tuesday. While I certainly do expect Pittsburgh to respond here, I do not trust them to keep pucks out of their own net. The Pens have allowed an average of 4 goals per game in road games this season. As for the Capitals, they might have Ilya Samsonov finally back between the pipes tonight but it is hard to trust the netminder with how much time he has missed. Either way, no matter who Washington has in the crease for this one, this is a Caps team that has allowed 3 or more goals in 8 of last 10 games. I just don't see either team from being prevented from getting to the 3-goal mark here and, of course, that number would guarantee us of at least a 4-3 final. These teams had reached at least 7 goals in each of their last 6 meetings prior to the 3-1 Capitals win last week. Those 6 games averaged 8 goals per game. Also, neither team has played that well on the penalty kill this season and the Washington power play is cashing in at a 33% clip! 10 of last 15 Capitals games have totaled 7 or more goals. The Penguins come into this game with having scored 3 or more goals in all but one of their last 6 games and that was the 3-1 loss to the Caps. It is payback time here for the Pens but I don't trust their netminding or defensive play and, as a result, I like this one to turn into a very high-scoring affair. 10* OVER the total in Pittsburgh

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #83 Tuesday 10* Top Play Buffalo Sabres Money Line (+) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - This is a back to back spot for the Sabres but it is not as if the odds makers were not aware of that when they posted the money line on this game. That said, it has continued to spike toward the Devils and I am happy to grab the additional value with the road dog in this one. Buffalo actually outshot a very stingy Islanders team last night by a solid margin and yet still fell just short on the scoreboard by a single goal. This will only strengthen the Sabres resolve in terms of tonight's game. Not only that they do have Carter Hutton to tend goal tonight after Linus Ullmark was between the pipes last night. Hutton has allowed just a single goal in each of his two road appearances this season and I look for him to get the job done here against a Devils team that is a big over-rated in my opinion. Also, the Sabres are a respectable 3-3-3 on the road this season while the Devils have lost 4 of 6 home games this season. In other words, the home ice "edge" is truly not even an "edge" in this early season match-up. I know it is a revenge game for New Jersey but the Sabres are just as hungry for this one after last night's loss which, again, was a quite impressive performance against an Islanders team that is generally tough to play against. I like what I am seeing from the Sabres right now and will back them as a dog here. 10* BUFFALO

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #75 Monday 8* Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - This is a contrarian play all the way but, think about it, how can a Panthers team that is 11-3-2 this season open up on home ice as only a pick'em against a Stars team that has lost 5 straight games and 7 of last 8 and also hasn't played a game in over a week? Something looks fishy here for sure, eh? Exactly! That is part of the reason I am playing ON Dallas here! Another reason is because remember their start to this season was also delayed. That was because of covid issues and one thought this would put the Stars at a severe disadvantage. However, they proceeded to open up the season with a 7-0 blowout win and that began a streak of 4 straight wins. Look for the Stars to again surprise the betting markets and also surprise the Panthers in this one. There is a reason this game was priced this way. 8* DALLAS

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #35 Monday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (+) @ Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - Great situational set up here as the Maple Leafs are off a big win over Montreal - which was also Toronto's 3rd straight overall - while the Flames are off an embarrassing loss (7-1) at Edmonton. This situation will bring out the best in Calgary and the road team is 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams. That includes the Leafs taking each of the first two meetings this season at Calgary even though the Flames did hold an edge on shots in each game. Both those match-ups were very close and Calgary is fired up for revenge after they fell just short. The Flames lost each of those games by a single goal and will prove to be the much hungrier team in this one tonight which means we are getting excellent line value with the road dog here. 10* CALGARY

TV Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Boston Bruins @ 7:35 in Stateline, NV - Lake Tahoe - The Flyers are missing some players. But there is simply too much line value here to pass up. Keep in mind this is an outdoor game. It is a unique game in a unique setting and if you're going to offer a high-quality team with high-quality goaltending a +160 price in a neutral site setting it is something I will not pass up on. This is particularly true because the Bruins are also down a couple solid players and plus Boston hasn't exactly been piling up the goals of late. In fact, the Bruins have averaged only 1.8 goals per game in regulation time of their last 5 games. Also, Boston enters this game off back to back losses by a combined score of 7 to 4. It is simply hard to justify the Bruins being such a huge favorite in a neutral site game in which the Flyers have come up with some creative line combos too that are geared toward continuing to frustrate the Bruins attack. Too much line value to pass up here. This is a money line that was once as high as -200 and the fact it has come down substantially from that, despite the Flyers missing some key guys, tells you that there is some sharp money on the big dog in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA

National TV Day Game - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #87 Sunday 8* OVER 6 goals in Washington Capitals vs New Jersey Devils @ 2:05 ET - Both teams were in action yesterday. This stresses a team's goalie situation and the goaltending spot was already an issue for the Capitals. Samsonov has been trying to get back into shape after missing time due to covid protocol situation. So Vanecek has been getting the starts but now he would have to go again in a back to back or we we see a still-rehabbing Samsonov or a long-time veteran Craig Anderson who has hardly played over the past year. None of these situations is particularly appealing for the Caps in the crease. As for the Devils, they used Blackwood yesterday so we are likely to see Wedgewood today. Note that Wedgewood has struggled in recent starts plus also has struggled on the road this season. That said, look for plenty of goals in this one as both teams are hungry to bounce back off losses and will be aggressive on the attack but both also have issues in goal for this one. 8* OVER 6 goals in Washington

TV Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #5 Saturday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - Penguins got a rare dominating win, 4-1, over an Islanders team that had been playing very well. That happened on Thursday and now, on Saturday, the Isles get a chance at payback! New York had been on an 8-game points streak plus had won 5 of 6 games prior to that ugly loss to the Pens. In those 5 wins the Islanders allowed an average of only 1.2 goals per game and this is typical Isles hockey under head coach Barry Trotz. That is what I am expecting to see tonight as they bounce back from the loss and take advantage of this shot at immediate revenge. Not only are the Islanders the better team 5 on 5 in terms of limiting opponents chances, they also are the better team from a special teams perspective thus far this season. In comparison with the Penguins, the Isles have been the better team on the power play and on the penalty kill. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Afternoon Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #4 Saturday 8* Colorado Avalanche Money Line (-) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 3:05 ET - Two very strong teams. I still feeel that the Avalanche are the better team however and they are getting healthier now. Their first game back after a layoff was a 1-0 loss to the Knights but the Avs arguably deserved better and certainly got stronger as they game went on. They pulled strength from that effort and then beat Vegas 3-2 in the next game. Here is a big key about the Golden Knights though that many have not picked up on just yet. Vegas is struggling badly in terms of goal scoring in 5 on 5 hockey. Not including power play goals, Vegas has scored a TOTAL of only TWO goals their last FOUR games. The Avalanche are loaded with firepower and their ability to create high-quality scoring chances is going to be a key in this outdoor game. 5 on 5 hockey has high probability of determining the winner in this game and the Avs hold the edges in that regard. 8* COLORADO

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #10 Saturday 8* Washington Capitals Money Line (-) vs New York Rangers @ 12:35 ET - Capitals have revenge from a 4-2 loss to the Rangers a few weeks ago. Since that New York win, the Rangers actually had lost every single game until a win over the Flyers Thursday. That came in the shootout and actually sets this one up perfectly. The Rangers have lost 3 of 4 this season when entering a game off a win. The Capitals enter this game off back to back wins and have allowed just 1 goal in each of those games. They are back on track and getting healthier after all the covid issues impacted them for awhile. Now it is payback time. 8* WASHINGTON

Puck Line Punisher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #68 Friday 8* Detroit Red Wings Puck Line +1.5 goals -153 vs Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - The Red Wings have remained ultra competitive despite their overall poor record this season. Detroit is off a 2-0 shutout loss and they opened up the season with a 3-0 shutout loss. However, in between were 16 games of which only 5 resulted in a defeat by more than 1 goal. That said, I like the value with the Red Wings here at +1.5 goals on the puck line in this one. They catch Florida at an ideal time for an upset win as the Panthers are off back to back wins over the Lightning and Hurricanes. Those were key wins for Florida and could leave them a little flat as they now are in 1st in the division and take on a last-place Red Wings team. This one has upset alert written all over it and, if Detroit does fall short, look for the defeat to come by just a single goal in what should be a very competitive game. The Panthers last 9 wins have featured only 2 by more than a 1-goal margin. 8* DETROIT +1.5 goals -153

NHL Network Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #65 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Carolina Hurricanes vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 7:05 ET - The Hurricanes are a strong team and still very potent and capable in the offensive zone. However, Carolina won't be the same in their own end of the ice until they get Petr Mrazek back between the pipes. That is why 8 of their last 9 games have totaled at least 7 goals and I suspect this one will as well. The Canes are coming off a loss and have scored an average of 5 goals per game this season when off a loss. However, Carolina has been struggling to keep the puck out of their own net without Mrazek in there and they have allowed at least 3 goals in 9 straight games. Keep in mind, the Hurricanes are a 2 to 1 favorite here on the money line for a reason so if the odds favor them allowing 3 goals but also favor them winning the game then...bingo...yes we should see at least a 4-3 final here. I know Chicago has been trending toward lower-scoring games but the Blackhawks two match-ups with the Canes this season saw both games go over the total and saw an average of 8 goals scored per game in regulation time of those games. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in Carolina

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #56 Thursday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - I am fully aware of the fact that the Flyers have guys still dealing with restrictions because of covid and that will miss tonight's game. I am also aware that Philadelphia will have some rust after not playing in awhile. However, that also means fresh skating legs for guys and they can get more ice time than they usually would tonight as they certainly have a lot left in the tank. Also, here is where it gets really interesting. Even though the Rangers get Panarin back tonight will he be 100%? I doubt it and the Flyers defense, other than Braun, is likely to be fully involved tonight. This is a key factor because the Rangers often struggle to score goals and I doubt they can match the Flyers tonight in terms of goal-scoring even with Philly down a few guys. Philadelphia has dominated this series in recent seasons and won all 3 meetings last season and outscored the Rangers 15 to 6 in the 3 games. The Rangers have lost 4 straight games entering this contest and have scored an average of just 1 goal per game during this losing streak! The Flyers have averaged scoring 3.4 goals per game this season not including overtime goals. Just too much value with the line drop when you consider all of the above and I am taking the home team at a pick'em price in this one. 8* PHILADELPHIA

NHL Network Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #49 Thursday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - A lot of this below is taken from Tuesday's write-up going against Pittsburgh and then has been updated because I am fading them again here for the same reasons! The Penguins are 7-6-1 this season but are the most fortunate team in the league in my opinion. Only 2 of their 7 wins have come in regulation. Their other 5 wins have come in the shootout or overtime. Also, one of the two wins that was a victory in regulation was a game in which Pittsburgh trailed going to the 3rd period but then won it with a goal with just a minute and a half to go in the game. So the Penguins did not dominate a single game out of their first dozen games this season. That was until they pulled away late in Sunday's win versus Washington for a 'not as easy as it looked' 6-3 win over the Capitals. By the way, Pittsburgh has 5 losses this season by a multiple-goal margin with 3 of those coming by 3 goals apiece! In summation, this team is still very over-rated right now so we are getting line value with an Islanders team that comes into this game surging plus seeking revenge for a loss in their most recent meeting with the Penguins and, naturally, that Pittsburgh win came in extra time! That Pens win was in the shootout and now the Islanders are looking to avenge that here! The Isles have been the much better club early this season in terms of special teams play with their penalty kill ranking an edge and their power play ranking an edge over that of the Penguins. Big time payback expected here and plus we get the Islanders at a plus money price here since they are on the road. I will take it as New York enters this game on an 8 game points streak. That includes having won 5 of last 6 with the lone loss being the aforementioned shootout loss to the Penguins. Look for a big response here. 10* NY ISLANDERS

NHL Network Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #82 Wednesday 10* Top Play Carolina Hurricanes Money Line (-) vs Florida Panthers @ 5:05 ET - The Hurricanes were as much as a -170 favorite here but have now dropped to as low as a -130 as of game day morning. I know Florida deserves respect but there is a reason this money line was so big on Carolina and it is absolutely justified. The Panthers are off a huge win at Tampa Bay. Beating the defending Stanley Cup champs on their home ice was a big deal whether the arena was packed with fans or not. Florida had not beaten the Lightning there since 2016 and they are, of course, instate rivals. That said, this is a flat spot for the Panthers and I do not see the Hurricanes slowing down here. The Canes are off a huge 7-3 win at Columbus and continue to perform well with James Reimer filling in between the pipes while Petr Mrazek deals with a thumb injury. Carolina is 7-1 in Reimer's 8 appearances and, while his overall numbers may not be spectacular, he is 3-0 with a 2.31 GAA on home ice. The Hurricanes had been dominating the Panthers in recent meetings but lost the most recent game and that was in Carolina about 1 year ago and they lost despite having a 44-22 edge in shots on goal. It is payback time here and the situation is a fantastic one for Florida to get crushed. There are rumors that Alex Nedeljkovic will get the start for the Hurricanes here but, keep in mind, he has allowed just 3 goals in each of his first two appearances and the young goalie got a confidence boost with a shootout win over Dallas in his most recent start. So this is part of what is driving this line lower but, in reality, all it is doing is giving us even more line value with a low line now available on the Canes. I will take it! 10* CAROLINA 

NBC Sports Network Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #29 Tuesday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Penguins are 7-5-1 this season but are the most fortunate team in the league in my opinion. Only 2 of their 7 wins has come in regulation. Their other 5 wins have come in the shootout or overtime. Also, one of the two wins that was a victory in regulation was a game in which Pittsburgh trailed going to the 3rd period but then won it with a goal with just a minute and a half to go in the game. So the Penguins did not dominate a single game out of their first dozen games this season. That was until they pulled away late in Sunday's win versus Washington for a 'not as easy as it looked' 6-3 win over the Capitals. By the way, Pittsburgh has 4 losses by a multiple-goal margin with 3 of those coming by 3 goals apiece! In summation, this team is still very over-rated right now so we are getting line value with a Capitals team that despises them. Yes it is Ovechkin versus Crobsy once again and the Penguins won the first three meetings this season and, naturally, the first two wins came in extra time! One win in the shootout and one in overtime. The only drawback against the Caps on Sunday was that it was their first game in a week but now, after getting their skating legs back in the defeat over the weekend, they are out for triple revenge and will be ready to go here now that they are game-tested again. Also, the Capitals have been the much better club in terms of special teams play with their penalty kill ranking an edge and their power play ranking a huge edge over that of the Penguins. Big time payback expected here and plus we get the Caps at a plus money price here since they are on the road. I will take it! 10* WASHINGTON

Afternoon Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #6 Monday 10* Top Play Arizona Coyotes Money Line (+) vs St Louis Blues @ 4:05 ET - After giving up the tying goal with less than 6 minutes to go in the game Saturday and then losing in overtime to these same Blues, the Coyotes are ready to execute payback Monday. This game is again on their home ice and Arizona has now lost back to back games at home to St Louis. This followed a stretch that saw the Coyotes win 4 of 5 games and that included 3 straight over the Blues. These teams are playing the rubber match of a set of 7 straight games due to quirky scheduling as a result of covid issues around the league and I look for a huge effort from the angry home side here. Arizona had allowed an average of only 1.5 goals per game their last 4 home games prior to now allowing 4 goals in regulation time of each of their last two games against the Blues. Now, after a day off Sunday to regroup, look for the Coyotes to return to their stingy ways on defense and in net and they will frustrate St Louis on their way to a home win here. 10* ARIZONA

Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Sunday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 3:05 ET - The Penguins are 6-5-1 this season but are the most fortunate team in the league in my opinion. Only 1 of their 6 wins has come in regulation. Their other 5 wins have come in the shootout or overtime. Also, that lone victory was a game in which Pittsburgh trailed going to the 3rd period but then won it with a goal with just a minute and a half to go in the game. So the Penguins have not dominated a single game out of a dozen games this season. But, by the way, Pittsburgh has 4 losses by a multiple-goal margin with 3 of those coming by 3 goals apiece! In summation, this team is very over-rated right now so we are getting line value with a Capitals team that despises them. Yes it is Ovechkin versus Crobsy once again and the Penguins won the first two meetings this season and, naturally, both wins came in extra time! One win in the shootout and one in overtime. The only drawback against the Caps here is that this is their first game in a week but they are out for double revenge and will be ready to go here with fresh legs. Also, the Capitals have been the much better club in terms of special teams play with their penalty kill ranking an edge and their power play ranking a huge edge over that of the Penguins. Big time payback expected here and plus we get the Caps at a plus money price here since they are on the road. I will take it! 10* WASHINGTON

8* TAMPA BAY - Florida did not just beat Tampa on Thursday, the Panthers crushed the Lightning by a score of 5 to 2. That makes this a revenge situation that is stronger than a normal one. The defending Stanley Cup champs will come out flying in this one and get their revenge so this is a rare case where I am willing to lay the price. The Lightning entered that game having allowed 2 or less goal in 9 of 11 games this season including giving up just a single goal in 4 straight games. TB is the better team defensively and on the penalty kill and they bounce back here after the loss to these same Panthers Thursday. 8* TAMPA BAY

8* MONTREAL - The Candiens lost to the Maple Leafs Wednesday despite a 35-24 edge in shots on goal. Montreal has now lost both games with Toronto so far this season and that was after entering this season on a winning streak in their match-ups with the Leafs. I look for them to get some payback here after a pair of tight losses have begun their season series with Toronto this year. The Habs have won 5 of 7 road games this season and have yet to lose in regulation away from home. One defeat was in the shootout and the was the tight OT loss that opened up the season at Toronto. The Canadiens are outshooting foes by 6 shots per game while the Maple Leafs allow nearly as many as they take. Montreal had been a perfect 4-0 this season when off a loss but now are off back to back losses as they were shutout by Edmonton Thursday. Look for a huge response from the road team here and they get payback against the rival Leafs. 8* MONTREAL

10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS - The Bruins are certainly playing extremely well but they are also leading a bit of a charmed life so to speak. Boston has been fortunate in some tight wins lately and now plays the 2nd night of a back to back plus faces an Islanders team that has found their game again recently. Off a tough shootout loss to the Penguins which was preceded by back to back wins the Islanders are in solid bounce back mode here. The Isles never trailed in the game against Pittsburgh and gave up the tying goal with under 20 seconds to go. It was a truly bad beat as they had an opportunity (easy one) at the empty net too but the net was off its moorings and so they couldn't ice the game a little before that late Pens goal. All in all the Isles have been playing better of late and they now come in hungry off a tough loss while the Bruins in the 2nd game of a back to back and the win took a lot of effort as Boston had to fight like hell to hang on for a 1-0 win. This one goes to the home dog in my opinion as the Bruins struggle in the back to back and the Islanders come out fighting mad after that loss to the Pens. The Isles have not lost a game in regulation in over two weeks. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #56 Friday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line (+) vs Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - Igor Shesterkin should be back between the pipes for the Rangers in this one and he was great last season and has continued his fantastic play right into this season. The Bruins are a great team but they were in a dog-fight with New York on Wednesday and now they meet again on Friday. Boston eked out the win but I like the Rangers now with having their top goalie again for this one. Also, New York has been playing quite well even in the defensive zone and this is different from Rangers teams of recent seasons. While it may seem tough to fade a strong team like the Bruins here, they are way over-priced if you have been paying attention to how well the Rangers have been playing of late and also the fact that Boston has certainly had some good fortune of late for sure. Bruins are strong solid team but no way should Rangers be a +150 dog here, especially after how their match-up played out on Wednesday night. It is time for some home dog payback here. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #30 Thursday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Penguins have lost 6 of 7 road games this season plus will be playing just their 2nd game in the past 10 days! Rust could be a factor for sure for Pittsburgh whereas the Islanders have played twice in the past 5 days. Also, the home/road dichotomy of the Pens meshes well with that of the Isles here. Prior to their most recent game being a road win over the Rangers, the Islanders had 9 straight games in which the home team won every single game. Look for that strong home trending to continue here. Also, the Isles have held the upper hand in recent match-ups between these teams as they have taken 9 of 12 including 3 in a row. Look for the streak to reach 4 in a row here as the Pens Evgeni Malkin is listed as questionable for this one too and that could be an issue for Pittsburgh in this one as well. These teams have each played 11 games but the Penguins have allowed 3.7 goals per game this season while the Islanders have allowed only 2.5 goals per game this season. Pittsburgh also has some injury issues with some D-men heading into this game too in terms of injury concerns. Home ice and health make the difference here. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #26 Wednesday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (-) vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:35 ET - The Canadiens never trailed the Maple Leafs on opening night and even had a two-goal lead during the game. However, Montreal ended up on the wrong end of an overtime loss and they have had to wait 4 weeks for this rematch and I expect them to make the most of it. This time they meet in Montreal and note that in the first hitting the Habs had 5 more blocked shots and also had 32 hits compared to just 14 for the Leafs. I like what this Montreal club is doing early this season and I expect them to again be very aggressive and hard-hitting here against the Maple Leafs. Montreal knows they are hosting the team that most project to be the top team in the Canadian Division and this match-up means a ton to the Canadiens. Montreal has allowed only 2.2 goals per game their last 8 games. Toronto is off back to back wins over a struggling Canucks team but that was preceded by a 4-game stretch in which the Maple Leafs allowed at least 3 goals in all 4 games. I look for the gritty, revenge-minded Habs to get a hard-fought home ice win here. 10* MONTREAL

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ottawa Senators vs Edmonton Oilers @ 7:05 ET - Mike Smith returned for the Oilers last night and was fantastic in goal. However, with this being a back to back, the struggling Mikko Koskinen is expected to be back between the pipes tonight. Also, Ottawa used #1 goalie Matt Murray last night so that means the back-up Marcus Hogberg likely to get the start tonight. He is 0-4 with a 4.54 GAA this season. With back-up goalies involved and coming off a rare, low-scoring game last night, don't be surprised if this one gets a little crazy. Keep in mind, Ottawa is allowing 4 goals per game this season and Edmonton, prior to last night's game, was on a 6-game stretch that saw them allow 4 goals per game. I am expecting at least a 4-3 type game here but would not be surprised at all if we see 8 or more goals in this one. In other words, great value here. I'll take it. 10* OVER the total in Ottawa

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #67 Monday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - These rivals faced off in their first two games this season and the Islanders won the first in a shutout but then the Rangers took the 2nd game in an embarrassing 5-0 loss for the Isles. That said, the payback is coming here. The road team had won 4 straight meetings prior to the Rangers taking that game back on the 16th of January. Look for the road team dominance in this series to resume here. The Islanders got back on track with a win versus the Penguins Saturday and I look for the Isles to now build on that. They were so close with back to back losses coming after regulation and now that they got the over the hump they won't look back. This is a hockey club much better than the 5-game losing streak would lead you to believe. They were right on the cusp of turning things around and, now that they have done it, they keep it going while getting some revenge here. The Isles catch the Rangers at the right time as the Blueshirts are off key back to back wins over the Penguins and Capitals. The Pens had beaten them 3 straight times so they really wanted that one badly and then got the win over the Caps despite being outshot. The Rangers are still young defensively and the Islanders have the better blue line in my opinion which should key this revenge win. In the Isles 5-0 loss to the Rangers in their most recent meeting the Islanders actually had 20 blocked shots compared to just 6 for the Rangers and they out-hit them 31-22. Look for a physical revenging road team to key the payback here as well after that whitewashing. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #51 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ Washington Capitals @ 12:05 ET - Flyers favored on the road after back to back losses? Must be some kind of mistake, right? In typical contrarian fashion I am backing the side many will not want here. Philadelphia actually has won 4 straight against the Capitals and the last 3 victories have come by a combined margin of 15 to 5. In other words, that is domination and here Philly comes in angry after back to back games they essentially gave away against the Bruins. This followed the Flyers winning 4 straight games and they should get right back on track here. Vitek Vanecek has allowed 7 goals in his last two starts and Ilya Samsonov is still out. Conversely the Flyers should have Carter Hart back in goal for this one plus key D-man Phillip Myers could be back and also center Sean Courturier is nearing a return. Road team rolls the Caps again here just as they have been doing in recent meetings. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #42 Saturday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - How can the Islanders open up as a pick'em here considering they have lost 5 straight games? Exactly! The odds maker knows that this team is much better than their record shows and they will be extra hungry here after back to back losses that each came in overtime against the Flyers. Note that part of the reason the Islanders have struggled out of the gates this season could be attributed to a road-heavy schedule as well. By the way, note that the home team is now a perfect 8-0 in the Islanders last 8 games so betting on home ice in Isles games early this season has been a big money maker. The Islanders have now had a layoff of nearly week but so too have the Penguins. By the way, Pittsburgh will attract market attention here because they had won 5 of 7 before a loss to the Rangers in their most recent game. However, the Penguins 5 wins have featured only 1 in regulation and that one was a bit fortunate by the way too! The other 4 victories have all come in overtime or the shootout. The Pens have been living dangerously without a single win by a multiple-goal margin while 4 of their 5 losses this season have been by 2 or more goals. There is some "sneaky value" here with the Islanders is the point I am making and I'll take it for a top play here! 10* ISLANDERS

NHL Network Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #24 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - The Bruins completely outplayed the Flyers in the 1st period of Wednesday's game. However, the Flyers were the better team for the 2nd period and most of the 3rd period. For the game Philadelphia outscored Boston 3-1 in 5 on 5 hockey. The difference in the game? 3 power play goals for the Bruins after the Flyers had a 3-1 lead with about 8 minutes to go in the game. Boston got a power play goal after a "closing the hand on the puck" penalty which was really unintentional and no one one wanted to take a penalty at that point in the game for the Flyers. That got the Bruins back in it but the Flyers still hung on to the lead until the Bruins got the equalizer, also on the power play, with just seconds left in the game. Then Boston got the game winner in overtime on, you guessed it, the power play! The Flyers are extremely fired up heading into this revenge game. They are very strong on home ice. Carter Hart is very sharp on home ice throughout his career. They were the better team Wednesday and deserved a win and didn't get it. This will be payback big time as the Flyers also lost both games at Boston earlier this season and one of those was after regulation too. So Philly has tremendous motivation here and proved in the 2nd and most of the 3rd period (again before some nonsense started) that they absolutely are capable of outplaying the Bruins for very long stretches. After deserving a win and not getting it, you know what is coming here on home ice for the Flyers. This is a payback game where we get the money line at a payback price. I certainly will not pass up on this and certainly have no hesitation in going with a top play here. 10* PHILADELPHIA

East Div Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #9 Thursday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - Great spot here. The Capitals are off their very first regulation loss of the season. Not only that it came by virtue of blowing a 3-0 lead against the Bruins and losing 5-3! Keep in mind that came against the January NHL rookie of the month - Caps goalie Vitek Vanecek. I fully expect he and the Capitals to bounce back huge here. Washington is catching the Rangers at the perfect time for a bounce back effort. New York is off a much-wanted win over the Penguins. The Rangers had lost each of their first three games against Pittsburgh this season before finally breaking through with a 3-1 win on Tuesday. That sets this one up perfectly. Also, the Rangers won each of the last two meetings with the Capitals last season so Washington certainly won't take them lightly. New York, prior to beating the Pens, had won just 2 of 8 games this season. Great value with the road team here. 10* WASHINGTON

NBC Sports Network Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #76 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Boston Bruins @ 8:05 ET - The Bruins are off a huge win versus the Capitals where they rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win 5-3 at Washington. Boston has been playing very well but they now take on a Flyers team that is out for revenge after losing both games at Boston less than two weeks ago. Philadelphia lost the first game in a shootout but then got drilled 6-1 in the second game. The Flyers have since won 4 straight games and have allowed only 2.2 goals per game during this hot streak. Keep in mind, Boston had lost 3 straight road games prior to the break through game at Washington. That big rally after being down 3-0 could leave the Bruins a little "spent" here. That was a tremendous rally. The Flyers have big-time revenge on their mind here and while I certainly respect Boston and know they have played well recently, Philly is tough on home ice. Goalie Carter Hart has phenomenal numbers at home in his career and he and the Flyers offer great value here as a home dog. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #59 Tuesday 10* OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs Vancouver Canucks @ 7 ET - Yesterday's game totaled 8 goals and now each of the four meetings between these games has totaled at least 7 goals this season. Not only that, these 4 games have averaged 9 goals per game. It has simply been crazy scoring when the Habs and the Canucks have met this season. Also, Vancouver had scored an average of 5 goals per game in a 4-game winning streak prior to yesterday's loss. The Canucks have plenty of confidence and will bounce back here with a response but they simply have not proven the ability to stop the Canadiens yet this season and I don't see that changing in this one. Montreal has scored 4 or more goals in 7 of their last 9 games. More of the same here and great value with this total available at a 6 goals. Hurry as it will likely move to a solid 6.5 in my opinion. 10* OVER the total in Montreal

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #43 Monday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line (-) @ Washington Capitals @ 7 ET - The Bruins lost to the Capitals on an overtime goal but outshot Washington substantially in each of the 3 periods. Boston, for the game, had a 43-23 edge in shots on goal. I liked what I have been seeing from the Bruins recently and now they welcomed back Pastrnak as well. The Bruins, prior to the tough loss to the Caps, had won 4 straight games and scored an average of 4 goals per game during this streak. Boston allowed 2 or less goals in 6 of their first 7 games prior to the 4-3 OT loss Saturday. The Capitals, conversely, have allowed 3 or more goals in 7 of their 9 games this season. I know this is a bit of a price to lay but the revenge-minded Bruins are out for blood on Monday and they will avenge Saturday's loss. That shots on goal edge was no fluke. 10* BOSTON

Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #31 Sunday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) @ Philadelphia Flyers @ 7:05 ET - The Islanders, on Thursday, blew a 3-0 lead at Washington and lost 6-3. I was really unimpressed with New York and figured they would be flat Saturday and they were at first and got down 2-0 to the Flyers. Though we did win with Philadelphia 3-2 yesterday in overtime the fact is the Islanders were the much better team from the 2nd period on. The Isles outscored the Flyers 2-0 in the 2nd period and then dominated the play in the 3rd too even though it was a scoreless period. The Islanders did a great job of bottling up the Flyers attack and Philadelphia continues to be heavily outshot in games. That said, I fully expect a huge bounce back win for the Islanders here as they have now lost 4 straight games but yesterday, in the final two periods and overtime period, certainly looked nothing like a team that has gone winless in 4 straight. The Isles are ready to turn this around and that showed yesterday and I fully expect that today it will translate to a win. The Flyers will have Brian Elliott in goal here and he is solid but he doesn't have the phenomenal numbers that Carter Hart does when he is at home. Also, the Flyers are still really missing Sean Couturier's presence on the ice. He was the Selke Trophy winner last season. The Isles showed me a lot yesterday and I expect an even more determined effort from the road dog today after falling just short yesterday. This team is very hungry now and had won 7 of the last 10 meetings, including playoff meetings, in this series prior to yesterday. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #27 Sunday 8* Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 5 ET - The Stars entered yesterday's game 4-0 but then didn't just lose the game, they got obliterated. That said, Dallas is poised to bounce back big as they have numerous edges. One thing I want to mention is Carolina scored 3 power play goals yesterday and that definitely won't be repeated today. Also, the Hurricanes lost goalie Peter Mrazek to injury in yesterday's game. Additionally, from a conditioning standpoint, the Stars have a big rest edge considering the situation leading into this back to back spot. Dallas has played only 5 games this season and this is their first back to back and they have been on a consistent schedule of game day, rest day, game day, rest day since their season started after a delay. As for the Hurricanes, they just recently went about 10 days without a game because of covid. Now the Canes are being forced to play their 3rd game in 4 days after that long layoff. This situation favors the Stars in many ways including a solid underdog price. 8* DALLAS

8* OVER 5.5 goals in Washington Capitals vs Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - So many storylines here and I expect a very entertaining game to result. Chara is now a Capital after many years with the Bruins. Also, these two teams are currently #1 and #2 in the standings. It is a big game in DC and Washington might have guys back like Samsonov, Ovechkin, Orlov, Kuznetsov while the Bruins definitely will have Pastrnak back which is a huge boost to a club that has already been on a surge ever since their huge comeback win over the Flyers. Why am I expecting a lot of goals here? The Capitals just showed me plenty in their 5-3 comeback win over the Islanders and their average game this season has totaled 7 goals and we have got a total of 5.5 on this one. As for Boston, they have exploded by scoring an average of 4 goals per game in regulation time of their last 4 games. The Capitals have shown no quit even after the aforementioned 4 key guys have had to sit out due to quarantine issues. Plenty of goals here. 8* OVER the total in Washington

8* NY RANGERS -105 - Don't let this line fool you. It looks easy to take the team with the better record and the better long-term reputation but don't fall for it. The Penguins are dealing with a number of injuries and are very fortunate to have the record they have. Of their 4 wins this season, 3 have come after regulation and the only one that didn't was against these Rangers and was a fortunate win. Pittsburgh was outplayed and they never led the entire game. But then they managed to tie the game and then win it in the 3rd with just a minute and a half to go. The Rangers seek revenge here and are bolstered by getting a post-regulation win of their own in their most recent game. New York is the healthier team and is better than their record would indicate and I like them here at a pick'em price on home ice as I fully expect them to get revenge. The Rangers have allowed an average of only 2.3 goals per game in regulation time their last 6 games while the Penguins are allowing nearly 4 goals per game on the season. 8* NY RANGERS

10* PHILADELPHIA Money Line -120 - The Flyers have playoff revenge here. The Islanders eliminated from the post-season less than 5 months ago so Philly surely hasn't forgotten it. This season New York appears to have taken a step back while the Flyers still appear very solid. These teams have played almost the exact same number of games yet the Islanders have only scored half as many goals. Also, the Isles once vaunted defense and goaltending certainly doesn't look like it once did after a disappointing effort versus the short-handed Capitals saw the Islanders blow a 3-0 lead and lose 5-3. The Flyers are known for being very tough at home where goalie Carter Hart excels and Philly is off back to back wins entering this contest plus has won 3 of their 4 games on home ice this season. New York, on the other hand, has been slipping and has lost 3 straight games and has been outscored 11-5 in the process. 10* PHILADELPHIA

NHL Network Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #61 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 8:05 ET - This one is all about the value and we get that value in two ways here. One is that Columbus is known for playing tight, low-scoring games so that is why this total is a 5.5 even though the game involves a Chicago team that often gets involved in high-scoring games. The second type of value here is simply situational value as the fact is that the Blue Jackets are off a very hard-fought shootout win 3-2 over Florida last night and could be a little flat defensively after they fought so hard to get the win last night versus the Panthers. So the fact is the Blue Jackets have a pair of very solid goaltenders and after Merzlikins was in goal last night, we are likely to see Korpisalo here. Both are strong but ANY goalie can be exposed if the defense in front of him is not on top of their game and I truly expect Columbus to struggle some defensively in this one. It is their 3rd game in 4 nights and each of the last two games went to shootouts which means they were hard-fought games that included an OT period as well. As for the Blackhawks, they have one solid goalie so far this season as Lankinen has really stepped up and been impressive. However, Chicago has still allowed an average of 40.5 shots on goal their past two games. Opponents are getting chances because the Blackhawks are simply not that good defensively. Don't be surprised if the Blue Jackets are afforded (and cash in on) some great scoring chances here. The fact this total is a 5.5 is a great value as the Blackhawks have scored an average of 5 goals per game in their two home games this season so they are very confident at the United Center but this is still a team that has allowed an average of 3.5 goals per game this season. I fully expect a 4-3 type game here. 10* OVER the total in Chicago

ISLANDERS - Revenge game from Tuesday's loss. Capitals are still without Orlov, Ovechkin, Samsonov, and Kuznetsov. Islanders coach Barry Trotz always up for these games and they gave up the game-deciding goal in the final minute of Tuesday's game. This after taking last year's playoff series 4 games to 1 and New York not happy about the way the game finished out on Tuesday and they deserved better certainly and get payback here. 8* ISLANDERS

TAMPA BAY - The Hurricanes are dealing with major covid-19 issues. Out of the following 6 players - Jordan Staal, Teuvo Teravainen, Jesper Fast, Warren Foegele, Jordan Martinook, Jaccob Slavin - only Staal is expected back tonight. That means we have excellent line value with Tampa Bay on the road. As a result of the Lightning consistently playing and the Hurricanes having not played a game in about a week and a half, this situation strongly favors the defending Stanley Cup champs. Also, last season the road team took 2 of 3 games and the season before TB took all 3 games. Carolina has won 2 of 3 this season but two of those games were against a bad Red Wings team and the other one was against Nashville team that has not been overly impressive early this season with 3 of their last 5 games being losses by a combined score of 14-4 and the two victories both coming after regulation. In other words, the Hurricanes are taking a major step up in class in terms of level of opponent here and the Bolts will roll in my opinion. They just have too much firepower and the loss of Jaccob Slavin is a major impact to the Canes blue line. 8* TAMPA BAY

COLUMBUS - The Blue Jackets jumped out to a 2-0 lead Tuesday and never trailed the entire game. In fact, a game-tying goal with just 3 seconds left in the game is the only reason it went to overtime. The Panthers then went on to win in the shootout and can you imagine how ticked off coach John Tortorella was in the locker room after this one? The fiery head coach will have the Jackets ready to respond here and Jack Roslovic, Columbus native acquired from Winnipeg, is expected to be available to go tonight. Looking at their last 5 games, the Blue Jackets have a pair of wins by a combined score of 8 to 4 and 3 losses ALL coming AFTER regulation. Look for Columbus to come out hungrier than ever tonight and improve to 3-1 the last 4 times they were off a loss. Florida is a perfect 3-0 this season but two of the wins came after regulation and 2 of of the victories came against a struggling Blackhawks team. The Blue Jackets are the better hockey club and we are getting line value here as a result of some early season unusual results that will NOT continue so lets grab the exceptional value with the home team here. 10* COLUMBUS

NBC Sports Network Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #29 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Nashville Predators vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 7:35 ET - The Blackhawks had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in yesterday's game. Each time they tried to sit on them and it ultimately cost them in the 3-2 OT loss. Chicago is a young team and not very good defensively and they saw last night once again that they are not the kind of hockey club that can just sit back and try to protect a 1-goal lead. The Blackhawks are simply not build that way. So, after last night's loss and getting outshot by about a 2-1 ratio, look for Chicago to be much more aggressive tonight. I expect a lot more scoring as a result. The goalie match-up is likely to be Kevin Lankinen versus Juuse Saros. The Hawks goalie does not have much NHL experience and he got blitzed in his lone road start this season and allowed 5 goals. The Predators Saros is a solid netminder but is also streaky and he comes into this one struggling as he has allowed 8 goals in his last two appearances. I am expecting plenty of goals here with it being a back to back and the way last night's game played out gives the Predators a lot of confidence and they will be aggressive tonight after getting the OT winner thanks to their captain last night. The Blackhawks must be more aggressive and attack more but this is also a team that, though they still have some offensive firepower, have shown early this season that they give up far too many great scoring chances and the goals against keep piling up here. 10* OVER the total in Nashville

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #24 Tuesday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (+) vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 9:05 ET - The Maple Leafs hung on for a tight win when these teams met at Calgary on Sunday. Now this is the Flames final home game until February 6th and I fully expect revenge-minded Calgary to make the most of it. Leafs goalie Jack Campbell got hurt late in the game and his status is uncertain for tonight. Frederik Andersen is the normal top netminder and so he might be between the pipes anyway here but note that he had a rough road game (5 goals allowed) in his only start away from home this season. Andersen also allowed 4 goals in his lone appearance at Calgary last season. I really like the way Jacob Markstrom has been playing between the pipes for the Flames early this season and expect him to win the goaltending battle tonight. Calgary's two wins this season have come by a combined score of 8 to 2 while their two defeats each came by the slimmest of margins. As a result, the Flames are still a little undervalued right now. Give Toronto credit as they did play a hard-fought game Sunday as they were outhit but dominated in terms of blocked shots. The Flames now come back strong as they were not happy with losing the game Sunday thanks to a very late power play goal in the 2nd period that shifted momentum. Payback time from a determined Flames team Tuesday. They raise their level of play here to again bounce back off a loss. 10* CALGARY

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #5 Tuesday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - Great spot a play on the Flyers. They are off back to back losses including an ugly 6-1 defeat at the hands of the Bruins. The only other time they got blasted this season it was also a 6-1 loss and Philadelphia responded with a 3-0 shutout win. The Flyers have had two days off to think about what went wrong against Boston and they're fired up and ready to respond well here. Keep in mind, the Flyers lost the first game of that two game set in a shootout as they were up 2-0 heading to the third period and let it slip away and then lost 5-4 to the Bruins. Philadelphia, prior to the ugly loss Saturday, had scored an average of 3.8 goals per game this season. The Devils are off a 2-0 shutout win over the Islanders so the set-up here is perfect. Additionally, New Jersey's low-scoring victory marked the 4th time in 5 games this season that they have been held to 2 or less goals. They won't be able to keep up with the revenge-minded Flyers here. Philly got embarrassed 5-0 on home ice despite a 46-19 edge in shots on goal the last time these teams met. Payback time! 8* PHILADELPHIA

NHL Network Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #66 Monday 8* Vancouver Canucks Money Line (-) vs Ottawa Senators @ 10:05 ET - I rarely lay much juice in money line sports and certainly avoid big favorites like the plague. But when a moderately priced favorite comes up in a good situation I will not hesitate to step in. The Canucks have dropped down into the -140 price range for this one and that makes them well worthy of non-Top Play 8* pick in this spot. The home team won both meetings 5-2 last season. Not only are the Canucks at home for this one, they also swept the series with the Senators the season before last as well. I am well aware of the fact that Vancouver has struggled badly early this season but the Senators aren't exactly lighting the world on fire early this season either. Also, the Sens are playing just their 2nd road game of the season and they lost their first one 6-3 and, overall, have lost 4 straight games. I know the Canucks have struggled with costly turnovers resulting in odd man rushes going the other way and also have allowed far too many goals so far this season. However, they'll be ready here. For one thing, Vancouver just faced a Montreal team that has looked great early this season and has won 4 of 5 games. Now the Canucks faced a Senators team that is rebuilding and enters on a 4-game losing streak. Vancouver had a great practice session yesterday and addressed the areas of concern and I look for a revitalized and re-energized Canucks team to take the ice Monday ready to take advantage of a 3-game series hosting one of the worst teams in the NHL. This is Vancouver's chance to turn things around early this season and they know it. 3 games in 4 days against the rebuilding Senators. Lay it! 8* VANCOUVER

Payback Smash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #51 Sunday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7 ET - The Rangers are hungry for payback here. The Penguins are dealing with some injuries to their defense and that was already an area of concern for Pittsburgh heading into this season. New York is fired up after blowing a 3-1 lead in this match-up Friday and going on to lose in overtime. The Rangers have been getting the better goaltending than the Pens so far this season and I look for New York to again build a solid lead in this one and this time they hold on! There is a reason the Penguins are priced so short here at home. In other words, don't let the line fool you. Many will be on Pittsburgh here but they have had some very fortunate wins of late and their luck runs out here as the Rangers come in fired up and won't stop until the final seconds run off the clock in what should be a solid road victory for this motivated bunch. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS

Daytime Blowout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #49 Sunday 8* Buffalo Sabres Money Line (-) @ Washington Capitals @ 3:05 ET - Already without Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, Orlov, and Samsonov the Capitals also might be without Tom Wilson for this one. They managed to hang on and get a shootout win over the Sabres Friday but I expect Buffalo to get payback against the short-handed Caps in this one. Buffalo's Linus Ullmark was coming off a great game in goal and, after he struggled a little early with rebound control against Washington, he got stronger as the game got on. Look for him to carry momentum from that effort into this one and the Capitals still have an inexperienced netminder, Vanecek, in goal right now and he has allowed an average of 4 goals per game in his last two appearances. 8* BUFFALO

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #43 Sunday 8* OVER 6 goals in Chicago Blackhawks vs Detroit Red Wings @ 12:35 ET - Friday's match-up totaled just 5 goals but the Red Wings scored just once. I certainly do not expect that to be the case in the rematch. Yes the Blackhawks had a good game in front of their netminder but that is the exception rather than the rule and old habits are tough to break. Chicago had allowed 5 goals in each of its first 4 games. I am well aware of the fact that Detroit has been involved in a lot of lower scoring games this season but that had more to do with who they were playing as their first 4 games included 2 each against defense-focused team - Carolina and Columbus. The Red Wings are fully capable of opening things up a bit in the offensive zone and they will have that opportunity this afternoon. This one flies over the total as a result as Detroit had scored an average of 3 goals per game in the 3 most recent games prior to Friday's loss. Blackhawks defensive struggles quickly resume here. 8* OVER 6 goals in Chicago

NHL Network Crusher (EVE) - 8* PHILADELPHIA Flyers Money Line +135 @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers led the Bruins 2-0 entering the 3rd period of their game on Thursday. Up to that point, Boston had played nearly 4 full games of hockey and yet scored a total of only 4 goals. Inexplicably, the Bruins then went on to score 4 goals in the 3rd period alone! Give Boston credit for their rally but it means an angry Flyers team that is also a very talented team will be out for revenge on Saturday. Philly went on to lose the game Thursday in the shootout and they are fired up about letting the extra point slip away. The Bruins are still without Patrice Bergeron and the Flyers showed a lot of resilience in ultimately hanging tough in that 3rd period with a goal after Boston had tied it and then another goal to tie it after the Bruins briefly took the lead. It was a game that Boston won despite only holding a lead for 70 seconds out of the entire game. That said, the Bruins are over-priced here and I won't pass up the underdog price on a Flyers team that is hell-bent on getting revenge here on Saturday. 8* PHILADELPHIA

NHL Network Crusher (DAY) - 8* COLUMBUS Blue Jackets Money Line +145 vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 2:05 ET - The Lightning did defeat the Blue Jackets Thursday but only led the game for less than 3 minutes. Columbus held the lead in that game for nearly the entirety of the 1st and 2nd periods. Tampa Bay got the win in overtime and that was after the Jackets missed a glorious opportunity on a breakaway in OT. Tampa Bay is now 3-0 this season and they are the defending Stanley Cup Champions but their first two games were against a bad Blackhawks team and they were somewhat fortunate to beat these Blue Jackets on Thursday. That said, I am coming right back with Columbus in the rematch as a home dog. I don't see them being denied again as this is also the same Bolts team that knocked them out of the post-season last year. The Lightning will have a target on their backs all season and the Blue Jackets will prove to be the hungrier team in this one Saturday and will not be denied. 8* COLUMBUS

RANGERS +128 - The Penguins are off one of the most fortunate wins you will see this season. They were completely dominated by the Capitals Tuesday and were down 4-2 and also had just put Washington on a 2-man advantage. Inexplicably, the Penguins scored on a 3 on 5 which is something you will almost never see in hockey. It was the first for Pittsburgh in over a decade. The Pens then scored a power play goal to tie it and then won it in overtime. Now after huge back to back wins over a fierce rival, they take on a hungry Rangers team. The Penguins goaltending can not be trusted. They have allowed an average of 5.5 goals per game this season which is ridiculous. As for the Rangers, they got embarrassed in their season opener but then responded with a 5-0 win before falling just short against the Devils Tuesday. In that game, New York actually outshot New Jersey 50 to 28. They'll build off that tonight and have allowed an average of only 2 goals per game their last 2 games. They are getting better goaltending overall than the Pens are early this season and this is a great situation. 8* NEW YORK RANGERS

8* EDMONTON - Don't you find it interesting that the Maple Leafs opened up priced exactly the same in this rematch game as they were in Wednesday's game? Yes, even though this is a revenge game for Toronto the odds makers simply are not high on the Leafs and I don't blame them and am happy to back the underdog Oilers here. Edmonton's players are starting to buy into coach Tippett's message. They have some grit and toughness that you just don't see a lot of from the Maple Leafs. The Oilers outhit the Leafs 26-20 in Wednesday's win but, even bigger than that, Edmonton blocked 19 shots compared to just 6 for Toronto! Grab the value with the underdog here and look for big games from Koskinen in goal and Draisaitl and McDavid at the other end of the ice. 8* EDMONTON

10* BUFFALO - The guys that the Capitals lost are VERY significant. Due to a health protocol violation, this is expected to be the first of 4 games for the Caps without Ovechkin and Kuznetsov (two of their top forwards), Orlov (one of their top defensemen) and Samsonov (their #1 goalie). That is why the odds makers were correct in pricing this line at around a -135 on Buffalo and I saw it as high as a -145 earlier. Now it is down to where the Sabres are practically a pick'em and this is offering significant value on Buffalo in this spot. The Sabres have revenge from losing each of the first two games of the season against the Capitals in Buffalo. In that 2nd game they faced the goalie they will face again tonight and that is Vanecek. The young netminder is getting his first taste of the NHL and did beat the Sabres in their first meeting but Buffalo outshot the Caps 31 to 21 and I expect Vanecek won't fare nearly as well in the 2nd meeting. He is now "the guy" with Samsonov out and that puts a lot of pressure on the young netminder. Also, he certainly didn't look overly great against the Penguins when they hung 5 goals on him Tuesday. Situational value here is off the charts. 10* BUFFALO

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - When a team is struggling to score goals they will often start to squeeze the sticks a little too tight until they can snap out of it. Essentially they start pressing until they can get back on track. That said, I don't see the bounce back happening for the Bruins tonight. They are facing a tough Flyers team that is playing with plenty of confidence thanks to being one of the highest scoring teams in league so far and coming off a 3-0 shutout win. Philadelphia is scoring an average of nearly 4 goals per game while, at the other end of the spectrum, the Bruins are averaging only about 1 goal per game thus far. In fact, the only team that has scored less than the 4 goals that Boston has on the season is Dallas and that is because they have yet to play a game because of health protocols relating to covid. Getting Philly at an underdog price here when you consider the current trending of the offensive production of these two teams is simply too good to pass up. Yes the Flyers have a couple injury issues but so too do the Bruins including David Pastrnak and that is a big absence for them. 10* PHILADELPHIA

NBCSN Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #77 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 6.5 goals in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Edmonton Oilers @ 7:05 ET - One of the great things about the divisional realignment for this season is we'll get to see Shane Matthews and the Maple Leafs match up with Connor McDavid and the Oilers 9 times this season! Normally in different conferences they would be meeting just twice a season. One thing is for sure, I expect plenty of fireworks to result as these are two of the most highly skilled players in the game. When these teams last met in Toronto it was a 6-4 Oilers win. While we may not again see double digits in goals tonight I certainly do expect at least 7 goals. Edmonton coach Dave Tippett has been questioning the compete level of his team but has also said they were at their best in their 5-2 win. Keep in mind, in their three losses they have allowed 3 goals once and 5 goals twice. The issue for Edmonton is questionable goaltending and defense. That said, even with a high compete level you see the biggest benefit for the Oilers on the offensive end with guys like McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. I do expect Edmonton's compete level to be very high in this game as it is a high-profile match-up that will bring out the best in both hockey clubs. The result will be plenty of goals as I expect the Oilers to respond after being held to just 1 goal by Montreal in each of their two games with the Canadiens. So Edmonton responds here in the offensive zone but I don't see them stopping the Leafs at the other end. Toronto has scored at least 3 goals in every single game this season and has averaged 3.7 goals in their 3 victories. The Maple Leafs will be on the attack early and often in this one on home ice but the Oilers respond as well. The result will likely be a 4-3 or 5-4 type game in my opinion. Very entertaining barnburner likely. 10* OVER 6.5 goals in Toronto

NBCSN Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #69 Tuesday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - Sometimes you get extra value from unlikely sources and that is what happened here and I am stepping in. You see, this was the perfect spot to back Washington and yet the line moved toward Pittsburgh. Why did that happen? It is because Kasperi Kapanen is expected to make his season debut for the Penguins. However, did all those betting the Pens watch the game on Sunday? The thing is Pittsburgh was in a great spot there and gave a rather solid effort and managed to eke out a shootout win. But the fact is the Capitals spent much of that game looking like the better team and they are the more physical team and Alex Ovechkin had own that hit both sides of the cross bar before ringing out and that was late in regulation and likely would have given the Caps the win. Now after losing their first game of the season and getting another crack at a bitter rival, Washington will not be denied tonight in my opinion. The Capitals look hungry early this season. I like what I saw from them in Buffalo to open the season and I also feel the Penguins are still looking a little "off" early this season and they certainly weren't too impressive in dropping their first two games at Philly to open the season. So, all in all, this one is all about the situational value and we even get some extra money line return here due to Kapanen's expected return. I'll take the extra value as his presence isn't going to completely change everything else going on the ice right now for the Pens and I feel the Caps are looking like the better team at this early point in the season. 10* WASHINGTON

No Doubt Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #49 Monday 10* Top Play Carolina Hurricanes Money Line (-) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - Both of these hockey clubs are off games that were tied 2-2 in the 3rd period on Saturday. However, the difference is that the Hurricanes ended up on the wrong end of a 4-2 final and the Predators ended up on the right end of a 5-2 final. The fact is Carolina outshot the Red Wings by a double digit margin and could just as easily be 2-0 on the season and it would be Nashville (outshot by double digits by Blue Jackets) that would be 1-1. The fact that is not the case is what is helping to give us excellent line value here with the short road favorite. If Carolina was at home we would have a big price to lay. Instead, with them on the road, we get a good low price on the Hurricanes and I love this spot. The Canes came into the season expected to challenge Tampa Bay for the top spot in the Central Division while the Preds could very easily end up near the bottom of the division. Yes Nashville is better than Detroit and Chicago but not the rest of the division and the fact they managed to steal the game on Saturday from Columbus is merely serving to give us line value. Facing an undefeated team and coming off a loss, the Hurricanes know how important this game is and they will make the most of the opportunity. 10* CAROLINA

NHL Network Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 6.5 goals in Florida Panthers vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 7:05 ET - the Blackhawks are 0-2 to start the season and they allowed 5 goals in each game, the Panthers first two games were cancelled due to covid issues impacting the Stars in Dallas, that means Florida is finally playing their season opener and we already saw early on that - for the most part - teams playing their first games saw plenty of goals scored and there were mistakes on the ice leading to more scoring opportunities than usual, the Panthers are known for solid offensive play but struggling in their own end, look for Chicago to fare much better in the goal-scoring department here as a result as they are no longer facing a tough TB defense nor a top goalie named Vasilevskiy, so the Hawks will see more scoring chances here and should cash them in but they are a young team with defensive and goaltending weaknesses and that should mean plenty of goals here, 10* OVER the total in Florida

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #34 Sunday 8* Pittsburgh Penguins Money Line (-) vs Washington Capitals @ 12:05 ET - sets up do not get much better than this, the Penguins are 0-2 to start the season but faced a very strong Flyers team that is projected to challenge for the top spot in the division this season, the Capitals are 2-0 to start the season but faced a Sabres team that is projected to end up in the basement of this division this season, also the Penguins play this game with double revenge as they lost each of the last two meetings with the Capitals last season even though they were not outshot in any of the three meetings last season, a lot of value here with a small favorite playing their home opener and hungry to get that first win, lay the small price, 8* PITTSBURGH

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Saturday 10* Top Play Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - The Blue Jackets lost their opening game at Nashville Thursday by a 3-1 count but that game was 1-1 heading to the 3rd period. Now Columbus gets another shot at the Predators. I know these teams are considering roughly equal but I also like the Blue Jackets strong blue line with Seth Jones and Zach Werenski. The Jackets had a solid start in the game Thursday but really looked a bit listless in the 3rd period. That said, you know fiery coach John Tortorella is going to have the Blue Jackets ready to go here. Columbus, prior to their season-ending loss in Game 5 of their series with Tampa Bay (whom went on to win the Stanley Cup), had been on a 3-0 run when off a loss in which they were held to 1 goal or less. After scoring just 1 goal against the Preds Thursday, the Blue Jackets respond big here and get into the win column. 10* COLUMBUS

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #12 Friday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line (-) vs St Louis Blues @ 9:05 ET - If you look at the final score of Wednesday's season opener (4-1) it looks like the Avalanche got blasted. Trust me, they did not. Did they get outplayed? Yes, they did. But this was still a 2-1 game in the 3rd period and I know the Avs will play much better tonight. They will respond on home ice coming off a loss in which too many players were guilty of expecting the win to come easily to them. That happens sometimes and teams need a wake up call and Colorado just got theirs. They are one of the top choices to win the Stanley Cup this season. Dating back to last season and including the playoffs, the Avalanche have won 6 of 7 (86%) when coming off a loss. The Blues are a high-quality team no doubt and they proved that again Wednesday. But the Avalanche got their wake up call and respond here and it won't be too many times this season that you can get the Avs in the -140 price range on home ice and coming off a loss. This is a value spot. Lay it. 10* COLORADO

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #53 Thursday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (-) @ Buffalo Sabres @ 7:05 ET - This line has been steadily dropping this morning and I understand the move because Buffalo had a solid home record last season. However, all those home games were played in front of fans. Now the Sabres are playing for the first time since March as they did not play in the bubble games. For the Capitals, they played plenty of hockey right up until the latter half of August. That said, Washington is likely much more "game ready" and I also feel the Caps are very hungry entering this season. Alex Ovechkin certainly not getting any younger and they added Zdeno Chara from the Bruins who is turning 44 years old in March. These guys, among others, want to make one last push for a Stanley Cup. The Sabres, of course, don't have the normal fan support in the building so home ice will feel different plus lets not forget that the Capitals had one of the best road records in the NHL last season. Also, coming into this season the Caps (along with the Pens and Flyers) are expected to challenge the Bruins for the top spot in the East Division. As for the Sabres, they are projected to battle with the Devils to try and stay out of the basement. The point is that, particularly after the downward line move, we have excellent line value with the small road favorite in this one. 10* WASHINGTON

TV Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #42 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 5:35 ET - The home team won all 3 games last season by a combined score of 14 to 4. Pittsburgh continues to show signs of being on the fade while Philadelphia responded very well with a new head coach last season and is on their way up. The Penguins brought in some new blood to add to guys like Crosby and Malkin but an important addition, Kasperi Kapanen, is out for this game due to quarantine requirements. Kapanen was possibly going to be on the top line for the Pens and his absence is a key one for sure. Overall, I like the fact that the Penguins are getting a little long in the tooth while the Flyers are up and coming. The long-time gap in this rivalry is certainly closing and note that Philadelphia goalie Carter Hart is known for struggling on the road but has been fantastic on home ice. When the Flyers faced the Penguins early in the season they were still adjusting to the coaching change. As the season went on, Philly turned into a well-oiled machine and that continued into the post-season as well whereas the Penguins got bounced by, of all teams, the Canadiens! About how Philly turned things on as the season went on, they also outshot the Penguins by a 60-39 combined count over their final two meetings. Tristan Jarry is now the undisputed #1 goalie for Pittsburgh but he was better at home than on the road last season. In away games, Jarry went 7-7 with a 2.66 GAA. The Flyers Hart went 20-3-2 with a 1.63 GAA in games at Wells Fargo Center last season while compiling a .943 save percentage! The home team gets the season-opening win in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Monday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) vs Dallas Stars @ 8:05 ET - This is RARE for me but I like this situation so much I am willing to go with a Top Play 10* rating even though the money line is in the -160 range for this one. The fact is that the Stars are VERY lucky there even is a Game 6 in this series. Tampa Bay is the superior team, the healthier team, and they have the better goaltender. Don't get me wrong, I do respect the Stars and goalie Anton Khudobin but the fact remains that the Lightning have skated circles around Dallas for much of the last 4 games. Now, after giving up a late goal in Game 5 that allowed the Stars to tie it and then losing in the 2nd OT (after being the MUCH better team in the 1st OT), the Lighting respond in a big way here! The Bolts are a perfect 6-0 in this post-season when off a loss. Yes they will be without Stamkos again but they have been without him for much of this post-season. Just his presence on the ice (he also scored a goal) in the Game 4 win was big for TB but they played just fine in Game 5 without him. Their fault was in letting up a little bit. This time they won't let up and they will push harder and I am look for them to have a multiple goal lead heading into the final minute of this one. Do they then push it to a 3-goal lead with an empty-netter or do the Stars make it interesting by scoring one late goal with their netminder pulled? That question I can not answer but that is also why I am more comfortable playing the money line here. I don't want to get burned on the puck line late in the game. I do look for a convincing win here as the Lightning are a very dangerous team when highly motivated and they also feel cheated on the OT goal because it came on a power play goal on a penalty call that was not a penalty as the review showed. That said, it is payback time here from a very determined Lighting team. Look for goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy to have another big game for the Bolts here. He has been huge off a loss. 10* TAMPA BAY 

NBC Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #30 Saturday 7* Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) vs Dallas Stars @ 8 ET - That was an inexcusable loss for the Stars last night and, in my opinion, a defeat that is nearly impossible to bounce back from. When they took the 2-0 lead very late in the first period Dallas absolutely can not allow the Lightning to score there to get back in the game but that is exactly what they did. Then in the 2nd period, it was another stupid penalty on the part of Oleksiak (he has been doing this throughout the entire postseason) and that allowed TB to tie the game at 2. Then the Stars don't score on a power play early in OT and the rest is history. Dallas just does not play smart hockey and the Lightning are too good of a team to be making so many mistakes. Tampa Bay sees blood in the water now and does not want to let the Stars get back into this series. The Lightning have been the much better team on special teams throughout this series and that was the case again last night as their power play was the difference in the game. Dallas had their chance last night and blew it. The Bolts are too smart and too well-coached to give the Stars another chance here. Of course this price is a little higher than I would like but that is why I am dropping my rating to just 7* on this play in a game which I feel will be the final game of the 2019-20 NHL season. It has been another good one for me and, already, I can't wait for next season! Until then, lets close out the season the right way...with a win! 7* TAMPA BAY 

Scott “The Bulldog” Rickenbach NHL Rotation #28 Friday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8 ET – I certainly have all the respect in the world for this Tampa Bay team. However, I see Dallas stepping up big time in this key spot in this series. The Stars just got thrashed by the Lightning in Game 3 but they showed a lot of resilience in Game 2 after getting into a 3-0 hole. Then in Game 3 they outshot Dallas by a big margin in period one but ultimately made too many mistakes and took bad penalties. That allowed Tampa Bay to quickly garner momentum and then the Lightning came out and took it to the Stars in period two before they knew what hit them! Give the Lightning credit for sure but now look for Dallas to come out with a strong effort in this game just like they did in Game 1 of this series. The other two times the Stars lost back to back games in this post-season they have responded with a win each time. In fact, before getting hammered in Game 3 of this series after a Game 2 loss, the Stars had been 6-1 the last 7 times they entered a post-season game off a loss. In other words, don’t be surprised when they respond with a huge effort here. It won’t be easy, because Tampa Bay is a very strong team and playing very well, but I see the underdog getting it done in this one after being embarrassed in Game 3 Wednesday. 10* DALLAS

NBCSN Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Wednesday 8* Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) vs Dallas Stars @ 8:05 ET - The Lightning have swung momentum in a big way. The most impressive thing about their Game 2 win was that even when the Stars were trying to battle back in the 3rd period, Tampa Bay wouldn't let them. Over the last 14 and 1/2 minutes of the final period, Dallas still needed one more goal and yet the Bolts held them to just 2 shots. That is dominance. Now the Stars, already dealing with an injured Faksa also so Comeau exit with an injury. Even if those guys were able to play tonight they won't be 100%. I respect the Stars plenty but this is a tough situation for them. The Lightning have momentum and health on their side and, as good as Dallas goalie Khudobin is, Vasilevskiy has been even better at the other end for the Bolts. That is why I am willing to lay the price here (-150 range) but that price is keeping the rating from being a top play in this particular situation. All that said though, this is still a very favorable spot for the Lightning to grab the lead in this series in my opinion. Lay it! 8* TAMPA BAY 

NBCSN Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #24 Monday 8* Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) vs Dallas Stars @ 8:05 ET - The situation was ideal for the Stars entering this season and they took advantage of a tired Lightning team as a I predicted. Dallas had a good amount of rest but not too much. The Bolts were a little tired from having just finished off the Islanders and with each of the final two games of that series requiring OT (one was double overtime). That said, the value is now with Tampa Bay in this bounce back spot. The Lightning are 5-0 in the playoffs when coming off a loss and I don't see them being denied here. Andrei Vasilevskiy has been great for the Bolts throughout this postseason and I look for a huge response from here. But really he did not play that poorly in Game 1 either. It was a 2-1 game very late in the 2nd period when the Stars got a key late goal. The Dallas skaters simply outworked the Lightning in that game. In other words, Vasilevskiy will see better play from his teammates in front of him in this one. Also, the final goal for Dallas was an empty-netter. This price is very fair in the -150 range and I won't hesitate to step in here as the Lightning improve to 6-0 when off a loss in the post-season. 8* TAMPA BAY 

Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #21 Saturday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:35 ET - While I certainly respect the Lightning the value is with the Stars in Game 1 of this series. Dallas has the rest edge as they have been off since Monday while the Lightning just wrapped up their series with the Islanders on Thursday and it took overtime to do it. That was the 2nd straight OT game for Tampa Bay and the prior one was a double overtime loss on Tuesday. Both those games (each requiring extra time) took place AFTER the Stars had dispatched of the Golden Knights with a win on Monday. The rest edge is big and Dallas goalie Anton Khudobin has been playing extremely well. That is not to say that Andrei Vasilevskiy has not also been playing well because he has. But with underdog value, a rested team, and getting strong goalie play - the variables favor the money line dog in this one as they have won 5 of their last 6 games. The fact that the Bolts are just 2-2 their last 4 with one of the wins requiring OT as well is a little bit of a dent in Tampa Bay's confidence level and also Brayden Point did not look 100 percent to me in the most recent game for the Lightning and they really need him to be healthy to be as strong as they can be. Advantage: Stars. 10* DALLAS

NBCSN Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #11 Thursday 8* Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) vs New York Islanders @ 8:10 ET - The Lightning are 4-0 in this post-season when coming off a loss. I am not wild about laying a big price but this money line is in the -160 range and is still well worth the investment as far as I am concerned. Expecting a tight game in Game 5 Tuesday I went with the puck line on the Islanders. Even though New York prevailed and won the game in double-OT, it was a game that could have gone either way and I was happier to relax having the +1.5 goals on my side then to have to sweat out a double-OT winner. Similarly, in this case I though about laying the -1.5 goals with the Lightning and getting plus money as I do expect a big win. However, if Tampa Bay is up by 2 goals late and then the Islanders pull their goalie that is one of those situations which, as you know, can go either way. So here we are with the money line and I am expecting the Bolts to play a much different style in Game 6 and prove to be too much for the Isles. Tampa Bay was back on their heels a bit in Game 5 and allowed the Islanders to dictate the pace and flow of the game. Look for the Lightning to be much more aggressive in Game 6 after essentially playing a "safe game" which played into the hands of New York Tuesday. I also am expecting Brayden Point to return for the Lightning tonight. I really believe him not playing in Game 5 was precautionary (and for rest reasons) more than anything else. The Bolts only losses in this series have been when he hasn't played. However, even if Point does not play I expect the rest of the Lightning to step up big-time off the loss here and look for Andrei Vasilevskiy to continue to be stellar between the pipes as well. The end result? This series ends tonight! 8* TAMPA BAY Money Line

Puck Line Punisher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #7 Tuesday 7* New York Islanders Puck Line +1.5 goals -165 vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:10 ET - Note my rating on this play as it is reduced and it is not a top play. That is because I am laying a price here and that is not something I do very often. I expect the Islanders to battle very hard in this elimination game but I respect the Lightning tremendously and would not be surprised to see this game decided by a single goal and possibly even go to overtime. As a matter of fact, the Bolts first two playoff series have each seen them eliminate their opponent in an overtime game! Prior to their big win in Game 4 of this series, Tampa Bay was 12-4 in this post-season but only 3 of those 12 wins came by more than a single goal. Riding the fantastic play of Andrei Vasilevskiy between the pipes, the Lightning have made a living off winning tight games in these playoffs. I am not saying they necessarily win this game but, if they do, you can see why I am forecasting the victory to come by just one goal. Keep in mind, Brayden Point (arguably the best player in the entire NHL post-season) left Game 4 early and the Lightning might rest him here. If he plays he will likely be less than 100 percent. The one game the Bolts lost in this series was Game 3 and Point missed that game. Yes, he is that important and him being a question mark and the Bolts penchant for tight games has me going with the Islanders +1.5 goals on the puck line as the best value in this one. New York was 12-7 in this post-season prior to the loss in Game 4 and 6 of those 7 losses came by a single goal. The only exception was the 8-2 blowout loss in Game 1 of this series but that was a horrible situational spot for the Isles. Tuesday's situation is most definitely not. The Isles, when off a loss in this post-season are 5-2 and both losses came by just 1 goal. That means that New York at +1.5 goals when off a loss in post-season has a perfect 7-0 record! 7* NEW YORK ISLANDERS Puck Line +1.5 goals -165

NBCSN Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #5 Monday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:10 PM ET - Not only is Vegas now down 3-1 in this series, they have lost 5 of their last 7 games. Once touted as a powerhouse that was on its way to a Stanley Cup title, the Golden Knights are struggling with running into red hot goalies. First it was Thatcher Demko with the Canucks and now it is Anton Khudobin with the Stars. Vegas has been held to just 1.4 goals per game in their last 7 games and some of those were empty netters too! They are generating shots on goal but it doesn't matter if you're not getting truly quality scoring chances and Dallas has been limiting those for sure plus getting strong play from their defensemen around and in front of the net as well. The Stars have all the momentum, a very experienced coaching staff, and the Golden Knights continue to be over-priced. Yes they are in a must-win situation but that actually puts even more pressure on them. While Vegas is squeezing the sticks a little too tight, the Stars are playing confident and with no pressure on them. That combination makes for a very dangerous underdog and I'll again take the generous comeback price being offered here. 10* DALLAS

Daytime Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Sunday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) vs New York Islanders @ 3:10 ET - The Islanders got the upset win in Game 4 but the Lightning were without both Brayden Point and Alex Killorn. At least the latter (suspension) will be back this afternoon but the former (injury) might also return. Either way I look for Tampa Bay to respond off the loss. Andrei Vasilevskiy had won 6 in a row prior to that defeat and I fully expect he and the Bolts to bounce back after falling short. Note that the Lightning are 3-0 in this post-season when off a loss. New York is certainly a strong hockey club but this is a TB team on a mission ever since getting swept out of the first round of the playoffs last year. That followed a phenomenal regular season for the Bolts and they're really locked in since the post-season began. We get some line value here as the money line is in the -140 range and I won't hesitate in raising this one to my top play rating as a result. 10* TAMPA BAY

NBC Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #2 Saturday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:10 ET - The Golden Knights, make no mistake about it, are a very good hockey club. However, they continue to be over-priced throughout this series. Dallas is already up 2 games to 1 but you would think based on pricing that Vegas has dominated the Stars and it is just not the case. Be careful looking at shots on goal as some of that is in relation to Dallas playing with the lead and not playing as aggressively as a result. Speaking of that, and here is the most important reason as to why there is no justification for Vegas to continually be in the -170 range in this season, but lets talk about playing with the lead in this series. Dallas scored early in Game 1 and won in a shutout. Then in Game 2 the Golden Knights erupted in the 2nd period and won in a shutout. Then in Game 3 the Stars never trailed the entire game. That means out of 9 periods of hockey Vegas has led for less than 2 periods. Does that sound like a team that should be so heavily favored? Another key thing I keep coming back to as well is that Vegas beat a 12th seeded Blackhawks team and a young Canucks team to get here. The Stars beat a tough Flames team and a highly-regarded Avalanche team to get here. This line is simply not priced right and with all the pressure on the Golden Knights now, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Stars be an extra dangerous foe in this one as they are playing without pressure now. In other words, upset alert...again! 10* DALLAS

Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #4 Friday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:10 ET - The Islanders, in a very tough travel (and lack of rest) situation, got blown out in Game 1. New York was a much better team in Game 2 and should have won the game. Unfortunately for the Islanders, and us, they allowed a goal with under 10 seconds to go in the game and fell 2-1 to fall into a 2-0 series hole. Despite that loss, the Isles had a lot to like about their game in Game 2 and I expect them to play a similar style in Game 3 and this time they will be rewarded for their efforts! A real key here is that the Lightning were already without Stamkos and now will be without Killorn (suspended) for this game. Additionally, Point might be out as well as he got hurt in Game 2 and never returned to the ice. His loss would be a big one for the Bolts and, even if he plays tonight, I doubt Point would be 100%. That said, all signs point to the Islanders getting the win here and getting back into this series and I am happy to take the healthy underdog price again here just like we successfully did last night with the Stars over the Knights, a game in which Dallas never trailed. Look for this one to play out in similar fashion (never trailing) but with hopefully a win in regulation this time around. Give me the big dog in this one. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

NBC Sports Network Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #40 Thursday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:10 ET - After getting shutout in Game 2 the Stars will respond in Game 3. You saw last night how teams at this level of the post-season respond off a loss with how well the Islanders played against the Lightning though they ultimately lost on a goal with less than 10 seconds to go in the game. The point is that there was zero value on Tampa Bay as a huge favorite last night even though some folks got fortunate with the late goal. Same case here. The Stars are a huge underdog even though they just beat a fantastic Avs team in the prior series and the Golden Knights played two much weaker teams, Blackhawks and Canucks, to make it this far. Don't get me wrong, Vegas is a good team. But they are also a public team and for them to be priced this high in this situation is just not right at all. The Stars as a sizable underdog and off a shutout loss are the play here all day every day. 10* DALLAS

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #37 Wednesday 10* New York Islanders Money Line (+) vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:10 ET - The Islanders got destroyed 8-2 in Game 1. I had the Lightning in that game as it was a very tough spot for the Isles and it paid off easily. Now, the markets are heavily favoring the Bolts in Game 2 but this situation actually favors New York. The Islanders are 4-1 in this post-season when off a loss. Not only that, those 4 wins came by a combined score of 16 to 2. Now I am not saying this will be a dominating win for the Islanders as I have a ton of respect for Tampa Bay and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. But, the fact is the Isles should respond off a very embarrassing loss in Game 1 and they are so well-coached. Yes, TB is well-coached too but after all the bounces went the way of the Lightning in Game 1, I expect a turn of events here in Game 2 and, without a shadow of a doubt, the money line value is clearly with the Islanders in this bounce back spot and being given a +150 payback opportunity. I'll take it! 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

NBCSN Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #35 Tuesday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:10 ET - Everyone will be lining up on Vegas here off a loss. I am quite sure of that. Yet, like I mentioned in my Game 1 write-up on Dallas, the Stars faced tougher competition to get here. I am not trying to totally knock Vancouver but the Canucks were a young team and not as well coached as the teams that the Stars faced to get here. The Golden Knights also were fortunate in their first round match-up as they faced a Blackhawks team that was the #12 seed and barely even made it into the qualifying round of this unique 2020 playoff set-up. The point is that the Knights have really had to take a step up in level of competition for this series. The Stars beat a solid Flames team and an Avalanche team that I had predicted would win it all this season. In other words, Dallas has earned my respect. I am not saying Vegas is not a good team. Of course they are a very good team or they would not be here but what I am saying is that the Stars are not getting nearly enough respect from the betting markets here. I'll take the big dog that knows they played a sloppy 3rd period and were lucky to hang on for the 1-0 win. Of course Vegas is likely to respond here but Dallas had a lot of scoring opportunities in Game 1 that they did not cash and that was even with playing a bit of a "protective game" after getting the early 1-0 lead. The Stars score plenty more here and keep the Golden Knights on their heels in this one. 10* DALLAS

NBCSN Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #34 Monday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) vs New York Islanders @ 8 ET - Huge edges for the Bolts here. They are much more rested as they had 6 days off while the Islanders just finished up an epic battle in a 7-game series with the Flyers that saw 3 games go to overtime. With the conference finals being played in Edmonton, the Isles had to immediately get in a plane and fly west as they had hardly any time to enjoy their big win over Philadelphia in Toronto on Saturday night. Not only is Tampa Bay more rested and holding the travel edge (they arrived to Alberta well before the Islanders did), I also like other edges here for the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy has been fantastic between the pipes whereas New York's #1 netminder Semyon Varlamov has been shaky at times. I know Thomas Greiss got the shutout win over the Flyers in Game 7 for the Isles but he is the normal #2 guy for a reason. The point is that the Lightning have a significant goalie edge here and with the rest edge and the fact that the Bolts have won 4 straight games and beat a tough Boston team convincingly, I am willing to lay the price here. Rare for me to lay much of a price, especially for a top play, but just too many edges in this situation for Game One! 10* TAMPA BAY 

NBC Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #35 Sunday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8 ET - Vegas faced two teams to reach this point - the Canucks and the Blackhawks. Dallas faced two teams to reach this point - the Avalanche and the Flames. What is noteworthy about this is that both teams that the Golden Knights faced finished with less points in the regular season than the two teams that the Stars faced. Not only that but the Blackhawks were a 12th seed so they were the lowest seed that ended up making the post-season out west. As for the Avalanche that was a team that many (including me) predicted would be playing for the Stanley Cup. So the point is that I feel the Stars have faced a tougher road here and the Golden Knights have been fortunate with their match-ups. Vegas faced a Chicago team coached by a 35-year old and a Canucks team coached by a 49-year old. Now they face a Stars staff with plenty of coaching experience including interim head coach Rick Bowness whom is 65 years old and has been coaching since 1989 which means, yes, the year 2020 marks the 5th decade in which he has coached. Dallas has shown a lot of firepower in the offensive zone in this post-season and will test the Knights in a way that Chicago and Vancouver simply weren't capable of. This is the best team by far that the Golden Knights have faced in the post-season while I am not sure the reverse is true at all. The Avalanche team, even with injuries, was a very high-powered team that the Stars just got past. I think all that experience serves them well immediately in Game 1 before Vegas can make some adjustments as this series on. I am happy to grab the big dog value here with the Stars. 10* DALLAS

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #6 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs New York Islanders @ 7:30 ET - Seeing guys like Kevin Hayes, Claude Giroux, and Travis Konecny getting on the scoresheet in recent games is big news for the Flyers. Throughout this post-season Philadelphia has been winning on the strength of team depth and the goaltending of Carter Hart. However, along the way, much has been made of the lack of production for some of the big name guys for Philadelphia and that includes James van Riemsdyk whom also has gotten in on the scoring in recent games too. All of this has helped lead the way to a Flyers comeback from a 3-1 series deficit to tie the series at 3. With yesterday's losses for the Avalanche and the Canucks, neither of the other teams that did the same thing the Flyers have done were able to complete the comeback and advance to the conference finals. However, Philadelphia's head coach Alain Vigneault has already done this multiple times in his career and I look for him again help lead the way to a series comeback from a 3-1 deficit to advance to the next round. Yes the Flyers were heavily outshot in Game 6 but they played much better than what that lone stat (shots on goal) would lead you to believe. The Islanders haven't made it to the conference finals in 27 years. The Flyers rallied all the way back from a 3-0 series deficit to oust the Bruins in 2010. That was the same year Philly lost in the Stanley Cup Finals to the Blackhawks. History is on the side of the Flyers here but I also like the boost they have received from the return of Oskar Lindblom to the ice. He has a rare form of bone cancer (Ewing's sarcoma) and he and the Flyers go all out again here in Game 7. They could have Sean Couturier back from injury as well. I am actually expecting that but even if he does not return I still see all the value with the confident Flyers here who have proven throughout this series that they can win the tightest of games. Give me the underdog here! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Afternoon Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #4 Friday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line (-) vs Dallas Stars @ 4 ET - When you let a team hang around in a playoff series, no matter the sport, it can sometimes come back to bite you! This is particularly true in the NHL. A hot goalie and momentum go a long way toward deciding hockey games and we have now seen that hold true in no less than 3 of the 4 series going on right now in the NHL. We're going to see three NHL Game 7's which is a beautiful thing to see. The Golden Knights have played well but ran into a red hot goalie (Thatcher Demko) and that series has gone from 3-1 to 3-3. The Islanders have played well but ran into a very resilient Flyers team playing with a ton of emotion and that series has gone from 3-1 to 3-3. Then you have this one where all you hear people talk about is the fact that the Avalanche were a cup favorite but now they have too many injuries. Looks like the Colorado players are having nothing to do with talk like that! They have rallied the troops and this is yet another series that has gone from 3-1 to 3-3. Michael Hutchinson has been a key between the pipes because of the injuries to the top two Avs goalies. I am aware of the Gabriel Landeskog injury for the Avs but his linemates on the top line including Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen and there has simply been no quit in this team no matter whom is on the ice. MacKinnon is having a post-season for the ages but is 0-2 in Game 7's and can't wait to change that here. Look for that to happen. The Avs advance as the Stars, still shaken from blowing a 3-1 series lead, fall short again this year just like they did last year in a similar situation against the Blues. The Avalanche simply look like the better team, even with injuries, as this series has gone on. The Avs are relentlless and have too much firepower for Dallas to put away. 10* COLORADO

Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs New York Islanders @ 7:00 ET - While there are question marks about whether or not Barzal will play for Islanders in this one and whether or not Couturier will play for the Flyers in this one, I want to get this play out early for everyone. The fact is I expect Barzal to play and Couturier not to play but I still like the Flyers in this one. If Barzal was announced as being out and Couturier being in than so much the better. But the fact is momentum and having your big guys going strong is a key in the hockey post-season and the Flyers check the boxes on both of those things heading into this game. In Game 5 they finally saw Giroux score a goal (he also picked up his 6th assist on the GW OT goal no less!) plus van Riemsdyk also scored a goal. Coach Vigneault is pushing all the right buttons with these Flyers and though Konecny has not scored a goal he picked up a pair of assists in the win. Coming back from a 3-1 deficit to force a Game 7 is not easy but coach Vigneault has let teams to series wins multiple times after a 3-1 series hole. Also, if you don't believe momentum and getting the big guys going is key in a series you're not paying attention to the series out in Edmonton where Colorado got a 4-1 win last night to force a Game 7 after being down 3-1 in that series with Dallas. Look for the Flyers to also force a Game 7 by getting the big win tonight. The Islanders are a great team for sure and very well coached but Philly has the momentum here and unlike the Avalanche (down to a 3rd string goalie no less!) the Flyers have a true #1 netminder (Hart) healthy and ready to go here tonight. I love Game 7's in NHL and this series absolutely appears destined for a Game 7 after the way the Flyers responded twice in Game 5 to show how resilient they are. They gave up the first goal of the game just one minute into to the game to fall into a hole. They then allowed the final two goals of regulation to blow a 3-1 lead. They still win in OT. That is resilience with a capital R and this Flyers team is firing on all cylinders right now with or without Couturier. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #19 Wednesday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line (-) vs Dallas Stars @ 8 ET - What happens when a team has a chance to put a team away and then doesn't? We're about to find out. The Avalanche were down 3-1 in this series against the Stars but then absolutely blitzed Dallas and scored the first 5 goals of Game 5 and rolled to a 6-3 win. It will again be Michael Hutchinson between the pipes for Colorado tonight. Yes he is the #3 goalie but he is behind two solid netminders in Grubauer and Francouz - each of which are dealing with injuries. 2 of the 3 goals Hutchinson allowed were on power plays for Dallas and the reality is he played quite well. Also, dating back to the regular season, he has allowed just 4 goals on the last 55 shots he has faced. Keep in mind, Hutchinson is again likely to get plenty of goal support here too as the Avalanche have averaged 5 goals per game over the last 3 games. Also, the Avs finished off the Coyotes with identical 7-1 wins in each of the last two games of the series. I am not saying the same thing happens in this series but I am saying that the Avalanche are a very strong team and will force a Game 7 in my opinion. Give the Stars credit for getting the 3-1 series lead but now all the momentum is with Colorado and Dallas coach likely regrets making a goalie change at a crucial juncture in the series. He went to Ben Bishop in Game 5 as he was healthy enough to play again but he got absolutely blitzed and the Avs now have plenty of confidence against both of the Stars netminders. This Avalanche team is so dangerous in the offensive zone and I again don't see them being denied in this one. Just too much firepower and the confidence of Dallas is absolutely shaken now. I don't care what they say. They know they let a great chance slip away and have given the Avs plenty of hope! 10* COLORADO

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #17 Tuesday 10* Top Play Vancouver Canucks Puck Line +1.5 goals -130 vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 9:45 ET - I am well aware of the fact that there has not yet been a game decided by a 1-goal margin in this series. But I feel strongly we see a tight one in the Edmonton bubble tonight. The Canucks aren't going away without a fight and they are fired up after taking a 3-2 lead to the 3rd period against the Golden Knights on Sunday only to ultimately lose. Vancouver gave up 3 goals in a span of about 6 minutes of the first half of the final period in Game 4 and it is payback time here. I have tremendous respect for the Knights however and that is why I wouldn't be surprised to see an overtime game like we saw last night when the Bruins were facing elimination against the Lightning. Boston forced OT before finally losing to Tampa Bay in the 2nd overtime. In this case, of course would be nice to have a big money line payback on the Canucks should they win outright but I would not be surprised if they play a fantastic game and yet ultimately fall just short in a one-goal loss as Vegas looks to close them out and move on. Vancouver had won 5 of 6 when coming off a loss but that was entering Game 4. After that defeat, the Canucks are now 5-2 the last 7 times when entering a game off a loss. Look for Vancouver to bounce back here and note that the Golden Knights entered Sunday's game having gone just 4-3 the last 7 times they were off a win by a multiple goal margin and 3 of those 4 wins came by just a single goal including 2 in overtime. In other words, if you just played the puck line +1.5 goals against Vegas in those 7 games you went 6-1 with your bets! Of course that angle is now 6-2 after the Golden Knights 2-goal win in Game 4 but I'll gladly take that 75% angle with the Canucks here as I don't see them exiting this series quietly. 10* VANCOUVER Puck Line +1.5 goals -130

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #12 Monday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) vs Boston Bruins @ 7 ET - Many will be looking the way of the Bruins here. After all, they have lost 3 straight games and are trying to avoid elimination and this is practically the same Boston roster that was one win away from winning it all last season! In typical contrarian fashion I am on the other side here. I look for Tampa Bay to make it 4 in a row and not even let the Bruins sniff the potential of getting back in this series. By the way, the Bolts are 7-0 in terms of winning a series when they hold a 3-1 lead. In this case, I look for them to get the close out victory tonight. The Lightning have won the last two games by a combined 10-2 score and a key has been Jaroslav Halak, rather than Tuukka Rask, being between the pipes for Boston. This is not a knock on Halak as normally he is a solid goalie but, the fact is, he is not playing that well right now and neither are his Bruins teammates in front of him! Conversely, Andrei Vasilevskiy has been playing exceptionally well between the pipes for TB at the other end and I fully expect that to continue tonight. This Tampa Bay team is so hungry this season after what happened last year when they had an absolutely stellar regular season but then got swept out of the post-season in the first round! This Lightning team absolutely looks like a team on a mission in these playoffs and we see that continued inspired effort again Monday! 10* TAMPA BAY

Game of the Week (Eastern Conference) - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #7 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs New York Islanders @ 8 ET - The Flyers performance in Game 3 wasn't nearly as bad as the final score would lead one to believe. Philadelphia gave up a very late goal - 5 seconds left in second period - and that really hurt them as that is a killer for a team. The fact is the Islanders are a very tough team and this is likely to be a tight back and forth series. On that note, I really like the Flyers to respond off the loss with a huge effort here to get the win. They have not had a losing streak since early January! Dating back to the regular season and including this post-season, Philadelphia is 11-0 when coming off a loss. Look for the Flyers to improve on that mark here after being shut down in Game 3 where the second period did them in after they looked so sharp in the first period. This is a very good Philly team and they also hold the "back to back" edge in my opinion. In terms of the goalie match-up, if it is again Varlamov and Hart in this back to back note that Hart is 10 years younger than Varlamov and may respond better physically. If the teams go to the back-ups I like Elliott (12-5-2 away from Philly this season) over Greiss (7-6-2 away from home this season). Just a much better overall team effort expected in this one for the top-seeded team as they continue to show great resilience improving to 12-0 last dozen times they have been off a loss! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #5 Sunday 8* Colorado Avalanche Money Line (-) vs Dallas Stars @ 6 ET - The Avalanche pattern so far in the bubble has been that they don't just win one game they string a couple together. They started 2-0 then lost one in OT. Won 2 more, lost one. Then won 2 more again, but then lost 2 straight. Now, after responding to the back to back losses with a key win in Game 3 of this series, I look for the pattern of following an initial win with another win to continue here. Look for the Avs to even this series up. Colorado entered the 3rd period with a 3-1 lead in Game 3 but "let up" and didn't play "their game" and it very nearly cost them as they ended up trailing 4-3 before firing back and scoring 3 straight to close the game out. As it was the Avs were only trailing for about a minute of that 3rd period but it was "lesson learned" for sure. Colorado has a ton of firepower and just needs to keep their foot on the gas. Anton Khudobin continues to start in goal for the Stars as Ben Bishop is out. He had been playing well but then was on the wrong end of the 6-4 result in Game 3 of this series. Pavel Francouz has been in between the pipes for the Avs ever since the Philipp Grubauer injury in Game 1 of this series. Off back to back starts where he allowed 4 goals in each, look for Francouz to come up big in Game 4. That was his pattern in the regular season if he entered a start off back to back outings in which he allowed 3 or more goals. He is a strong #2 goalie as he went 21-7-4 with a .923 save percentage in the regular season. 8* COLORADO

PA Insider - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs New York Islanders @ 7 ET - NOTE: This original write-up was based on the game being played Thursday evening. The game is now being played Saturday at 7 ET. I still am going with the same selection as a Top Play. Here is the original write-up: The Flyers built a 3-0 lead in yesterday's game and were still up 3-1 halfway through the final period and up 3-2 with about 2 minutes left. They then let the game slip away as Islanders tied it at 3 plus got a 2 minute power play to close out regulation. If the Isles had scored on that power play or been the club to score in overtime, the Flyers season would have likely been over. Coming back from a 2-0 deficit after a completely demoralizing loss is a lot to ask. Instead, the mood on this Philadelphia hockey club is very upbeat as they got the 4-3 OT win with a Myers goal just a couple minutes into OT. The Flyers, dating back to the regular season, have now won 17 of their past 21 games. They also hold a goalie edge for this back to back situation. It should be Varlamov and Hart in this one but lets talk about all 4 goalies because of the back to back. Greiss came in yesterday for the Islanders after Varlamov allowed 3 goals in 15 minutes. Greiss, 34 years old and having not played much at all since the spring, did play well but now this would be a back to back for a guy just coming back to live big game action. Varlamov, after his long playoff shutout streak, allowed 3 goals in 15 minutes and the Flyers are now "in his head" a little. As for Hart, he is only 22 years old and playing in a back to back wouldn't bother him in the least. If the Flyers call on their back-up, Elliott, he is a veteran player like Greiss. However, unlike Greiss, he is fresh because he did not play yesterday. Two evenly matched teams but the Flyers have momentum and goaltending on their side in this crucial swing game in this 1-1 series. Also, Philly coach Vigneault tweaked some of the lines yesterday and it paid immediate dividends. More of the same here. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #13 Wednesday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line (-) vs Dallas Stars @ 10:30 ET - After receiving a wake-up call in Game 1 and losing badly to the Stars, the Avalanche needed to respond and they did. The problem however is the response only lasted half the game. The Avs were up 2-0 about midway through the game and then all of the sudden found themselves on the wrong end of a 2-man advantage. The last thing you want to do when you have a 2-goal lead and are looking to even a series up is to end up with two of your men in the penalty box! The rest is, as they say, history now. But the fact that the team I feel has a great shot at winning the cup this season is now in a 2-0 hole in this series makes this a fantastic spot for backing them. Yes the Stars have momentum as the puck continues to bounce their way. Give them credit but, again, Colorado let that game slip away and sometimes learning experiences come at a high price. In this case, the Avalanche let that game get away from them and it has put them in a 2-0 hole. That said, it is not too late to respond and I know the kind of effort we're going to get from this highly talented, exceptionally skilled Avalanche team in this one. Also, look for the Avs to be more grittier in this game. Even though this is not an elimination game, teams very rarely come back from a 3-0 deficit so this is about as close to a win or go home game as there is. Colorado needs more hitting and more blocked shots and, at the same time, I expect them to again heavily outshoot the Stars like they did in Game 2 (40-27 edge). Adding up all the factors and knowing that Pavel Francouz played a much better game in net than the final score would lead you to believe, I am willing to lay the moderate price (-140 range) on the Avalanche in this one and expect them to play their best game of the post-season. 10* COLORADO

PA Insider - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #10 Wednesday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs New York Islanders @ 3 ET - The Flyers performance in Game 1 wasn't nearly as bad as the final score would lead one to believe. Philadelphia did have a rough first period but they found their game after that but the puck didn't bounce their way. The fact is the Islanders are a very tough team and this is likely to be a tight back and forth series. On that note, I really like the Flyers to respond here. They have not had a losing streak since early January! Dating back to the regular season and including this post-season, Philadelphia is 10-0 when coming off a loss. Look for the Flyers to improve on that mark here after being shutout in Game 1. This is a very good Philly team and they just didn't cash in their opportunities in Monday's game including finding iron on a few shots as well. They'll get some past Varlamov in this one and it won't take much with Hart continuing to play well for the Flyers in goal. Just a much better overall team effort expected in this one for the top-seeded team! 8* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #6 Tuesday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) vs Boston Bruins @ 7 ET - The Lightning got down early against Boston in Game 1 but they fought their way through that and looked strong the rest of the way nearly rallying all the way back from a 3-0 deficit. After falling short 3-2, but infused with confidence, the Bolts will be ready to take it to the Bruins in Game 2. The Lightning are built more for the post-season than they were last year. They match up much better with Boston now and that was part of the reason that Tampa Bay took 3 of 4 regular season meetings. Game One of this series swung on a couple of big plays. One was the Bruins getting on the board with only a minute left to go in the first period. Then a power play early in the 2nd period led to their 2nd goal. This is not to take anything away from Boston but those key momentum swings were game changers. The Lightning looked much stronger and confident as the game went on and they'll carry that momentum into Game 2. I also still like Bolts goalie Vasilevskiy over Bruins goalie Jaroslav Halak. Though Halak is solid there is a reason he is the #2 behind Tuukka Rask whom now has departed the bubble. The Lightning come out flying and even this one up. 10* TAMPA BAY

PA Insider - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #2 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs New York Islanders @ 7 ET - This should be a fantastic series. It is always tough to gauge teams coming into a new series because the match-ups are different and you have to factor in the prior series. In this case, I feel that edge goes to the Flyers. The Islanders are a great team and I am expecting this to be a fierce battle in this series but Game 1 sets up well for the Isles to fall short. They are coached by Barry Trotz and he is the former Capitals coach that took Washington to the Stanley Cup title win over Vegas in 2018. Now just two years later he got a chance to meet his team in the post-season and his Islanders dominated them in the 4-1 series win and it ended up getting Caps coach (and his former assistant coach) Todd Reirden fired. That was an emotional series win not only for Trotz but also his players because the players know how bad Trotz wanted that. Can they immediately handle now facing a tough Flyers team in Game 1 of this series? I think this is the one game in this series that the Flyers should dominate. They get Niskanen back, they are confident after knocking off a scrappy Canadiens team that had upset the Penguins. Yes those Penguins that include star players like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The point is that the Flyers got tested by the Habs and it was good for them to build up some playoff mettle as young goalie Carter Hart continues to play as a much more experienced player than you would expect with his young age. Philly got their power play going late in the series with Montreal and that also is a confidence boost heading into this tough post-season match-up. Yes, the Islanders won all 3 regular season meetings but those were a long long time ago when the Flyers were still adjusting to new coach Alain Vigneault way back in November! Keep in mind, dating back to regular season and including the round robin action under this bubble too, the Flyers have won 16 of their last 19 games! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #84 Sunday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) vs Boston Bruins @ 8 ET - I'll take Lightning #1 goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy over Bruins goalie Jaroslav Halak. Yes, I know Halak is more of a #1b option rather than a true #2 but Tuukka Rask is the normal starter in Boston for a reason. Halak let in a few soft goals against the Hurricanes and he is going to be tested even more here by Tampa Bay. The Bolts are a team on a mission after getting swept out of the playoffs in the first round last year. That followed a record-setting regular season for them and the Lightning enter this series a very focused team after knocking off a tough Columbus team. Yes the Bruins ultimately looked good in getting past Carolina but the monumental collapse of the Hurricanes in a game they led 3-0 was something they never bounced back from. The Canes were a disappointment in blowing that game which would have tied the series at 2 games apiece. Keep in mind, Carolina never should have lost Game 1 either as the Bruins had a goal count that never should have counted and that is why the game eventually went to OT instead of being a 3-2 Canes win. The point is that the Bruins won a double-OT game plus came back from a 3-0 third period deficit. Give them credit for that but they were facing a Carolina team that has some issues. Now they face a Lightning team with no real issues other than still waiting on Stamkos to come back but they have been (and are use to) playing without him. I also like the fact that the Bolts have experienced goaltending behind Vasilevskiy. Conversely, the Bruins back-up (because of Rask leaving the bubble) is a #3 goalie with zero NHL experience. If Halak gets hurt or struggles Boston has a significant issue. The Lightning now have the physicality to match up with the Bruins and they take Game 1 here to set the tone for this series. 10* TAMPA BAY

Situational Shocker - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #81 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars @ 8 ET - I am calling this one a shocker because when you think of playoff hockey you think of tight, low-scoring games as a general rule. However, in this case you have a Dallas team that does its best when skating fast and allowing guys like Tyler Seguin to open things up and create in the offensive zone. As for the Avalanche, they are a very fast and skilled team and showed that in knocking off the Coyotes by identical 7-1 scores in each of the final two games of their first round series. As for the Stars, how about scoring 7 straight times to win 7-3 after allowing the first three goals against the Flames in that game? The fact is both these hockey clubs are very confident in the offensive zone right now and we're getting line value because all 4 regular season meetings between these teams (as well as the round robin game too) totaled 5 or less goals. That said, how can this total be posted at 5.5 goals by the odds makers? Exactly! It is going over folks. The Stars have won 4 of their last 5 games and scored an average of 4.8 goals per game in those 4 wins. The Avalanche are averaging 4.1 goals per game their last 7 games. Look for a wild one here. I know that is not the norm in playoff hockey but this is a situational play. 10* OVER the total in Colorado

Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #15 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7 ET - It has been feast or famine for the Canadiens so far in this series and I expect the latter to be the result in Friday's Game 6. Yes the Habs exploded for 5 goals in a wild one in Game 5 (and also in Game 2 when the Flyers didn't show up and Montreal was playing for their coach - heart surgery) but in the other 3 games the Canadiens not only lost but they scored a TOTAL of 1 goal in those 3 games! Flyers netminder Carter Hart has a knack for bouncing back off poor outings and he did not look good on Wednesday. That said, the young goalie is cool under pressure and had come up with back to back shutouts in Games 3 and 4 after that ugly Game 2 where his teammates hung him out to dry. Speaking of teammates and how they react around Hart, the fact that Montreal's Suzuki tapped Hart on the helmet after the Habs scored their 2nd goal to tie the game on Wednesday will be accounted for. I don't wish ill will upon anyone but Suzuki has a bullseye on his back for this game. Already the Flyers Niskanen (suspended for this game) broke the jaw of Gallagher (one of Montreal's best players) after the Suzuki incident. Gallagher is now out for the rest of the post-season (which I suspected the end would have been coming tonight anyway) and they will struggle to overcome his absence. He is a speedy player and an agitator on the ice. The Canadiens will miss him more than the Flyers will miss Niskanen although certainly the D-man is an important player for Philly. In terms of coaching the Flyers bench guys have the most combined experience of any coaching staff in the NHL. They hold a huge edge over Montreal with Claude Julien still recovering from heart surgery and with an assistant coach now handling coaching duties for the Canadiens. Philly also got their power play going in Wednesday's Game 5 and that is a key confidence boost for this team. They earned their #1 seed and, dating back to the regular season, had won 15 of their last 17 games prior to the Game 5 loss. Payback time here and don't be surprised if someone taps Suzuki on the head in the handshake line after this game is over as the Flyers send the Canadiens packing. Big mistake on Suzuki's part and he and his teammates will pay the price after lighting a fire under the Flyers for this game 6. Philly will be buzzing all over the ice for this one and will have their skating legs going at 110%! 10* PHILADELPHIA